Mem Husedin
In the tribal era, when a member of the tribe was killed, the tribe was duty-bound to take revenge. Failing to do so would jeopardize the tribe’s unity. After all, who would want to remain in a tribe that doesn’t protect its own? This is why tribal feuds existed—revenge was necessary to ensure people stayed loyal to the tribe.
But times have changed. Today, when families follow these old tribal laws and seek blood feuds, we call them backward. Isn’t it primitive to seek justice on your own?
So, who do we look to for justice now? The state, of course. In a modern judicial system, laws act as society’s referee, ensuring no one can kill without facing consequences. The consequence is imprisonment.
The state, with all its other functions, plays this crucial role as a referee, maintaining peace through justice. However, this role only applies internally, within the borders of the state.
When it comes to relations between nations, things are different. As John Mearsheimer, a prominent political scientist and realist in international relations, once said, “There is no referee in international affairs.”
Between states, there’s no higher authority to appeal to for justice. Each actor is left to fend for themselves, never fully trusting the other. This ties into human nature—humans are naturally expansionist. We always want more than what we have, driven by insecurity. That insecurity stems from the knowledge that others, too, are expansionists.
In the global arena, this creates a landscape of constant fear and mistrust. We Kurds know this well. Turks are expansionist. Persians are expansionists. And if given the chance, so too are Arabs.
The real question is: can our leaders protect us from these expansionist forces surrounding us? Looking at Rojava and Bashur, the two parts of Kurdistan where we have some autonomy, it’s clear that the leadership in Qamishlo, Hewlêr, and Sulaymaniyah have not done enough. The Turks and Persians attack and kill our people at will, and our leaders either remain silent or appeal to a referee that does not exist.
What we need is leadership that can outsmart these rivals and unite our land. We need leaders who can develop the right political tools and negotiation tactics to stop our enemies from attacking us. It is the role of Kurdish leaders to protect us, to make our enemies feel pain when they attack, and to build the alliances needed to strengthen our position.
Our enemies are expansionists. It is the duty of our leaders to stop them from effectively seizing our land…
I say it is time to stop picking our leaders based on our grandfathers’ tribal affiliations. Such leader-picking does not allow us to judge them based on their performances in protecting the people and bringing prosperity to the land.
It is time to redefine what it means to be a national leader of Kurds.
