Ruwayda Mustafah

The Day Baghdad-Style Killing Came to South London

2013-05-23T04:06:06-04:00

A British soldier was butchered to death in London by two Muslim men. One of them is recorded on an amateur camera saying, "Fight them as they fight us, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". He goes on to say, "We apologise that women had to witness this" and that "remove your governments, they don't care about you". The final statement being "you will never be safe" is the most troublesome.

This incident immediately led to several attacks on Mosques, most notably in Kent and Essex. Overnight the English Defence League (EDL) protesters clashed with riot police, chanting anti-Muslim slogans. The Muslim Council of Britain immediately issued a statement, condemning the horrific and barbaric attack on a British soldier.

One eyewitness that wished to remain anonymous explained, "I was walking my dog and heard some shouting about 50 yards from me. A man was running down the road and being chased by a car. The car then screeched to a halt and two men got out one had some kind of sword. They literally swung at the other guy's head. The armed police turned up and there were some shots. We were told to go home and now they won't let us out. We're in lockdown. There actually now seems more activity than there was before. I can hear helicopters and there are police officers with guns." (Source)

The Home Secretary Theresa May summons a meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency response committee in Whitehall, to evaluate the current situation and respond adequately.

These two lone attackers are the Islamist equivalent of Anders Breivik, the Norwegian fascist terrorist. The British-Muslim community condemns their actions, and the facts behind the incident still remain murky. Who were these young men, and were they self-radicalised? If so, we must examine how they have become radicalised, which preachers (if any) are the cause of their radicalisation.

Within the Muslim community, there is a great sense of 'fear' and 'anxiety' because of this incident. Too often, an entire community is tainted by the actions of a few within it. The British government must put a lid on potential reprisals against the Muslim community, whether it is attacks on Mosques or verbal assaults by far-right groups. In instances where our country is going through a tough situation, we should stand united and not divided.

Our responsibility as British citizens is to make sure that we know the roots of such radicalisation, and the effective ways of ending it. We can only do this if we all work together, and not against each other.

Twenty-year-old Woman Commits Suicide in Kurdistan

2013-05-15T07:16:45-04:00

Two girls have committed suicide in the past month in a Kurdish village in the outskirts of Erbil city. Nisaan Jafar, aged just 20, ended her life on 30/04/2013. According to the local police, Nisaan suffered from "psychological illness" but the actual report from a psychologist seems to be non-existent.

Not long ago, Nisaan's sister also committed suicide. And in the same village, a 26-year old woman also committed suicide this month, reports Rudaw, a local news agency.

The actual facts are unknown since very little has been revealed about these incidents, which are too often kept hushed up. The real question is what are the actual causes of suicide among women in Kurdistan, and what is the Kurdistan Regional Government doing to prevent these wide scale cases.

Throughout winter, there were numerous, in fact too many, cases of women who just happened to accidently get burned while sleeping too close to the heater, which for reasons unknown to the public tipped over the victim. Cases like these are obviously honor-tainted, but that's one side that we are not hearing, and I suspect, we won't be hearing about for some time to come.

Women organizations, and other NGOs working in Kurdistan to promote social justice, and the welfare of women seem to be in a vacuum or asleep. Perhaps it's time they overlooked their fancy names, and started to work with villagers, but maybe the summer's heat will prove to be too much for their sensitive skins.

In a visit to the villages near Kazhnazan, in the outskirts of Erbil city, I met many women with a local activist Ashna Shareff. We talked to several women, but one particular incident comes to mind. At the time we were working on a campaign (needless to say, an unsuccessful one) to start a child benefit system in Kurdistan, similar to that of Europe. One of the women who was illiterate asked us to read the campaign signature letter to her, and afterwards she signed it.

Just before leaving, one of the younger women there, who did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education also signed the petition. Her mother said, "She's 20, and still not married" which highlighted the living cycle in villages. Get married, make babies, and find suitors for them. The cycle goes on, or rather has gone on for decades now but the troubling prospect of life for many women in rural areas needs immediate attention from NGOs and governmental institutions, who have been for the most part silent.

Since returning back to Kurdistan, I have reluctantly begun to hate what they call "journalism" here. With high hopes and dreams, I returned from England, with a law degree, to work as a researcher or an academic with an interest in Human rights, but despite the job opportunities being many for people who want to work in any and every sector, journalism is one of the sectors that I was most disappointed with. It isn't just the lack of professionalism that is rampant and the nuisance of having to read poorly constructed articles on "Kurdish news sites" but it's the arrogance of writers locally.

There is no sense of real investigative journalism, perhaps because there are far too few academic disciplines available that specialise in journalism, with a key interest in what is now considered as journalism globally. That could be the case, but another is the laziness of journalists who would much rather laze around the office than getting off their royal wheel chairs and actually meeting the person they are writing about. It's all about "an anonymous source" or the irritating "confidential sources" on topics that require no anonymity.

The numerous articles written about suicides in Kurdistan exemplify my anger with local journalists. There are no concentrated efforts to give a proper and informative reports about what leads so many women to commit suicide. Cases of suicide are neglected by the media, and it will require the masses to make an exerted effort in order to raise societal outrage over the lack of investigative follow-up on these cases.

British MPs Officially Recognise Halabja Genocide

2013-03-01T14:36:55-05:00

Nadhim Zahawi, Conservative MP was born to Kurdish parents in Iraq. He told the House of Commons on Thursday, "As the horrors of holocaust pass beyond living memory, there is a danger that we dropped our guard, that we believed such terrible events are safely sealed in the history books, that they could never happen again". He went to explain that between 1987 and 1988, the horrors of genocide and mass-murder were committed by Saddam Hussein's regime against Kurdish people.

The Parliamentary debate was scheduled on March because during this month the genocide is commemorated. British MPs adopted a 'symbolic motion' that called on the British government to recognise the mass-murder. The Halabja poisonous gas attack is known by several names, namely 'bloody friday', which took place on March 16, 1988. Chemicals weapons were used against civilians indiscriminately by the Iraqi government. The attack killed thousands of people, and injured more than 10,000.

Thousands of Kurdish civilians died of complications caused by the poisonous gas, and birth defects were reported years after the attack. The attack has been recognised as an genocidal attack against Kurdish people, and remains to be the largest chemical weapons attack by a government against its own civilians.

It is crucial to note that the Halabja genocide is different from the Anfal campaign, where Saddam Hussein and his ilk attempted to wipe Southern Kurdistan of Kurds, and Arabize it. According to Human Rights Watch, some 4,000 villages out of 4,655 were wiped out. More than 250 of these villages were attacked with chemical weapons. This includes 1,700 schools, 2,450 mosques and 27 churches during the Anfal campaign.

On March 1st of 2010, the Iraqi High Criminal Court recognised the Halabja massacre as an act of genocide. The decision was welcomed by Kurdistan Regional Government, and since then the attack has been condemned as a crime against humanity by the Parliament of Canada.

The attack lasted for nearly five hours. Photos show local children with their faces burned. Some survivors have explained that the gas smelled of sweet apples at first, and that in some instances it caused immediate death, while others coughed continuously until they died from 'burning and blistering'.

The speakers included Meg Munn, Robert Halfon, David Anderson, Ann Clwyd, Jeremy Corbyn, Mike Gapes, David Lammy, Stephen Metcalfe and Bob Stewart.

Since the Parliamentary debate, some websites have mistakenly claimed that the British Parliament has recognised the Genocide against Kurdish people. The confusion is partially due to the lack of understanding of the nature of such debates, and authority of the debates, as well as the lack of coverage given to the debate by mainstream media outlets explaining its significance.

Kurdish Twitter Users Use Social Media to Tell Their Stories

2012-11-20T20:53:34-05:00

A new generation of Kurdish people are actively using social media to tell their stories. Some tell stories of brutality under the Saddam Hussein regime, which consequently led to their displacement. Others explain why they're unable to speak Kurdish , and in doing so they tell personal stories of a history tainted in blood, suffering and tribulation.

There are an estimated 40 Million Kurdish people, and a significant number of them have been forced into exile. For example, in Northern Kurdistan the Kurds were subject to several genocidal campaigns by the Turkish state, most notably the Dersim massacre which resulted in the brutal killing of thousands of Kurdish civilians. Elsewhere in Southern Kurdistan, the Kurds were subject to an ethnic cleansing campaign by the Saddam Hussein regime. In Iran, thousands of Kurdish activists have been imprisoned, many of them have been executed for demanding Kurdish rights. Below are snippets in the lives of several Kurdish people who took to online to share their story.

Banaz says she still remembers when her family fled under Saddam Husseim's regime, 'We drove through Mosul, and heavy automatic firing chattered for several minutes'.

Rebwar Waladbaigi from Nottingham says,

My Dad left his house to go back, and check if his uncle's family were ready to leave Halabja [the Kurdish village that was ethnically cleansed and subject to a genocidal campaign by Saddam Hussein]. When he walked back he didn't find their house. The only thing he found was a piece of my grandmother's dress that she was wearing on that day.

Under the hashtag of #MyKurdishStory hundreds of Kurdish twitter users tweeted heart-aching stories of pain. Some spoke of the bravery of their parents who sacrificed their own lives, or put themselves through extreme measures to protect their children. Saladin tells a short story of how his father saved his life;

During our flight into Iran, my Father saved my life twice literally by putting his own body in harms way to protect mine.

Xoshink's family left to the mountains near Slemani in 1986. She tells a heart-wrenching story of how her youngest sister was left in the city of Slemani, and in order to visit her, she smuggled into the city with her mother, but her youngest sister was unable to recognise her.

I remember a helicopter. It was very cold, rainy, muddy, loud. The only interior left was the pilot's chair.

Karez adds,

My father would walk for days in the freezing snowy mountains in order to get away from Saddam's soldiers. I remember at the age of 6 when Saddam's soldiers barged into my Grandma's home and took my uncle away.

Tara highlighted the current situation of her family,

In the last 6 months 3 of my family members have been executed by the Islamic republic of Iran. Two more on death row.

This idea came from a young Kurdish girl, who tweets under @Naskola. She started this idea from one tweet:

What is your story? A question that should be asked every Kurd; Even though the answer is heartbreaking, everyone has a unique tale to tell.

My Life in Hewler and London

2012-11-11T19:48:14-05:00

Hewlêr, the capital of Kurdistan, and London of United Kingdom are my favourite two cities in the world. I have lived in London for 13 years, and Hewlêr for considerably less. My memories of these two cities are somewhat scattered because I hold a romanticised view of them.

For instance, when I was very little, and I remember this because I burned my socks. We had a domestic heater in Hewlêr, as did all families during winter. When mother lit the heater, the smell of burning kerosene filled the room, and I would put my feet up against the heater to warm myself up. I have burned countless socks as a child doing this, in London I eventually adjusted to central heating, although it was not as exciting.

I love the domestic heaters of the 90s, they made Hewlêr exciting for me as a child. It wasn't just the thrill I got from being a rebel by putting my feet up against them, but the countless other things I did with the domestic heaters such as heating chestnuts, and waiting for them to pop.

These cities are very precious to me because of the different memories I have while living in both of them. Unfortunately while hundreds of guides, and articles have been written about London, few have been about Hewlêr. Here are three different locations in Hewlêr that I love visiting, and if you plan on visiting Kurdistan this year, make sure you see these places!

Qelay Hewlêr

Saya

Qeyseri: Abyrinth of narrow alleyways

Chaixana: Tea shop

In the past tea-shops were for men only. Although it was not stated that women can't enter the premises of a tea-shop, but it was like a silent rule that everyone obeyed. Recently women have opened up their own tea-shops, but some were not happy with the segregation. Now there are tea-shops for both men and women in Hewlêr without segregation, although a significant number of tea-shops still remain in the conservative cultural sphere where men visit only, but they don't exclude women. Tea-shops are fabulous, they give a great sense of Kurdish culture, and really give off that cultural warmth that many Kurds abroad miss out on.

How a New Generation of Kurds Can Fight: From the Mountains to Twitter

2012-11-08T17:44:09-05:00

A new generation of young people are using social media to raise awareness about the plight of Kurdish people. They are using tools of media that was not available a generation ago, and in doing so they are becoming patriots of Kurdistan. Two of the most effective tools of information on Kurdish activism are Twitter and Facebook. While on Twitter it is easier to spread information outside of friends and family circles, on Facebook the local efforts made to challenge suppression of Kurds is far more feasible.

Becoming a Kurdish activist

Not long ago, a friend of mine texted me, asking how she can be more involved in Kurdish-related issues and how she can help further the 'Kurdish cause'. Media outlets are increasingly becoming responsive to social demands, and this is why we need the voices of the masses to demand better coverage of Kurdistan. Currently there are two major campaigns by Kurdish activists (1) Media coverage for Kurdish political prisoners on Hunger strike within Turkey and (2) The e-petition campaign asking the United Kingdom government to formally recognise genocides against Kurdish people. I will use the first campaign to highlight how Kurdish activists are trying to raise awareness, and campaigning for the voices of those who are unheard in mainstream media outlets.

Using Twitter efficiently

Twitter is like a micro-blogging social network, where within time you can network widely. It claims to have 500+ million users. Journalists and media agencies use it widely. Take the following for example:

BBC: World Have Your Say

#WHYS

Al Jazeera: The Stream

Guardian

here

Guardian: Open News

Guardian

here

It is easy to connect to journalists and editors online, but it takes dedication to consistently do that. The level of determination shown by activists leads to results, and the increased number of young Kurdish people who are using social networks are well versed in the importance of communicating properly.

