Iraqi Kurds cherish life in peace among strains with Baghdad

by Gao Shan, Fu Yiming

ARBIL, Iraq, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Looking down from the ancient citadel in the center of Arbil, the capital of Kurdistan autonomous region in northern Iraq, the view is a quiet and peaceful city with a quite different atmosphere from the war scene in Baghdad. The ancient citadel stands on a high plateau and is surrounded by mud-brick wall. It's well-known of being one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.

The narrow streets around the citadel are full of a huge crowd of people. Peddlers are to peddle the latest music CDs and sports T-shirts printed with the name of Soccer star Ronaldo in the streets by chanting. Some old men in traditional Kurdish dress sit beside fountains chatting leisurely. Looking farther away, ancient minarets share a skyline with some newly-built modern skyscrapers.

It's almost another world compared with Baghdad. The heavily secured capital city of Iraq is characterized by countless checkpoints with speed bumps and spike strips and concrete walls as high as three meters, aiming to keep the al-Qaida and other militia fighters from infiltrating the city. Hovering U.S. helicopters and patrolling Humvees of Iraqi security forces are constant reminders of dangerous violence attacks, including suicide or car bombings and sniper shootings that claimed dozens of lives each month.

Although in Iraq, Arbil is more like other quiet cities in the world and the Kurds cherish their life in peace, keeping away from sectarian violence. Election posters and banners everywhere in Arbil and a huge Kurdish flag of several square meters stands out strikingly on the slope of the largely dull citadel, city dwellers are expecting the peace to be secured after the defining moment when they elect new members of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KGR) and parliament.

"The most important things in life is peace. I go to poll for our peace to go on," said Karim Mohamed, a Kurdish book-seller whose shop is just located at the foot of the citadel. Hundreds of books displayed in his small shop, from fairy tales to the hand book of the latest Microsoft Vista system.

"We, Kurds, have already enjoyed our life in peace in the recent years despite the bloody violence in other parts of Iraq. Even some residents in the central or southern provinces escaped to our region to share the peaceful life with us," said Mohamed.

"I hope the new Kurdish government can improve people's life and boost the economic prosperity of the region. Peace brings prosperity not only to our Kurds, but also to all Iraqis across the country," he continued.

Big portraits of KRG President Massud Barzani shaking hands with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani hang on high buildings. Some young men cheered up by the huge flag of KRG on the slope of the citadel. Most of them can only speak Kurdish and can speak even more English words than Arabic words.

"Our Kurdish culture is unique and differs a lot from the other parts of Iraq. My dream is a Kurdish country," said a young man in his 20's. He also admitted that he preferred peace and stability of the region compared with potential conflicts in Baghdad.

"Independence is just an unrealistic dream for Kurds. Not only Baghdad, but also all the neighboring countries, including Iran, Turkey and Syria, would not allow this to happen," said 48-year-old Na'Shat, a taxi driver in his new Corolla car.

"Iraqi army is much stronger than Kurdish forces, they can control our area in short time and we will lose our peaceful life in the conflict," he said.

The opinion is popular among Kurds. Even Iraqi President Jalal Talabani also said earlier this year that an independent Kurdish state is "just a dream" and won't happen because Kurds see advantages in remaining in Iraq.

Warning of strains with Maliki-led Baghdad government, Taha, an engineer from Sulaimaniyah, said it is to Kurds' advantage to stay within the borders of Iraq in terms of interests.

"If we are respected by Baghdad under the principle of equality and mutual benefit, why should we separate from Iraq at the cost of the current peaceful life?" he said.

"The voting of the Kurdish regional parliament and the presidential elections that will determine the leadership of Iraq's Kurdish region is important," said Hikmet Abdulla in his 60's.

"Kurds have already suffered a lot in the recent decades, especially during the period of Saddam's regime. I prefer to stay in a united Iraq of federalism. The task of the new government and parliament should focus on the constant improvement of people's life and the rehabilitation of regional economy for the future of Kurds," said Abdulla.

Walking down the streets in flourish and peace, Shaalan Jubury, an Iraqi journalist who flew all the way from the still war-plagued Baghdad, winded up his mission.

Could life in the rest of Iraq like Baghdad be back on track, just as his fellows in the semi-autonomous region? He wondered.