tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-230620232024-03-13T12:25:23.025-06:00Kurdish AspectKurdish News and Points of ViewKurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-76138475374375500672019-11-12T09:56:00.004-07:002019-11-12T10:17:18.445-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
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By - Ardalan Hardi</div>
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Today the current difficult crisis that Kurdish people face in Rojawa is just another reminder of how alone we are as a nation. Our people are faced with another betrayal by those whom we considered friends. The Kurds all thought the western nations, specifically the United States and their big talk of “having our back”, were going to shield us from those fascist dictators surrounding our Kurdish nation. Our enemies go to extreme efforts to silence our Kurdish voice everywhere in the world. As a result of the unforgivable betrayal by Trump, a dangerous breach of trust has opened across the world and in the middle east in particular.<br />
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Today we have concrete evidence that the US president, good or bad, has a direct affect on the future of Kurds & Kurdistan. The green light given by Trump to the Turkish dictator to attack Rojawa with all its power and for Eoudogan to start his diabolical plan to implement his genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kurdsh people is a true reminder that we have no friends except the mountains.<br />
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ISIS is as monumentous a threat to the West as it is to the Kurds. 11000 peshmergas lost their lives while fighting ISIS. The sacrifices our people made to protect the West from evil ISIS were all nullified by a five minute phone call between Trump and Erdogan . Trump’s treachery of our people can never be forgotten or forgiven by our people.<br />
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<b>To aid in the current crisis, the simplest thing we can do as Kurdish Americans is to register to vote.</b> We need to convince others that this president is not a good leader but a threat to the greatest democracy in the world. America is a country that the world looks up to, a country that is the symbol of freedom and democracy, a country that cherishes, supports and trusts its allies and friends not betray them, cannot be led by a narcissistic being that lacks the morals and experience to be the leader of the free world. In this upcoming election I urge all Kurdish Americans to register to vote and vote NO ON TRUMP.<br />
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In today's world we need to stand with people who hold the same values as we do. We cannot afford to turn our backs on our friends and allies. Our interest in spreading democracy around the globe brings us together as one family. Our shared values matter the most in preserving our democracy. In the words of one of our most revered presidents, Abraham Lincoln "A house divided against itself cannot stand". Vote NO on Trump</div>
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Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-80318739750223556162010-03-12T18:36:00.003-07:002010-03-12T18:45:01.689-07:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Voting process unfair at best</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com – By Ardalan Hardi</div><br />As I have done in the two previous Iraqi elections, I flew from Denver to San Diego to cast my vote. A month before the election date, I called a friend of mine that I visit while I am in San Diego to see if he knew where the voting location would be and whether anything had changed regarding voter requirements. He was not aware of any changes, but thought voting would be in the same location as the last time.<br /><br />In previous elections all we had to provide was an American passport showing our original place of birth which verified we were from Iraq and we could cast our vote. To my surprise, when I went to vote this year, the electoral commission representatives refused to let me participate. They told me that in addition to my US passport I would also need to show an official Iraqi document proving the province of my birth. I tried to argue that I have been in the US since 1976 and a US citizen since the early 80s. I have lived in this country for over 30 years and do not have any official Iraqi documents, I stressed that I had voted in the last two elections and the passport I had provided in the past was sufficient documentation. My plea fell on deaf ears. I asked to talk to the person in charge, and the tall, slim, gentlemen in charge of the voting process seemed eager to help me. His name was Shakir Hansih was the polling station manager, I pointed to the stamps on my passport that clearly show I have visited Kurdistan on many different occasions. I explained the only reason I would go back so many times was to visit my family. At first he agreed, and I was elated. I then waited in a line for approximately a quarter of an hour then he came back and told me that I could not vote. He offered no explanation of what made him change his mind. I told him I thought it was absolutely ridiculous to expect me to still have an Iraqi document after 34 years in exile. Very courteously, he apologized, and said there was nothing he could do for me.<br /><br />I find it ironic that I live in a country were the citizens are encouraged to vote. In fact the US government and many nonprofit organizations go to extreme measures to advertise on Radio and TV so Americans can have a better turn out on Election Day while some Iraqis go to a great deal of personal expense and then are deprived of the most elementary form of freedom - the right to vote.<br /><br />I still did not give up. I waited while a few Kurdish friends pleaded my case but all was to no avail. Interestingly, my friend noticed that most of the people in charge of the voting stations were Sunni Arabs and all of them were wearing the old Batth flag on their collar. The other thing he noticed was that it appeared the only people being held back from voting were Kurds. It seemed like everyone else had no problem.<br /><br />My friend, who has been a KDP supporter all of his life, noticed my profound disappointment and said I should not worry, and that he would give me his vote. He knew that I was a supporter of the Gorran List. I didn’t think he was serious. But he came out of the voting booth and pulled out his cell phone to show me a picture of the ballot to prove he voted for Gorran. I was shocked<br />and proud that he is my friend.<br /><br />After I got back to Denver, another friend of mine who was with us during the whole voting fiasco called and said that an Arab friend she worked with told her many Sunni Arabs had the same problem and did not have the proper papers, but they still got to vote and most of them were instructed to vote as though they are from Kirkuk even though they were born in the different part of Iraq. <br /><br />One other point that needs to be made is at the voting station in El Cajon, which is northeast of San Diego, 65 people were hired by the electoral commission to assist with the voting process, and only four of them were Kurds. Out of the four, not one of them was assigned the position of verifying the legitimacy of paper work. So much for checks and balances…... The Kurds were assigned the job of directing people to the queue.<br /><br />Coming back from California I realized:<br /><ol><li><br />KRG representatives in the US did a poor job of informing their constituencies about the documentation requirements needed to vote in this election. I am sure they probably tried, but whatever they did obviously did not work. They did not do a good job of getting the word out. As a result of their mishandling this critical information, I, along with many other Kurds did not get to vote. I also blame myself for not researching the facts more thoroughly before hand. As the old saying goes “God gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into its nest”.</li><li><br />It appears some attempts were made to manipulate the voting process especially when it came to Kirkuk. It seemed discrimination played a role in who had the right to vote or not. </li><li><br />Iraq will probably never be the secular Democratic country that the US government expects it to be. Iraqis will most likely vote along the Religious and Ethnic lines until the mistrust that exists among the different factions dissipates and the education levels are raised. </li></ol><br />Albeit I am very disappointed in being denied the right to vote, I am still hopeful that the system will gradually improve. Thanks to President Bush I am very pleased that we Kurds, Arabs and Turks, whether Shiite, Sunni or Christian, have the opportunity to vote. It is my hope that by the next election more fair voting practices are in place to allow all Iraqis the privilege of casting their long awaited votes.<br /><br />In closing, I would like to thank my friend for his wisdom, graciousness, warm hospitality and camaraderie. He reminded me of a long forgotten quote,<br />“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart”.<br /><br />The one thing I hope all of my countrymen will take heed to is, if our assumption is correct, that whichever political party is in office is working to promote our cause, then it is ultimately more important that our vote is cast rather than who our vote is cast for.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-17567470695617470902009-03-28T17:22:00.001-06:002009-03-28T17:24:48.892-06:00<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><strong>Maliki’s Overt Message to the Kurdish Leaders</strong></span> </div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Ardalan Hardi</div><br />Abdul Amir Zaidi is the Major General that Iraqi Premier Maliki has appointed as the head of the Arab-led army division in Kirkuk.<br /><br />I spoke with Aref Qurbani, who is the editor of theKurdish newspaper Aso and also a native of Kirkuk, to get some facts on General Zaidi. Mr. Qurbani said, “the General was a former officer in the Baath party and after the Anfal campaign (Kurdish genocide), the ring that was build around the city of Kirkuk to prevent anyone from entering or exiting the city was enforced by Zaidi.”<br /><br />In 1996 to 1998 Zaidi headed the 15th brigade of the 1st division of the Iraqi Army and was stationed by Saddam, in the Kurdish towns of Redar and Daraman during Saddam's reign.<br /><br />Many Kurds believe that Zaidi was directly involved in the Anfal campaign and the disappearance of many innocent Kurdish families.<br />After the liberation of Iraq, Zaidi was arrested by US forces for having association with the Baath insurgency, but later released.<br /><br />Now Prime Minister Maliki, of the new democratic Iraq, has sent this former Baath member back to Kirkuk knowing it will create fear among the Kruds.<br /><br />One has to wonder why Maliki would make such a flagrant move, sending Zaidi to Kirkuk when he is fully aware of the animosity and threat it brings to the Kurdish citizens. Is there no other General in the Iraqi army with a less hideous and controversial background that is qualified to do the job?<br /><br />By sending Zaidi to a disputed area, such as Kirkuk, Maliki is trying to force the Kurdish leaders to compromise with regard to Article 140. In my opinion, this is an overt message from Maliki to the Kurdish leaders, that should they refuse to compromise on Kirkuk, Maliki will not hesitate to join forces with the Baath party in opposition to the Kurds.<br /><br />It is unfortunate that Maliki has to use someone with such tyrannical and tainted background like Zaidi to force political hands on the negotiating table.<br /><br />You would think Maliki who has seen the brutality of the former regime forced upon his own people would know better than to regress to the tyrannical ways of the past.<br /><br />If Maliki is truly interested in solving the issues in Kirkuk peacefully, let him push for implementing Article 140 of the Constitution of Iraq, which states that after measures are taken to reverse the Arabization policy employed by the Saddam Hussein administration during the Anfal Campaign, a referendum should be held to determine if Kirkuk will stay with the central government or return to KRG. <br /><br />Assigning a former Baath general to Kirkuk raises more dubiety from the Kurdish people and deepens the chasm that already exists between Kurdish leadership and Prime Minster Maliki .Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-16175745506115272242008-10-28T20:23:00.008-06:002008-11-23T09:45:36.375-07:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#660000;">Lessons From a Kurdish Poet</span></strong> </div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Ardalan Hardi</div><p><br />Psychiatrists agree that the first few years of our lives are by far the most important. These years determine what kind of life we will lead in the future and our outlook towards the world.<br />Recalling on my childhood experiences, I have many cherished memories of my father and how he; educated, cared and taught us many lessons about life. Many of those lessons guide my simple life to this day. Today marks two years since he departed from this world . On the second anniversry of his passing, I can’t help but think of him and the stories he told . He had a great gift of storytelling and an uncanny memory for exceptional tales. Some stories he had read and some he had made up. </p><p><br />My Dad, Ahmed Hardi, was a very well respected Kurdish poet from Sulaymania Sothern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). Dedicated to the Kurdish cause he decided to leave the city and he joined the Kurdish uprising lead by Mala Mustafa Barzani in the late 1960’s. </p><p><br />We settled in a village called Awakurte that was under the control of the Kurdish Peshmarga forces at the time. My dad rented a room from one of the Village farmers we came to know as Mam Ali. Awakurte was on the border of Eastern Kurdistan north east of Sulaymania, before Saddam leveled it to the ground during his Anfal campaign. The village was nestled in the stunning colorful Zagros Mountains overlooking the clear cold gushing Qamishli River that defines the Iran-Iraq border . The landscapes were deemed the acme of beauty. With its stunning, unmatched, breathtaking views this little village seemed millions of miles away from the rest of civilization. The inhabitants in this simple yet devoted Kurdish village were mostly small farmers. </p><p><br />On summer nights everyone would sleep under the moonlight. As a kid I would lay in bed looking at the bright sparkling stars pondering many thoughts. I often wondered if people from the other side of the world saw the same stars as I did. I wondered if there was a ceiling to the sky that could be touched by man and what lies beyond that ceiling? Filled with curiosity, my childhood imagination would take me to distant places of a utopian world of what could be. The sound of crickets, the howling of the distant dogs, the soothing echoes of mountain streams and the whispering leaves of the walnut trees as they were ruffled by the cool breeze in the tranquil moonlight created a poetic melody that could have only been musical tones from God. I would gradually fall asleep to these sounds only to visit another world, the untroubled kingdom of dreams. </p><p><br />Many times at dawn we would wake up to the roaring engines of Iraqi planes bombing Kurdish villages. In panic, my mom would rush us all down to a dug up underground cellar for protection. For a few brief moments those dreams and imaginations of the previous night would be cracked.