Facebooking with a purpose

Facebook has over 1 billion users, this figure alone is a great indicator of its importance. There are hundreds of Kurdish groups on Facebook, some of which are private, others are by invitation only, or open to the public. There are 'activist' groups which help organise events, spread information, and give young activists better tools on how to campaign effectively. These are the groups that help plan events, and if you can't find a group that ticks the right boxes for you, start one!

Local efforts

Media coverage alone does not resolve an issue, but they tend to help bring world focus on it. While campaigning for any Kurdish cause, make sure you don't neglect the local resources available such as writing a letter to your local Member of Parliament, attending a locally hosted conference or protest. If there are no protests, conferences or activities within your Kurdish Community Centre, be the one to start it.

Helping British-Kurdish Professionals Return to Kurdistan

2012-09-04T18:21:43-04:00

Association of Returnee Professionals in Kurdistan (ARPK) has been launched by a small group of activists from Kurdistan. The non-profit organisation is independent and helps professional who are either planning or have already returned to Kurdistan find jobs, as well as accommodation.

ARPK is the first organisation that has developed a network of professionals from diverse backgrounds to act as a guide for new graduates from United Kingdom and other countries. Ronahe Mustafah is one of the Kurdish professionals I interviewed briefly, she said, 'Organisations that give graduates a realistic image of what Kurdistan offers helps them decide whether they want to move back, and when they do what opportunities are available to them.'

Membership to ARPK is open to all professionals that plan to return to Kurdistan or have already returned. This organisation remains non-political and independent. I spoke to the Chairperson of ARPK, who is also the founder of Kurdistan Health Information Bank. Dr. Shakawan is a consultant physician in Acute & General Internal Medicine in United Kingdom. He said, 'We have this organisation as a means of assisting returnees to Kurdistan. The region is progressing at a fast pace, and there are many opportunities for people'. When I asked him about Kurdistan's growing reputation as a safe haven within Middle east, particularly Iraq, he said, 'This is one of the reasons why I encourage Kurdish professionals to return to their homeland. When Kurds left Kurdistan, it was due to the persecution they faced from Saddam Hussein. Now he is dead, and the region is safe.'

In the near future, ARPK plans to partner with organisations and companies that offer Kurdish graduates jobs within Kurdistan. ARPK aims to facilitate cheap accommodation for graduates and Kurdish professionals, enabling them to live comfortably in Kurdistan.

You can find out more about joining ARPK on their website here.

From London to Kurdistan

2012-09-02T18:39:13-04:00

Three months ago I decided to leave United Kingdom for Kurdistan. The trip opened my eyes to the socioeconomic problems facing Kurdish people, and the renowned efforts by young activists to ameliorate the situation. Kurdistan has become a part of me, as much as I have become part of it. Within three months I learned about some of the concerns of young people, poor and those within the working sector. It was exciting to interview officials, locals and activists. Inevitably they helped shape my understanding of what the Kurdistan Regional Government has done, and the political fiasco that is apparent in the different colour coordinated offices of various political parties and strongholds throughout Kurdistan.

Freedom of press is an integral part of any meaningful democracy. The Kurdistan Regional Government has positioned itself in Middle east as a diminutive bearer of democracy. In doing so, they have tried to conceal their shortcomings, but unfortunately the constant and continuing limits placed on journalists gives them a poor image internationally. In the current political rift, utmost attention ought to be given to the institutions which have attempted to curtail freedom of press.

In the beginning of my trip I was committed to raising awareness about a children's benefit system, similar to child benefit in most European countries. Through this benefit system, poorer families could make sure their children attend schools and have access to the basic necessities necessary for them to complete their education. I met the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Asos Najeeb Abdullah who turned this idea down. She believed the government already gives out sufficient benefits, and therefore this additional benefit initiative would have an impact on the budget, which is already a contentious issue. At first instance some might agree with this, but if we take a closer look at the benefits given to people, we will realise they are not on a regular monthly basis but rather given within a 3-6 months period. For example benefits available for widows without other sources of income are given every 3 months and under $100.

After a few weeks I turned from an optimistic and adventurous person who woke up early to knock on different houses for new signatures that would eventually be used to support the 'Kurdistan Child Benefit Initiative' into someone who was overtly angered by the lack of enthusiasm for positive change. We can strive for change in different ways, some people work through the current government, others try to work against it, and what matters is the result of the initiatives ventured.

