Displaced and refugee families in Suleimaniya ... - Kurdish Globe

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 2Globe EditorialIranian incursions into Kurdistan damagethe credibility of Baghdad and the U.S.PressStatementWhile Turkey’s long standing battlewith the PKK on the Iraqi Kurdistanborder region often dominates theheadlines, ironically there is a mirrcror conflict on the other side of theborder between Party for Free Lifeof Kurdistan (PJAK) and Iran.In a familiar tone to their Turkicish neighbors, Iran has accused theKurdistan Regional Governmentof supporting the Iranian Kurdishrebels and has frequently defendedtheir frequent violation of Iraqi sovecereignty as a “right.”Much like their Turkish counterpcparts, Tehran sees the issue of therebels as a terrorist issue as opposedto a greater national identity issueand has refused to address the rootsof the problems through dialogue,reconciliation and modern princciples.This week saw fierce clashesbetween the Islamic RevolutionGuards Corps (IRGC) and PJAKrebels along the Kurdish regionborder and within KRG territory itscself. Some Iraqi media reports hadclaimed as many as 10,000 Iraniansoldiers may have penetrated theregion.Although clashes appear to beintensifying, Iranian shelling andbombing of the northernmost areasof the provinces of Erbil and Suleimcmaniya is nothing new. This has ledto much damage, death of livestock,disruption of lives and civilian cascsualties.The recent incursion and fierceclashes in Iraqi territory comes descspite a recent warning by PresidentMassoud Barzani over his increasicing weariness with Iranian actions."We condemn the artillery fireagainst Iranian citizens in the borderregion of Kurdistan," stated Barzaniearlier in the month. Such measuresshould naturally lead to reviewof bilateral relationships even ifKurdistan has worked hard to forgestrong relations with Tehran.In light of the Shiite-led governmcments of Iran and Iraq enjoyingclose cooperation, the violation ofsovereignty with U.S. troops still inlarge numbers on Iraqi soil, is starkthreat, sets the wrong precedent andendangers Kurdistan’s credibility.Can Baghdad prove it can throw itsown weight in the face of transgresscsion from the Shiite partners or doesTehran’s increasing military andpolitical clout now place Iraq undertheir direct sphere of influence?As Iran tries to eliminate its Kurdicish rebels, it continues to support anumber of proxy forces in Iraq andthe Middle East, on the doorstepof U.S. forces. U.S. Secretary ofDefense Leon E. Panetta recentlystated that Iran's government hadstepped up its weapons shipmentsto Shiite extremist groups, echoingtrends of the past few years.PJAK took up arms in 2004 butKurdish resentment with successiveIranian governments goes back seveceral decades. While Iranian Kurdshave never been denied outright,unlike their brethren in Turkey, andhave had a level of cultural freedom,any notion of Kurdish power or autctonomy has been harshly crushed.The Kurdish battle for self-rule andmore government representationgoes back to before and after theIranian Islamic Revolution.For the best part, the Kurds hadshaky relations with the shah’s govecernment and initially supported theoverthrow of Mohammad RezaShah Pahlavi in favor of the Islamicrevolution in hopes of achieving anew break and stronger politicalinfluence. However, as a predomincnantly Sunni group, their demandsfor power, representation and autctonomy was seen as a threat to thenew regime in Tehran and a steptoo far for Iran’s new leaders. TheKurds were denied seats in the asscsembly of experts formed in 1979and tasked with the writing of thenew constitution.As early as 1979, Kurdish rebecels were engaged in battles againstIranian forces with Ayatollah Khomcmeini declaring Jihad against theKurdish people.The Democratic Party of IranianKurdistan (KDPI) and the leftistKomala (Revolutionary Organizatction of Kurdish Toilers) held theflagship of the Kurdish armed rescsistance at the time. Although theKDPI has long withdrawn from itsmilitary struggle, its new quest ofachieving goals through diplomacyand non-violent means has hardlyborne great fruit proving Iran’s lackof real desire for a sincere reach-outto the Kurds as it simultaneouslytries to crush the rebels but offerlittle alternative in return.PJAK is a part of the KurdistanDemocratic Confederation (KomaCivakên Kurdistan or KCK) umbcbrella, along with the PKK and effcfectively share common ideologyand command structure. While thePKK has been strongly condemnedPRESS PHOTOThe border area between Kurdistan Region and Iran has been bombarded by Iraniantroops.by the U.S., for years there werereports of U.S. contact and supportwith the PJAK rebels, much to theannoyance of the Iranians.With Iranian proxy cells causingchaos for the U.S. at the height ofthe Iraqi insurgency, the PJAK wasone tool the Americans could useagainst Tehran.However, perhaps owed to U.S.President Barack Obama’s vision ofsoothing ties with Iran and repairingthe damaged U.S. foreign image,Obama was quick to declare PJAKa terrorist organization and froze itsassets to appease Tehran.Furthermore, the PJAK and PKKissue has somewhat given Turkeyand Iran a further incentive in theirrecent warming of ties.As we have seen with Turkey, deccades-old problems will not disappcpear with a continuation of outdatedpolicies. Tehran must embrace theKurds as a key component of thelandscape and not continuously asa threat due to ethnic and sectariandifferences.With the might of the Turkishmilitary on the one side and the Irancnian forces on the other, the KurdishRegion is somewhat caught in themiddle and in a tenuous position.It relies on both powers heavily foreconomic and political prosperitybut the at the same time its land canncnot be used as a board for Iranianand Turkish military games.Even with Iranian military commcmanders claiming that Iranian seccurity forces took control of threebases and inflicted heavy losses onPJAK rebels, the end game doesnot change. Neither the PKK norPJAK will go away anytime soon.Iran needs more comprehensivemeasures to deal with its internalproblems and the U.S. and Europcpean powers should play their partin embracing increased rights forthe Kurds and condemning Iranianaggression.The KRG leadership must continueto strongly denounce any incursioninto its territory. The Kurdistan Regcgion aims to become a formidableregional power in its own right andmust at a minimum not succumb tobeen used as a pawn for the agendaof its neighbors against their respectctive Kurdish populations.The wider message is simple. TheKurds are here to stay and have evecery right to live in peace, freedomand prosperity as their Iranian, Iraqi,Syrian or Turkish counterparts.Turkey and Iran has worked hardto pressure the Iraqi Kurds intoconflict with the PKK and PJAKthrough their baseless political mindgames. PKK and PJAK are not andnever have been Iraqi Kurdish isscsues. They are both the byproductof years of oppression and denial ofrights in both respective countries.The KRG leadership must standfirm against Turkish or Iranianbullying but crucially provide diplclomatic support for their Kurdishbrethren. The Kurds were dividednot through choice but by bruteforce. A Kurd is no different whethecer in Syria, Turkey or Iran.The Kurds in Iraq must not beweary of conceding relations withIran by taking a firm stance.Bashdar Pusho IsmaeelErbil – July 21st2011France defendsvalues that sheconsiders universcsal and inalienable.From these valuesderives our motto:Liberté, Egalité,Fraternité.France subscribesto a principle, rescspect of fundamentctal rights, the basisof human dignity.Those are theshared values Istood for on the14th of July, Frenchnational day.I notice today thedistorted interpretctation of my words,which have beentaken to imply thatFrance was puttcting in doubt hersupport for the ongcgoing democraticprocess in theKurdistan Region.This is not so.Aware of the needfor time and of theinfluence the pasthas on the future– President Françcçois