UNHCR, peace keeper

Formally, UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is an organization working under the United Nations authorization to help refugees around the world and to find permanent solutions for their problems, it had established at January 1, 1951. But in my opinion UNHCR is more than just an ordinary organization or an office for Commissioner for Refugees.

UNHCR is:

Peacekeeper:

Wars and political conflicts produced millions of refugees around the world where there was hostile actions or missing of democracy and respect for human rights. Refugees' crises are obvious phenomenon in our history.

After the world war1, the international peace was the major concern for all nations as groups and for individual persons like: Fridtjof Nansen 1861-1930, who rewarded Nobel Peace Prize 1922 for his participation in peace keeping and human right respect. Nasaen was the first commissioner for refugees pointed by the League of Nations at 1921.

The relation between peace and refugees crises was very clear, and 4 times the Nobel Peace Prize had been giving for persons or organizations working with refugees:

1922	Fridtjof Nansen (Norway), Norwegian delegate to the League of Nations, originator of the Nansen passports for refugees.
1938	Nansen International Office For Refugees, Geneva.
1954	The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR.
1981	The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR.

But how could for refugees crises to affect the international peace? In my opinion the matter of refugees was the reason for many wars in our history. There are a lot of examples in different ages of the history; I'll tell you some examples just to give you simple understanding.

One famous war in the Arabs history was the battle of (Dhee Qar) in ancient Iraq before Islam between the Persian and the Arabs in Al Heerah. The reason for that war was the problem of seeking refuge, first and before every thing I like to tell you the story of that war, you must know that the Arabs respect the refuge concept and the protection for refugees as sacred and matter of honor, and that didn't exist in any other culture or community. For the Arabs refusing providing protection for any refugee is more dishonest act than any thing else, that traditional was very old and it's existed long time before Islam.

That war happened at 571 A.D. between the Arabs whom lived in Heerah, and the Persian emperor which dominate most of Mesopotamia (Iraq now) and some of its neighborhood. The Persians thought that to have peace with Arabs and to gain their friendship, they must give them some kind of self-government. That stop the Arabs whom lived near to the Persian Empire border from attacking these border, and in same time the Persian used the Arabs whom lived in Iraq to fight with them against the Arabs of Syria whom lived under the Byzantine Empire.

That thinking brought peace between the Arabs of Heerah and the Persians, because the Arabs had their own Arabic kings, but the Persians appointed them. During the time of Ardashir, Juzaima Alwaddah exercised rulership over Heerah, Rabi‘a and Mudar (Arabic tribes).

After the death of Juzaima around 268 A.D., ‘Amr bin ‘Adi bin Nasr Al-Lakhmi was appointed as king by the Persian King Sabour bin Ardashir. ‘Amr was the first of the Lakhmi kings who ruled Heerah until the Persians appointed Qabaz bin Fairuz in whose reign appeared someone called Mazdak, who called for dissoluteness in social life. Qabaz, and many of his subjects, embraced Mazdak’s religion and even called upon the king of Heerah, Al-Munzir bin Ma’ As-Sama’, to follow after. When the latter, because of his pride and self-respect, rejected their orders, Qabaz discharged him and nominated Harith bin ‘Amr bin Hajar Al-Kindi, who had accepted the Mazdaki doctrine.

No sooner did Kisra Anu Shairwan succeed Qabaz than he, due to hatred of Mazdak’s philosophy, killed Mazdak and many of his followers, restored Munzir to the throne of Heerah and gave orders to summon under arrest Harith who sought refuge with Al-Kalb tribe where he spent the rest of his life.

So according my research, Harith was the first refugee in the history. I’ll continue my research for more studies about refugee cases through out the history.

Sons of Al-Munzir bin Ma’ As-Sama’ maintained kingship a long time until An-Nu‘man bin Al-Munzir took over as king of Heera. An-Nu‘man was famous king, he was rich so he helped the people much and he was very generous. According to my studies, An-Nu‘man had a beautiful wife.