I believe Kurdistan is progressing at a fast pace, but it has potential to be better and greater by creating a social system where individuals can be held accountable for negligence. Through creating an accountable government, we can eventually have accountable institutions where the rights of citizens are enshrined.

My three month trip was enjoyable, and now that I'm back in London, it feels like the changes that I can be part of in Kurdistan are nonexistent here.

Shene Aziz Ako Crowned Miss Kurdistan 2012

2012-06-30T17:11:01-04:00

In Kurdistan's Hewler province the first Miss Kurdistan pageant show was held on June 28 in Rotana hotel. It was organised by a lebanese company. The twelve participants were from Southern Kurdistan and sponsored by the Kurdistan Regional Government. I was invited by a local businessman alongside two friends. The show lasted for several hours, and was hosted by an Arab and Kurdish speaker.

This was not Hewler's first pageant show because in 1974 there was a pageant show in Hewler, and this was not the first time a Kurdish woman was crowned as winner in a pageant show. In the 1970's Miss Iran was in fact a Kurdish woman from Kermanshah.

The twelve women waltzed on stage with dazzling smiles and posture, not in Bikinis or mini-skirts but traditional Kurdish dresses. 18-year-old Shene Ako Aziz was crowned as Miss Kurdistan from Slemani, she was selected by a panel of judges that included Professor Shukria Rasoul, Dr. Farhad Pirbal, Dina Hayek, Dr. adder Sa'ab.

Roy Shalala, an official from the lebanese company that organised the event said, "We organised the festival in a way that suits Kurdish traditions and habits; you will not see the bathing suites but you will see sports clothes and decent evening dress, which does not underplay the beauty of the girls."

The significance of this pageant show goes beyond the shallow industry but comes right back to the region where it is situated. Southern Kurdistan is largely conservative with strong religious values, and consequently Kurdish communities tend to be segregated which makes this pageant show more about the way this region is progressing and handling globalisation on its soil than about feminism.

There are new opportunities opening for women in Kurdistan both in the public and private sector. New jobs and avenues for them are arising both politically and socially. While tweeting about Miss Kurdistan pageant competition many people were puzzled that I would attend such an event, but I found it crucial to attend prior to judging the competition. It would not be fair nor right to judge an event without personal insight, and since I had the opportunity to attend there was no harm in it.

Many people were concerned about three things (1) possibility of choosing to be judged by virtue of looks, (2) normalisation of pageant shows within Kurdish regions, (3) standard of beauty being dictated by a lightweight industry. The participants chose to be put in front of 6 judges, and to be judged solely based on their looks. They were not forced, and were happy to participate in an industry that measured their value and worth in terms of how attractive they were.

At this stage a pageant show in Kurdistan does not have a chance to dictate beauty standards. In reality the beauty standards are dictated by real players in the West, and this includes popular fashion magazines. It would be naive to think that pageant shows in Kurdistan have the potential to dictate beauty standards simply because fashion has become globalised, and that is the industry that continues to dictate beauty standards which women conform to both consciously and subconsciously.

I spoke to Sazan Mandalawi who attended the event with me, she said, "The criticism this event attracted shows that people were in fact following it, but the mismanagement of timing was disappointing" and "The women did not do anything that was out of Kurdish culture". Another Kurdish woman that I spoke to, Tara Fatahi shared a different view from those who criticised this industry by arguing that this competition is a perfect reflection of society where people are judged by looks, and not intellect or personality. She said, "The media tells me I'm not beautiful because I'm fat, I don't see a difference here. At least in a pageant competition I choose to be judged whereas in society I have no choice".

Kurds Killed by Former Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein, Honoured in Burial Ceremony

2012-06-01T21:14:16-04:00

In 2011 Iraqi authorities uncovered a mass grave in the central city of Diwaniyah which are believed to be corpses of Kurds who were killed under Saddam Hussein's rule. Human Rights Watch and other organisations have reported instances of torture, murder, rape, abductions, deportations, forced disappearances, assassinations and genocide of Kurdish people under Saddam Hussein's regime. During the 1980-1988 war with Iran, Kurds were the main opposition to Saddam, consequently thousands of them were killed, forced into exile and many simply disappeared. The number of those killed remains unknown, but some estimate that somewhere between 300,000 and 1.3 million were killed during this period.

Under Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime, many Kurds were subject to arbitrary detention, torture, religious prosecution, execution and rape. Kurdish women were raped by Saddam Hussein's militia groups, and many of these women were forced to leave their villages in fear of honour-related backlashes within their small communities. Some villages were destroyed by Saddam's militia groups, and consequently the women were forced into prostitution through sex trafficking. These women were unable to return to their villages or surrounding communities because their reputation were perceived to have been destroyed and stained, which could have had devastating consequences for them.

