Peshmerga receives Nobel Peace Prize nomination for fighting IS

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A Norwegian parliament member on Wednesday nominated the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

Himanshu Gulati, a Norwegian Parliament member, selected the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces for the Nobel Peace Prize as he cast his vote before the deadline.

Speaking to Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen, Gulati said the Peshmerga forces are a significant reason the world has been able to fight the so-called Islamic State (IS).

“Without the sacrifices made by the Peshmerga forces on the frontlines against IS, the extremist group would have been bigger and more powerful than they are today,” Gulati explained.

He also noted that the Peshmerga forces fought humanities “greatest enemy.”

“The battle against IS deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, and it will highlight that the world recognizes the efforts of the Peshmerga forces and the lives that have been lost,” Gulati told Nettavisen.

Asked if warfare was compatible for a peace prize, Gulati explained that Peshmerga faced a ruthless terrorist organization that killed and enslaved innocent people, including the Ezidis.

The Norwegian MP added that it was “humanities duty to fight IS’ evil,” and that the Peshmerga had been on the frontline on behalf of the world.

According to the Ministry of Peshmerga, over 1,800 Kurdish soldiers have fallen over the past years while fighting IS, 12,000 more wounded, and more than 60 Peshmerga fighters still missing.

The Kurdistan Region has over 200,000 registered Peshmerga fighters. They have been labeled as one of the most effective ground troops in the region and were the first force to push back the extremist group in northern Iraq.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany