By JOSEPH PUDER, For The Bulletin

The July 25th elections held in Iraqi Kurdistan, South Kurdistan for Kurds, to choose a new regional assembly and president contained a great deal of excitement due to the appearance of a new challenger to the existing order. Nawshinwan Mustafa with his new party Goran (Change) meant to bring change to the political scene of Iraqi Kurdistan and Kurdistan Regional Government, which has been dominated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Masoud Barzani, the reelected President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Jalal Talabani"s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Talabani is serving as President of Iraq.

Mr. Mustafa, a disgruntled former PUK member accused his opponents of "corruption and Cronyism." But, in addition to Mustafa Goran Party, however, the KDP and the PUK have also come under an attack from a diverse group of parties ranging from Islamist to leftist. The Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) in particular with its anti-corruption message made some serious headway in a seemingly secular Kurdish society.

One name that was not in the running for the KRG presidency is that of Meer Bader Khan or, as Kurds would refer to him, ‘Prince" Bader Khan. Currently residing in Kazakhstan his family adopted the Russified name of Zia Aziz Aliyev. He is one of the most popular and respected figures in the worldwide Kurdish community. Should he decide one day to throw his hat into the political ring, he might very well be the choice of most Kurds everywhere, including Iraqi Kurdistan, to lead the Kurdish people.

The Bader Khan family ruled the region that later became the Butan Emirate for centuries preceding the advent of the Ottomans. In 1812 the family declared itself the first Kurdish kingdom. The Emirate with its capital of Jezirah lasted until 1908. It was the only self-ruled Kurdish dominion and stretched from eastern shores of Lake Urmia in today"s Iran to northern Syria and Aleppo in the west, southeastern Turkey and the city of Diyarbakir in the north, and in the south the area of Iraqi Kurdistan and the city of Mosul.

The Bader Khan dynasty gained its popularity by building roads, bridges, schools, and traveling inns. They opened trade with neighboring as well as distant regions and established a fair judicial system for the time period and enforced the rule of law.

During the reign of the Bader Khan dynasty, cultural progress was also made with the building up of libraries and the promotion of Kurdish literature.

The Ottoman Turkish Empire controlled the Emirate for most of the 19th century, but allowed it full autonomy. When the Ottoman bureaucrats interfered with the Kurdish way of life, revolt occurred. In fact, several Kurdish rebellions took place, most notable was the one in 1843. Bader Khan called on other Kurdish emirates to unite into a single Kurdish state. Several years of war with the Ottomans resulted in the defeat of Bader Khan Forces and his exile in 1848. In 1868 Bader Khan passed away.

The Bader Khan family came uniquely close to achieving Kurdish independence, but, lacking resources and western allies, they were at the mercy of the larger and better armed Ottoman military forces.

The Ottoman authorities fearing continued Kurdish insurrection exiled the leading members of the Bader Khan family first to the Balkans, then to the island of Crete, to Istanbul, and Damascus.

While in Istanbul, the exiled Hussein Ali Khan, anticipating Ottoman oppression, contacted the Russian Consul with a request to be resettled in Russia. The Russian government permitted the family to relocate to Russia.

In Russia, the family endured the brutality of Stalin"s reign. The women and children of the family were forcibly removed to Kazakhstan while the men were drafted to fight against the Nazis during WWII.

As a result of displacement, the family lost most of the historic documents from the Ottoman era.

Kurds everywhere revered the late Meer (Prince) Geladt Ali Bader Khan as a prophet. He established the Hawari magazine in Syria during the French colonial rule. He also created the first comprehensive Kurdish grammar and structure books in Latin letters instead of Arabic script.

Dr. Zia Aziz Aliyev is one of Hussein Ali Khan"s grandchildren and a successful businessman. He obtained a doctorate degree in Economics from the University of Moscow and was awarded numerous medals for his humanitarian work. In addition, Aliyev has amassed a fortune from his diverse companies dealing with construction, bridge-building, and oil exploration.

Aliyev, like his forefathers, has kept the dream of establishing an independent Kurdish state alive. The breakup of the Soviet Union and Kazakhstan becoming an independent state aroused in Dr. Aliyev the desire to fight for a Kurdish independent homeland. For many Kurds the Bader Khan family is royalty itself and is the one family that could unite all the Kurds. 

According to Sherkoh Abbas, President of the Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria, "The Bader Khan family has been dedicated to a unified Kurdish nation for centuries and it has simultaneously promoted Kurdish culture, literature, and the rule-of-law.  If any member of the Bader Khan family should decide to lead the Kurdish people, I am certain that they would be met with success. This family has the potential for bringing the Kurdish people a glorious future."