According to a report by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) by Malka Marcovich with organisations in Iraq participating in the NCA consultation process called "Trafficking, Sexual Exploitation and Prostitution of Women and Girls in Iraq" dissident women and girls were "kidnapped, harassed, imprisoned, beaten, raped and tortured in other ways". The research paper highlights that Saddam Hussein, alongside officials owned sex clubs which were known in certain districts as "entertainment areas". In these clubs, many women ended up as prostitutes of the regime.

The burial proceedings of the mass graves that was uncovered last year were broadcasted on Kurdish TV live, the coffins were draped in Kurdish flags and flowers. In a statement to Rudaw one of the surviving victims, known as Hayran said, "It gives us a kind of happiness that the bodies have been returned to where they belong". She lost 50 members of her family, including 2 brothers and 2 uncles.

Kurdish MP Leyla Zana Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison by Turkish High Court Again

2012-05-24T12:46:28-04:00

Leyla Zana is a Kurdish politician and member of Peace and Democracy party in Turkey. She has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by Diyarbakir's High Court for nine speeches she has made between 2007 and 2008. Once again she is charged with "spreading propaganda" on behalf of the Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK. This rebel group is fighting for Kurdish autonomy in southeast Turkey.

Zana has already spent nearly a decade in prison on similar charges of spreading propaganda on behalf of PKK in the past. As an MP she has immunity from prosecution which means her sentencing will be in effect when she leaves parliament. However in the past her parliamentary immunity has been stripped. In 1994 she was arrested and charged on allegation of being a member of PKK, which she denied. She was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison. At her sentencing she said,

This is a conspiracy. What I am defending is perfectly clear. I don't accept any of these accusations. And, if they were true I'd assume responsibility for them, even if it cost me my life. I have defended democracy, human rights, and brotherhood between peoples. And I'll keep doing so for as long as I live.

In 1994 she was awarded the Ratfo Prize for her peaceful struggle towards advancing Kurdish rights. And in 1995 she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was also awarded the 1995 Sakharov prize by the European Parliament while imprisoned. During this period, she was recognized as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.

Leyla Zana is the first Kurdish woman to win a seat in the Turkish parliament. She created nationwide controversy when she spoke in Kurdish in parliament while being sworn in because Kurdish language was banned at the time both publicly and privately. It was only the final sentence of the oath that was spoken in Kurdish, but it created a stir nonetheless. She was booed off stage, chanted against and many MPs tried to forcefully remove her from the podium.

In 2001 European court of Human rights ruled against Turkey after reviewing her trial. The result was recognized in 2003 by Turkey, and in 2004 a prosecutor quashed her sentencing, and was released.

As of 2007 Leyla Zana has been both vocal and active about Kurdish rights. She was re-elected to parliament on June 12, 2011, during the general election.

Sazan Mandalawi 'My nest in Kurdistan'

2012-05-09T10:51:54-04:00

My Nest In Kurdistan is a reflection of the current state of Kurdish youth, their thoughts as the semi-autonomous region progresses and their aspirations. It provides a persuasive argument for Kurds in diaspora to return, especially those who immigrated due to the prosecution they faced under the Baath regime. Sazan Mandalawi talks about her childhood, Kurdish identity, culture, and the people that she has fallen in love with after returning back to her beloved land. For decades Saddam Hussein suppressed Kurdish voices, but immediately after his fall, a new generation of youth actively interconnected through social networking and have been vocal about their identity and culture.

In her memoirs she talks about the importance of leaders involving their wives in political work, an attempt to illustrate equality, female empowerment and liberation for the wider public. What makes her memoirs special is her considerate young age -- and female outlook on Kurdistan. Women are keener to be politically, socially and economically involved after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Sazan Mandalawi is one of the many Kurdish women with bright ideas towards a prosperous region. Her voice, thoughts, musings are all an indicator of contemporary Kurdish youth, as they attempt to shape Kurdistan socially and politically.

This book is a collection of articles documenting the experiences, challenges, thoughts and ideas of a young Kurdish girl. She witnesses what was once called a "big village" turn into a multicultural city filled with businessmen and women. Each article is about a particular issue, all of which relate to Kurdistan. She speaks about some of the archaic traditions that have managed to force their way into the 21st century. The ancient practice of women demanding huge amounts of gold from a potential marriage prospect as a means of insurance if the marriage turns bitter is still continuous. She argues that this is because women at large don't have active social roles, in which they are economically active enough to not use dowries as insurance. This idea, she argues will fade away as women progress forward.