Mitterrandsaid “ a peoplewithout memoriesis a people withocout future” –, wepraise the effortsmade by all politiccal leaders to makethe region of Kurdicistan a democraticmodel chosen byits population,source of peace,social justice andwell-being.Weekly paper printed in ErbilFirst published in 2005www.kurdishglobe.netinfo.kurdishglobe@gmail.comAddress:Erbil, Bakhtiyari QuarterEXECUTIVE EDITORJawad QadirEDITORAzad Aminazad.kurdishglobe@gmail.comSenior U.S. EditorSuzanne DeRouensuzi.kurdishglobe@yahoo.comSenior U.K. EditorBashdar Pusho Ismaeelbashdar@hotmail.comAko Muhammed+964 750 4661936ako.kurdishglobe@gmail.comAiyob Mawloodi+964 750 4776905aiyob.kurdishglobe@gmail.comQassim Khidhir+964 750 4823081qassim.kurdishglobe@gmail.comSTAFF WRITERSSazan M. Mandalawisazan.kurdishglobe@gmail.comZakaria Muhammed+964 750 475 3897zakaria.kurdishglobe@gmail.comHawzhen Rashadaddin+964 750 4707416hawjin.kurdishglobe@gmail.comARTS EDITORDiyaco Qayoumy +964 750 4036252diyaco.kurdishglobe@gmail.comAdvertisementFor information and prices of ad spots, please contactGlobe’s Advertisement section: Rizgar Yahyarizgar.kurdishglobe@gmail.comCell: +964 750 4055888You can also check prices and packages by loggingon to: kurdishglobe.net/adSubscriptionThe Kurdish Globe can be delivered to your office orhome address, whether in Kurdistan or abroad.To subscribe: Please contact the Globe DistributionSection: Rauf Aspindarairauf.kurdishglobe@gmail.com+964 750 4497976You can also subscribe by logging onto:kurdishglobe.net/subscription

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 4"Inside the country, the job has beendone — the regime has been destroyed"Dr. Radwan Badini, an inddependent Syrian Kurdishpolitician and intellectual,participated in both of theSyrian opposition meetingsin Turkey, as the representdtative of Kurdish oppositdtion. He was in Antalya onJune 1 and in Istanbul onJuly 16. In an interviewwith the Globe, Dr. Badinidiscusses issues regardingSyria and its future.Globe: You participated in bothof the Syrian opposition meetingsin Turkey, what was the differencebetween the Istanbul and Antalyameeting?Dr. Badini: At the Istanbul meeticing, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhchood Party had a larger presence;they wanted to show their powerand be recognized inside Syriaand internationally. As Kurds, wedon't mind sitting with the MuslimBrotherhood, but we have conditctions and limits. We insist thatKurds in Syria are not a minority,they are one of the main nations,and we want the Kurdish rights to“be written in the new Syrian conscstitution. Right now, the level ofunderstanding between Kurds andthe Muslim Brotherhood is positctive.Globe: Is the Muslim Brotherhchood considered the most powerfcful Syrian opposition party?Dr. Badini: No, but among thetraditional Syrian opposition partcties, the Muslim Brotherhood isconsidered the strongest. Moreocover, the Muslim Brotherhood isthe most experienced Syrian oppcposition.Globe: Which opposition partiesare strong?Dr. Badini: There are no strongSyrian opposition parties becausefor more than 45 years the Syrianregime has monopolized powerin the country and never let anypolitical party beside Baath Party(the ruling party) practice or evenbreathe. In the meantime, theKurdish opposition is the most orgcganized opposition in Syria.Globe: There were reports thatTurkey did not invite Kurdishparities to participate in the opposcsition meetings. Is this true?Dr. Badini: Turkey plays a dualgame with Syrian Kurds. Whatwe want from Turkey is to lookat the Syrian opposition partiesequally. We respect what (TurkishPrime Minister) Erdogan has donerecently to improve the Kurdishrights in Turkish Kurdistan. TurkcTurkey plays a dual game withSyrian Kurds. What we wantfrom Turkey is to look at theSyrian opposition parties equally.Kurdistan Region opposition partcties suspended meetings with theruling parties due to some conditctions not being met. The rulingparties were supposed to statetheir opinion on the oppositions’conditions, but the meeting oftheir politburos hasn’t yet beenheld.The conditions request reinstaticing the budget for the oppositionparties, Gorran (Change) Movemcment, Kurdistan Islamic Union(IKU) and the Islamic Komal(Group) in Kurdistan (IGK). Agovernmental decree stopped payicing the three opposition parties a”key is a neighbor to Syrian Kurdicistan, and Syrian Kurdistan has astrategic place for Turkey becauseit is one of the main gateways toArab countries. With Turkey, wecan be strategic partners based onbilateral interests. Around 15 perccent of Syria's population is KurdicPolitical dialoguefreezesfew months ago. The oppositionparties also demanded the governmcment stop prosecuting demonstratctors and for legal procedures to betaken against gunmen who shotprotestors during anti-governmentdemonstrations in Suleimaniyafrom February 17 until April.“Every case recorded as a resultof the [post] February 17 eventshas been dealt with legally,” commcmented Jafar Ibrahim Imniki,spokesman for the ruling Kurdicistan Democratic Party politburoand a member of the negotiationteam. He said no cases are outscstanding in the Region.ish, and the size of Syrian Kurdicistan is more than 30,000 squarekilometers — the same size asIsrael.Globe: What was the level of Turkckey's role in the Syrian oppositionmeetings?Dr. Badini: Well, only the blindpeople cannot see Turkey's role.The meetings were organized byTurkey and behind the curtain;they (Turkey) were playing animportant role. As the Syrian oppcposition, we visited Germany,Russia and the United States, buteverybody showing us the route toTurkey.Globe: Do you think the Europcpean countries and the U.S. areslow in supporting the Syrian oppcposition?Dr. Badini: The U.S. is busy withother countries such as Afghaniscstan and Iraq. Regarding Europeancountries, among them there aredifferent points of view regardicing how to deal with Syria, as youcan see their different opinions onLibya. However, the Europeancountries told us: "If you want usto interfere, first go and convincethe Arab countries."Globe: How do you describethe situation of Syrian Presidcdent Bashar al-Assad?Dr. Badini: I see him as asick man, dying in bed. Heand his regime are over. Hisregime sent a telegram to themeeting, asking the Syrianopposition for dialogue. Werejected it because we belclieve what the regime is askicing is only monologue, notdialogue.Globe: Four months of violentprotests and the internationalcommunity still has not made anymove to support the protesters. Doyou think the Syrian protestors arebecoming impatient?Dr. Badini: I believe the job insidethe country has been done — the“Protecting people and theirproperties for us is a duty, notsomething the opposition asksus to do,” he said in reply to theopposition’s condition for haltingthe dialogue. On the issue of theoppositions’ budget, the KDP officcial said they support the request.“From our first meeting to thefourth one, those problems werenot solved while they are key forthe rest of the problems… the govecDr. Radwan Badiniregime has been destroyed. Nowit is the international community'sturn to take a step.Globe: The Syrian regime istalking about possible civil warin Syria, civil war among ethnicgroups. Is it true or it is just theregime's propaganda?Dr. Badini: it is just the regime'spropaganda. In Homs, the regimemade a rouse by killing Allawis(Shiite ethnic group), blamedit on the Sunnis and then killedsome Sunnis and blamed it on theAllawi.Globe: How do you describe thecurrent situation of Kurdish areasin Syria?Delegations from the ruling and opposition parties meet in Erbil, June 27.ernment is not coming forward tomake reforms,” stated Abdul-Sattctar Majid, spokesman for the IGKpolitburo and a negotiating membcber, in an interview with Sulaimacaniya-based Hawlati newspaper.Several opposition leaders saidthey are waiting for an answerfrom the ruling parties. They alsodenied encouraging new demonscstrations.According to media reports,Dr. Badini: They are living in extctreme poverty. For several yearsthere have been droughts in theKurdish areas, and many Kurdishfamilies moved to the big cities,leaving their villages. No Kurdhas faith in the Syrian regime;they believe the only solution is totopple the regime. They are hopefcful and enthusiastic; they believethe regime will be over soon.All Kurdish Syrian parties need tohold a conference soon to betterorganize ourselves and have onevoice when it comes to the Kurdicish issue in Syria.KDP and PUK politburos weresupposed to meet on July 21. Imncniki said it is not clear yet whenthey meet.The ruling and the oppositionparties held the fourth meetingon June 27 during which the KDPand PUK presented a draft propcposal containing reform agendasand replies to the oppositions'previous proposal.PRESS PHOTO GLOBE PHOTO / Qassim Khidhir

