Kurdistan: The Arabization policy is much older than the Baa'thization

[Harold Schiffman]

The Arabization policy is much older than the Baa'thization

By Ferhad Pirbal
The Kurdish Globe

Several Islam travelers and historians wrote their works in their language.
Many writers, travelers, and experts of the Arabs and Islam between the 11th
and 16th centuries mentioned in their books that Mosul, Kirkuk, and
Khanaqeen, during the years 600-1500, were cities with Kurdish-speaking
populations, among them Al-bladhery in his book Cities' Conquests (Dar
al-Kutub al-ilmiya, Beirut; 1978, p. 182), which says that Mosul city had a
Kurdish population during the 11th century, with only a few Arab clans
living in the suburbs.
Moroccan geographer Ibin Battuta (1304-1369), during his journey from
Baghdad and while passing through southern Kurdistan, wrote in detail about
the Kurdish country and its nation. He also gave the same information
regarding other cities such as Kirkuk, Mosul, Mardin, and Sinjar. Al-Tabary,
in his book Prophets' and King's News (Section 3, 1, P. 51), wrote about
King Marwan, saying he was "decently Kurdish."

Al-Masudy, in The Gold's Pastures (1965, Section 3, P. 100, 253, and Section
2, PP. 122-123), wrote much information about the Kurdish clans and talked
about the Kurdish originality and language. Also, Ibin Khaldun (1332-1406),
in The Book of Lessons (Section 2, P. 461, and Section 2, P. 413), mentions
that when the Mongols stole and killed the Kurds, survivors escaped to
Syria, Egypt, and Algeria. In 951, Aba Dalaf Mas'ar bin Muhallal al-Khazragy
paid a visit to Kirmashan in Persia, and talked about the skills and talents
of the Kurdish people, such as their crafting arts on the Shereen Palace's
walls, and he also spoke about the Kurds living in the Kurdish cities in
Persia, who were different from the Persians and who called themselves
Kurds.

Several Islam travelers and historians wrote their works in their language.
The most famous among them is Mahmud al-Ghashqary, who wrote a valuable book
in the Ottoman's language under the title The Encyclopedia of the Turkish
Languages in 1074. He drew a map about the countries in the Middle East and
included a Kurdish one that put Mosul, Khanaqeen, and Kirkuk within the
frame of the Kurdish Region, which was home of the Kurds. Additionally,
Turkish traveler Nasih Matraqchy, who was in Kurdistan during the years
1534-1536, wrote a book about his journey and spoke about Kurdistan, Altun
Kopry, Diyar Bakir, and Kirkuk. The book, including pictures, was entitled
Suleiman Nama and published in 1545. It spoke the truth, and has been
translated into French and English.

French and Italian travelers, such as Marco Polo and Jean B Tavernier
(1200-1600), both mentioned in their journey books that during the years
600-1700, Mosul and Kirkuk were two cities with Kurdish populations and a
Kurdish language. In 620, the Islamic leaders gradually started to implement
the Arabization policy in Kurdish areas, especially in Mosul and Kirkuk, by
housing the Arabs in the invaded areas of the Kurds. That was because of the
fear that appeared among the Arab kings that the Kurds in the colonies might
rise up against them. Thus, the Islamic succession and the Arabs expelled
the Kurds from their cities and replaced them with Arabs. That's why we can
see Arab princes, leaders, experts, and many Arab Muslims used to describe
the Kurds in such a wild and unfair way, looking at the Kurds with disgust.
For example, Andalusia traveler Ibn Jubeir wrote a book entitled Ibn
Jubeir's Journey (Dar al-Nathir Publications, Beirut, 1968, P. 193). In his
book, he described the Kurds in the year 1100 in such a way that defaced
them in front of the Arabs and the world. He wrote:

"We continued our journey; it was almost mid day and we were cautious and
vigilant for any sudden attack by the Kurds who are an epidemic in these
areas. From Mosul to Nsibeen and along to Duneisir, the Kurds intercept the
travelers' way and spread evil on the Earth. And they live in the
strongholds up in the mountainous areas of this involved country; God
himself couldn't help their kings in repressing them or ending their
hostility. Sometimes, they reach Nsibeen city's entrances. They are able to
do everything, and no one can stop them but the God." The publications of
Islamic thought were supposed to be published in the Arabic language to make
people learn Arabic and to make this religion and its language be common
among people, because they were thinking that, in case these bases of Islam
could be rooted deeply within the Kurdish population, they would ensure
their interests and their succession. The Holy Quran emphasizes the Arabic
language in more than eight places. "We have brought the Quran in Arabic,
which make you realize?"

The authorities of the Arabic Islam succession during past eras and eras
that came much later, especially during the Amawiyah and the Abbasid,
succeeded in using the Arabic Quran to persecute the Kurds. Besides being in
power, the Arabs used to say that due to the Quran being written in Arabic,
Arab Muslims didn't have to work and were entitled to be solely in power,
collect revenues of the state, and watch over their succession. From those
times, the Arabic language and the political authorities of the Arabs and
Islam made reverence, sacred, and almighty upon the Kurdish nation; in
return, the Kurds were considered slaves to the Arabs; also, individuals in
the Kurdish population began to underestimate themselves in comparison to
the Arabs. Salahaddin Ayuby, who served the Arabs in the 1100s, was one of
them.

These feelings of underestimation and disgust that appeared among the
Kurdish nation in front of the Arabs and Islam, and also the silly and
in-vain efforts put on by the Kurds in establishing ties and relationships
with the Arabs in Makah and Medina, were much stronger among the Kurdish
intellectuals, princes, nobles, and educated people than among the ordinary
people of the Kurdish nation. That's because poor people were in abundance
and had no need for these titles, while princes and writers, starting from
Sharafkhany Batlisy in the 17th century to Mela Mahmudy Bayazidy in the
1850s, used to consider themselves the progeny of the Arabs. Thus, as a
result of this phenomenon and the events that have been told, the situation
reached a point to where many parts of this Kurdish region were conquered by
the Arabs. Kirkuk, Mosul, Khanaqeen, and today's governments of the
chauvinist Arabs, even their chauvinist's intellectuals, consider these
cities Arab, and the Kurds are not entitled to talk about it at all.

http://www.kurdishglobe.net/displayArticle.jsp?id=A184392E966478F8CDA2CACB27E57091
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