<br />Winters in Kurdistan were long and harsh. Fluffy white snow would dress Awakurte like a beautiful bride waiting for spring to begin a new life all over again. From a distance the only sign of life in Awakurte was the streams of smoke that rose from the chimneys. On those cold winter nights our only contact with the outside world was dad’s shortwave, battery-operated radio that he used to listen to the BBC or Radio Europe. Every night there was a battle between dad and the radio antennas. Dad was fighting for better reception and the antennas refused to surrender. Frequently the stubborn antennas would get the best of Dad and in frustration he would set the Radio aside near his pillow where his cotton filled mattress lay. This was also where he slept. He would get up and start pacing the little room only to try again a few minutes later, then the combat would start all over again. The struggle against the antennas would go on until the news hour had passed. </p><p><br />We all lived and slept in one room that was built out of mud. The walls were 3 ft wide. The single metal black door was covered with blankets, hung like curtains to keep the cold out. The door was leading to the balcony that led to 4 steps which took you to the outhouse another 20 feet away. As a kid who came from the city that had plumbing and electricity, this was difficult to get used to. </p><p><br />But there was one thing we all looked forward to in those bitter winter nights and that was Dad’s stories. After dinner, we all huddled ourselves around the wood burning stove that was in the middle of the room that Mom kept going to keep us warm while we eagerly waited for Dad to tell us one of his stories. </p><p><br />One of the stories that has wedged in my mind since child hood was the story of “This too shall pass. The story went like this: A long time ago there lived a King who had a Minister that he firmly relied on and trusted with confidence. One day The King started to question his own judgment of his most trusted Minister so he decided to test the Minister’s loyalty. </p><p><br />To test the Minster’s devotion the King took the Minster and granted him even more power to command and control where he could have easily removed the King from power. But the Minister stayed devoted at all times to the King and the idea of taking the throne never crossed his mind. Then the King took him from all of that prominence and power and accused him of treason, ridiculed him in public and locked the Minister up in prison. The King then planted spies in the minister's cell to see what he had to say, but the minister never once uttered an unfavorable word about the King. </p><p><br />The King finally called for his trusted adviser the minster and said “I gave you all the powers of a King where you could have easily taken over the throne, but you did not. Then I punished you for no reason, ridiculed and imprisoned you, but you remained loyal”. I want to know how this is possible, asked the king?</p><p><br />“Well my King” said the Minister. When I was a teenager my dad sent for me while lying on his death bed and wanted to talk to me about his will. At first, I thought to myself, "my Dad has nothing", We were very poor what could he offer me? But then I thought he is my father no matter what and I went to see him. He said “Son I have nothing to leave for you except this ring”. He pulled this ring off his finger and handed it to me. Inside the gold ring a statement was engraved that read “this too shall pass”. Then my dad looked at me and said “if you ever come to point in your life were you feel alone, disheartened and nothing goes right for you and you think of taking your own life just remember never to give up because “This too shall pass”. He continued, “if you ever succeed and make it to the top where you have all the powers that this world has to offer remember never ever forget where you came from and those you have left behind because,"this too shall pass”. So you see sir, no matter what you gave me or did to me all I had to do is look at the ring that my father has left me to overcome my personal ambitions and depressions. All I had to do is to look at the ring and realize “this too shall pass”.</p><p><br />Every night was a different message from my Dad. Whether it was the story about courageous escape under difficult conditions by of Mustafa Barzani after the collapse of Mahabad Republic, where he and 500 of the Peshmarga fought the armies of Iran, Iraq and Turkey until they reached the former Soviet Union where they became refugees or the story of the bravery of Kaway Asngar were Zahak's rule lasts for a thousand years during which two young men are sacrificed daily to provide their brains to the serpents to alleviate the pain that Zahak felt. Until one day, Kawa, an iron worker whom the king had sacrificed all his twelve sons for the Gods walked up to the Kings palace with his ax and freed the people from the unjust and tyranny. And the story of Abraham Lincoln, a self educated man from a poor family born in a log cabin in the slave state of Kentucky became the President of the United States and abolished slavery ,or the story of a friend and half that taught us what true friendship is all about. </p><p><br />We did not know it at the time but all those late night stories in Awakurte taught us children lessons for the rest of our lives. Whether it was Kurdish history through Mala Mustafa’s bravery, respecting others rights through Lincoln’s "all men are created equal", bravery through Kaway Asngar or patience through "this too shall pass" or conquering and facing ones fear through Uncle Chwanar a children story told of a man that was afraid of darkness. They all were teachings from a great man preparing us for life with all of its ups and downs, brilliant and radiant beauty and sometimes atrocious cruelty. </p><p><br />As a child, I loved my Dad for the stories he told us kids, now that I am much older I love him even more for his profound wisdom and the lessons he taught me through the significances of those stories on how to lead my life as a decent human being. </p><p><br />Today, I live happily in one of the greatest countries in the world, America, with all the gadgets that world has to offer at my finger tips but none of these toys are equal to one of those nights in Awakurte and Dad’s stories. </p><p><br />I am sure he is up there in heaven surrounded by angels telling stories of Kurdish misfortunes, building a case for Kurdish independence. </p><p><br />I wonder if he has persuaded God yet, that Kurds too deserve a state of their own.<br />Not a day goes by when I do not think of you.</p><p></p>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-89499695612342662782008-06-04T09:41:00.000-06:002008-06-04T09:43:59.423-06:00<div align="center"><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Is Jalal Talabani one of the few?</strong></span> </div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Ardalan Hardi</div><br />There are very few great leaders in this world that have voluntarily vacated their post for the good of their people. Very few have risen to this legendary status in world history. Great leaders have inspired us to follow their patriotic examples. George Washington, the first President of United States is one of those exemplary leaders. After holding the Continental Army together through eight hard years of war, at war's end he took affront at the notion he should be King; and after two terms as President, he gracefully stepped aside.<br /><br />Washington manifested himself as the exemplar of republican virtue in America. He was a man with great personal integrity, and a deeply held sense of duty, honor and patriotism. He rejected nepotism and cronyism. One of Washington’s greatest achievements, in terms of republican values, was refraining from taking more power than was due.<br /><br />Is Jalal Talabani one of the few?<br /><br />With the precipitous decline in the relationship between Nawshirwan Mustafa and the PUK’s Politburo, the PUK is put into an almost impossible position in securing the future of the organization. The consequence of this war of words between Mala Backtyar and Arsalan Bayiz on one side, and Nawshirwan Mustafa on the other, could jeopardize the future of PUK as a united political organization. It could also derail the current Kurdish achievements within Iraq and the Middle East.<br /><br />The current internal turmoil within the PUK could put the two opposing political ideologies within PUK (the reformist and those against it) on a possible collision course toward another useless internal war and political division that would most definitely be against the national interest of Kurdistan.<br /><br />While it is easy to maintain order within the ranks of PUK as long as President Talabani is in office, it will not be easy to maintain order should something happen to Talabani. Neither the PUK nor its leadership can be held together without Talabani’s presence. This fact is very well understood by the PUK leadership and all those who are close to the situation in Kurdistan.<br /><br />At this critical juncture in the history of Kurdistan, this imminent danger could cause a major catastrophe not just for PUK but also for the Kurdish nation if not addressed. The only person that can simmer this boiling pot and secure PUK unity is president Talabani. The PUK’s survival determines President Talabani’s legacy. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the President addresses the issues that have been looming over PUK.<br /><br />In the interest of Kurdish citizens, peace and the stability in Kurdistan, President Talabani needs to bring all parties to the dialogue table and work out their differences. For the sake of our nation, he should persue a real democratic reform. An election should be held for his successor.<br /><br />What ever the outcome, Talibani should stand behind the newly elected Secretary General 100%. By supporting the new secretary general, he will not only set a democratic standard for others to follow but he will also leave a legacy unprecedented in Kurdish history.<br /><br />PUK has achieved many great milestones under President Talabani’s reign. Now Talabani has an opportunity that no other Kurdish leader before him ever had. He can voluntarily leave his post as the secretary general of PUK to ensure the preservation of the unity of the PUK and join the few legendary leaders like George Washington.<br /><br />The question is, “is Talabani capable of refraining from taking more power than is due?” That remains to be seen.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-8094527574990255382008-04-12T11:04:00.001-06:002008-04-12T11:07:12.687-06:00<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#990000;"><strong>Birth Pains of an Independent Press</strong></span> </div><div align="center"><br />It was only eight years ago that Iraqi Kurdistan saw the birth of its first independent newspaper, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hawlati</span>. Despite numerous obstacles, the paper has managed to survive and thrive. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Asos</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hardi</span>, who was part of the team that launched <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Hawlati</span>, looks back at how the independent press in Iraqi Kurdistan came about.</div><div align="center"><br />Arab Press - By <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Asos</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hardi</span></div><br />Throughout its existence, the Kurdish press has been one of revolution and resistance. The division of Kurdistan into different states, and the denial of the Kurdish identity by these states, forced all free voices that called for freedom and equality to either go underground and turn to covert resistance, or emigrate. The first Kurdish newspaper was created in Cairo in 1898 by a group of politicians that fled from the oppression of the Ottoman regime.<br /><br />It is well known that resistance militancy imposes its own conditions on the press, turning it into a tool of revolution and liberation which aims primarily at contributing effectively to mobilizing all energies of the revolution and to guide the various segments of society towards the adoption of the militant resistance discourse. This was also the direction of the "free press" in Kurdistan during the years of resistance and armed struggle.<br /><br />In Iraqi Kurdistan, the popular uprising in 1991 and the liberation of a large part of the country from dictatorship was a real turning point for journalism, and the Iraqi Kurdish people in general. Since that date, Iraqi Kurdistan has become a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">de</span> facto free region, governed by Kurdish parties (from here on Iraqi Kurdistan is referred to as Kurdistan).<br /><br />At this time, the need for an enthusiastic and revolutionary discourse ceased to be a mandatory practice, and the birth of the press as we know it today turned into a necessity required by the transformation of the political and social situation of the Kurdish community. The objective conditions were quite helpful to this respect - in theory at least. We should, however, acknowledge that it was not an easy birth.<br /><br />The Kurdish political movement was originally multilateral, containing different ideological and political currents ranging from the Marxist left to the nationalistic and Islamic right. However, Kurdish political parties failed to establish a system that would regulate political work in Kurdistan and guarantee the continuation of political pluralism and the peaceful transfer of power. The relative stability of the security situation collapsed soon, and the different political parties began fighting one another. That fight started in 1993 and reached its peak in 1994 when the two major parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">PUK</span>) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">KDP</span>) became involved, pushing the Kurdish administration into two separate entities in 1996, which is still the situation today.<br /><br />It would, however, be unfair to neglect the economic aspect and not mention the deteriorated economic situation of Kurdistan in those difficult years. Kurdistan was suffering from a multilateral economic embargo. As a part of Iraq, it was placed under international embargo after the first Gulf war, and in addition to that under the siege imposed by the Iraqi regime and the neighbouring countries that were seeking the collapse of the Kurdish situation politically and economically. It was difficult - if not impossible - to think of a free press in those circumstances. How could free press arise amid the harsh conditions of the fighting and economic stagnation?<br />That situation persisted until 1996, when Iraq accepted the UN Security Council resolution No. 986, known as "Oil for Food". The resolution became a clear turning point in economic and political terms: it played a prominent role in improving the economic situation, and also created some movement on the Iraqi market.<br /><br />The second positive change came in 1998, when American mediation managed to put an end to the fighting inside Kurdistan, and the warring parties signed a peace agreement in Washington.<br />Due to the above mentioned, the idea of creating an independent newspaper was put off until 2000, that is to say following the relatively large change in the political and economic conditions of Kurdistan. That was when a young publisher and the manager of his firm had an idea. Both had been running a small printing press in the city of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Sulaymaniyah</span> (called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Randge</span> Print), and had long supported young writers by printing and publishing their works. They also helped disseminate voices and opinions that criticised the political and administrative situation in Kurdistan. The two entrepreneurs decided to talk about their idea with a limited number of young writers (including the author of these lines) by mid-2000. We were convinced by the idea and decided to start working on it.<br /><br />The beginning was very difficult. Tension between the two major Kurdish political parties was still dominant in the political situation, and they used to look askance at every new project that did not come from their traditional supporters, seeing it as a seditious plot, woven by the rival party. We had to work with care and caution and move in small, but continued, steps. We did not believe in "revolutionary and immediate" change, as the common expression goes. We were well aware of the seriousness of the situation, yet believed that we had a margin of freedom which we had to use in a rational way so that we could secure and try to expand as much as possible.<br />We decided, as a first step, to try our best to dissipate the suspicions and the fears of the two political parties, seeking for the newspaper a name that was far from all sensitivities and ideological allusions, and making our financial reports public. We chose the Kurdish name "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Hawlati</span>", meaning "Citizen", and adopted transparency as a method by publishing our financial reports in full every three months on the pages of our newspaper, so that our financial sources were clear to all.<br /><br />Without going into too much detail, I think it is necessary to give a brief explanation of the difficulties that we faced then, and still face to some extent:<br /><br />Subjective difficulties:<br /><br />1) As I indicated earlier, the biggest dilemma we faced was that we were not professional journalists, which were a rarity in Kurdistan. We were simply people brought together by their conviction of the need to create a free newspaper, an independent source of information and a free platform for the dissemination of different views points. We tried to learn by reading books on journalism, and our own mistakes, many times, turned out as our best teacher. Whenever a foreign journalist visited us, we used to ask for his or her own experience in order to learn from it.<br /><br />2) Believing in the principle that states: "there is no independence without economic independence", we decided from the outset neither to accept nor ask for any financial assistance from any political party or official source. However, a few months after launching our newspaper, we faced a financial crisis. We then started to address readers and members of the Kurdish community living abroad seeking their help. Fortunately enough, a large portion of readers responded favourably, and a substantial number of those living outside the country decided to provide us with financial assistance each month. We carried on with that help during almost one year, until we reached a stage where we could rely on the revenues of the newspaper, and cease to receive financial assistance.<br /><br />As for the difficulties that we faced in the journalistic work, I may well summarize them in the following points:<br /><br />Firstly, the laws and the judicial system. These were, and still are, a big problem for us. On one hand, there is the Publications Act introduced by the former regime with the sole aim to suppress freedoms, and nothing else. On the other hand, we cannot say that the judiciary is fully independent in Kurdistan. The interference of the executive authority and the ruling political parties is quite visible at times.<br /><br />Secondly, the prevailing political mentality. It is known that the intellectual roots of the Kurdish political parties, as is the case in the Middle East in general, stem from totalitarian ideologies: Marxist nationalism or Islamic, as in recent decades. It is true that the slogans and the political trends have changed a lot, but the remnants of that old mentality still prevail among some. The logic of "with me or against me" remains strong for certain people.<br /><br />Thirdly, there is a problem related to the culture of society. Although the Kurdish community is more open in comparison to the surrounding communities, it is still a conservative society that does not easily accept the trespassing of cultural taboos. It is not easy for the press to talk about social and intellectual issues that are considered sensitive, such as sex, women, religion, etc.<br />Last but not least, the difficulty to access information sources was, and continues to be, one of the biggest obstacles to the journalistic work in Kurdistan. Information normally lies with the authorities, which monopolize and prevent the publication of what they deem harmful to their interests.<br /><br />In short, we have faced various difficulties. We were targeted by accusations bordering the limit of treason, and sometimes subjected to the abuse of existing laws and even convicted. Some of our colleagues have been victims of physical violence and arbitrary imprisonment. There were occasions when all partisan media outlets (newspapers, radio and television) were used to tarnish our reputation and steer public opinion against us, etc. Despite all that, we have been able to stay in the race and put up with all the pressures and constraints. Therefore, I am not pessimistic. The fact that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Hawlati's</span> has continued to exist to this day, and through the recent birth of the daily <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Owinh</span> (Mirror), the second independent newspaper in Kurdistan and for which I work now, is an evidence of the margin of freedom to which I referred earlier, as well as an opportunity to move on towards building an open society. The Kurdish authority, despite all the critical comments we might hold against it, has duly assumed the existence of independent newspapers which sometimes targets it sometimes with pungent criticism. That is not to say that we live in a paradise of democracy and freedom of expression. There is still a lot of work ahead to leave dictatorship and totalitarian rule behind, and to build a democratic, open society.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-25138155810072893822008-04-09T20:30:00.000-06:002008-04-09T20:31:06.678-06:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;">3 Kurdish teenagers could stand trial for singing rebel song in US</span></strong> </div><div align="center"><br />The Associated Press </div><br />ANKARA, Turkey: A lawyer says three Kurdish teenagers could stand trial for allegedly singing a Kurdish rebel song under rebel flags during a music festival in the United States in October.<br />Defense lawyer Baran Pamuk says the teenagers were part of a 15-member chorus that allegedly sang a song called "Enemy" during a tour of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. He says an indictment demands their prosecution on charges of spreading the separatist propaganda of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is fighting the Turkish state.<br />Pamuk said Tuesday a court will decide whether to hear the case. The three are aged between 16 and 17.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-75583293414672001312008-03-19T15:56:00.001-06:002008-03-19T16:03:03.030-06:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Turkish secularism breaches democracy</span></strong> </div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Dr. Kirmanj Gundi</div><br />In its simplest form, secularism can be defined as an ideology, which separates religion from the state affairs. It guarantees the right to be free from religious rule and teaching. It is not against religion, but independent of it. Secularism doesn’t necessarily mean democracy, albeit it can be used as a step toward modernization, and establishing democratic institutions in which equality and equity is fairly observed within the social, political and economic context.<br /><br />In 1846, for the first time, the British writer George Jacob Holyoake introduced the term “secularism” as a notion of “free thought,” to serve as a “frame of social contemplation.” Later, in his article, Secular Ethics, published in 1896, Holyoake defined secularism as follows:<br /><div align="center"><br /><em>Secularism is a code of duty pertaining to this life, founded on considerations purely human, and intended mainly for those who find theology indefinite or inadequate, unreliable or unbelievable. Its essential principles are three: 1) The improvement of this life by material means, 2) That science is available providence of men, and 3) That it is good to do good. Whether there be other good or not, the good of the present life is good, and it is good to seek that good. </em></div><br />Basic characteristics of secularism are premised on a conceit of “goodness” where common human beings are granted equal opportunity to develop. Nonetheless, under many secular regimes including Turkey, secularism is perpetuated at the expense of basic democratic principles. Turkey as an Islamic country governed by radical secularism whose guardian is military institution and is against every religious accoutrement.<br /><br />When Turkey’s parliament lifted the ban of “headscarf” to give women in Turkey an opportunity to exercise their God-given right and wear it if they so desired, the military and radical secularists attempted to vitiate the AKP government and accused President Gul and Prime Minister Ordagan of undermining the Turkish secularism. Giving back the right to citizens to exercise their natural rights is not a breach of secularism, but a <em>modus operandi</em> of a plural and multicultural democracy. It is true that secularism would be enervated if religious indoctrinations were embodied in the Constitution. But similarly, a rigid refusal to allow citizens the right to freely express their cultural and religious beliefs in public, as long as that expression of their beliefs does not violate the freedom of others, transforms ‘secularism’ into “radical secularism,” which creates a culture of intolerance. The legislative body that has denounced the headscarf ban has not meant to change the Turkish Constitution from secular to a theocratic system, but rather to encourage the democratization of Turkish society.<br /><br />The recent action by the Turkish chief prosecutor against the AKP and current government to ban them from politics is another reminder to the world about how gravely the Turkish justice system is deficient of true justice and therefore lacks moral authority.<br /><br />The Islamo-phobia that the Turkish Generals have created and used as a vindication to maintain their influence on the political decision-making process and excoriate liberal democracy is a breach of every democratic principle and can only weaken democratic elements. This prevents Turkey from achieving its dream of becoming a respected member of the European Union. For Turkey to embrace its goals, it must not only be seen as a secular state, but also accepted as a democratic nation who respects democratic practices. Only then can Turkish secularism complement a democratic society.<br /><br />Democracy as a political philosophy is premised on the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, rule of law, freedom of religion, and civil control of the military. It is founded on pluralism and majority rule with the respect to the minority rights. Therefore, for Turkey to grow into a civil society, it must respect human rights, grant genuine civil liberties, and hold its citizens equal before the law.<br /><br />Turkish radical secularists can no longer claim that they enjoy popular support by “pinning democratic labels upon themselves.” They must allow citizens of Turkey to exercise their democratic prerogatives. To do so, they need to overcome the narrow and exclusionary idea of “Turkishness,” and accept Turkey as a state with citizens, not “Turks,” but citizens from a mosaic of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, which are a legitimate part of the region’s history and its future – one that is made culturally rich and dynamic by virtue of a plural society. Turkey needs to reform its social, political and economic policies across the nation in order to prosper. It cannot live in peace with itself unless it recognizes its own multi-ethnic identity, and its ambition of becoming part of Europe can only remain a distant dream. Turkey must pull itself out of the cycle of fear and hate in order to have a more internal tranquility and better future with its neighbors.<br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;">Dr. Kirmanj Gundi is a professor at Department of Educational Administration and Leadership at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee.<br />References</span><br /><br />About.com. (2008). Agnosticism/Atheism, Secularism 101: Religion, Society, and Politics.<br /><a href="http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_sec.htm">http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_sec.htm</a>.<br /><br />Holyoake, George J. (1896). Secular Ethics. Publication English Secularism.<br /><br />Miller, Lisa (2008). In Defense of Secularism. http://www.newsweek.com/id/112719.<br />USINFO.STATE.GOV (Website, 2008). What Is Democracy?<br /><br />http://usinfo.gov/products/pubs/whatsde.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-29330828471446695602008-01-11T12:57:00.000-07:002008-01-11T13:04:43.684-07:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Text of Kurdistan Journalism Act passed by Kurdistan parliament</span> </strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - Translated by Dr Kamal Mirawdeli </div><br />Translated from the Kurdish text published by Rozhnama, Sulaymnaiya, daily newspaper in Kurdish, 6 Jan 08, p4<br /><br />Report: "Text of Kurdistan Media Law passed by Kurdistan parliament and sent to the President of the Region for approval"<br /><br />In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate<br />In the name of people<br />National Assembly of Kurdistan – Iraq<br /><br />With reference to the power of Clause (1) of Article (56) of Act No 1 of the year 1992 and the request submitted by the Council of Ministers, Kurdistan National Assembly passed the following Act in its meeting No 33 on 11 January 2007.<br />Parliament Act No 35 of the Year 2007<br /><br />Journalism Act in Kurdistan<br /><br /><strong>PART ONE</strong>: DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES<br />In these articles the words standing in the first column of the Table set out below shall bear the meanings set out opposite to them respectively in the second column, if not inconsistent with the subject or context:<br /><br /><strong>Article 1:</strong><br /><br />[In this Act] the following terms below shall bear the meanings set out opposite to them:<br />1.1Region: Kurdistan region- Iraq.<br />1.2Syndicate: Syndicate of Kurdistan journalists<br />1.3Secretary: Secretary of [Syndicate] of Kurdistan journalists<br />1.4Media (journalism): any journalistic activity in various media channels<br />1.5Journalist: any person engaged in journalistic work with media channels<br />1.6Newspaper: any publication under a definite name, that is published periodically, consecutively and regularly and distributed<br /><br /><strong>Article 2:</strong><br /><br />2.1 Media (journalism) is free and uncensored. Freedom of expression and publication is guaranteed for every citizen within the framework of respecting private liberties and rights of individuals, their privacy, common customs and system in line with law and commitment to the principles of media work according to the UN conventions.<br />2.2 Journalists are free to obtain the information which is important for citizens and relevant to public interest from diverse sources provided that this will not affect the national security of the region.<br />2.3 Journalists should protect the sources of their information or news and keep them confidential unless the court decides otherwise in relation to the cases brought to court.<br />2.4 All natural or moral persons have the right to own and publish a newspaper in line with the power of this Act.<br />2.5 A newspaper cannot be prevented from publication, or appropriated unless with a court order.<br /><br /><strong>PART TWO<br /></strong>Terms for publication of newspapers, closing down and dissolution<br /><br /><strong>Article 3</strong><br /><br />For the publication of a newspaper the following terms and conditions must be followed:<br />3.1 Proprietor or founder will [have to] publish a statement in two daily newspapers in the region in which the name, surname, nationality and residence address of the proprietor or founder together with the title of the newspaper, the language it is published in, the name of the editor and the frequency of its publication are written. This statement will be considered as the declaration of the publication of the newspaper.<br />3.2 Any stakeholder (person with interest) who has objections to the publication of the newspaper can register his/her objection at the Appeal Court in the region asking for a judicial review. Otherwise the publication of the newspaper will be legally valid.<br />3.3 The proprietor of founder must submit the statement of foundation to and register it with the Ministry of Culture together with a statement declaring the sources of funding for the publication. The Ministry will have to submit this information to the Syndicate.<br />3.4 Person publishing a newspaper must be legally qualified to do so.<br />3.5 It is not permissible to publish two newspapers in the region carrying the same title (name).<br />3.6 Proprietor or founder must write his name, the name of the editor, the place and time of its publication and the printing press in a visible area of the newspaper and he/she must publish any changes in these within 30 days from the date of the occurrence of the changes.<br /><br /><strong>Article 4</strong><br /><br />Every newspaper must have an editor-in-chief who will oversee the items published in the newspaper. He must have the following qualifications:<br />4.1 He must be a member of syndicate of Kurdistan journalists and be fluent in the spoken and written language of the publication.<br />4.2 Must be a citizen of the region or a permanent resident.<br />4.3 Editor-in-chief and writer [of an item] have civil and penal responsibility for the publication of the item while the proprietor will have only civil responsibility unless it is proven that he practically contributed to the writing [of the item] then he will have the same responsibility as that of the editor-in-chief.