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 5Mass graves containing Kurds unearthedWork continues to find more grave sitesHundreds of Kurds executedby firing squad and buried inthe heart of the southern desecerts were excavated recentlyand the number of bodies isrising as the process continues.Initial signs reveal the victimsare from Kirkuk and Garmiyanareas, according to governmcment officials.The six or seven mass graveswere identified by a local witncness who in late 1987 saw milicitary vehicles coming loadedwith people brought to the area,killed and buried there, KamilAmin, spokesman of the IraqiMinistry of Human Rightstold The Kurdish Globe. Thegraves are near Mihari villageof Al-Diwaniya province andnear the borders of Muthannaand Najaf provinces.Amin said the excavation ofthree of the graves has revealedabout 240 victims, mostly menand dressed in Kurdish clothicing. One victim's identity cardshowed him to be from Kirkukprovince, he added.Human Rights Minister Mohchammad al-Sudani announcedduring his visit to the locationthat the graves are estimated tocontain 900 victims.The excavation has unearthedremains of 400 bodies, accordicing to information recentlyreceived by the Kurdistan Regcgional Government Ministryof Martyrs and Anfal Affairs,said Anwer Omer Saeed, headof the Mass Graves Departmcment in the ministry.Saeed also announced that ahigh delegation from the minicistry will visit Baghdad soon,possibly this week, to meetwith officials in the HumanRights Ministry. “The delegatction will discuss proceduresfor after the excavation, DNAtests for the remains, returningthem back to Kurdistan andhow to rebury them,” Saeedtold the Globe.The excavated bodies andtheir clothes are sent to theforensic laboratories in Najafcity for identification and tempcporarily storage.The Ministry’s NationalTeam for Excavating MassGraves in cooperation withKRG and Dinawania localgovernment operates the exccavation process described as“tough” by ministry’s spokesmcman Amin. The location is in aremote part of the desert, makicing the work hard in the summcmer, he said.Although the national teamhas a governmental budget of5 billion Iraqi dinars for purcchasing excavation equipment,as well as hiring 200 employecees, the operations need moreresources due the large numbcber of unopened mass graves,said Amin.Amin was not sure whetherthe operation will continueduring Ramadan, the Muslimholy month of fasting, whichstarts at the beginning of Augcgust, but says lots of workremains to be done.This Mihari mass grave isone of 84 graves listed by theMinistry of Human Rightsin Iraq; the ministry previouslyannounced 400 mass graves inthe country.Some of the graves containKurdish people killed in the1980s, particularly from theAnfal operations by SaddamHussein’s regime. The Anfaloperation targeted Kurdishvillagers mostly in Garmiyanarea south of SuleimaniyaRemembering the Anfall. At least 900 corpses were found recently buried in a mass grave.and east of Kirkuk. Kurdishsources report 182,000 Anfalvictims, but this information isnot confirmed yet. The Anfaloperation has been describedas genocide in the country’scourts.Three other mass graves contctaining Kurdish Anfal victimshave already been excavatedand the bodies reburied inspecial ceremonies in Kurdicistan Region. The last onewas a grave of more than 200children found in Dubis nearKirkuk. They were reburiedin the victims' home town ofChamchamal.The KRG’s Ministry of Martctyrs and Anfal Affairs is workicing to unearth around 70 massgraves in the Hamreen hillsbetween Kirkuk and Tikrit, acccording to Saeed. He could notgive an estimate on how manyvictims might be in the Hamrcreen graves but only said: “It isvery huge.”Ako MuhammedErbilako.kurdishglobe@gmail.comPRESS PHOTOSoran city center has problems enforcing traffic rulesSome officials still drive with tinted windows in Soran even after presidential rulingA huge number of cars are bumpcper to bumper, and pedestrianscan barely walk between the cars.The drivers are impatiently honkicing their horns at the crowd ofpeople and cars. When a trafficpolice officer warns a driver not toviolate the traffic rules, he acts asif he hears nothing. This is trafficin Soran city, north of Erbil, thecapital city of Kurdistan Region.Driving violations often go unecenforced in Soran, with a slightsmile from the traffic police. Thisis the reality in Soran. Everyonewho visits the Soran city center,before lunch or in the evenings,can park his car wherever he likesand in return receives a smile fromthe traffic police.Narrow streets, barely usedparking buildings, the powerfultribal system and nearly 50,000cars make Soran's traffic policeineffective. Many unlicensed cars— known as iluuj since 2003— with strange license plates, arelandmarks of Soran. The trafficpolice cannot write a ticket for aplate that says it's imported fromKuwait or Syria.An unhappy traffic police officerwho preferred to remain anonymcmous told the Globe that on July14, a Kurdistan Peshmarga carviolated the traffic rules, and thedriver who had no driving license,quarreled with the traffic policeofficer. Then, the driver shot theofficer.“The driver was arrested afterthe incident and then released aftcter only five days because his fatcther is a high-ranking official,” thepolice officer said. “A pardon forviolators is already how it worksin Soran.”The Soran Traffic Police Directctorate recently set up a speed camecera in front of the directorate onthe double-lane road in Soran.“To enforce the traffic rules, oneneeds something stronger andmore powerful than the so-calledlaws and rules,” said Capt. Parwcwez Abdulqadir Pirot, director ofSoran Traffic Police Directorate.Two parking garages recentlyopened in Soran. The store ownerswho have shops at the city centerdon’t park their cars in those garcrages but in front of their stores,which creates more traffic jams.The main road that leads intoSoran is known as Hamilton Road— constructed in the 1920s. Theroad has many car accidents, somefatal. The road needs to be rebuiltbecause it is a main road for touricists visiting Soran's sites.The head of media at the TrafficPolice Directorate, Lt. Salar Tahscsin calls Hamilton Road “DeathRoad” and stated: “The trafficpolice have recorded 70 car accidcdents during the last six months.Thirteen people died and 120were injured.”According to Tahsin, the roadsare bad and people rarely followthe traffic rules. “The cars outncnumber the streets and roads.”A new traffic violation in theRegion is driving with tinted carwindows. On June 24, KurdistanRegion President Massoud Barzczani outlawed tinted windows inKurdistan Region.Pirot explained that people havetaken the decision into consideracation. “Driving with tinted carwindows has reduced by 95 perccent. The high-ranking officialsare the only people who are nowdriving with tinted windows.”The traffic police try to enforceall the laws and rules, Pirot said,but it needs the cooperation andcoordination from all sides.The Soran Traffic Police Directctorate, established in 2003, has566 employees, but 28,488 peopcple have driving licenses. Dataconfirms around 50,000 cars inSoran, so it seems 20,000 driversare driving without a license.

