some words about President Bush..

the guy is damn funny... I don't care about what they say about him but he is the one who managed to destroy two tyrant-istan in the world (Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in Iraq and Taliban's kill-istan in Afghanistan)...

why people can not see this bright side of him ? Even if it was for his country's interests, he has made the free world a big favour by destroying Taliban and Saddam Hussein.

He may be very famous in Kurdistan and during the war last year you could have seen his picture everywhere. His cowboy style of talking makes everyone laugh(even when he is threatening)..

Have a look at this picture of him with the Chinese First Lady lol, if the married Kurdish fans see this, they never want him to meet their wives lol just ask the Chinese President, HO.. .Who ? (oh HO?!! but HO Who ??? hoo hoo )

My proposed Iraqi flag...

since the current Iraqi flag does not represent Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Chaldeans etc etc, I have clome up with this idea to create a new flag which would represent all...

As you might be aware, in the KDP-controlled Kurdistan Regional Government, the Iraqi flag is not allowed to be risen along with the Kurdish flag, this is because today's Iraqi flag represents the failed union between three Arab countries (Iraq, Syria and Egypt) (three green stars)..and has nothing to do with Kurds, or any other ethnic groups..therefore it is a racist flag which only represents one ethnic group..

this is my draft, it is not very good (what can u do with paints ??!!)..

The red strip represents Sunni Arabs.. The black strip represents Shias.. the yellow Sun represents Kurds and the two green leaves (which supposed to be an olive leave and a wheat flower ) represents both Assyrian-Chaldeans (and all the other Christians) and the Turkmens..

what do u think ? ;-)

something for a change...

when Salam Pax talks about me and my blog he always says I am not really sure he would like it if I called him Iraqi .. :-) .. now this would make me stop for a while and think...hmmmmmmmmmmm do I really want to be called an Iraqi ?

I am sure being called an "Iraqi" would not bite, would it ? hmmmmm it depends to be honest.. it depends on how Iraqis translate the word "Iraqi"..

The common thing that most Kurds are upset with is that Iraqis say "Hey we all are Iraqis and there is no difference between Kurds, Arabs, etc...but Iraq is part of the Arab nation".. I mean hang on a minute, if we all are Iraqis and there is no difference between us, how can Kurds be part of the Arab nation ? Anyways this was in the past and there are little people who say this now..

Now, back to the line "it depends on how Iraqis translate the word Iraq"... If Iraqis say, look you people called "Kurds", you live in your own federal government controlling and ruling yourselves and enjoying your self-determination-rights, and we live in our own part and we both co-operate to work for a country that has got nothing to do with being Kurdish, or Arabic, or any other ethnic groups, and no one will impose any rules on anybody"...I would be terribly happy to say "HELL YES I AM AN IRAQI"...

but if Iraqis translate the word "Iraqi" into being "Arabic, Shia, or any other words", then I would take a second and think about it, "Hey... this word Iraq does not represent me, and I live as a minority who has to say "YES SIR" to the majority, then I would say "Someone get me out of here, I am not Iraqi".. because simply it would not benefit me..

Now to the current situation, it seems that the Iraqi political parties translate the word "Iraqi" into my first option, which is was based on federalism, then yes I would accept if I was called Iraqi..

But what worries me is the latest Oxford Researchers Iraqi National Survey, an astonishing %80 refused "Federalism", while %14 (who were Kurds in the Kurdish governates) said YES.... I mean %80 is something which should be taken seriously... Perhaps the Iraqis are new to the open-democratic world and it takes some time for them to understand the situation..And I hope that in the coming few years there won't be any problems with federalism...I just hope that the Iraqis would not force us to say "Someone get me out of here, I am not Iraqi".. ..

P.SI am working on my next series of "Political Islam in Kurdistan"... seems to a while..
and I am also working on creating a new Iraqi flag, for everyone ! but my lack of creativity is annoying me..I have the idea but I just can't translate it into computer data.. I try my best next time..


ciao

Qoute of the year ...

while I prepare the next series of Political Islam in Kurdistan... what was your qoute of the year for 2003-2004 ?

Mine was "We are in full control" by the great joker of all time Mohammad Saeed Al-Sahaf.

The establishment of Ansar Al-Islam.

(Due to high demands for the explanations of history of political Islam in Kurdistan, I am running this series to give details about how Ansar Al-Islam was established and what is its future.)