When I asked her about her source of inspiration, her reply was reminiscent of her experiences as illustrated throughout the book, she replied, "Every person or experience I counter in my day-to-day life inspires me". She has written on planes, mountains, under trees, on the historical Citadel, by waterfalls, inside lecture halls, and many other unusual places for a writer.

In a recent interview she offered some advice for Kurds abroad, many of whom fled the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein -- "Pack your luggage with all the languages you know, all the courses you've taken, all the certificates you have, every experience you've gained and fly to the nest." For every person that has asked me about what it means to be Kurdish, and what Kurdistan is like, they should read this book, and it will help them understand.

Outraged Against Blasphemous Article and Not Killing of Kurds

2012-05-08T12:03:10-04:00

Protest held in Hewlêr earlier today, photo published with permission.

Muslim youth in Southern Kurdistan staged a protest against what they perceived to be a blasphemous article published in a local magazine about Islam. Hundreds of youth took to the streets in the city of Hewlêr, some of them burnt down shops that sold alcohol, while others tried to storm governmental institutions. Security forces were on standby, and despite some clashes there were no casualties. Last year protests were held against governmental corruption which led to a brutal crackdown by security forces, and resulted in the killing of protesters.

Kurds have quickly responded to what is claimed to be a blasphemous article in the name of religion while they have ignored the suffering of their brethren residing in neighbouring regions. Hundreds of Kurdish political activists have been arrested, and many executed in the past for daring to speak against the Iranian regime. Despite the inhumane treatment of Kurds in Iran, and continuous violations of Kurdish rights, the large majority of Kurdish people in Southern Kurdistan have remained silent.

Iran is not the only country where violations of Kurdish rights takes place. Turkey is notorious for arresting Kurdish politicians, writers, journalists, activists, students and even children who have participated in protests. Recently, one of the institutions where Kurdish children were detained came under scrutiny after allegations of sexual abuse and rape, unfortunately this did not lead to protests by Kurdish people, in fact it was only reported in a few Kurdish news outlets.

It is unfortunate that Southern Kurdistan is currently living in a bubble, particularly youth who subscribe to the Islamic religion. Criticism and mockery of Islam is only two clicks away on the internet, and they must learn to come to terms with criticism of Islam. There can be rational responses to it, but that is only possible when the platform of discourse is dictated by reason, and not emotion.

In the digital world, nothing and no one is immune from criticism or mockery. While it is possible to intimidate critics of Islam by staging small protests, it simply does not stop them from criticising Islam or any other religion. We can't control what people publish on the internet, but we can control our responses to it. Muslim youth might feel intimidated by hateful criticism of Islam because challenging religious ideas might be new to them, but they must realise that responses to criticism have to be on the same medium. If someone publishes an article which criticises Islam, the response to it should be an article that rebukes the criticism, and not burning down alcohol shops, or storming governmental institutions.

Criticism of religion should be welcomed because it allows Islamists to revise their religious ideas, and beliefs. It gives them room to open peaceful and respectful dialogue between liberals and Islamists without any intimidation. And this is why the Kurdish regional government should not give in to the demands of Islamists, and must ensure that free speech is allowed for all Kurdish people.

The greatest insult to Islam is our silent complicity while Kurds are being killed in neighbouring regions for demanding their rights, and not an article on a local paper which has an extremely small audience.

Syrian Opposition Ignores Kurdish People

2012-03-27T20:43:40-04:00

Kurdish people have suffered under the Syrian Ba'ath regime for decades. They have been victims of a judicial system that sought to protect the rights of Arabs, while neglecting Kurdish people. Kurds in Syria were unable to register themselves with Kurdish names, to speak Kurdish or even have citizenship in the past. Some concessions have been made since the 1990s but discrimination both on a societal and governmental level has continued. I spoke to UK's representative of Kurdistan Democracy Party Syria in London. Heyam Aqil is from Qamişlo and is a Kurdish rights activist.

Heyam Aqil outside the Syrian embassy in London. Photo: Hejar Moustafa published with permission.

Aqil told me "The protection of Kurds' rights in the post-Assad era depends on how responsive the Syrian opposition is to our demands". She believes the Kurdish issue in Syria can't be sidelined because it is imperative that the Kurdish national council, and Syrian national council understand that all ethnic groups, and minorities must be secured constitutional rights. Aqil pointed out to Southern Kurdistan, and their inability to resolve Kirkuk's territorial dispute 10 years after the fall of Saddam Hussein as a reminder that Syria's Kurdish issue must not be ignored within a new constitution.

