Kurdistan PM: We will not allow import of hate speech, violence into region
Erbil-- Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Sunday that his administration will not allow the import of any ideology calling for hatred or violence into the region.
Barzani made the remarks during a speech at the "Kurdistan, Cradle of Peaceful Coexistence" conference, which was held in Erbil to mark the International Day to Combat Hate Speech.
"We will always preserve this beautiful culture, and our discourse will be based on love, peaceful coexistence, and respect for equality and justice," Barzani said. "We will not allow the import of any ideology calling for hatred or violence within the region."
Like so many others across Kurdistan, I was raised in a region that had mosques, churches, and synagogues in the same village.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) June 18, 2023
I'm proud of this culture of co-existence and will do my best to preserve and promote it. pic.twitter.com/WDRtgsGWCH
Barzani also stressed the importance of adhering to the Iraqi constitution, saying that it is the "only guarantee of stability and protection of the rights of all Iraqi components."
"Kurdistan and all its components have suffered from numerous attempts at purification and exile," Barzani said. "Therefore, we demand compensation for all the injustice that befell us, in accordance with the constitution."
Barzani's speech comes at a time when the Kurdistan Region is facing a number of challenges, including the ongoing dispute with the federal government over oil and gas revenues, as well as the threat of ISIS.
However, Barzani said that the Kurdistan Region is committed to peace and coexistence, and that it will continue to play a positive role in the region.
"We are proud to have such a culture, and we should all strive to develop our ideas and spirit of coexistence," Barzani said. "Let us all work towards consolidating peace and tolerance and devoting our capabilities for that, to become a factor for bringing peace and ending wars and bloodshed, not only in the region and Iraq, but throughout the region and the world at large."
In a tweet, Barzani also said that he was raised in a region that had mosques, churches, and synagogues in the same village.
"I'm proud of this culture of co-existence and will do my best to preserve and promote it," Barzani said.