After the IMK (Islamic Movement of Kurdistan) took control of the border areas with Iran, these areas turned into a mini-Taliban state. Women had to wear scarf, Islamic rules were opposed on the people, music was banned, etc etc. The Kurdish town of Halabja (which was known before the chemical attack in 1988 as "Mini-Paris") turned into a base of Kurdish Islamic fundamentalists backed by Iran and other neighbouring countries.

Other Islamic parties were using more specific and modern techniques in reaching their goals. Islamic league of Kurdistan (whose leader was backed up by Saddam) and the (Islamic Union of Kurdistan) were using non-violent ways to win over people, i.e. money, rewards, etc.

Between 1999-2001, In some university and council elections in Sulaimani, Erbil (Hewler) and Dohuk, the Islamicists gained singnificant results. In the Sulaimani Council elections, they managed to get around %33. While in the Univeristy of Duhok the Islamic Union got %40.
Both KDP and PUK were shocked with the results. It was time for them to realise that their civil war aided the establishment of an Islamic base in Kurdistan.
Now in 2001, the Islamic parties were as follow: Hamas, Tawhid, The Second Soran Unit, The Islamic Union Movement, etc.

Just 8 days before the terrorist attacks on USA, on 1st of September of 2001, Kurds were shocked to wake up on the news about the establishment of the first armed-Islamic political party demanding the end of secularism in Kurdistan.
Islamic Second Soran Unit and the Tawhid Islamic Front merged to form Jund al-Islam (soldiers of Islam). This was the base for its succession to "Ansar Al-Islam". Three people who were known to be Kurds and Afghan Arabs, were appointed as the Majlis-Al-Shura (the Shura council) of the group.
Perhaps Osama Bin Laden knew what was going to happen. Probably he knew that his bases in Afghanistan will be wiped-out following his planned attacks on USA on September 11th 2001, so he wanted new bases. Or he wanted to spread global terrorism before his attack. (See how planned Al-Qaeda is ?!!!)..

Upon its establishment, the new group "Jundul Islam" asked for the destruction of the PUK and the KDP governments and the establishment of a Taliban-style government in Kurdistan. People were outrageous.
The goals of Jundul Islam, which was published and distributed among people were :

+ state of holy war against "the blasphemers and the secularists"
+The implementation of God's will
+The prohibition of any contact with secular parties
+The establishment of an Islamic administration conforming to the "Islamic Sunni religion."
+The merger of all Islamic parties under the Jund's control
+That no rule except "the Judgments of Islam" be accepted

Jundul Islam, was the first version of Ansar Al-Islam.

to be continued.....Next: The terror of Ansar Al-Islam and its semi-destruction.

back to politics....The beginning of Political Islam in Kurdistan:

Before the uprising in 1991, a new Kurdish party was established which was named “Islamic Movement of Kurdistan MIK” or “Bzutnawa”. Some of these people were Islamic fundamentalists. There were speculations that these people were backed by Saudi Arabia and mainly by Iran.

In the Kurdistani general elections in 1992, “Bzutnawa” managed to get some votes but not enough to participate in the Kurdistan Parliament.
With the support of Iran, Iraq and other neighbouring countries who were supporting political Islam in Kurdistan, these people started to get arms (very heavy arms not just AK47s i.e. SPG9 and 106mm, 120mm mortars). They started building mosques, Islamic schools etc.
They started paying people to be their members. If a woman started to wear Hijab (scarf) she was being paid 600 I.D. a month (a teacher was getting 400 I.D a month.) School children were also being paid the same amount of 600 I.D. if they went to their Islamic schools (after normal school hours) to learn Quran and Islamic lessons. The Islamic parties had huge amounts of money and financial support. They were increasing day by day.

According to this report, the leader of one the Islamic parties which were claiming they were collecting funds for Kurdistan from rich Saudis, had links with Saddam Hussein.
In 1993, PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) fearing the establishment of an Islamic de-facto in Kurdistan attacked the “Kurdistan Islamic Movement” bases in all Kurdistan. Within 2 days, PUK managed to capture their spiritual leader. But one of the main enemies of modern life in Kurdistan, Mala Krekar, a Kurdish Islamic fundamentalist who was trained by Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, was directing the war from his refuge house in Norway.
Iran intervened diplomatically in the PUK and IMK war and forced PUK to leave IMK alone and free the MIK prisoners and leaders. Several other clashes between PUK and MIK happened over the next few years but none of them led to a conclusion.
It was in 1994, when IMK controlled the border strip with Iran including the Kurdish town of Halabja. Perhaps PUK exchanged these areas to arms support from Iran to aid them in their war against rival KDP. No one knows but Iranian support was one of the crucial supports for political Islam in Kurdistan.

to be continued…..Next : The establishment of Ansar Al-Islam

Newroz Piroz...Happy New Year 2704 Kurdish New Year+

Though I might be a little late, but anyways it is not too late, it is always good to be late that never do something... Wish you a very happy new year (2704 Kurdish)...