Kisra the emperor of Persian wasn't happy to see good king in Heera, in more Kisra was greedy to have An-Nu'man's wealth and what is more important, Kisra wanted to have An-Nu'man's wife. Kisra thought that he will humiliate the Arabs so they will loss the resistance spirit in them. Kisra ordered An-Nu'man to attend in his place with his family! An-Nu'man went secretly to Hani bin Mas'ud, chief of Shaiban tribe (Arabic tribe), and left his wealth and family under Hani bin Mas'ud protection, and then presented himself before the Persian king, who immediately threw him into prison where he perished.

Kisra, then, appointed Eyas bin Qubaisa At-Ta’i as king of Heerah. Eyas was ordered to tell Hani bin Mas‘ud to deliver An-Nu‘man’s charge up to Kisra. No sooner than had the Persian king received the fanatically motivated rejection on the part of the Arab chief, he declared war against the tribe of Shaiban and mobilized his troops and warriors under the leadership of King Eyas to a place called Dhee Qar which witnessed a most furious battle wherein the Persians were severely routed by the Arabs for the first time in history.

That was marvelous victory for all humans regard the concept of honor, pride and refuge rights to have protection. The Arabs protect a woman with their lives and blood because she is refugee in their land and under the protection of the chief of their tribe!

Maybe you'll speak that was normal event in the history. No, it was not normal, small group of people composed a tribe, stood firmly in front of a big army belong to the strongest empire at that time meant much. In more they won for the first time in the history against the Persians! The Arabs fought to protect an Arabic woman from being abused sexually by Kisra the emperor of Persians! Do you think that the Arabs did that because of the UNHCR and 51 convention?! I'm sure, that if there was UNHCR at that time, nobody will fight to protect one refugee, and the UNHCR will deliver Nn-nu'ama's woman to Kisra willingly to gain more financial support from the rich emperor. The UNHCR will justify that by: "it's not big deal to sacrifice one refugee to help other refugees!!!" exactly like what they do now! Thanks God that there wasn't UNHCR at that time, other was I'll not be able to speak that I'm Arabic, like I'm not proud to speak now that "I'm refugee" because of UNHCR.

Now one of the Iraq provinces called Dhi Qar in honor of Dhee Qar battle. that show us how that history connect us to our past, and how the events that took place before 2574 years ago still effect our thinking and still able to inflame our pride!

Another example of how the problem of refugees effects the international peace was the war of America on Afghanistan. After the terrorist attacks on America and with accusations for Osama bin Ladin of responsibility. The America asked the Talban government to deliver Osama for charges of terrorist attacks on America, but Talban refused that according to the traditional of refugee protection in Islam. After that the America lunched war to arrest Osama, that war is continued until today. There are more examples in history or in resent time like the accusation of Israel for Syria about providing refuge for terrorists groups in Syria.

The majority of refugees moving to find good place where they expect to find better life with chances to work against there original governments to change the situations that bushed them to leave their countries at first place. That was clear at time of the cold war between capitalism camp and the communists. America provided protection and shelter for the secessionists and in more it encouraged them to work against their own countries, as same as what is happening with Cuba for the moment.

In the past century there was despotism and injustice in all of the Arabic countries, that produced millions of refugees. Many of those refugees found place in Europe to work against their countries. Another face to that phenomena was using the refugees and armed conflicts, like in the time of the war between Iraq and Iran at 80s of last century. Iran proved protection and support for Bader forces (Iraqis refugees Shi'a) and Iraq supported (Mojahiden Khalq, Iranian refugees).

Like we see the refugees' crises have big connection with political concerns for many countries and it have potential for new conflicts. The understanding for that fact pushed the community to organize international cooperation to solve refugee crises and to control it's potential for ignition more wars. Also we must understand that helping refugees will reduce terrorism threats. Refugees are the most vulnerable people in the world and they could be engage easily in terrorist or criminal activities because of their bad situations and urgent essential needs.

We all must understand that we help UNHCR as organization to keep peace in the world and prevent more wars, and that must push us to discuss the procedures of the UNHCR to improve it’s performance and to get better result from our help for that supreme goal: Global Peace.