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 6Kurdish autonomy underthe shadow of military conflictBDP takes the bruntof the blamePRESS PHOTOMehmed Sabri AkgönülThe Globe - DiyarbakirOn July 14, there were heavyclashes between the TurkishArmy and Kurdistan Workers'Party (PKK) guerrillas in Silvcvan, a province of Diyarbakir,as a result of an operation byTurkish military forces withthe death of 13 Turkish soldiersand two Kurdish guerrillas. Thisevent has continued to be themost intense issue on the agendcda of Turkish public opinion.On the day of conflict, Diyarbakckir witnessed another importantevent which is the DemocraticSociety Congress (DTK), aplatform for Kurdish associatctions and movements, declaredthe democratic autonomy.After the conflict, the Justiceand Development Party (AKP),the main opposition RepublicanPeople’s Party (CHP) and theNationalist Movement Party(MHP) administrators verballyassaulted the Peace and Demcmocracy Party (BDP) and theywanted to take this clash out onthe BDP. Turkish nationaliststried to make BDP the scapegcgoat for the attack. As a resultof these events, Turkish stateauthorities made threateningstatements to BDP and PKK.Turkish parliament issued ajoint declaration. “Political andarmed attacks against the unityof the nation, country and stateare doomed to be ineffectual,”the declaration stated, whichwas signed by the AKP parliamcmentary group Deputy Chairmcman Nurettin Canikli, the CHPparliamentary group DeputyChairman Akif Hamzacebi andthe MHP parliamentary groupDeputy Chairman Oktay Vural.Prime Minister Recep TayyipErdogan said operations willcontinue against PKK. Erdogcgan, referring to the BDP, saidnobody should expect goodwill from us. Erdogan claimedto exhibit all well-intentionedapproaches so far and they willnever negotiate such a disingenucuous proposal. He said "If they[the BDP and the PKK] want anddemand peace, they only haveone choice. The terrorist organcnization [referring to the PKK]has to lay down its weapons. Aslong as they refuse to lay downarms, neither will operationsstop nor will this process go toa different point. The next proccess will show itself with verydifferent strategies and differentapplications. They have to knowthat point well."Erdogan recalled remarkshe made during election campcpaign before the June 12 electctions, claiming that "there is noKurdish question. There is PKKquestion. There are my Kurdishcitizens who have problems."On the question of a cross-bordcder operation, Erdogan said:"These are not set in advance.If necessary, all of them will bedone." Erdogan slammed thedeclaration of the democraticautonomy and he said Turkey’spolicy of “single nation” wouldcontinue. "These four fundamcmental principles will neverchange: one nation, one flag,one country and one state. Wewill keep going on our way withthese principles. Nobody shouldexpect us to take a step back."Erdogan appealed to the Turkicish media on the democratic autctonomy: “Which autonomy dothey talk about? All Turkish citicizens already have democraticautonomy. Their purpose is onlyto deceive my Kurdish brothers.It should be known like that.The media should present it likethat."The chairman of CHP KemalKilicdaroglu said every personwho lives in Turkey wants to endthe terror, but the AKP does notexert its will. "Every politicalparty in parliament should showtheir willpower roundly to stopthe terror. The AKP is the firstactor to take a step up to prodcduce a solution for this issue,"he added. Kilicdaroglu subtlyassociated the latest conflictwith the issue of the detainedarmy officers and told Erdogan:"You have dispirited the TurkishArmy so much they couldn't goon fighting. Everybody was arrcrested. Everybody is in prison.It is impossible to fight againstterrorism in this atmosphere."Erdogan rejected Kilicdaroglclu's statement: “When you say‘dispirited,’ you will be overpcpowered from the beginningand, this way, you will encouracage the terrorist organization.”Erdogan added, “Our securityforces are much stronger thanyesterday. I believe they willmake PKK pay a heavy pricefor this."Hamzacebi said the conflictin Silvan coinciding with thedeclaration of the democraticautonomy is no coincidence.Hamzacebi also said democraticic autonomy cannot be accepteced. In addition, he emphasizedTurkey does not, and will not,Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party supporters in a solidarity gathering in Diyarbakir, Turkey.in any way veer from the singlenation-state structure and saidall parties should stand againstterrorism.The Communities' Union ofKurdistan (KCK) made a statemcment about the clash in Silvan:"As we have seen, it is hard toprevent the conflicts and thedeaths without bilateral ceasefcfire. Here, the attack was madeby soldiers, not by guerillas." Inthe past three months, 43 PKKguerrillas have been killed.KCK Executive Council relcleased a statement on the Declclaration of Democratic Autctonomy in Democratic NationResolution. The KCK called forthe immediate implementationof the autonomy to solve theKurdish question and democrcratize Turkey. The manifestoof the KCK Executive Councilsays: “Our freedom movementbelieves that a democratic Turkckey and a free Kurdistan basedon a democratic nation, commcmon homeland and democraticrepublic is the most accurateway for a solution. The Kurdishpeople have the right to applythe principles of the democraticautonomy under the circumscstances of Kurdistan.”BDP released a statement onthe conflict and deaths in Silvcvan, calling on Erdogan for animmediate investigation. Selahchattin Demirtaş, the chairpersonof the BDP, said the party wassorry about those killed in Silvcvan. He reacted against thosewho targeted the BDP. Demirtaşsaid, "Statements released sinceJuly 14, showing reactions, takeaim at our party directly. It canbe said that it covered over thereal reasons with pain and sorrcrow caused by the conflict.Everyone, from the parliamentspeaker to representatives ofgovernment, put us as targets."Harsh responses and insultsfor the BDP are not limited toonly Turkish state authorities.The events also spread to thestreets. Seemingly organizedattacks occurred in Istanbul,Bursa, Sakarya, Adana, İzmir,Elazığ, Eskişehir and Malatya.In consequence of these events,BDP buildings were attacked.BDP's Ferit Yalçın, head ofprovince of Uskudar, said recentattacks were the result of AKP’sand some writers making BDPthe target, and said that despiteclosed-circuit cameras, the attctackers have not been found yet.Yalçın explained that althoughthe buildings have been underattack five or more times, thecriminals cannot be found andthe police remain unresponsive.BDP President Hamit Geylanidescribed the attacks against theBDP as “the footprints