Erbil: The host city of sports t ournaments - Kurdish Globe

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The Kurdish Globe No. 276, Saturday, October 09, 2010 8 Donkeys’ utopia to be established in Kurdistan Association forms to defend donkeys’ rights and educate people GLOBE PHOTO/Ako Muhammed Omer Klol, leader of the Kurdistan Donkeys Association, observes the crowds passing through the main street of Kalar’s central market. Saving donkeys and ensuring they are treated in a humane manner becomes the main task of the Kurdistan Donkeys Association. Donkeys in Kurdistan await government appe proval of financial support to help establish a shelter project for all donkeys—a project that will ensure their survival--said leader of the Donkeys Party, Omer Klol. “The best time is when I speak to people and they understand me without hurting my feelings,” said Klol, founder of the socalled Donkeys Party, who spoke about problems donke keys suffer in Kurdistan. “People don’t understand because they have learned wrong about donkeys. Bece cause a donkey is unfortune nate and obedient, people have no respect for it. But I say the donkey is clever and better than a human being. It has descriptions that do not exist in man.” For over 20 years, Klol has struggled to spread the principle attributes of donke keys: patience, obedience, satisfaction, and a “work without reward” attitude. Thanks to his efforts, his goal is partially achieved- -but only in the benefit of one type of donkey—the mankind members. He was granted with a license by the KRG to officially establish the Kurdistan Donkeys Association in 2005. The association strives to bring back rese spect for donkeys when they are used for work; it seeks the rights of feeding, shoeing, and rest. But, the right of freedom for donke keys has a different meanie ing, according to Klol. “Setting a donkey or anime mal at large does not mean you have given it freede dom; it means you made it homeless, down and out, and exposed to being mocked by the people. Donkeys do not deme mand that type of freedom. It is free when it used for work. It starts braying from early mornie ing, asking for work.” Klol este t i m a t e s to have a b o u t 1 0 , 0 0 0 members of his asse sociation across Iraq, but mostly in the areas of his influe ence, including in the Suleimaniya and Garmiyan are eas. The association curre rently distributes forms to its members to fill out so as to specify who is taking the issue as a joke and who is serious about defending the donkeys’ rights. Each member can submit a photo and basic information in order to have party identity. The members call each spece cial titles such as big brother or big sister. By the number of legs, they describe the type of donkeys (four-legged as in the animal, or twolegged as in membe bers of the party). Sometimes, Klol reports to the media about the party’s intente tions of participating in elections. But the real struggle still remains in its early stages, and the four-legged type of donkeys is vanishing, warned Klol. “I am so late. Donkeys are vanishing… the other day, a man came from Suleimaniya seekie ing a donkey. He couldn’t find one.” Klol cried for his “big brothers and big sisters” while being inte terviewed in downtown Kala. “They [donkeys] were all killed in car accide dents or by children offense sively. And a large number of them have been taken away to southern cities.” Consequently, Klol’s asse sociation has come with a solution to save the fourlegged animals. The Donke key Party was granted a piece of land--25 dunams– on which to build a shelte ter. But Klol complained that the KRG has not spent enough on the project, and he said the KRG hasn’t answered a petition about a budget he reqe queste ed two months a g o . “I have r a i s e d many lette ters through the ministries and political parties, but all die at the Counce cil of the Ministe ters…Barham is not signing it,” he noted, in reference to KRG Prime Minister Dr. Barham Salih. “I am afraid I’ll find no donkeys left to put in the shelter. After years of braying, they have done this to me…wasting my time with red tape,” compe plained Klol. “When they give the approval, it will be too late; then I think I would be obliged only to put two-legged donkeys in the shelter,’ he said, laughingly. Klol knock on the door of every high-ranking offe ficial, demanding a budget with which to complete the donkey shelter, as well as monthly budget of three million Iraqi dinars for the associate tion. He recently sent a letter to Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barze zani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Klol also sent a letter to U.S. Preside dent Barak Obama. Asked why he sent a letter to Obama, Klol replied: “For two reasons: His Democe cratic Party has a donkey as a symbol, and because Africa is where his father is from, which is the main homeland of donkeys.” Donkey town As for the shelter, Klol said it is located atop a hill in the Qaradagh area, although he preferred a place in a valley. “I have a nice design for it. I will make rooms all around… and in front of them there will be places for eating and drinking, and just as important--brothels. And in the middle I will make flower gardens and passe sageways, making it to look like a resort.” According to Klol, the shelter will become a haven for donkeys and an entertaining place for people—“especially for the elderly people who have turned powerless to practice sex,” he insisted. “Instead of watching porne nography, they can come to see the big brothers and big sisters while doing sex and enjoy it. It is not haram for them,” he laughed. When asked if gathering donkeys in such a place might mean imprisoning them, Klol replied: “No. You serve them with food and drink, allow them to have sex, and the land is wide.” The donkeys might become lazy, but there is no other solution. “When they are not used for work, why should they be mocked by children? I even say they will become stronger there. They will be fed well there.” If anyone such as “a rese spectable villager” needs a donkey, he must commit to the shelter’s conditions before he is given one, said Klol. “A donkey costs an amount of money that obliges the buyer to be rese spectful to it. Also, the appe plicant must sign a deal in court, vowing not to make the donkey homeless after his needs are met,” expe plained Klol. He advised human kind with a poem: “Enough for shedding blood…let us all live like donkeys. If we do so, we will not kill each other anymore…donkeys don’t kill themselves.”
The Kurdish Globe No. 276, Saturday, October 09, 2010 9 First Kurdistan-Korean Business Forum The business gathering allows Korean and Kurdish delegations the opportunity to “exchange ideas, find solutions, and work hand-in-hand with the Kurdistan Region.” Kurdistan Regional Gove ernment officials hosted a delegation of prominent South Korean companies in the first meeting of the Kurdistan-Korean Busine ness Forum in Erbil on Wednesday, October 6. South Korea’s Ambassade dor Suk Bum Park, Chairme man of the Investment Board Minister Herish Muharam, and Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations Ministe ter Falah Mustafa Bakir presided over the forum at Erbil's Convention Center. Ambassador Park said: “I am pleased to return meeting explores opportunities Commercial business possibilities dominate first business forum between the two delegations KRG.ORG PHOTO South Korea’s Ambassador Suk-Bum Park, Chairman of the Investment Board Minister Herish Muharam, and Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir attend the Kurdistan-Korea Business Forum in Erbil on October 6. once again to Kurdistan, and I am very thankfe ful for the warm recepte tion and the hospitality. I suggested having such a gathering so that we could exchange ideas, find solutions, and work hand-in-hand with the Kurdistan Region.” He added: “It also gives Kore rean companies a chance to ask questions and get more details about investme ment and doing business here.” Minister Bakir thanked Korea's ambassador and the Embassy Liaison Offe fice in Erbil for suggestie ing and promoting the initiative. He explained that the Kurdistan Region Investment Board and the Department of Foreign Relations had worked closely with the Korean Embassy, and the level of cooperation between the KRG and South Korea A pair of Emirati energy companies producing natue ural gas in Kurdistan Rege gion said on Tuesday, Octe tober 5, that they expect to boost the output capacity there by 50 percent within two years. In an update marking two years of production in the self-ruled Kurdish rege gion, Dana Gas and Cresce cent Petroleum said they are currently able to pump 200 million cubic feet of gas daily. They expect that level to rise to 300 million cubic feet daily by 2012. Existing production of between 160- to 180-mille lion cubic feet daily is used to power two regional electricity plants in Erbil and Chemchemal, accordie ing to the firms. They say they have invested $850 million in the project so far. That included building is rising at an impressive rate. Minister Muharam outle lined the locations and sectors ideal for Korean investment and comme mercial activity, inviting Korean firms to do more business with the Kurdiste tan Region. He said: “The Kurdistan Region, as you may know, now engages in about US$12 billion per year in trade. Korean brands have earned an excellent reputation in this Region, and I want to emphasize that we will support your efforts to loce cate investment opportune nities here.” He added: “I encourage Korean firms to prepare proposals for further discussion, espece cially regarding our strate tegic projects.” Minister Bakir said: “The KRG desires a longterm, strategic relationse ship with Korea. We are pleased to see a marked increase in the presence of Korean private sector activity. I believe this is only the beginning. The people and the governme ment of the Kurdistan Region look forward to a sustained partnership in diverse sectors.” Officials from several ministries also gave their a 110-mile (180-kilomete ter) pipeline across mounte tainous terrain, which at times required them to clear areas riddled with land mines. The Sharjah-based compe panies highlighted the support provided by the Kurdistan Regional Gove ernment, which has been successful in attracting fore eign business to its region. But many of those deals have caused friction with Baghdad because they ofte ten bypass the oversight of national ministries. Crescent's executive dire rector, Majid Jafar, said the Emirati companies' proje ects have delivered tange gible benefits to the counte try by boosting the north's electricity supply--a serve vice that remains spotty and scarce in much of the rest of Iraq. «This shows views at the forum, conte tributing to a lively exce change about commercial needs, opportunities, and mutual desire for further cooperation. The forum continue ued with a visit to Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry for a matchmaking session with local companies interested in joint ventures and other collaboration. Korea’s Embassy Liaison Office in Erbil is led by M Dukhe ho Moon, who helped to organize the event. Represe sentatives from the Korea International Cooperation Agency, Korea National Oil Company, Incheon Airport, LG Internationae al, Daewoo Construction, SK Construction, and other companies participe pated in the forum. The Kurdistan Region and Korea have already established very good relations. Korean forces were based in the Kurdie istan Region from 2004- 08 as part of the multinate tional force. During their four-year mission, the Zaytun Division provided vocational training, ran a hospital, and helped to build social infrastructure including schools and a library. Emirati firms to boost Iraqi Kurdistan gas capacity what can be achieved by the private sector, even under difficult circumse stances, when the right policies and investment framework are adopted,» he said in a statement. Dana Gas and Crescent hope to eventually prode duce enough gas for expe port. The companies last year signed a deal with Austria's OMV AG and Hungary's MOL to export gas from the Kurdish rege gion as part of an $8 bille lion project. Some of the gas would be directed to the planned Nabucco pipele line linking Turkey to cente tral Europe, expanding the continent's energy supply options. Iraq's Oil Minie istry has called that deal illegal because it doesn't carry Baghdad's approval.
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Erbil: The host city of sports t ournaments - Kurdish Globe

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