Fusion

The British encountered hundreds, make that thousands, of “Custer’s last stands” in New Zealand against the Maoris. This allowed the Maoris to retain their dignity and be true to their heritage more than the rest of the colonized world. What amazed me in New Zealand was how European white Kiwis with no Maori blood consider their heritage Maori. The New Zealand Maori values are very strong. That is why they all do the Hakka at any All Blacks rugby game or rowdy drinking session anywhere. The European and Maori values and mutual respect are totally fused. From the road signs and other fundamental documents that are written in both English and Maori, to the all inclusive history classes taught in the schools.

The same holds true for Iraqis and Kurds in a modified fused kind of way because of their longer history together. Iraq’s multiethnic mosaic not only includes Arabs and Kurds, but Turkmen and biblical Assyrians. More than 60 percent are Shia Muslims who resented Saddam Hussein’s Sunni domination. The Maoris and Shia Muslims do share this mutual bone of contention: both have experienced ethnic cleansing and a common vision. Both insist on truth and reconciliation committees to spotlight abuses and promote national healing.

The Kurds, like the Maoris, have a long and proud history of integrating and dominating the new kids on the block. The Kurds did it with Saladin, who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders, and the Maoris did it by holding off the British Empire’s expansion plans and recapturing their cultural heritage by having it fully acknowledged by their European and Asian career politicians.