of fasccism.” Demirtaş expressed thatthe anger which is growing inthe society against to the BDPis diversionary target and said:“Including the leaders of theopposition, everyone has pointeced to BDP as the target, whichmakes us responsible for theclashes. They have tried to takethe anger of the society out onus. However, the governmentis required to be held accountacable.'According to the news comingfrom behind the scenes, therewere serious debates aboutBDP being unprepared forDTK's democratic autonomydeclaration. While some MPssupport the declaration, othecers object to it. It is stated thatLeyla Zana objected to the timicing of the declaration and sheleft the meeting of DTK for thisreason and critical statement ofAltan Tan, Şerafettin Elçi andErtuğrul Kürkçü are reflectedin public. They will try to perscsuade the MPs who object to theautonomy declaration to a campin Van. Elçi said he will not jointhe meeting in Van and Tan said“I am going to criticize the autctonomy declaration, but I willmake a detailed explanationafter the camp.” Criticism willlikely continue after the meeticing in Van.The negligence of militaryofficials has been discussed inTurkish newspapers for days.It is expressed that it has beenexposed with phone recordsthat the attacks were within theknowledge of some commandecers and these commanders ledthe soldiers to their deaths by nottaking the proper precautions.Some Turkish state authoritiesand some sections of the Turkicish public will likely continuethe verbal attacks and insults.However, although the eventhas been discussed in the Turkicish press and media and interpcpreted as a having a big impact,the conflict occurred in Silvanhas not come as a surprise and itis not an unexpected event. PKKhas kidnapped three people, twoof whom are soldiers before July14. The events in Silvan were aconflict between the PKK andthe Turkish Army and occurredas a result of an operation starteced with special units. AlthoughDTK has no clear plan, the autctonomy declared was enough todisturb Turkish politicians andmedia. Although the DTK usesthe words of "common homelcland," and "common nation"they are reading this declarationas a page from a Kurdish hiddenagenda whose turn has come. Itseems that when the effect ofthe conflict ends, the concernincreases.

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 8Visiting Saladin'shometownGLOBE PHOTO / Qassim KhidhirThe famed Arab leaderhad roots in KurdistanA view of Dwin castle ruins near Erbil.The minute you leave thePirmam town in Erbilcity, the capital of IraqiKurdistan, on the leftside of the main street,there is a narrow sidestreet that goes throughArmawa and Zrgos villclages.Driving 10 minutesfrom Zrgos, you will seecastle ruins on a top of amountain on the left sideof the street, and on theright side, an old graveycyard. The castle and thearea are called Dwin,the hometown of Saladcdin Ayoubi. Saladin wasa Kurdish Muslim, whobecame the first sultanof Egypt and Syria, andfounded the Ayoubi Dyncnasty. He led Muslimand Arab opposition tothe Franks and other Eurcropean Crusaders in theLevant. At the height ofhis power, his sultanateincluded Egypt, Syria,Mesopotamia, Hijaz andYemen. Under his leadecership, his forces defeateced the Crusaders at theBattle of Hattin, leadingthe way to recapturingPalestine, which the Cruscsaders had seized fromthe Fatimid Egyptians 88years earlier.Internationally, thereis not much informationabout Dwin village orcity. The only mentionis that Saladin's parentscame from Dwin. Locallcly, there are some booksabout Saladin's family,how they lived and whatthey did and about Saladcdin's tribe, the Zarzary.The most notable is abook written by Kurdishhistorian Abdul KhaleqSarsam, who died twoyears ago, which saysthe castle belonged toSaladin's grandfather,Jalaladdin.The foundation of thecastle and some partsof the walls are clearlyvisible, and the castle'sguard posts are stillpartially standing. Thecastle is built of mountctain stone, one of thereasons it hasn't disappcpeared completely. Thecastle is on high groundand controlled the roadon both directions. ReneTurner — a heritage expcpert who works for Briticish Conservation andDevelopment Company,a consultancy companythat wrote the renovationmaster plan for Erbil's7,000-years-old Citadel— believes the castle andits guard posts were builtto watch and protect thevillage, which is at thefoot of the mountain, onthe river. You can stillsee remnants of the villclage that was once thehome of Saladin's grandfcfather. Out of personalinterest, Turner has visicited the site several timesand believes it has potentctial as a tourist attraction,especially if a small arcchaeological team cleansthe site and uncoversthe ground floor of thecastle. But Turner doesnot recommend rebuildicing the castle. "There isno information so far onwhat the castle lookedlike. A castle should notbe rebuilt there basedon imagination, becausethen it will become Disncney." He added, "Cleanicing the site and addingsome signs about its histctory and background ismore attractive for touricists than to rebuild thecastle based on imaginatction."A historical graveyardsits on the opposite sideof the road. Some of thegraves have inscriptions,while others are blank.Turner says the gravesdate back to differenteras. The graves at thebeginning of the graveycyard are from the era ofthe Zoroastrian, a religionand philosophy from thesixth century. The graveshave suns, daggers andswords, three symbols ofthe Zoroastrian religion.The graves beside a rockwall date back to Saladcdin's era. According tolocal legend, one of thegraves belongs to Saladcdin's grandfather. A thirdgroup of graves is around200 years old, some withbeautiful inscriptions,most notably inscriptionsfor knights.Kurdistan was listedamong the top 20 touristdestinations in 2010 byNational Geographic andThe Washington Post.Kurdistan has more than3,000 heritage sites and98 percent of them havenot yet been cleaned, rescstored or excavated.156,179 tourists visited Kurdistan in JuneDirector of Tourism Affcfairs of General Board ofTourism of the Kurdistctan Region Omed Kaifi,told the Globe 108,442tourists visited Erbil inJune, while 22,313 touricists visited Duhok and25,964 visited Suleimcmaniya.The total was 156,179visitors in June, eventhough the Region'sschool examination percriod had not ended.According to 2007 estctimates, 337,000 touricists visited KurdistanRegion. In 2010, visitorsto the Region numbered1,313,000. “So, thenumber of tourists hasdramatically increasedin 2010. This is a clearmessage that year afteryear, the numbers willincrease,” said Kaifi.Based on visitorsspending $100 each,for 2010 the contributction to the KurdistanRegion economy was$131,300,000.