The Kurdish National Council was formed in 2011, and acts as an umbrella for all Kurdish organisations within Syria. Aqil believes KNC is representative of more than 80% of the Kurdish population in Syria. The KNC demands include the following:

Constitutional recognition of Kurdish people living within their historical land

Recognition of Kurdish national identity

Politically decentralised government

Secular parliamentarian and pluralistic government

Nullification of discriminatory laws against Kurdish people and other minorities

Compensation for Kurds who have suffered because of discriminatory laws

Right of self-determination within Syria's territorial unity

The Syrian opposition after months of negotiations initially agreed to constitutional recognition of Kurdish people, and Kurdish national identity, nullification and lifting of discriminatory laws that have put Kurdish people at an disadvantage, and finding a suitable solution to compensate those who have suffered. However, the Syrian opposition did not accept Kurdish people's right to self-determination or a politically decentralised government.

On Tuesday, Kurdish opposition walked out of a meeting between the Syrian opposition groups, saying their views were not being heard or demands met. "If we don't reach an agreement now, these issues will be more complicated after the regime," Abdulhakim Basar, of the Kurdish National Council, told Reuters.

Aqil expressed grave concern over the situation of Kurdish people, and their future. She said, "Our morale will not be lessened by those who wish to deprive us of our rights, and we are determined to get our rights protected in a new Syria without the Ba'ath regime". She tweeted during the Kurdish national council's walkout in Istanbul:

KNC withdrew from Istanbul's conf protesting at the "National Convene" doc which didn't mention a single word about #Kurdish issue in #Syria
— Heyam Aqil (@HeyamAqil) March 27, 2012

Syrian opposition groups agree to sign "National Pact" on new #Syria without mentioning a single word of the existence of Kurdish People!!
— Heyam Aqil (@HeyamAqil) March 27, 2012

Syria's opp made sure to include the solution to the Palestinian issue in the final stmt in the press conference, but not the Kurdish one.
— Heyam Aqil (@HeyamAqil) March 27, 2012

Turkey's influence on #Syria's opposition very clear. #Turkish gov will never allow #Kurds to be recognised in Syria's New constitution.
— Heyam Aqil (@HeyamAqil) March 27, 2012

What if Kurds Were Palestinians?

2012-03-24T10:46:03-04:00

The palestinian cause has become internalised within Human rights discourse, and Muslim movements, the Kurdish cause in contrast has been marginalised, and sidelined. Kurdish population is close to 40million while palestinian population exceeds four million, but enjoy the sympathy and support of the Arab world. It is not just Arabs who have neglected Kurdish people, and their struggles, but the Muslim world has maintained a cowardly silence throughout history. Arab suffering has always taken precedence over Kurdish suffering in the Muslim world, we are often referred to as the world's 'unfortunate Muslims' because when Kurdish people were being massacred in Halabja, and Dersim, the Muslim world -- our brethren in faith remained deaf and blind.

At academic institutions, Muslim students often refer to the suffering of palestinians within seminars hosted by the Islamic society, sometimes going as far as co-hosting events with other societies to raise awareness and support for Palestinians, but never bothering to look a little further than Palestine to glimpse over the decades of brutality, state-sanctioned discrimination, ethnic cleansing, censorship of Kurdish identity, forced assimilation and inhumane treatment of Kurdish people throughout Middle east.

There is a prophetic saying, which I have heard at many seminars, oftentimes used in reference to Palestinians: 'The Ummah is like one body. If the eye is in pain then the whole body is in pain and if the head is in pain then the whole body is in pain.' Unfortunately for Kurdish people, they have always been the numb limbs of this Ummah, their suffering have been ignored, and pleas for help overlooked. In fact, Kurdish people are the only Muslims in the world with a Fatwa against them, issued by the Iranian republic.

This picture was taken by Bezav Mahmod in Amed and has been published with his permission.

Kurdish people celebrated Newroz on the 21st of March, and attempted to hold celebratory events in Turkey prior to it, but were banned from hosting an annual event to celebrate the start of a new Kurdish year until the set date by the government. Turkish police responded by using riot gear, tear-gas, water-canons, and using live ammunition to disperse Kurds who had gathered to celebrate. It resulted in the killing of one Kurdish politician, dozens injured, and hundreds arrested. Prominent Muslim speakers, who are often too-ready to speak on Palestinians took a cowardly step back, and remained silent.

Muslim leaders have used the palestinian cause as a popularity chip, while ignoring equally horrific sufferings of Muslims around the world. The richest Muslim states have ignored the suffering of Somalians, Afghans and Kurds for centuries -- mentioning them, and sending donations when they need a popularity boost.