Knowing Iraq's power structure is knowing the depth of its policies

The current state of the Kurdish situation in Iraq is deeply shaped by the centrality of the militia in Iraqi politics and the ascendance of a Shiite elite in the post-2012 period, with it being essential to understand the structural dynamics at play to grasp what the future holds for the country's heterogeneous political make-up.

Hassan Ahmad Mustafa

Opinion

GeoSpace Ep. 8 with Sardar Aziz: The implications of the Iran-Israel conflict for Kurds

The eight episode of The New Region's GeoSpace sees host Mohammed A. Salih discuss the implications of the recent conflict between Iran and Israel for Iran's Kurdish population with Sardar Aziz, an expert on Kurdish and regional affairs.

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Kurdish artist to sculpt ‘monument of peace’ from destroyed PKK weapons

Zirak Mira, a prominent Kurdish sculptor, wants to immortalize the destroyed PKK firearms in an art piece as a testament to the Kurdish nation’s peaceful spirit

News

Mass arrests in Kurdish regions of Iran following ceasefire: Watchdog

The cessation of hostilities between Iran and Israel has ushered in a crackdown by Iranian authorities in Kurdish-majority areas of the country, with the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reporting myriad arrests of individuals charged with spying for Israel and spreading anti-government messages, among myriad other offenses.

News

Iraqi army seizes Kurdish house in Kirkuk village

Iraqi forces have repeatedly attempted to seize Kurdish properties in Kirkuk since October 2017.

News

Kurds and the Israel-Iran clash: New openings or old dangers?

A sad common denominator across all the states ruling over the Kurds—from Iraq and Iran to Turkey and Syria—as well as among many intellectual and media elites of the dominant ethnic and religious groups monopolizing power in those states, is the relentless fear mongering against Kurds. Instead of engaging in such behavior and tossing out accusations of separatism and partition, these actors ought to look in the mirror. They should ask themselves what they continue to do wrong that might push Kurds to consider seeking external alliances or to seize on shifting regional dynamics created by war to challenge a repressive and exclusionary status quo.

Mohammed A. Salih

Opinion

GeoSpace Ep.6 with Sirwan Kajjo: Kurds between promise and peril in the new Syria

On GeoSpace, researcher Sirwan Kajjo highlighted the long history of Kurdish repression in Assad's Syria, and warned that despite Assad’s fall, deep rifts with Syria’s new rulers may block hopes for a decentralized, inclusive future

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A new era in US-Kurdish relations?

This commercial-centric worldview allows Kurdistan to be appreciated for what it has, not just whom it fights. It creates a broader foundation for bilateral relations that could prove more durable and impactful than past cooperation tied narrowly to security crises

Mohammed A. Salih

Opinion

Gold mines in Iran’s Kurdish regions: Between riches and sorrows

The gold-rich Kurdish regions of western Iran grapple with the serious environmental and health consequences arising from mining the precious commodity, launching a campaign to stop the drilling which has seen elevated instances of cancer and the destruction of local flora and fauna.

Features