There are many stories behind Newroz...for the Kurds, Newroz (which means New Day) is marked as a day to celeberate and demand for our freedom.

Have a good time everyone.

PLEASE HELP !!! Halabja is being repeated in Qamishili by Baathiest Arabs

Like it or not, Kurds are not being loved by a majority of Arabs....Reading Arabic newspapers, Kurds are always being linked to their enemies such as Israel and America...They sometimes even find justifications for the massacres conducted by Iraq against Kurds.. like "Kurds are agents of Israel and America and Iran and Saddam was just defending himself"

Around 2-3 Million Kurds are living in Syria (just like Iraqi Kurdistan, there is North Eastern Syria (which Kurds call Western Kurdistan) [map].. Arabs in these areas backed by Syrian army and security and intelligence forces have killed hundreds of Kurds in the last 7 days of what is called now as "The Kurdish uprising in Syria"..

Kurds are not allowed to have Kurdish educations in Syria and are deprived from almost all of their basic human rights. It is the 21st century and there are still people who can not speak their own language [WAKE UP KOFI ANNAN AND THE UNITED NATIONS...WHAT ARE YOU FOR..THE WORLD IS ASLEEP I guess]...

The US state department has issued this statement in regards to the Kurdish uprising in Syria :
"We have made our concerns known, and we reiterate our call upon the government of Syria to stop suppressing nonviolent political expression,"
"Citizens of Kurdish descent have been protesting the lack of equal rights and in the ensuing violence, the authorities have not only killed and injured demonstrators, but also clamped down hard on normal life in cities where there's a Kurdish majority."
But are words enough ?
Now some people might say "We are not allowed to intervene in internal issues"..But this is what was said when Saddam Hussein killed 100 000s Kurds...In 1988..The world was asleep...No one did anything to help these people at that critical time.. But after 15 years, the Kurds of Halabja and Anfal were important ..The people who said "we can't intervene in internal issues" are now saying "If you want prove that Saddam Hussein had WMD, visit Halabja and ask Kurds"..
These [pictures] show how an army of an entire terrorist country is oppressing Kurds.. Nearly all the Kurdish males over 14 have been arrested in Syria.. .. Thousands are injured [pictures]..

Arab tribesmen and Syrian army are still continuing their massacre.. Once they suppress the uprising, they will start destroying Kurdish villages and towns [Same as Saddam Hussein did to suppress the Kurdish uprising in Iraq]..

Please help us... The world leaders, the human rights organisations...Koffi Anan and the United Nations... All the other people help us to stop this massacre..
In the end, I would like to thank the countries who divided Kurds among Syria and Iraq and Turkey and Iran...We are really enjoying life in our new states... Thank You !
Life is great.. We are being massacred and killed by thousands ... What else do we want ??

Remember HALABJA 16 years on over the massacre...

Perhaps this year the Kurds in Halabja do not cry like they did before... This year, is different.... The conductors of Halabja, the people who ordered to gas an innocent city with chemical weapons are now in custody (Thank u Bush ;-).
On this day 16 years ago, 16th of March 1988, the Iraqi jets bombed the Kurdish city of Halabja with chemical weapons, killing estimated 5000 innocent civilians instantly, and injuring more than 15000 instantly..To this day, more people die due to cancer and genetic disorders etc...

Following the massacre of Kurds in the Kurdish town of Qamishilo in this week, the Kurds are surprised that no international comments have been made regarding this issue.. (Hello Bush & Blair ?!! r u there??) but anyways ...

Let 16th of March be the International Day for banning chemical weapons.. No to WMD.. No to dictatorship..Yes for Self-Determination-Rights and peace !

some pictures from Halabja !

http://iraqcenter.com/sowar/halabja/archive_43/156.html

Kurds defacing a portrait of dead Syrian dictator , Hafiz Assad, Sunday 13th of March 2004.



Hundreds of Kurds over the age of 15 have been arrested randomly in the recent days..

up to date information on the uprising in the Kurdish areas in Syria

www.amude.net
www.qamislo.com

Your support is needed...Speard the words !