<br /><br /><strong>Article 5</strong><br /><br />A newspaper is considered dissolved in one of the following cases:<br />5.1 If it failed to publish after six months from its validation date without a legitimate justification<br />5.2 If a court order made such a decision<br />5.3 If it failed to publish for the following periods:<br />5.3.1 A daily newspaper for three consecutive days<br />5.3.2 A weekly newspaper for 8 consecutive issues<br />5.3.3 A bimonthly and monthly newspaper for four consecutive issues<br />5.3.4 Seasonal periodicals for three consecutive issues<br /><br /><strong>Article 6</strong><br /><br />With consideration to the guidelines stipulated in this Act, proprietor is entitled to give up his ownership wholly and partly to another person provided that a declaration to this effect is published in a daily newspaper 30 days before the date of this change.<br /><br /><strong>PART THREE<br /></strong>Responses and Corrections<br /><br /><strong>Article 7</strong><br /><br />7.1 If a newspaper publishes something false, the person who is affected by the published item, his/her inheritors or those who are his/her legal representative can ask for its correction or to respond to the item of news or article. The Editor-in-chief must publish the correction or the response in one of the two issues that are due for publication after they receive the response, in the same place of the newspaper and with the same typeface and size of the [false] item.<br />7.2 The newspaper is required to publish the correction or the response; otherwise it will be fined with a sum of money no less than 1 million dinars and not exceeding two millions.<br />7.3 The editor is entitled not to publish the correction or the response he/she receives according to the clauses 7.1 and 7.2 above in the following cases:<br />7.3.1 If the newspaper had already made accurate and satisfactory correction<br />7.3.2 If the correction or response sent to the editor was signed by a nickname or written in a language different from the language of the published item<br />7.3.3 If the content of the response was contrary to law, common custom and morality.<br />7.3.4 If the response or the correction was sent 90 days after the publication of the item<br /><br /><strong>PART FOUR</strong><br />Rights and Privileges of the Journalist<br /><br /><strong>Article 8</strong><br /><br />8.1 Journalists are free and they are under the control of no power in the process of practising their profession apart from the power of law.<br />8.2 The opinions and views a journalist publishes in a newspaper or the information he reveals, must not cause any disturbance of his life or affect his rights<br />8.3 The journalist is entitled to refuse to disclose the sources of his information unless this is demanded by a court order<br />8.4 The journalist is entitled to attend all public conferences, meetings and other activities<br />8.5 Anyone who insults or attacks a journalist because of his profession will be punished by law in the same way as if he had attacked a civil servant during performing his duties.<br />8.6 If a radical change occurred in the politics/policy of the newspaper in which a journalist works or if the terms of his contract have changed, the journalist is entitled to terminate his contract unilaterally, provided that he gives a 30 day notice to the newspaper, without this affecting the journalist’s compensation rights<br />8.7 Media institutions and newspaper managers must abide by all the contractual rights defined in relevant laws in line with contract of media work approved by the syndicate of journalists.<br />8.8 In case that a journalist has not taken all his holiday entitlements or some of them have been carried over to the new financial year, he will remain entitled to his wages for those days provided that it will not exceed one month’s salary<br />8.9 In case a journalist falls ill or injured while performing his journalistic tasks, it is the responsibility of the media institution he works for to pay for his treatment.<br />8.10 If a journalist works during formal holidays, the media institutions employing him should compensate him financially by doubling his wages for these days.<br /><br /><strong>PART FIVE<br /></strong>Legal protection<br /><br /><strong>Article 9</strong><br /><br />9.1 No legal action must be taken against a journalist accused of an activity related to his work without first notifying the syndicate of the situation<br />9.2 No investigation is carried out to a journalist or his home or office is searched because of the reason mentioned in (9.1), unless in response to a legal order; the syndicate’s secretary or his/her legal deputy is entitled to be present in the time of investigation<br />9.3 In any penal investigation the journalist’s documents, written information, statements and books cannot be used as evidence of guilt against him unless they are related to the issue about which a complaint against the newspaper is registered.<br />9.4 Any information published or written about an official or someone who has been given a public duty cannot be considered an offense if the published item does not go beyond the limit of the work and duty of such persons provided that [the writer or publisher] does have evidence to prove the allegations made.<br />9.4 After 90 days of the publication of an item, no legal action should be pursued.<br /><br /><strong>Article 10</strong><br /><br />10.1 Without prejudice to any harsher penalty stipulated in any other laws of the region in respect to clause A and B below, the journalist will be fined no less than three million dinars and no more than ten million dinars with the suspension of the newspaper for six months if he/she published any of the following in any type of the media:<br />10.1A Any item that causes to disturb security situation in the region and instigate fear among people or incite the commitment of crime or non-application of laws<br />10.1B Any item that might encourage terror and create hatred and divisions among the elements of society<br />10.2 The journalist will be fined no less than three million dinars and no more than ten million dinars if he/she published any of the following in any type of the media:<br />10.2A Insulting religious belief of a certain faith or ridiculing their practices or insulting or hurting a symbol that has become a point of worship and reverence by a certain faith recognised by law<br />10.2B Any item related to the private life of an individual, even if it is true, if this causes insult to him.<br />10.2C Any item that stains common customs and morals<br />10.2D Swearing, profane words and defamation<br />10.2E Any item that harms the procedure of court and justice unless authorised by court<br />10.3 A Newspaper that publishes such items, will be fined no less than 10 million dinars and no more than 20 million dinars<br />10.4 In case a newspaper repeats the publication of such items the court can increase the fine provided that it will not exceed twice the amount stipulated in clauses 10.1 and 10.2<br />10.5 General prosecutor and the person affected, can ask for prosecution according to law<br /><br /><strong>Article 11</strong><br /><br />The power of Article 10 does not extend to those publications that are published for scientific purposes by the government institutions, universities and research centres.<br /><br /><strong>Article 12</strong><br /><br />Items obtained or translated from sources published outside the region will not be exempt from responsibility for offences of publication.<br /><br /><strong>Article 13</strong><br /><br />No text of law contrary to the power of this law will be applied provided that the application of law No 4 of the year 1988 and its amendments (Law of the Syndicate of Kurdistan Journalists) is taken into consideration.<br />Final powers<br /><br /><strong>Article 14</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />The Council of Ministers and relevant bodies must apply the powers of this law.<br /><br /><strong>Article 15</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>This law will be effective from the date of its application in the Official Gazette of Kurdistan.<br /><br /><br />Adnan Mufti<br />Speaker of Kurdistan National Assembly<br />Necessary reasons for the passing of this Act<br /><br />Journalism today has a great significance in our Kurdistan society and internationally and it has a broad horizon of freedom available for it and this has entailed drafting a specific law to organise media work in a way that conforms to the spirit of contemporary world and its progresses and makes the citizen aware of the truth of its approaches and events and ensure that the journalists express their views in a way that everyone is respected, for these reasons this law has been passedKurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-9857762913108539582008-01-01T12:05:00.000-07:002008-01-01T12:07:27.661-07:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Undermining Kurdish Alliance Would be a Mistake</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Ardalan Hardi</div><p><br />The recent collaboration between the US and Turkey regarding Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), leads one to question why the sudden change in US foreign policy. The Kurdish leadership has been a key foundation of US forces stabilizing Iraq’s government. A closer look into the Kurdish issue in Iraq, and the surrounding region, illustrates that the U.S. support against Kurdish issues is nothing new. The ISG report should have been a red flag for Kurdish leadership of the possibility of being used as a pawn.<br /><br />The Bush administration was harshly critical of the Iraq Study Group <a href="http://www.usip.org/isg/iraq_study_group_report/report/1206/iraq_study_group_report.pdf" target="_blank">(ISG)</a> report when it was first published. However, the recent actions of the White House, now paint a different picture. The Bush administration is silently implementing the recommendations of The Baker Hamilton report when it is very clear ISG report is opposed to Kurdish interests in the region.<br /><br />The ISG recommends that the United States significantly increase the number of U.S. military personnel, including combat troops imbedded in and supporting Iraqi Army units. The military surge by the Bush administration in 2007 and the redeployment of <a href="http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/07/front2454151.2215277776.html" target="_blank">Peshmarga forces</a> from the north to the central part of Iraq accomplished exactly what the ISG repot recommended. It seems to have had a drastic affect in stabilizing Iraq which has led to decreased sectarian violence and increased stability across Iraq.<br /><br />Now that Iraq is supposedly more secure, the Bush administration is slowly turning up the heat on the Kurds to further implement the rest of the recommendations by the Baker Hamilton Group.<br /><br />One of the recommendations by ISG was that “The United States should support as much as -possible central control by governmental authorities in Baghdad, particularly on the question of oil revenues”. The oil dilemma has been one of the major obstacles in achieving the national reconciliation that is viewed by the U.S. as critical to a united democratic Iraq. While the Iraqi constitution fully supports KRG’s right to have a say in the oil revenues that are generated out of Kurdistan, the central government in Baghdad sees it differently. KRG recently signed more than a dozen contracts with foreign oil companies, but the Iraqi Oil Ministry Husayn al-Shahristani insists the contracts are illegal and has <a href="http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/11/0DE263D3-D653-43C6-BC55-ABF96B7BE8A7.html" target="_blank">threatened to blacklist foreign firms</a> who sign them. Furthermore, after the KRG signed a production-sharing contract with the U.S.-based Hunt Oil Corporation in September; the U.S. State Department spokesman, <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/mideastdigest/2007/92957.htm" target="_blank">Thomas Casey</a>, described it as a hindrance to a national oil law. "It's in the interest of everyone in Iraq to see a national set of laws governing the oil and gas industry...we don't think that these kinds of deals are helpful."<br /><br />With regards to Kirkuk, the ISG recommends that “a referendum on the future of Kirkuk (as required by the Iraqi Constitution before the end of 2007) would be explosive and should be delayed. This issue should be placed on the agenda of the International Iraq Support Group as part of the New Diplomatic Offensive”.<br /><br />According to article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, the vote on the referendum had been due to be held by the end of 2007 to decide whether the province of Kirkuk with its oil wealth should go under the control of the KRG. The Kurds have insisted on the referendum as a condition for their support of the Shiite-dominated central government in Baghdad. On her recent visit to Kirkuk, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/18/rice.iraq.ap/" target="_blank">Condoleeza Rice</a> deliberately avoided holding a meeting with the Kurdish leadership. This avoidance would seem to confirm the Bush administrations intent to put pressure on KRG to implement the ISG recommendations on national reconciliation. It would seem that some of these tactics have already forced KRG to make further concessions. The recent decision by the Kurdish administration to <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071226/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestkurdskirkuk" target="_blank">delay</a> the public vote on the future of Kirkuk, confirms at least one of KRG’s concessions.<br /><br />Fully aware of the hostility toward the Kurds by surrounding neighbors, the ISG recommended that a Support Group should be created that consists of the states bordering Iraq, including Iran and Syria. Despite the differences between these countries, they all share an interest in making sure that the Kurdish ambition for self rule is crushed. On February 27, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice confirmed that the United States has agreed to join <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/washington/28diplo.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=washington&adxnnlx=1199145601-D2pFkleaA6aYNA1IUQ+50w" target="_blank">high-level talks</a> with Iran and Syria on the future of Iraq. The unexpected shift in the White House view is just more proof that Bush is silently implementing the ISG report, while publicly disagreeing with it. With the unleashing of the Turkish military on the Kurds, we can see that the ISG report has come full circle.<br /><br />By opening <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071216/ts_nm/turkey_iraq_strikes_dc" target="_blank">Iraq’s air space</a> to Turkish warplanes to bomb the Qandil Mountains, under the pretext of attacking PKK, the US is able to kill two birds with one stone. One “bird” is proving to Turkey that the U.S. continues to be their long term ally; unfortunately, the U.S. is alienating the Kurds at the same time. The second “bird” is forcing Kurdish leadership within Iraq into softening their position on article 140, with regards to Kirkuk and the passage of a national oil law. These are considered key issues by the U.S. that will help foster national reconciliation. </p><p>In a region where America finds itself with very few friends, the Bush administration is making a colossal mistake in alienating the Kurds who have been one of the strongest supporters of US government in the Middle East.<br /><br />If the US continues to pressure the Kurdish people in the interest of keeping everyone else in the region happy, it will result in the further deterioration of a relationship that started out with high hopes. The end result will force the Kurds to align themselves with Iran. The Kurds are not interested in being Iran’s ally, nor is it in the benefit of US foreign policy.<br /><br />The Sunni’s vehemently oppose America, the Shiites are very closely tied to Iran’s Islamic Republic and if we lose the Kurds as allies will loose what little influence we have in Iraq.<br />The Kurdish leadership should use all that is at their disposal to show that there is no safe Iraq without granting Kurdish rights. They should stand firm on their demands in securing the interest of the Kurdish people they represent. One of the first things that KRG should do is to pull back the Peshmarga forces that are currently helping the US to stabilize Iraq. The Kurdish government should also boycott the Iraqi government until a reasonable treaty is agreed upon by both Iraq’s central government and the US to assure Kurdish rights. Why should the Kurds fight for a secure stabilized Iraq when their rights as a nation are disregarded?