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 9Kurdistan Region prisonsneed urgent improvementHawjinRashadaddinErbilhawjin.kurdishglobe@gmail.comKurdistan Regionprisons have few supppliesandworkshops whereprisoners can learnnew skills to helpthem when they'rereleased. Under thesecircumstances, somefear prisoners willlearn new ways tocommit crimes.The Directorate of ReformPrisons is the authority rescsponsible for helping prisoconers return to society, butit seems to have few rescsources.A social researcher workicing in the field of prisonreform and care, ShwanSabir, reported the Region'sprisons offer little in theway of reform.“The supervisors of theprisons say they have speccial workshops in theirprisons to train prisoners sothey can acquire skills. But,when we visit those prisons,we find out they don't havesupplies and the machinerydoesn't work. If the prisonecers want to produce items,there's no market for them.So, if they learn blacksmithicing, carpentry and tailoring,they aren't able to sell theirproducts,” said Sabir whohas conducted research onprison conditions with IraqJustice Network.Although the governmentbuys the supplies at fullprice, there is no plan soworkshops in the prisonscan buy the items at lowerprices to make them morefinancially viable.Economic experts in theThe Tasluja 51-megawattpower station in Suleimcmaniya should have beenfinished at the beginning of2008, but it is still not genecerating power.The project was run byKorean UI Energy Compancny which started the projecton April 29, 2007. It wasoriginally planned as a 91-megawatt power station,but the government reducedit to 51 megawatts to speedcompletion. It was suppcPrisons may "teach" inmates how to commit crimesRegion believe the workscshops and teaching craftsin the prisons should be acccording to the needs of themarket. They think whenthe prisoners are released,they can earn their livingand use the skills they acqcquired in prison.“The equipment in theprison factories and workscshops is worn out. Therewere plans to provide matcterials and open modernworkshops in 2010, butthe budget problems scuttctled these plans. We evenhave problems providingthe prisoners with enoughfood,” said Ahmed Najmcmaddin, the general directctor of Kurdistan Directorateof Reform and Prisons. Healso made it clear the dircrectorate hasn't had fundsto provide food for prisonecers since July 2010, and hasasked for money.The budget for the Directctorate of Reform and Prisocons was $11 billion, withan additional $4 billion toprovide food.The directorate asked forthis budget, but the Ministctry of Finance decreased it,noted Najmaddin. “Just see,when the air-conditioner ofDuhok Central Prison brokedown, we were obliged tobeg the Duhok governoracate to help repair it becausethe Ministry of Financewouldn't pay for it.”Najmaddin noted thatprisons are unable to domuch because of the lowbudget and that they're unacable to upgrade older prisonbuildings to meet currentstandards. “The building ofErbil Central Prison — loccally known as Muhata— isn’t suitable and no refcform can be done in suchbuilding where 60 prisonersposed to begin operationsJan. 1, 2008.As of July 2011, the powecer station is still not producicing electricity. The deadlinewas extended several timesand construction was eventctually halted. A mechanicalengineer who knows thedetails of this project toldthe Globe the project wasstopped two years ago.“UI Energy is not a highrankedcompany and it alwcways postpones fulfillmentA number of prisoners at Erbil Central Prison.— who have different typesof crimes — are kept in oneroom. How can we developworkshops a building likethat?”Sabir lambasted the Kurdicistan Regional Government,saying it is shameful to havea prison like Muhata closeto universities and residentctial areas, and it is the sameas it was 20 years ago.KRG Minister of Laborand Social Affairs AsosNajeeb told the Globe thatthe construction of thebuilding of the Adult Refcform Prison is underway,and it is 15 percent compcplete.“Forty-nine million dollclars was spent for this prisocon, and it should have to becompleted by June, 2012,”Najeeb noted.Although the media repcports say the KRG is nowplanning to improve prisonof its projects. The implemcmentation of 400-bed hospcpital project in Suleimaniyawas delayed for four yearsand is still incomplete,”said Hemn Osman, an engincneer who supervised the UIEnergy projects.Osman also noted thecompany didn’t have goodproject management andand he is not sure why UIEnergy won the contractsfor these projects.A general director inconditions, they also sayprisons are a haven forlearning new criminal behchavior and they are a goodplace to learn how to commcmit other crimes. The mediaalso fears the prisons willgive rise to criminal gangs.Violations and abuseThe phenomenon ofsexual abuse has come up,and rates have grown to 90percent among prisoners.Abuse and violence in theRegion’s prisons stem froma number of factors.“The prisoners shouldhave some time to meettheir wives and this couldbe done with good and wellorganizedprison buildings.So, both the prisoners andtheir wives would be awayfrom others,” said Sabir.Najmaddin said the mainreason behind this phenomecenon is keeping all kinds ofprisoners in a single room,the Electrical Energy Offcfice, who preferred to beunnamed, explained UIEnergy has been fined $3million. “UI Energy hasonly received the amount ofmoney which was allowedaccording to the rules of thecontract. Most of the statction’s generators have beenset up and it is 98 percentcomplete. The station nowneeds to be tested and thenbrought online,” said thedirector.which leads to sexual abuse.For example, some havebeen arrested for sex crimesbut are kept with drug dealecers, thieves and murderersin one room. “If differenttypes of criminals not separcrated from each other, eachone of them would practicethe other’s crime.”According to prison regulclations, a prisoner’s famicily can pay a visit twice aweek, but no places are setaside for conjugal visits.“Although we try to keepthe prisoner-family relationsalive, all these problems aredue to lack of standardizedand suitable buildings,”Najmaddin noted.The Ministry of Laborand Social Affairs recentlydecided to allow some prisoconers — thought to be lowflight risks — to visit theirfamilies for five days everythree months. NajmaddinTasluja power station still not working andis three years behind scheduleAlthough the Taslujapower station was supposedto help solve the electricityshortage in the Region, Osmcman says it is now a problclem for Kurdistan RegionalGovernment Ministry ofElectricity. The Ministry ofElectricity is now trying tofind out suitable solutionsfor the Tasluja station and isplanning to open the stationin near future.“The project was to inccrease the electricity suppcsays this has been going onin Erbil and Duhok since2010 and “the divorce levelhas been drastically deccreased between the prisonecers and their spouses.”Moreover, Sabir explainedthat family relationshipsdon't only include husbandwifeconjugal visits butalso the children who needto connect with both theirparents. While the childrenare innocent in their parecents' crimes, “unfortunatelychildren have to be victimsfor the parents’ mistakes inKurdistan Region.”“The prisons have to bestandardized for childrennot to feel embarrassed insociety. They have to liveand talk to their parentsand not face psychologicalproblems or become crimincnals in future,” said Sabir.ply, but unfortunately itcreated another problem. Itnow needs to be tested befcfore it can generate power.The ministry is now tryingto decide whether the govecernment or the private sectctor will run the station in thefuture,” said KRG Ministerof Electricity Yassin Abubcbakir Mawati.GLOBE PHOTO / Safin Hamed