Kurdish uprising hits Western Kurdistan (Syria)


This has being reported as a "football riot" by the Syrian government.. but the pictures speak of themselves.. Amost 3 Million Kurds in North-Eastern Syria (Western Kurdistan) are deprived from their basic human rights..


This website www.amude.net has posted rare pictures of the uprising from the Kurdish towns in Syria.

1000s demonestrating against the Baath party dictatorship


These pictures show Syrian police and security forces along with Intelligence officers (with plain clothes) shooting innocent crowds..


http://www.amude.net/

Kurdish uprising in Iranian Kurdistan in the recent days

"Long Live Federalism..Long Live Freedom.....Long Live Kurdistan..Death to Islamic State...Death to Khamaniee.." these are the slogans which the Kurdish protestors were shouting in Iranian Kurdistan on 9th of March 2004, hours after signing the Iraqi Constitutions in which a federal Kurdistan state was legalised in the Iraqi constitutions laws. [source Kurdish] [source in English]

Kurds burnt the Iranian flag and attacked Iranian security militias. Demanding their freedom, the crowd attacked official and governmental places.
Unfortunately, the world media did not take much interest in this. Apart from this report from AFP. In which it states that scores of 100s of Kurds were arrested following the incident.

These are signs that Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan are hungry for freedom. Hungry for their self-determination-rights, Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan were delighted when they heard the news from neighbouring Iraqi Kurdistan.
The time has come to stop saying "We shall not live freely because of our neighbours" We are not slaves of our neighbours anymore.
Iranian Kurds have had enough from Islamic terror and opression. The day for freedom has come nearer.

perhaps music can unite Kurds and Arabs and Turkmens and Assyrians

Music is the only thing that can unite the whole world, not only Iraq.. After 1998, with the end of the Kurdish civil war, a great number of Kurdish singers were born...

Most of them are those Kurds who have fled Kurdistan and now live in Europe or USA.. We have lost tracks of counting new Kurdish singers nowadays..

This report says that a great number of Arab and Turkmen fans are now listening to Kurdish music.... and especially to Zakaria..

"I love the music, and I'm learning the words," said Retah Behnan, a 24-year-old Arab listener. "Hearing Kurdish music on the radio really makes you feel the change in Iraq. Besides, Arabic music all the time is boring."

Zakaria is a pop singer.. He is a modern, young singer who is being loved by all, young, old, women and men..

Perhaps we all can change to music and forget our stupid boring lives with politics..

Who can keep Iraq united ? notes about the new constitutions.

Many people blame Kurds for trying to break away from Iraq.. If you think about it in a little detail, you will realise that it is Iraqis who are responsible for the "unity of Iraq".


People like, Al-Sistani or Muqtada Sader (with no political educations), send harsh messages over Iraq's unity. Many Iraqis don't even understand the word "Federalism".. These political terms must be explained to Iraqis.

Look it in this way, now the Kurds have made it clear; "YOU IRAQIS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IRAQ'S UNITY. ACCEPT A FEDERAL KURDISH STATE WITHIN IRAQ OR FACE AN INDEPENDENT KURDISH STATE".

The above sentences is nothing to do with sepatarism or anything else. It is about self-determination-rights. The Kurds are distinct people from Arabs and they should live the way they want to, not the way the Iraqis want to.

I am not very happy or sad with the recent Iraqi constitutions. Though it is temporary, it has some guarantees for the Kurdish-self-determination-rights. I am happy with the guarantees, but sad with it being temporary and the postponement of Kirkuk's issue.

It took two or three days for Al-Sistani, to understand what "federalism" means. I am still suspicious about what will happen in 2 years time. The Kirkuk issue is a big challenge and Kurds will not give up easily on it.

The Party in Sulaimani.......... memories from 1991...

It was 7th of March 1991, I woke up at 6.45 am and I realised my parents were talking with their friend in the kitchen... I went there to find out what is going on... Just like usual... I had to stick my nose into everything... I started asking question "what is going on..What is going on?"
My parents friend, (who was a headmaster) left at around 7.15 am when we heard shots in the morning..The Kurdish Radio kept broadcasting music and coded messages... At around 10.00 am, the real uprising started..
Soon, sounds of shots and guns and fire was all over the city.. People were in the streets, fighting and celebrating..
There was an old lady who was living opposite of us.. She came at around 10.30 banging on our door.."Come out, Come out, the fear is no more, We are free, let's fight the Baathiests and kill them all"..
We went out and my father emotionally told the crowd "look all, the Peshmargas are here to liberate us, we have to support them".. I later told dad "what is a Peshmarga anyway??""
He pointed to a young man wearing traditional Kurdish clothes, with an AK47, said "look that is a Peshmarga, we all are Peshmargas when it comes to fighting for freedom. "

The city has had suffered so much under the Iraqi government's rule, that it couldn't take it no more. Old mothers who have lost 2-3 sons were also fighting the Baathists.