<br /><br />My hope is that the Kurdish leadership can see that what they think is the light at the end of the tunnel is actually a train headed toward wrecking all Kurdish accomplishments. There must be away to stop further implementation of recommendations from the ISG report even if it means sacrificing Iraq’s supposed stability. </p>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-86985572661867561052007-12-15T09:42:00.000-07:002007-12-15T09:44:00.088-07:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#cc6600;">Kurdish Press Law A Threat to Freedom of Expression and Democracy</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Ardalan Hardi</div><br />The Kurdistan National Assembly, led by President Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Dec. 10 passed a Press Law that mandates fines for journalists and news organizations for “insulting officials.” Journalists could face jail time and or fines of up to 10 million Iraqi Dinars. Newspapers would be forced to pay as much as 20 million Iraqi Dinars. <br /><br />This law is a clear violation of international media standards that jeopardizes freedom of expression and threatens Kurdistan 's democracy. Criticizing public officials should not be a criminal offense.<br /><br />Hundreds of journalists and intellectuals have scheduled a demonstration against the Press Law to be simultaneously held Friday in Azadi Park in Sulaimaniyah and Mnara Park in Irbil .<br />In a recent interview, journalist Mem Burhan Qani’ told Kurdish Voice of America: “So far this is the worst law that has been passed by the Kurdistan National Assembly since its establishment.”<br /><br />Asos Hardi, the editor-in-chief of Awene independent news paper in Sulaimaniyah, told Kurdish Aspect: “The bill was initially drafted by the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate (KJS) and was modified by some members of the Parliament who took it upon themselves to change some of the paragraphs and articles in the bill.” <br /><br />Mr. Hardi said, “For the law to take effect, President Barzani has to sign it. If he does, this will follow in the footsteps of dictators and totalitarian governments like the former Baath’s regime, rather than following principles of freedom and democracy that we seek as a nation.” <br />Mr. Hardi argued, “The previous press law set by the Baath government was better than the one the Kurdish parliament just passed”. <br /><br />Under the Baath regime’s laws, a reporter who broke laws was solely held responsible for the crime and faced imprisonment. The law passed by the KNA not only holds journalists responsible, but also punishes newspapers. If convicted of vague crimes such as “insulting officials,” newspapers can be closed for up to six months and gives the government the power to seize all of the copies already in circulation. <br /><br />On behalf of the staff of Kurdish Aspect and all of our contributors, we call on President Barzani to reject the proposed Kurdistan Press Law and send it back to parliament for further discussion. <br /><br />One of the essential pillars of democratic societies is the freedom of expression. Defending a free press should be a core value of all governments that consider themselves democratic. The role of the media is a primary factor in holding our elected officials accountable and maintaining transparency. <br /><br />Thomas Jefferson summed it up when he wrote: "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-50121993939802680672007-11-28T23:16:00.000-07:002007-11-28T23:20:09.559-07:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Turks’ perplexity with the Kurdish issue</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Dr. Kirmanj Gundi</div><br /><br />The modern Turkish Republic, like its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, has been a multi-ethnic state. Nonetheless, the Turkish leadership overlooked such a reality and adopted a new Constitution on which it was founded on the mono-ethnic identity driven from the school of thought of Ataturk, “He is fortunate who calls himself a Turk.”<br /><br />The Turkish leaders adapted such a thought and integrated it into the new Turkish Constitution, “Everyone bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship is a Turk,” (Turkish Constitution, Chapter Four, Turkish Citizenship, Article 66).<br /><br />Such an unbalanced Constitution and unrealistic political decisions have created a societal plague that has prevented the Turks from growing into a tolerant society. Consequently, they see no other ethnic groups equal to themselves. <br /><br />Turkey, as an Islamic entity, is a democratic and secular state on which is founded on “loyalty to the nationalism of Ataturk,” which is based on a mono-Turkish tone; a premise which contradicts every principle of democracy. <br /><br />For the ambitious Turkish leaders, to have a brighter and more prosperous future with the EU need to ask themselves, will it be possible to achieve their goal without amending Turkey’s Constitution to meet the basic democratic standards where every individual and ethnic group is equally respected?<br /><br />Turkey’s dream of becoming a member of the democratic EU is a matter worthy of support by all of her friends including the Kurds in all parts of Kurdistan, because Turkish membership to the EU not only benefits Turkey, but also the Kurds and the entire Middle East. <br /><br />If Turkey could subdue the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and even dismantle the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), it would only be perceived as if the Turks had won the battle, but not the war. For the Turks to win the peace they should accept the Kurds and try to find a political solution to the Kurdish issue. Using the PKK as a pretext to suppress more than 20 million Kurds in Turkey and threaten the KRG in Iraq will only draw the Turks into a deepened quagmire in which there will be no winner. <br /><br />The PKK must also relinquish its military campaigns against the Turkish state. It must adopt a new non-violent political means to make its voice heard. The bloodshed of innocent Kurds and Turks must come to an end. However, it can only be feasible when the leadership of both sides get out of the cycle of hate and fear, enemy and war, and see themselves as organs of the same common humanity where together they all will flourish. <br /><br /><br />Dr. Kirmanj Gundi is a Professor at Tennessee State University-Nashville, Tennessee.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-53355595825388603142007-11-20T18:08:00.000-07:002007-11-20T18:12:17.543-07:00<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;"><strong>Mr. President: Kurdish Independence can not be granted by our enemies</strong></span><br /><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Ardalan Hardi </div><div align="left"><br /><br />Yaqen News Agency reported that Shimon Peres, the Prime Minister of Israel said, "The establishment of an independent Kurdish state in Iraq is a matter for the Iraqis themselves to decide. But I can say that the implementation of a federal system is the best way to solve the problems besetting Iraq today."<br /><br />In response president Jalal Talabani said, "Unfortunately it is not possible for the Kurds in Iraq to declare independence because neighboring countries are not agreeable to that." Talabani said that therefore the best thing is to remain in current status of a federation under which the Kurds can rule themselves in the north and participate in governing the other parts of Iraq.<br /><br />Dear Mr. President if Jewish people would have waited for their neighboring countries to grant them permission to declare independence, Israel would not exist today. In fact even today Israel is not fully recognized by its Arab neighbors. The Israeli leaders had the vision and the courage to fight against great odds for what was in the best interest of their people and after many sacrifices they achieved their ultimate goal of Independence. Are we less than them?<br /><br />Mr. President Independence is a legal right that we as Kurds are entitled to just like any other nation that lives on this planet and independence is inevitable. No leader or political organization has the right to speak on behalf of the future generations of Kurdistan when it comes to our legitimate right to be free. I respectfully disagree with your view Mr. President. Freedom is not turkey dinner served to us on a platter. Historically, freedom is not something that is given, but a moral right that is earned. One of the greatest leaders of our times Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."<br /><br />I can understand that you feel the time is not right to claim Kurdistan’s Independence in todays political climax in Iraq. The inability to declare Kurdish independence during this most opportune time in history is because our leaders have failed to prepare us and unite us under one umbrella.<br /><br />Mr. President you are correct, if we wait for our neighboring enemies to grant us independence it will never happen.<br /><br />"Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature." Benjamin Franklin</div>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-64224303694374777062007-10-29T09:53:00.000-06:002007-10-29T10:05:57.475-06:00<div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><span style="color:#660000;">My Fathers Pen and Paper</span></strong> </span></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">To my Dad Ahmad Hardi</span></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Kurdishaspect.com By Ardalan Hardi</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My father was a Kurdish poet. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The greatest gift you could give my dad was pencil and paper. I remember when he came to visit me in 1995 I took him to Barnes and Noble (large book store in the U.S.). Even though he was not fluent in English he went through every aisle in the store. He would pick up a book open it up would read a few words then put it back down. The happiest I have ever seen my dad is when he was surrounded by books. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">After we spent four hours in Barnes and Noble, we left with 5 pens and 2 note books. My dad loved good writing pens with blue ink and always had to have blank paper next to him. whether he was sitting on a chair or lying in his bed, his pen and paper were always close by. On the way home he would pick up the note book flip through the blank pages and feel the thickness of the paper look at me and say “this is good paper” then he would put it back down and reach inside his black suit coat and pull out the pens and would say “ I think I am going to like these pens“.<br />All that evening he paced the living room admiring the pen and paper I bought him. As it got closer to bedtime he slowly walked over to where I was sitting touched my cheek with his two wrinkled fingers gave me a smile of approval and said “thank you Mr. Hardi thank you.” </span></div><p><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />I loved seeing him happy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Today is one year since you have left us. I can picture you up there in heaven leaning over your pillow with your blue ink pen underlining an article from Awene newspaper.<br />I wonder if they provide good Pen and Paper up in heaven? </span></p><p><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Not a day goes by when I do not think of you. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />If you care to share a memory or a picture of my dad with me please email me at </span><a href="mailto:ardalan@kurdishaspect.com"><span style="font-family:georgia;">ardalan@kurdishaspect.com</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></p>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-28628306196815430202007-08-25T14:25:00.000-06:002007-08-25T20:03:47.911-06:00<div align="center"><span style="color:#cc0000;">Iraq's three-region solution Petition</span></div><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><div align="left"><br />To: Honorable President Bush </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">George W. Bush, U.S. President<br />The White House<br />1600 Pennsylvania Avenue<br />NW Washington, DC 20500<br /><br />Honorable President Bush:<br /><br />Soon after America went to war, Saddam’s regime was toppled and institutional tyranny was buried in Iraq. Americans were overjoyed by returning freedom to the oppressed Iraqis. America told them it would make their country the beacon of democracy for the larger Middle East. We know changing from democracy to dictatorship can be accomplished overnight, but to move from dictatorship to democracy needs the patience of generations!<br />Mr. President, Four years of beheadings, suicide bombings, demolition of shrines, and other atrocities should be enough to make the world cognizant of the culture of hate between the Sunnis and Shiites.<br /><br />Since America has the primary responsibility toward Iraq’s future it can no longer afford to continue to deny the complexity of Iraqi society: first, that there are two major ethnicities, Kurds and Arabs; and second, within the Arab community a bitter religious division exists between Sunni and Shiite factions, and third, these realities exist along with the presence of other minorities. None of these have been taught the initial alphabet of democracy. They either are the oppressor or are being oppressed.<br /><br />If America abandons its quest to re-establish Baghdad as the strong capital of Iraq and works with the realities on the ground, then other options are easier. Iraq is already a divided society. It no longer makes sense to refuse to honor the all too-evident wishes of the majority of Iraqi people to no longer be yoked together in a state that was initially configured by failed British policy for its colonial interests. Break the country into three autonomous regions and let each respective community take full responsibility for the security of its region. It can be done. Kurdistan is a living example. We must remind ourselves if in the past the Iraqi territorial integrity had been kept together it was done with an iron fist, but the truth of the matter is that its society had never been unified like societies of other nations. Why should we deny that and continue to hope in vain?<br /><br />The plight of America’s military in Iraq has lessened America’s influence at the global level. And America’s enemies in the region such as Iran and Syria are celebrating the White House’s predicament in Iraq; because, it has given them a free hand to contribute more to Iraq’s chaotic situation without even being slapped on that hand. At the same time Iran has been successfully indirectly fighting America on two other fronts --in Afghanistan and Lebanon, and not very concerned about what America has to say regarding its nuclear ambitions. It does not matter how many rounds of negotiations America sits in with the Iranians and discuss Iraq, they won’t play the role of honest broker in helping America bring the dire situation in Iraq to an end. This is because a barely controlled chaotic Iraq works better for Iranian interests than having a democratic Iraq. Therefore, America should not be optimistic for a viable solution through Iranian mullahs. Instead, America can devise a workable solution for Iraq by dividing it into three regions in order to focus on troublesome areas such as Iran, Lebanon and elsewhere.<br />The three-region solution can provide a graceful exit, and will give peace and democracy to the peaceful majority of Iraqis. It is still not too late to turn the course of the war around and let the Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis be their own palace guards under a flexible federal government in Baghdad. This is a proper way to implant the seeds of democracy in this turbulent country. It could be the preferred way for America to leave Iraq with her head held high. It is still not too late to do that.<br /><br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/doc8247/petition-sign.html">The Undersigned</a> </div>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-13742627029174492522007-08-02T13:17:00.000-06:002007-08-02T13:18:24.201-06:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">US Foreign Policy on Kurdistan Alienates Kurds and Provokes Regional Conflagration </span></strong></div><div align="center"><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Kurdishaspect.com - By Martin Zehr</span></strong></div><br />The recent exposure of US aid to the Turkish military against the PKK in southern Kurdistan by Robert Novak and the attempts by the Baghdad government to circumvent Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution is creating a scenario with profound ramifications to the region. There is apparently a profound callousness by the US government regarding the aspirations of the Kurdish people and nation that has resulted in an attempt to placate the Turkish military rather than clearly defining boundaries for Turkish military operations that are unequivocal and inviolable. In an interview, Massoud Barzani, President of the Kurdish Autonomous Region, has stated his profound concern regarding the actions of the Baghdad Government to undermine the guarantee for the Kirkuk Referendum. "The Kurds will never relinquish or bargain over Kirkuk , but we accepted to regain Kirkuk through constitutional and legal methods. But if we despair of those constitutional and legal methods, then we will have the right to resort to other means," Barzani warned.