Fahmi Burhan: It is Important for Kurds to be in Their Locale During Census

Reports 03:11 PM - 2024-11-11

Iraq's map and a chart graph of population.

Conducting the general census holds significant relevance in the disputed areas and pertains to the Kurds' fate in those regions. The Chairman of the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region hopes to maintain Kirkuk's Kurdistani identity, while the head of the Kirkuk headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) emphasises the necessity for Kurds to return to their locale to defend their rights.

The national census in Iraq is set for November 20, 2024, and both Kirkuk and the Kurdish territories outside the Kurdistan Region hold significant implications for the Kurds, as for almost seventy-five years, the Iraqi government has sought to change the demographics and geography of Kirkuk and its surrounding areas, peaking during the rule of the fallen Ba'ath regime.

The Kurds must return to the land of their ancestors

Rawand Mala Mahmoud, head of the PUK Kirkuk headquarters, told PUKMEDIA: "Iraq has not held a census for many years, and the Kurds represent a major part of this census. Wherever they are, the Kurds should return to their localities and participate in the census, since it profoundly influences their future. Thus, it is vital for the people of the disputed areas to return and register, as this relates to the territory and identity of those areas."

"The Kurds should return to their ancestral homeland and defend their rights. Kurds from the disputed areas need to take part in the census to protect their rights," Mahmoud stated.

1957 census should be taken as a basis

Talar Latif, Head of the PUK Legal Affairs Centre, said in a recent article published in PUKMEDIA: "A major part of the Kurdish voters in the disputed areas reside in various cities and towns inside the Kurdistan Region. If they are absent from their hometowns in Kirkuk and other areas covered by Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution during the census, they will not be recorded as residents of these areas, resulting in a decrease in the Kurds' demographic."

"This will pose an unavoidable threat to the Kurds' status in these regions, and the future of these areas will face severe challenges," she warned.

Moreover, she said: "The Kurdish government and political parties must work seriously to ensure that the 1987 and 1997 censuses are not used as a foundation, opting instead for the 1957 census. Additionally, they must find a suitable solution to register all Kurds who have been displaced from the cities and towns of the disputed areas due to Arabisation policies."

Kirkukis who do not register in Kirkuk will be deprived of privileges

Avesta Sheikh Mohammed, a member of the census coordination in Kirkuk, told PUKMEDIA: "This census is crucial, particularly in the disputed areas and specifically in Kirkuk. All Kirkuk residents currently residing outside the city for any reason must bring their documentation to Kirkuk for registration by the census teams."

He further stated: "Another significant component of the census for Kirkukis residing outside Kirkuk is that if they are not registered in Kirkuk, they will unequivocally forfeit the right of being a Kirkuki and will not have the privilege for employment opportunities, food rations, and any advantages associated with being a resident of Kirkuk. They will also lose the right to vote in Kirkuk and will have to register in other regions."

Adding: "Kirkuk is a Kurdish city with a predominantly Kurdish population. Consequently, we must prove the Kurdish identity of Kirkuk in this census to prevent any discourse over the majority and minority status of ethnic groups in the area. This census will end the 1957 census, and the 2024 census will be implemented."

Keep Kirkuk's Kurdistani Identity

Fahmi Burhan, Chairman of the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region, told a press conference: "Our goal was to carry out the census once a portion of the principles outlined in Article 140 had been implemented and a more favourable political climate than the current one had been established, thereby facilitating the census at that juncture, as Article 140 remains unimplemented, the disputed areas have not normalised, and numerous displaced persons from Sinjar, Khanaqin, and Kirkuk continue to reside in Kurdistan without returning back to their homes." 

Adding: "Our data indicates that fewer than 80 percent of the Iraqi population has obtained their national cards. All citizens should have obtained national cards prior to the census."

“I call on the displaced persons from Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Sinjar, Duz and Dibis to return to their areas during the census, and as the Kurdistan Regional Government, we have a programme to facilitate their return, he added.

Furthermore, he stated, "We do not oppose the census and deem it essential to carry it out, as it will fulfil certain aspirations and objectives of all four parts of Kurdistan; however, due to unresolved issues, we believe it should be postponed."

Kirkuk, Sinjar, Duz, and Dibis are part of the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad. Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution was largely drafted to address the issue of the disputed areas. The disputed areas stretch across the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Saladin, where the former Iraqi Ba'ath regime made great efforts to Arabise the population, which was the cause of these disputes.

In a historic appeal on February 9, 2004, attended by members of the Iraqi Governing Council in Kirkuk, President Mam Jalal reaffirmed the Kurdish identity of Kirkuk with a map of the Ottoman period. The participation of Kirkukis in the 2024 census is a completion of Mam Jalal's historic appeal. 




PUKMEDIA