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 10U.K. has a right to return illegalimmigrants to KurdistanThose who lose out most are the smugglersI must admit to getting confcfused when I hear or readpeople opposed to the U.K.policy on returning citizczens to Kurdistan againstBritain. What is it thatpeople are really opposedto? Those who oppose ourpolicy must believe thateither Kurdistan persecutesKurds or that the laws of theU.K. are of no account andsomehow don’t matter andits law courts are unfair.Let me explain. If anIraqi Kurd claims asylumin U.K. or anywhere else,they must claim persecutction as a Kurd or as a, say,a Christian or Turkmen inKurdistan. They may belclieve that, and they havea right to be heard. But Iwould say that is a characacterization of Kurdistanthat I do not recognize. Iassume the Kurdish Regcgional Government wouldagree with me on that. Infact, I would add that giventhe booming economy inKurdistan, there are plentyof opportunities for peopleto return and make a comfcfortable living here in theRegion.So, we are not talkingabout asylum or refugees.Who does Britain want tosend home? Simple: Peopcple who are living in Britacain illegally. Let me repeatit: People who are livingin Britain contrary to thecountry's laws. That is truefor any nationality, not justKurds.Logically, people who oppcpose U.K. policy have twochoices. Either they believethat people who are livingillegally in Britain shouldbe allowed to stay in Britainfor some reason or that thelaw in Britain is interpretedwrongly by U.K. courts.Kurdish asylum seekers in Calais, France. File Photo.A moment’s reflectionwould show that the firstchoice is nonsensical. Ifthe people are living inBritain legally, there isn’t aproblem and I believe andhope that they would findBritain a great place to live.We are thrilled that, for exacample, so many scholarsunder the Human CapacityProgramme are choosingBritain as the best place tostudy. I agree with them.But no one can live outscside the law in Britain: thatis completely against ourtraditions and culture and,well, illegal. That is whywe have laws in the firstplace.If the second choice thenthe answer is obvious: Hirea lawyer. And in fact, mostillegal immigrants do. Ican state categorically thatevery person of whatevernationality who is to be retcturned has had their day incourt before a British judge.And lost, often repeatedly.For us in Britain, a deciscsion by a court is final — itis a central feature of oursocial, political and econcnomic life. It is the cornerscstone of Britain. If a courtdecides the person can stay,they stay. End of story. Butif the court decides thatthey cannot stay, then theU.K. expects that person,again, whatever their natctionality, to leave the countctry. Wouldn’t any state?Our preference is that theperson leaves voluntarily.And the U.K. helps themto do so — and even givesthem money and training.But what if they refuse toleave voluntarily? Let meput it another way. What ifsomeone came to your ownhouse illegally and then refcfused to leave? Most peoplewould be hospitable, perhchaps even feel sorry for theindividuals concerned but,in the end, their patiencewould wear thin and theywould ask the authoritiesto remove them. That is allthe U.K. is seeking to do.But what about peoplewho have been living inBritain illegally and builta life for themselves? Onemight sympathize withthem, but at the end of theday, by starting their life inBritain illegally, they havebuilt “a house on sand.”Let me put it another way,if someone starts businesswith stolen money, do theyhave the right not to facethe law for that originaltheft several years later? Ofcourse not. An illegal act isan illegal act.This is particularly sowith people who have beenconvicted of criminal offcfenses in Britain. Are we reacally to think that people ofwhatever nationality wholive illegally in the U.K.and then are convicted ofcrimes should be allowedout of prison and put backon the street, free? Wouldany government or citizensof any state accept that?No, and that is why retcturning to their country oforigin is a regular and routctine part of inter-governmcmental relations. It happensdaily, throughout the world,and is a standard part of intcternational law. Why not inKurdistan?I can understand why thecriminal gangs who extortmoney from people andsmuggle them illegallyinto Britain might be oppcposed to returning citizens.It is, after all, bad for theirbusiness. But I think senscsible law-abiding people inKurdistan should be ableto see this from the U.K.’sperspective.Chris BowersBritish Consul GeneralPRESS PHOTOBodies of 9 migrant Kurds killed in Greece to be returnedThe Bodies of 9 migrantKurds, largely womenand children, killed in aroad accident in Greeceare set to be returned toKurdistan on Friday.The Kurds from minoricity religious group, theYazidi , who had enteredEurope illegally on theirway to join families,were killed in a road acccident last week when avan carrying14 peoplecrashed. The five othecers, also Kurds, haveremained in Greece fortreatment.Khairi Bozani, directorof the Yazidi affairs inthe Kurdistan RegionalGovernment, said: “Thebodies are expected toarrive at Erbil airport ataround 11 am tomorrow.“Identification documcments of a Muslim Kurdfrom Erbil were foundin the vehicle that wasbelieved to belong toone of the victims, butthat turned out he was aYazidi as well after theidentification of the bodicies.”A member of the Iraqiparliament Sharif Sulaimcman criticized the govecernment for not providicing satisfactory servicesin Yazidi populated areasso that they feel the needto immigrate.“We have been in touchwith the families of thevictims… they left beccause of lack of basicservices and safety. Thereare no job opportunitieswhich pushes the Yazidisto leave the country,” hesaid.The victims are fromYazidi areas in Mosuland Duhok province. InIraq there are about halfa million Yazidi, a Kurdicish-speaking people andmembers of a religionwith that is a complexsynthesis of Mesopotamcmian religious traditions,Christianity and IslamicSufi doctrines.