<br /><br />The recent alignment of the US government in opposition to the Kurdish nation has become more evident in recent articles from neo-cons and administration spokespersons. The response from President Barzani is a singular notification to the US government of the intentions of the Kurdish Regional Government and the armed forces under its control. It also is a warning to Turkey and the current Iraqi government of the position of Kurdish peoples. There is nothing in this interview that might be misconstrued. <br /><br />The Kurdish question has too long been treated as a subsidiary of the US occupation of Iraq . The fact is that there is NO occupation of Kurdistan . The fact is that the Kurdish people have demonstrated in two referenda their support for independence. The fact is that the Kirkuk Referendum has been established as a democratic means of determining the destiny of Kirkuk under Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.<br /><br />There is little policy coming from the Bush administration that defines its policy towards Kurdistan . But recently, policy analysts at the Middle East Forum and the Jamestown Foundation have increasingly taken positions that are aligned with Turkish military maneuvers in the region. This represents a development that would engage the newly reorganized armed forces of the Kurdish Autonomous Region, the Kurdistan Region Guard Forces. The effort to dissuade and challenge the Baghdad government from enforcing Article 140 is risky and threatens the recognition of the Kurdish nation. The failure of the current administration and the Democratic opposition to detail the policy has created a dangerous scenario.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-29301564908425778892007-07-27T17:09:00.000-06:002007-07-27T17:11:27.562-06:00<div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Democracy will not come to Kurdistan as long as there are the White “holy” 4-wheel drive convoys….</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Werner Nijman in Suleymaniya</div><br />We have all seen them…. Suddenly, several white Land-cruisers or Patrol cars appear behind you on the road, with flashing lights, and guards waving to the cars in front of them to get out of their way fast. As soon as the car in front has been frightened, and moved to the side of the road, the white cars with their blackened windows speed past, while the guards in the passenger seat make some offensive or impatient gestures.<br /><br />Who are these people that seem to have a right to ignore normal traffic regulations, and scare every one out of their way? Who are these “special passengers” that even the traffic police do not want to stop, in stead, often stop other road users who would have the right of way, so that the string of white “holy” cars can speed thru?<br /><br />The phenomenon of the speeding white big cars seems to be increasing. More and more of those cars seem to have taken to the road.<br /><br />Why? What is behind this? Why doesn’t police or government do anything to stop this trend of civil disobedience, or better expressed, clear provocation to traffic rules and regulations? Or is it that the authorities can’t do anything to stop this? Obviously, traffic rules are broken, speed records are being broken, both inside and outside the towns, red lights and stop signs from police officers are being ignored, let alone, many lives are in danger by this reckless driving. Actually, lives have been lost because of this arrogant road behaviour. If other road users would behave in the same manner, they would be in serious problems, probably their car will be confiscated, and likely receive huge fines if caught with this bad attitude towards road safety or driving courtesy.<br /><br />The white “holy” cars with their guards can “legally” stop anywhere they want, even if it is in the middle of a busy intersection, so that the person that needs protection, can easily get in or out of the vehicle. No worries are needed about any other road user, they just have to wait…. The white cars are “untouchable”.Sometimes when a small convoy like this arrives at their destination, the guards will block of the road at the two ends, so that the passenger or passengers of “importance” can go in or out of the car to the house or office, or shop (e.g. buying groceries in Zara Supermarket), without any danger for his life….(!!)Who are these people? Are they so special that even the laws of a civilized society can not touch them?<br /><br />The tradition has become that if a person has been an important (or less important) Peshmerga, or if he has got high placed family or friends, or if he has made his money thru either a profitable business or corruption(!), the lucky man will then buy himself two or more of those white four-wheel drive vehicles, preferably Toyota or Nissan, top models. Then hire a small army of private guards (some are known to have up to 200 armed individuals providing protection). They all receive some training in how to intimidate people, either with their guns or with their cars, and hey… the right image has been created! Another person with “holy” cars, that demands other people to bow…. Is this the right development to encourage democracy?<br /><br />It must be added though that some people have those rights on protection, i.e. the president of Iraq, the Prime Minister(s), or some other people of importance. But……….. should people running companies have this kind of treatment? Should people that have retired from fighting Saddam continue with this kind of behaviour that they disliked of the previous regime? Should individuals in general be allowed this kind of “presidential” privileges???<br /><br />For sure, as long as some individuals can demand or intimidate the majority of the population to make way for them, to vacate the best parking places, to wait in front of a traffic light that is green and make every one else wait, as long as these kind of small “dictators” are roaming the streets of Suleymaniyah, democracy will still be a long way of.<br /><br />And as demanding priority on the roads isn’t enough, and show the neighbours that they are people of statue, they will block the road in front of their houses with big, concrete blocks, or barricades, and again, the guards with their guns. This way, everyone can know where they live and that they are important!!! But….. will they be important enough for insurgents to be targeted…??? For some reason I doubt that terrorist or suicide killers would regard these so called “home-made” V.I.P.s as valid targets… The only people these home-made people of importance have to fear, are the enemies they have made themselves, by their appalling road behaviour as displayed daily on the public roads of Suleymaniyah.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-7754323396583435262007-05-15T23:05:00.000-06:002007-05-15T23:06:33.522-06:00<div align="center"><strong>Religion and politics</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Peter Stitt</div><br />In response to the report: "Kurdish Parliament Pushed Through Disputed Religion Law" I must say that religion and politics should be kept very far apart in any society that wishes to behave in a rational manner in its treatment of its citizens.<br /><br />It is one thing for a political leader to have certain religious convictions but to enshrine such views in a constitution is suicidal madness. <br /><br />I remember Tariq Aziz the "Christian", and his uneasy relationship with Saddam as Saddam realised he had to pretend to be a Muslim in order to gain support within Arab states. I have seen the atrocities carried out in the name of God in Iran and Afghanistan.<br /><br />As a man with strong religious convictions myself, I believe wholeheartedly in secularism. You cannot run a national health service, an economy, a ministry of defence etc on religious lines. That is crazy, that is Iran, a redundant backward country that relies upon natural resources to make up for the lack of innovation and imagination of its leadership.<br /><br />When challenged about such issues Jesus responded "Give to Caesar what<br />is due to Caesar, give to the Father (God) what is due to the Father." Even two thousand years ago there was a realisation that the secular and the religious should be kept separate. Are the Islamists contradicting the words of one of their most celebrated prophets?<br /><br />This law should be repealed immediately. Church is church, state is state. When the two come together it invariably ends up with the persecution of minorities, chaos and economic disaster, and international alienation and isolation.<br /><br />I will gladly pray with Sunni or Shia brothers but I would never subject people to my own beliefs of what is religiously right or wrong. I have no right to do so, I cannot judge another human being. By putting religion into law making people are judging and going against the teaching of Jesus, and Jesus' teaching was precious to Muhammad, peace be upon him.<br /><br />Can we not learn the lessons they had already learned 2,000 years ago? PUK and PDK, what are you thinking of? You are taking your people backwards.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-18611507564925824742007-05-02T19:59:00.000-06:002007-05-02T20:01:03.067-06:00<div align="center"><strong>The Background of Murdering Dua</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Dr. Showan Khurshid</div><br />Of course, the act of murdering the innocent girl Du’a was horrific and barbaric. Moreover, Kurdish people in general and specifically Kurdish men, should take responsibility and put their house in order. Anyone coming into contact with the Kurdish youths, who seek asylum in Europe, and witnesses the way they deal with each or with other people of the host countries will realize that there is something amiss. The countless years of abuse at the hand of occupying forces in Kurdistan must have had damaging effect on the Kurdish psyche. Most of these youth suffer because of cultural differences and their incapacity to adapt. Yet, although our own culture, whether its derived from the religions that dominate Kurdistan or other sources, is responsible for and is the manifestation of the miserable condition our people are in, the young men who come to Europe will very confidently dismiss the Western culture as decadent and immoral.[<a href="http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc050107SK.html#anchor_41" target="_self">1</a>] It is exactly these values that are translated into honor killing and a host of other mal-practices. Most of our critical writers concentrate only on the Kurdish authorities, yet they ignore the more important aspect of our society, namely, what kind of morality we want to guide our behavior and interaction. [<a href="http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc050107SK.html#anchor_40" target="_self">2]</a> <br />However, I feel that issuing a blanket condemnation against all Kurds, is counterproductive, if the intention is to reform. Many Kurds seem to want change and they want the support of the outside world to do so. There is currently a strong campaign by Kurdish women group as well as male supporters to persuade the Kurdish parliament to drop the Article 7 in the draft Kurdish constitution, which states the laws of Kurdistan should observe the Sharia Laws. So anyone who is sincerely interested in the plight of Kurdish women should lend a strong support to this campaign. <br />The same day kurdishapsect published the news, I received an email from Mr. Kameel Ahmady – I assume it must have been a group email which included my name coincidently, considering that we never had a direct contact before – I suggested to him to send it to Kurdishaspect.com and also to make a reference to an earlier incident which also involved women and the interaction with Islam. Mr Ahmedy, however, had already sent it and shortly afterward the news appeared on kurdishaspect.com.<br />The incident in question precipitated in an all out declaration of Jihad against Yazidis by, I think, by Sunni Kurds. Consequently, their temples, important historical and cultural sites, artifacts and literature were mercilessly burnt down and destroyed. It started because a Muslim girl who was trying to escape a forced arranged marriage was in a car with two Yazidi men. The girl was brought back and slaughtered by her relatives and the Muslims demanded the two Yazidi men should be handed in to them – I wonder why there were no similar protests then: that was also an unjust loss of life.[<a href="http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc050107SK.html#anchor_42" target="_self">3</a>] In any case, the slaughtering of the Muslim girl did not draw much attention and we do not know what measures were taken against the perpetrators of the murder and the vandals who destroyed a substantial part of the little that has been left from the Kurdish original heritage, after centuries of the Islamic systematic destruction – although this time while Kurdish authorities were in charge. Perhaps, had the Kurdish authorities taken the appropriate measures this incident would not have happened.[<a href="http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc050107SK.html#anchor_43" target="_self">4</a>]<br /><br />On the other hand, our knowledge of the Yazidi culture and the social arrangement is scant. They are definitely a persecuted minority, beleaguered and slighted on every occasion at the hand of Muslims, not only the Arabs who brought Islam, but also by the Kurds who submitted to Islam and turned now against their kinship who stood their ground all these centuries. And like many minority in similar circumstances they became secretive so they do not attracted derision and insult. No doubt, Islam is full of shortcoming and very vulnerable to counterarguments and counter-derision. But as anyone knows, Muslims are also encouraged to attack and kill their critics and with suffering the numerical imbalance, the Yazidis know from their long history that they should compromise.<br /><br />Despite that we come to know that the Yazidi society suffers serious shortcoming. It has still a caste system. We can also expect that they suffer all the ills that afflict and finally cripple any ideological systems, if not the world – the way Islam is currently besetting the world.<br />The next shocking aspect of Yazidi culture that I have discovered was the way women are treated. A few months ago, a Yasidi lady published a critical view about the treatment of women within her society. It was clear that Yazidi women are treated even worse than Muslim women. The impression one would get is that the sexual act within the Yazidi marriage does not differ considerably from rape. The man is expected to be as rough as possible without slightest regard to her feelings or humanity. However, here we cannot ignore that such an attitude might have been also influenced by Islam. It might be a case of impressionable victim taking after the aggressor, when the aggressor is not punish and left to make ill-begotten gains and claim glory on top of all that, as Muslims do.[<a href="http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc050107SK.html#anchor_44" target="_self">5</a>] It seems that Yazidis have been trying to convey a message to the Islamic neighborhood that although they differ slightly in their religions they share all other values with Muslims, particularly in regard to women, whose sexuality seems to have become the pivot of Yazidi and Islamic men’s honor. <br /><br />In all ideological system one should expect the maltreatment of the weaker parties. The treatment of women was not in fact much better when Christianity dominated the political life in Europe. In any case, Christianity has generally been subdued and this turned it relatively benign. However, because of an unfortunate historical oversight on the part of philosophers and thinkers of the world as well as the modern superpower, Islam was left intact with all its ideological apparatuses to keep and use subsequently to haunt the world with.