Başūr
Entering Iraqi Kurdistan is like stepping into a ghost country, where Iraq, to which it technically belongs, appears only in fragments—a flag in an old hospital, an emblem on a border guard’s shoulder.
Everywhere, it’s the Kurdish flag that stands out.
The Bashur (“south” in Kurdish) is one of four regions that many Kurds dream of as a future recognized nation, their homeland: Kurdistan. But today, it remains an autonomous province within Iraq.
Bashur resembles a country in many ways, without fully being one.
It’s a curious mix of refugee camps, military bases occupied by aging soldiers, and giant picnics. Characters like Haval, the former imam turned Mister Erbil 2017; Xalo Luqman, a Yazidi from Syria awaiting the liberation of his homeland; and Saif, a 22-year-old veteran, all weave together this fragmented region.
In a state of relative peace, Kurds, Arabs, Eastern Christians, and Muslims coexist under the watchful eyes of internal security forces.
This land also includes two million displaced people, both internally and externally, accounting for 28% of the population. Some live in tents, while others, more fortunate, have found work and live in apartments.
Between camps and towns, shepherds roam the hills, while the roads are punctuated by checkpoints adorned with images of martyrs who died fighting ISIS. The shadow of Saddam still looms, in the form of prisons and abandoned villas.
A sketch of a nation, with all its contradictions.