The meme, largely circulated in Kurdish social networking groups has been met with a fervour of anger and disgust. On the front cover of Al-Nahar, the Iraqi-owned newspaper shows five men in boxers, staring in an unwelcoming manner at a young girl. The meme captions the five men as Iran, Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan and the girl as Kurdistan.
It comes at a time of heightened tensions as Iraq seeks to put in place a set of measures against the Kurdistan Regional Government for carrying out a referendum on independence. The results of Kurdistan Region’s referendum showed 92.73% voters come out in favour of independence from Iraq, while 7.27% preferred to uphold the status quo.
Iraq’s parliament has called on nations to withdraw all diplomatic missions in Kurdistan Region, and requested the deployment of Iraqi army to Kurdish-controlled disputed areas such as Kirkuk. These measures are part of a 12-point decree issued on Wednesday by the Iraqi parliament as a form of punishment on Kurdistan Region for holding an independence referendum.
Additionally, the Iraqi parliament has called on Kurdish leaders to face legal measures for holding a referendum, and requested Iran to close its airspace with Kurdistan Region. Some of the online responses to the meme can be summarised as follows:
Images are not pornographic per se but the message and implications are horrendous. It reveals the ugliness of Iraqi metality and worldview.
— ViscaCATALUNYAiliure (@iLoveKurds) September 28, 2017
Saddam still exist in #Baghdad with many faces but must not forget that even Saddam could not defeat Kurds and #Kurdistan.
— #YES2Kurdistan (@GreenerTalk) September 28, 2017
An extremely disturbing geopolitical rape ‘metaphor’
— Marwan M. Kraidy (@MKraidy) September 28, 2017
This is just beyond low. Very upsetting that this is the level of discourse in Baghdad.
— الخطيب الملبورني (@Legible_M) September 28, 2017