At around 5.pm that day, most of Sulaimani city was liberated.. The only Iraqi stronghold was the main "Security Services Building" dubbed "Amna Suraka". (the red security building..)..


After losing hope of survival, the Iraqi security servicemen started using all their cards.. Soon they started bombing the city from their building randomly.. They were firing rockets everywhere.. but on 8th of March 1991, the last stronghold of "Amna Suraka", which was a place at the top of the building fell to the Peshmargas and the people... Celebration started...

Bodies of dead Iraqi Security servicemen were everywhere.. everywhere you go..

13th anniversary of The Greatest Uprising

Today, 13 years ago on 5th of March 1991, we were all sitting with my family trying to enjoy our dinner.. My dad was listening to the Kurdish Radio of "People of Kurdistan" which was being broadcasted from the mountains... I did not have much knowledge about the Kurdish struggle then as it was a very sensitive issue and parents tried to not talk about it in the presence of their kids, fearing the Iraqi government's security forces.

Soon, my dad started dancing and jumping as the Radio said "Raniya is liberated, the party will go on ".. My mom tried to cool down my dad as he was really over-excited.. My dad tried to explain what "Peshmarga" are and what have happened to his brother. My mom told him to wait for a few days.

Rania was liberated and a huge number of Baathiests and Iraqi security forces, who were killing thousands and thousands for years, were given their fate.
Rania is now nicknamed "The Gate of Freedom".

On 6th of March 1991, senior Iraqi figures in Sulaimani were fleeing the city. As the Kurdish Radio of "People of Kurdistan" announced in a coded message "Tomorrow there will be a party in Sulaimani, invitation is for all". ..

to be continued..

Another sell-out...

While the Kurdish political parties are trying to find a solution for the Kurdish question in Iraq, Paul Bremer III and the New Iraqis have already decided on "What Kurds want" ... Bremer and New Iraqis want Kurds to be part of Iraq..and that is it, without consulting Kurds..

But the strange part is, that they decided to force Kurds to be part of Iraq on their style...not the style that the Kurds demanded... i.e. "Kurds now get less that they had in 1991"...

The American Admin and the New Iraqis can't guarantee giving the "autonomy" which Saddam Hussein signed it by his hands on 11th of March 1970. That is why they delay a permenant agreement until 2006...So is there any faith in them ?

It seems that nor Paul Bremer, or the New Iraqis have any good intentions towards the Kurds. People already smell another "sell-out". The sell-out of 13 years of self-rule and democracy.

What I suggested for the Kurdish leaders was, give them your offer of being part of Iraq through a voluntary union of Kurdistan and Iraq in a federal Iraq, come back to Kurdistan and say:

"That is it, take it or leave it. We either be part of Iraq through a federal Kurdistan state, with our own resources and parliament, or we either declare independence"...
It is as simple as that. We are not ready to give-up what we have already struggled for. We have paid heavy prices for today's self-rule and we don't not compromise on it. We have lost estimated a Million lives for this, and we don't give up that easily.

some jokes to make your day..


Are Kurds Italians ?

I just a report from Yahoo News... It is about the Arab settlers in Kirkuk...Apparently one of them is...

Muhanad Sabah Naeimi, a 25-year-old unemployed Sunni who arrived seven years ago, insisted that Kirkuk belongs to Arabs rather than Kurds, whom he described as migrants from Europe.

"Kurds are from southern Europe," Naeimi said. "They came from Italy...This is a known fact." :-)
hahahahha

Another Arab settler is...

Sheik Ahmed Khalaf, a cleric in the Arab village of Bir Dahab, insisted that Saddam favored the Kurds because "they didn't serve in the army and didn't have to fight in wars."

Ahmed Abu Khomra protested angrily when asked about Saddam's oppression of the Kurds, insisting "Saddam didn't attack families and children." hahahahha

:-) !!!!!

ciao !

Finally some Media attention on the Referendum Movement

I finally found out that the BBC NEWS website is doing a great job on reporting the "Referendum Movements" news and updates.

Some reports from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3492630.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3486504.stm

A video report:
"The Kurdish leaders may be out of step with their people"

I post these reports as they are "independent" ...