<br /><br />One of the main points that Knowledge Processing, Creativity and Politics (KPCP) and Islam on the Couch (IC) underline is that the central point in the process of the formation and maintenance of political power and thus political history, is how to bring a group of people to subscribe to a unified set of moral rule (USMR). Guiding the behavior of a group of people according to certain set of moral codes means that this group is organized. Now, forbidding certain kinds of behaviors, by the group, means that – provided that there is a leadership, will and resources – the group may stand against those individuals, who favor the forbidden behavior. It is usually these latter types of individuals, whose behavioral dispositions are forbidden, who feel the power of the organized people. Such power would be felt regardless of whether the group displays the other properties and characteristics associated with modern states or not. Thus considering that moral codes and values support certain lifestyle and confront some other lifestyles we should expect people, whose preferred lifestyle may be constrained or outlawed, to stand against and try to prevent bestowing the status of ‘moral’ onto certain rules or values. From this point of view, for instance, having some women struggling for equality means that they want to accord the issue of equality the status of ‘moral’ so that the power of the group (a state, tribe or a political party) is deployed against those who violate the principles of equality. Similarly, having conservatives trying to keep the status quo implies that they want to prevent bestowing the status of ‘moral’ on equality, and to prevent the deployment of group power in the interest of women groups. Thus considering the practical entailments of adopting differing or conflicting moral position, we could underline once again that moral rules and values are always in favor of some lifestyles, and people who adopt these lifestyles, on the one hand, and against some other lifestyles and the people who exhibit them, on the other hand. Accordingly we should expect fierce disagreement over the knowledge involved in the background of these differing moral rules or values (no wonder for instance many Kurdish women activists have been subjected to death threats and other atrocious assaults, at the hands of Islamic groups and the Islamic state of Iran).[<a href="http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc050107SK.html#anchor_45" target="_self">6</a>]<br /><br />As such, therefore, it is not a matter of course or easy to achieve agreement or consensus. This explains why some polities or groups (empire, states, tribes or parties) fall apart or why many potential groups can never be formed. However, as it is pointed out in KPCP and IC, humanity has so far come upon two basic, though contradictory, methods to bring about such an agreement or conformation. One of them is through ideologies, which includes religions, communism, fascism. The other is through liberal democracy. Ideologies, it is said, rely ultimately on using violence. The ideological method consists of decreeing a unified set of moral rules and then stifling or prohibiting ideational challenges against the sanctioned USMR. However, this is not possible through peaceful means alone. That is why all ideologies prescribe, condone, and sometimes even glorify, the use of violence to silence the critics. The need for violence forces ideologies to make concession to violent individuals, thus usually men are exalted over women (see also my new forthcoming article). As such it is expected that the culture of violence prevails. So the horrors of killing Du’a is not unexpected, it happens among Muslims, Yazidis, and all other culture that have not yet moved to liberal democracy method.<br />Of course, not every ideology is as equally well equipped ideationally to carry out acts of violence. Christianity, despite the fact that it was used as an ideology and employed in the use of violence is less equipped for violence than Islam. Christianity preaches love generally. Islam preaches hate to all non-Muslims. Islam is a perfect tool for a system based on violence. It does not allow even friendship or love between relatives, even among brothers and parents, if they do not share the religion of Islam. Islam even surpasses communism in effectiveness as an ideology. Unlike Islam, communism pride itself on its scientific and intellectual basis and communists usually try to project an image of intellectuals who love debating and discourses. Accordingly communists do not condemn argumentation although they did all what they could to silence or eliminate critics. But Islam regards all those who criticize it as enemy of Mohammed and Allah and thus demands annihilating them explicitly. So in prohibiting what Muslim call Kufr, (views dismiss believing in Allah and Mohammed), they do what other ideologies do, namely eliminating the intellectuals so they can dominate the crowds, usually by using the thugs. Exactly the same way Saddam was doing, but here in Quran this process is also sanctified. (Obviously, this should suggest that the extent and clarity of the statements in the Quran and Hadiths, which are geared for using violence and dismissal of all non-Islamic beliefs, makes Islam unreformable. Had there been a room for reform in Islam it would not have as it is now). <br />Within a culture based on violence it is all natural for women, who are physical and perhaps emotionally less capable of violence, to be treated unfairly and unequally. Within the culture of violence, one should expect that the weak will be despised and humiliated because, to benefit from the means of violence, one needs also to justify or moralize violence – e.g., in the same manner that judicial process sanction violence sometimes (see KPCP) – and to do so, one will need to depict the potential target of violence as morally inferior and harmful.<br />Weakness, in men is manifest when the man is not feared by his womenfolk and this can be reflected in having extramarital affair or having relation without the man’ permission. It is therefore also natural, in the course of vicious competition that goes on in the ideological system, that some men will use female sexuality as a means to undermine, blackmail, insult and humiliate their rivals (this strategy was used by Saddam extensively, moreover, in most Islamic countries, it is common, that when a Muslims man tries to insult another, he may mention sex with his rival’s womenfolk).<br /><br />The problem with Yazidis, on this occasion, in regard to the young women Du’a, I think, is that they must have thought they took more insults and humiliation than they can bear. Firstly, they were subjected to the destruction of their most sacred sites just because of coincidence that an Islamic woman used a car to flee in the companionship of two Yazidi men. Then the authorities did nothing in public to restore the respect to Yazidis. Subsequently, a Yazidi woman elopes. She was given back with all cameras ready to film. However, it seems the Muslims did not think that the humiliation suffered by the Yazidis was sufficient enough, that is why they also killed 23 Yazidi men, under the pretext that she had converted to Islam, which is not likely, because had she converted they would not have allowed her to go back, unless they deliberately wanted to bring about this massive disgrace on the head of Yazidis. Otherwise, Muslims cannot claim that they are outraged because of the killing of a woman. A thing they do continuously.<br />Of course, the Yazidis are very unfortunate. They are the victim of their own religion which turns them into victimizer of others, in their case their own lower caste and womenfolk. Perhaps, the same thing can be said about Muslims, with the difference that Muslims are also geared to victimize non-Muslims on massive scale. Perhaps, taking these points into consideration, the noblest of causes in our time may be to try to free Yazidis and Muslims from their respective religions.<br /><br />Yazidis are the victim of Islam. Yazidis, with a religion supporting such bleak morality that underpins social caste system, seem to have become prone to internalize some Islamic values, e.g. disregarding women and accepting violence against women. Perhaps, Yazidis might have thought, that to avoid being slighted at the hand of their oppressors, they should do their outmost to look and act like Muslims in regard to women. However, regardless of whether the Yazidis were manipulated to fall into a trap that disgrace them or not, their act shows deep inadequacy of their culture. No one, for instance, can set up European or Westerners to act in similar way. Some Yazidis destroyed a precious life and thus while they should accept submitting the perpetrators for punishment they should also free themselves from Islamic negative influences and also to free themselves from their own dated religion. It is time that they need to consider liberal democratic values to integrate within the peaceful culture of liberal democracy and become a part of the force that bring peace to other troubled regions of the world, like our own region.<br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[1] Unfortunately, there is equally important shortcoming on the part of our Kurdish critical writers, their main concern, seems to be the disparagement and scandalization of the Kurdish authorities. They are unaware of the importance of theories to change the vision and attitudes of Kurdish individuals and officials alike. There is little doubt that most of these critics will behave the same way as the officials have been doing if they are given a chance, without changing the intellectual outlook and the social setting. After all, most of these who now turned corrupt were once revolutionaries of reformers and the parties they are running were meant to support Kurdish people and not to dominate them.<br />The hodgepodge of social theories that dominates the minds of the majority of our people consists of the two subculture of Islam, (I mentioned in the Islam on the couch); to these are added some pragmatism to open up to Western power; moreover, there is still strong Kurdish nationalism, which though moderate in comparison to Arab, Turkish and even Farsi nationalism, it can be used to whip up the power of the main Kurdish parties; on top of all these remain some residues of Marxism which was once all pervasive, although, we Kurds and the Middle Easterners did not benefit from the only potential advantage of Marxism and that is its capacity to undermine religions, while suffering all its disadvantages (see The History of Southern Kurdistan at </span><a href="http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc0328SK.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc0328SK.html)</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. Unfortunately, I have rarely seen any argument to reconcile all these, often inconsistent elements.<br />[2]There are exception of course, see Dr. Roya Talouee (</span><a href="http://kurdistannet.info/2007/4-2007/28-4/pyawikurd.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://kurdistannet.info/2007/4-2007/28-4/pyawikurd.pdf</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">).<br />[3] Grimmer atrocities perpetrated by Arab Muslims do not make news; </span><a href="http://pukmedia.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">pukmedia.com</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Arabic section, reports a series of atrocities perpetrated and Fatwas issued by the forces of the Islamic Republic of Iraqi. Ridiculously, among the Fatwas are that women are not allowed to eat bananas, cucumber or ice cream or sit down on the chair. Men should not eat date or sweats because that it feels like sodomy. Among their atrocities is that in the course of execution of a woman they stomped and kicked her head until her face was separated from her skull (</span><a href="http://pukmedia.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.pukmedia.com/arabicnews/29-4-2007/news13.htm</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">). <br />[4] Ardalan Abdulla (</span><a href="http://www.bopeshawa.com/text-2007/04/03-duaa-pilan.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.bopeshawa.com/text-2007/04/03-duaa-pilan.pdf</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">) suggests that the whole this episode may have been set up to discredit Kurds. He wonders why this incident should be recorded by 6-7 people, instead of being carried out in secret as usual. This act happens in all Islamic countries among all Islamic communities in other countries but Kurds are starkly single out for exposure and scandalization. Ardalan Abdualla wonders justifiably how come that the Islamic clerics and Islamic mobs now want to chase and kill the Yazidis for this crime while it is Islam which demands stoning so clearly.<br />[5] Muslims invaded the occupied the whole Middle East coming from the Arabian Peninsula originally. This act is still the highlight of their pride.<br />[6] Recently, Houzan Mahmoud was subjected to death threat from Islamic groups. Likewise, Roya Talouee was subjected to horrendous crime in Iranian prisons.</span>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-1380653689996276952007-04-05T13:52:00.000-06:002007-04-05T13:55:57.981-06:00<div align="center"><strong>Leaving Iraq, a Catastrophe to U.S Foreign Policy in the Middle East</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - By Ardalan Hardi</div><p><br />Nearly two-thirds of Americans -- 63 percent -- want U.S. troop’s home from Iraq by the end of 2008, according to a poll taken by USA Today. While these opinion polls are mostly media driven and are used for political mud slinging from both sides of the aisle to sway public opinion in the upcoming elections, the fact remains that we cannot afford to lose in Iraq if we are truly concerned about the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Abandoning Iraq is not only a catastrophe for those who supported the U.S. efforts to bring about change in the Middle East as a whole, but also a political blow to American long-term interests and foreign policy in the region.<br /><br />One of the biggest factors for staying the course is Iraqi oil. Losing Iraq’s oil production to a regional power struggle will have a horrific impact on international markets that will not only affect the U.S. but it could throw the entire free world market in a tail spin with oil prices at levels never seen before. Amy Myers Jaffe in her research paper (presented to The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy – Rice University) says “Iraq holds an important place in the political development and economic trend of the international oil market both historically and at the present time. Iraq’s stated proven oil reserves of 115 billion barrels -while perhaps somewhat overestimated during the rule of Saddam Hussein - are among the largest in the world. The country’s resource base is considered the second largest in the world, second to Saudi Arabia, and its oil export policy has been a critical element in setting international oil supply and pricing for over 30 years.” Knowing this fact alone should make U.S. politicians think of the consequences before making hasty decisions for unilateral pull out of Iraq.<br /><br />Yesterday; April 4, 2007 the Associated Press reported that senate majority leader Harry Reid said he wants to cut off money for the Iraq war next year. In recent weeks, the House and Senate voted separately to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but set an end date for combat in Iraq. The House proposal orders all combat troops out of Iraq as of Aug. 31, 2008, whereas the Senate orders some troops to leave right away with the nonbinding goal of ending combat by March 31, 2008. All of this is a temporary solution to a conflict that we cannot afford to let go and which will have an enormous negative impact on our long-term national interest. Our lawmakers should recognize that. </p><p> </p><p>An abrupt retreat would invite a host of problems including an all-out civil war. A civil war that will most definitely draw in Turkey, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia into the conflict. All of the neighboring states are eager to devour a piece of the pie; Iran with its religious propaganda, Syria with his link to Ba’ath party, the Saudi’s with their supposed concerns for the Sunni’s, and Turkey with its hogwash excuses to protect their relatives in Kirkuk. Turkey’s devious goals to squash Kurdish aspirations are already interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs. All this is happening while U.S. military is present in Iraq. Imagine what will happen if the U.S would pull out.<br /><br />Those who advocate a quick withdrawal without offering a realistic solution to the crises seem to over look the consequences of the future U.S. national interest and the possibilities of an all-out regional war with a domino affect that will eventually draw us back into a larger war with no credibility.<br /><br />Finally, if we fail in Iraq, it will be the biggest blow to the prospect of democracy in the Middle East with major political consequences in the future of our foreign policy in that region. Muslim fanatics and al-Qaeda groups will claim victory and will use our failure to increase their presence in the region.<br /><br />The choices are clear: either we stay the course and continue supporting the current government in Iraq until it can stand on its own two feet or like many others have advocated -- the establishment of federal regions or dividing Iraq into three separate states -- as a good solution for Iraq's security problem and a quick withdrawal of our troops. One thing is for certain: a complete retreat without securing stability in Iraq is not in our national interest and it is like President Bush had said “a recipe for disaster.” </p>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-70811707096070991542007-03-27T11:50:00.000-06:002007-03-30T12:33:13.709-06:00<div align="center"><strong>Peace through dialogue</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdish Aspect - By Ardalan Hardi</div><br />As a community, the more open we are toward the realm of exchanging ideas, the easier it is to embrace our differences. The majorities of the tribulations that humanity faces are self inflected and are the direct result of isolationism and inability to associate with one another. At the core of the problem is the absence of dialogue. Those ideological disputes from opposing camps that turn into larger wars are a direct result of lack of understanding and interaction between two cultures or societies.<br /><br />A philosopher once said "where there is no communication, there is death." What frees societies from death, terror and destruction is the ability to talk and listen to others who shares this planet with us. Language is a gift from God to us as human beings. The value of that gift can only be fully appreciated when we make an attempt to reach out to other people, other cultures, other nations and societies. It is then that we will fully realize the importance of dialogue and it is then when we are able to open other doors for exchanging ideas.<br /><br />Our hope is to continually and always minimize isolationism and enhance the chances for longer life through open and honest dialogue for better co-existence. We hope for a life that is void of extreme dislikes and hostilities, a life in which people are willing to have a open discussion and listen to oneself, in the same way one should have be able to reason and collaborate with other people and cultures. It is that world in which people can have a discussion instead of arguments, love instead of hate that gives a chance to a life in which all of its beauty and its colors can grow and flourish.<br /><br />In the decade that has been named by many experts as an era of communication technology, one would think it would create an opportunity to associate with each other through dialogue, understanding and acceptance of each other. Yet in today's world the simplest conflicting forces most grievously turn into opposing camps. The political, social, religious, economic, racial and ideological dispute still continues bitterly, and with it brings the repugnant side of mankind and tragedies of wars which reduces everything to ashes.<br /><br />In our modest way and through the publication of Kurdish Aspect we hope to create the opportunities for much-needed dialogue. Kurdish Aspect will attempt to be a vehicle for promoting issues related to Kurds and Kurdistan within the larger context of Middle Eastern concerns.<br /><br />We strive to be a voice for open discussion and debate for all those who are motivated to participate in creating a more peaceful world. We want to be link between our different cultures, not only to give you a Kurdish perspective but also to invite your views and insights to the Kurdish issues. What we foresee is a step toward a logical foundation far from antagonism and hatred that defends what we believe in through our pens. At the same time, we are willing to listen to those who disagree with us and think otherwise with respect.<br /><br />By raising the threshold of both dialogue and compromises, perhaps we can enhance the chances for the better world which we all seek.<br /><br />For a free issue of the Kurdish Aspect email us at <a href="mailto:kurdishaspect@yahoo.com" target="_blank">kurdishaspect@yahoo.com</a>Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-91652250085782073352007-03-15T10:59:00.000-06:002007-03-15T13:19:28.809-06:00<div align="center"><strong>Kurdish issues and Michael Rubin’s Turkishness</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - by Ardalan Hardi </div><br />The problem with most writers that write about Kurds and Turks is that they start with asking the wrong question about the Kurdish issues in Turkey. They almost always tie the Kurdish issues with existence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The question always is whether PKK is a terrorist organization or not? The question should be why organizations like PKK come to flourish? In reality the problem is not PKK, but the oppression of the Kurdish nationality within the Turkish State that forces organizations like PKK to be born. Like Simone de Beauvoir said “all oppression creates a state of war.”<br /><br />If Kurds are given the same rights in Turkey as their brothers enjoy in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, there will be no need for PKK and other groups like them to exist.<br /><br />It is unfortunate that some one like Dr. Michael Rubin, who has a PhD from Yale University and is educated in the U.S., known for the foundation of rights of liberty, to think the way he does.<br /><br />Instead of teaching what Dr. Rubin has learned in his education about true democracy in guiding a country like Turkey to peacefully co-existence by encouraging Turkey to respect the rights of all nationalities and acknowledging the core of the problem in addressing a real democratic reform that is non-existent in Turkey, Mr. Rubin suggests military intervention by Turkey across the border to Kurdistan. This obviously will further complicate the Kurdish issue in Turkey and destroy the only part of Iraq that lives in peace.<br /><br />It would seem that the Turkish glasses through which Mr. Rubin sees the world have blinded his vision. His distorted views do not stop there: he is also against federalism based on ethnic and sectarian division and believes that the creation of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) increases terrorism in the region. Again, his Turkishness has not only blinded him, but also affected his thinking process. Simple logic tell us that those cultural and national rights that are stricken from a nation, are the core to breeding the utmost radicalism – not the other way around.<br /><br />The basic sociological experiment tells us those places that have problems with culture and national identities are ripe for creating extremism, including terrorism. Iraq’s history proves that exact point. In the history of Iraq, the Kurdish region has always been in the middle of wars between the central government and the Kurds. This conflict has come to a complete halt since the KRG was established within a democratic Iraq.<br /><br />Mr. Rubin’s mistaken theory continues and prolongs his misconception without any knowledge when he compares the Kurdistan Region to the Palestinians. Mr. Rubin says “Just as Arafat transformed the Palestinian Authority into a safe haven for terrorists, so too does Barzani.” However, there is a significant difference between Kurdistan Region and Palestine. Anyone with a little brain can see that but the Dr.’s Turkish glasses have clouded his eyesight.<br /><br />1. Palestine is fighting for independence, while the Kurds are seeking a federal system within Iraq and have accomplished that goal. That is one of the reasons that the Kurdish region is the most peaceful since the creation of Iraq.<br /><br />2. There are radical groups within the Palestine movement that will not stop at independence alone, but rather ask for elimination of Israel. On a contrary, all political parties in Kurdistan have never once denied Iraq or any other neighboring states of existence. All Kurdish movements in Iraq have always asked for peaceful co-existence within a federalist Iraq.<br /><br />Hence, I find it necessary to ask the Dr. to take off those Turkish glasses that have clouded the simplest truth about the history of the region and have caused him to lose site of all the knowledge he gained in U.S. universities. Obviously, the Dr. has not learned much in all those years of education about liberty and justice for all. If the Dr. wanted to get a PhD in how to become an oppressor, all he had to do is join the Turkish government and become a true Turk that he appears to be. He could have saved himself lots of wasted years and money.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-46288916475490351432007-03-03T05:18:00.000-07:002007-03-03T05:19:17.291-07:00<div align="center"><strong>Turkey's ex-president Evren probed for Kurd remarks</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Reuters - By Gareth Jones</div><br />ANKARA, - State prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into ex-president Kenan Evren, leader of a 1980 military coup, over his call for decentralising power in Turkey, the state Anatolian news agency said on Friday. Evren, 88, told the Sabah newspaper this week he favoured giving more powers to the provinces, and he dismissed fears this would embolden Turkey's Kurds -- "our brothers" -- to push for independence.<br /><br />Ironically, Evren once denied the very existence of Kurds in Turkey, describing them as "mountain Turks" whose name came from the squelching noise their boots made when walking in the snow. After the coup, he restricted the use of the Kurdish language.<br /><br />Anatolian quoted prosecutor Mehmet Yurtseven in Evren's home province of Mugla as saying: "I have given the necessary order to the relevant departments. We have begun an investigation. If there is a crime, we will do what is needed."<br /><br />The agency quoted Ayla Kara, head of Mugla's bar association, as saying she thought Evren should be tried for his remarks because they would give a boost to separatist groups.<br /><br />Under the post-coup constitution drawn up under Evren and still in force, Turkey has a very centralised political system. Calls for redistributing power away from Ankara are rare because of fears this could reignite Kurdish separatism.<br /><br />Security forces have been battling rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey since 1984 in a conflict that has claimed more than 30,000 lives.<br />In his interview with Sabah, Evren said Turkey had nothing to fear from devolving power to the regions.<br /><br />TABOOS<br /><br />"They keep saying Turkey's Kurds would declare independence. They would not. Why would they want to secede if they are given the same rights? We must treat the Kurds as brothers," he said.<br /><br />Evren broke another Turkish taboo in his interview by saying Ankara should accept the reality of an independent Kurdish state in nearby northern Iraq. Turkey fears such a state would fan separatism among its own Kurds and destabilise the wider region.<br /><br />Turkish media later quoted Evren saying he had never spoken of setting up a "federation" in Turkey.<br /><br />As leader of the September 12, 1980, military coup, General Evren presided over the jailing of hundreds of thousands of people, the banning of trade unions and a purge of universities. Torture and other human rights violations were widespread.<br /><br />He has defended those actions, saying Turkey was heading towards anarchy in the late 1970s as leftists and rightists clashed violently in the streets and on university campuses.<br /><br />From 1982 Evren served a seven-year stint as president. He then retired to Marmaris in the Aegean province of Mugla and took up painting, mostly shunning the political limelight.<br /><br />Last year, during the funeral of ex-premier Bulent Ecevit, Evren expressed regret about arresting Turkey's political leaders during the military coup.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-37092006223568505432007-02-20T11:30:00.001-07:002007-02-20T11:30:58.513-07:00<div align="center"><strong>U.S gives a green light to Turkey to attack PKK in Southern Kurdistan</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishspect.com </div><br />According to Awene, in the meeting held on January 29th with Masud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and his vice president Kosrat Rasul, were told by Joseph Ralston the United States' special envoy on countering the PKK that Turkey has been given a green light from the U.S to attack PKK positions on the Qandil Mountains. The source told Awene that the military invasion will start in the beginning of April 2007.<br /><br />On February 13, Jangawar, a member of the PKK leadership, told Awene that the U.S and Turkish representatives have drawn up a plan against southern Kurdistan. He said “this plan starts with attacking PKK positions on the Qandil Mountains but their goals are to destroy Kirkuk’s referendum and other Kurdish advancements in southern Kurdistan”.<br /><br />By giving a green light to Turkey to invade the Kurdistan Region the U.S is hoping to deter Turkey from getting closer to Iran.Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23062023.post-67734839512673547502007-02-13T16:55:00.000-07:002007-02-09T14:20:13.827-07:00<div align="center"><strong>A Kirkuk wake-up call for Kurds</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Kurdishaspect.com - by Eamad J. Mazouri</div><br />This should be a wake-up call for all the Kurds, their friends and sympathizers around the world and especially in the United States of America.<br /><br />Throughout their modern history, Kurds have been divided, denied their very existence, oppressed, massacred and even subjected to genocide. The regional governments have always conspired against their very basic human rights. While the same situation is still continuing in most parts of Kurdistan, Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan have made major strides towards gaining self-determination within the framework of a democratic federal Iraq as the Kurdistan regional government has envisioned, secured and guaranteed in the permanent Iraqi constitution of 2005, that the majority of Iraqi people have voted on and was ratified by Iraqi parliament.<br /><br />Article 140 provides that by the end of 2007 a referendum to be held by the people of Kirkuk to decide whether they would like to rejoin Iraqi Kurdistan region or not. Regrettably, Turkey has repeatedly stated her wishes to intervene in Iraqi internal affairs by voicing outright objection to the implementation of this article of the Iraqi constitution.<br /><br />Turkey that has until recently denied the very existence of over 20 million Kurds inside her borders, does not recognize them until now as such, does not believe in a peaceful solution to her Kurdish problem, has spearheaded an evil effort recently, depending solely on her fifth column embodied in ITF inside Iraq in a campaign of lies and deception directed at American public opinion to misguide them about the facts on Kirkuk issue.<br /><br />A Turkish delegation led by Turkish PM of ruling party Mr. Turan Comez is touring U.S. cities and universities to spread their unsubstantiated claims that have started surfing the internet lately. Not only has that, their efforts been coupled with hiring some pens as well who are unjustly attacking Kurdish people and their government.<br /><br />The whole campaign is focused on Kirkuk, in an attempt to perpetuate the crime dictator Saddam committed against Kurds. Therefore, I deem it as a duty for every Kurd and their true friends to stand up firmly and aggressively against this unjust campaign waged by Turkish government who the Kurds have always held an olive branch towards them.<br /><br />Their baseless accusations must be answered by facts concerning the real situation in Kirkuk; how and when Arabization occurred? Who was the real target? How those evacuated are still living in camps in Arbil and Sulaymania unable to return home or recover their properties even after Saddam is gone? How Turkmen in Kurdistan for the first time are granted their full rights and are enjoying them along with the rest of Kurdistan mosaic population of religions and ethnicities? How Kurds have succeeded to build something new in the region in the middle of the ongoing chaos against all odds, based on tolerance a concept that is totally unfamiliar or unrecognized by the countries of the region?Kurdish Aspecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792114430997885389noreply@blogger.com0