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 11Displaced and refugee families inSuleimaniya require more aidLack of employees and funds are problems forthe Migrant and Migration OfficeAround 18,000 internally dispcplaced families now live in Sulcleimaniya province of Kurdistctan. Most of them are settledin camps while others live intents.“We have lack of employeesand budget in our directorate,that’s why we cannot help allthe displaced families,” saidthe Director of Migrant andMigration Office in Suleimaniycya Jabar Muhammed Ali.Ali, in an exclusive interviewwith the Globe, said the officewas founded to give a hand tothe internally displaced andKurdish deported familiesfrom Western countries. “Wehave recorded their cases aftcter they came into Kurdistan,”said Ali.Ali said the office helps familclies displaced because of bordcder bombing by Iranian forces.Following a blast that targetedSayedat Al-Najat church inBaghdad, many Christians fledto Suleimaniya to take shelter.Ali mentioned that the officegave gifts from Iraqi PresidentJalal Talabani and First Ladyof Iraq Hero Ibrahim, to thosewho were displaced because ofthe Sayedat Al-Najat churchblast.According to the office’s estctimates, 17,000 to 18,000 dispcplaced and deported familiesare registered in Suleimaniyaprovince.Ali explained that 9,100 ofthose families were displacedfrom the middle and southernparts of Iraq because of sectcA number of tents in the Kawa Camp, built for Iranian Kurds in Erbil by UNHCR.tarian violence and constantexplosions. Around 1,900families and young men areregistered as having been depcported to Kurdistan by Westecern countries.Regarding the families whofled before the spring uprisingof 1991and mass migration ofKurds to Iran, Ali said his offcfice has recorded 6,000 familclies that come back to Kurdistctan from Islamic Republic ofIran. They are Iraqi Kurds whohave returned.However, there are manyeastern Kurdish families(Kurds who live in Iran) whocame to Kurdistan from Rumcmadiya province. “There are420 families settled in Barikacamp. The camp contains refugcgee Kurds from Iran. The campwas built in cooperation withNHCR organization. They supcpervise the camp and we alsohelp them. Furthermore, thereare some other refugee familclies in Sherawan camp nearbyKhanaqain city and we couldnot give them hand becausethey are far from here,” saidAli.Ali asked Kurdistan PresidentMassoud Barzani and PrimeMinister Barham Salih to asscsist that refugees and displacedfamilies.The Migrant and MigrationOffice of Suleimaniya was setup in 2008 and was part of theMinistry of Extra RegionalAffairs and now is part of theMinistry of Interior of Iraq.GLOBE PHOTO / Safin HamedReal estate prices increase in SuleimaniyaBoth land and apartment prices have shot upIn Suleimaniya city, the prices ofland and apartments have goneup so profoundly to the degreethat in some areas the increase ismore than 30 percent. The pricesincrease daily and sometimes itis hard even for the experts toidentify the reasons behind this.The price of a 200-square-meterpiece of land can be more than$200,000.According to Noori Abdulla,who has a real estate office inSuleimaniya, the price of landhas increased because the govecernment stopped granting landto citizens several years ago andthe continual construction hasreduced the available land in thecity."A normal 200-square-meterplot of land in Kani Kurda neighbcborhood costs $80,000 and theland available for businesses aretwice as expensive as lands usedfor housing," Abdulla saidMuhammad Suleiman, anotherreal estate company owner, attctributed the price increases to thedecision the government madeconcerning loans for buildinghousing. Kurdistan RegionalGovernment implemented a lawwhere landowners who want tobuild housing can get a loan of20 million Iraqi dinars."The Suleimaniya protestsagainst corruption lowered theprice of land, but after the democonstrations ended, the pricesstarted to go up again. Now landis very expensive; a 200-squaremeterplot of land costs nearly$250,000," said SuleimanPrices for new apartments arealso on the rise. Arsaln Khider,who sells apartments, said mostof the apartments have becomesurprisingly expensive due to thedemand."Last year, you could buy a110-square-meter apartment for$50,000, but the same apartmentnow costs $70,000 to $80,000.I believe this is partly becauseSuleimaniya's population has inccreased," Khider noted.According to the latest officialstatistics, Suleimaniya has around18,000 displaced families. Economcmists believe this issue increasedthe price of renting and led to anincrease in apartment prices.Izzat Sabir, a lecturer with theDepartment of Economics at Sulcleimaniya University, said thereis more than one reason behindthe increases. The improved fincnancial situation of citizens andthe economic growth in Kurdistctan Region also influence housingprices. Sabir said many peoplealso buy apartments as an investmcment and for the rental income.

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 12‘The KRG welcomes South Sudan as the newest nation-state in the world’Falah Mustafa, the KRG Head of the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), told in an interview with krg.orgKRG.org: How is the KurdistanRegion represented abroad, andis this representation sanctionedby the Iraqi constitutionFMB: Yes, our activities throughour KRG offices abroad are fullyin accordance with the Iraqi Conscstitution (click here to see a list ofKRG reps). The KRG has maintctained representative offices in anumber of significant countriessince before the fall of the formcmer regime in order to promotethe political, economic, culturaland educational interests of theKurdistan Region. The KRG hasthe right to maintain these typesof offices as the standing institutctions of the Kurdistan Region areconstitutionally guaranteed theprerogative to continue operating.The constitution also stipulatesthat federal regions are entitled tohave commercial and cultural offcfices within Iraq's embassies.Additionally, as members of afederal Iraq, a number of citizensof the Kurdistan Region workin the Iraqi Ministry of ForeignAffairs and in Iraqi embassies.The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affcfairs, Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, and anumber of Iraqi Ambassadors arefrom the Kurdistan Region.KRG.org: How many foreigndiplomatic missions are currentlyactive in the Kurdistan Region,and do you envision an increasein this number?FMB: There are currently 20official foreign missions in theKurdistan Region; most of theseare consulates, some are commerccial or representative offices andthe rest are honorary consulates(click here to view the list of foreceign missions currently operatingin the Kurdistan Region). Thereare also a number of local represcsentations of major internationalorganisations and an official offcfice of the United Nations Assistctance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI)in the Region. We coordinatewith these offices regarding thework of the various UN agenciesand other organisations to helpthe KRG promote civil societyprograms, human rights, humanitctarian projects, etc.The Palestinian Authority, Italy,the United Arab Emirates, andKuwait have all committed toopening consulates in the Region,and Hungary, Bulgaria, and Norwcway have all expressed plans tobuild consulates. Additionally,Poland has decided to establish arepresentative office, and Belarucus, Lebanon and Georgia have allproposed honorary consuls. If thepast couple of years and this listare any indicator then there willlikely be many more representatctions opening here in the comingyears.KRG.org: What is the primaryfunction of the KRG representattive offices abroad, and what istheir relationship with the federalIraqi embassies abroad?FMB: Some countries are partcticularly important to us becauseof our longstanding relationshipwith them, because of their polclitical and economic status, or beccause a significant portion of theKurdish diaspora resides withintheir borders. With this in mind,the primary responsibilities ofour representative offices revolvearound promoting internationalawareness and interest in Regionacal politics, culture, economics,business and investment opportuncnities, and education. Additionallcly, given the large number of IraqiKurds living abroad, the KRGrepresentative offices also assistwith some legal services such asgranting power of attorney andhelping to obtain legal counsel inthe Region.The KRG has a healthy and cordcdial relationship with the Iraqiembassies abroad, and we areworking with the Ministry of Foreceign Affairs and the federal govecernment in Baghdad to finalisethe official parameters of thisrelationship. Ultimately, whilethe KRG representative officesprimarily focus on the interests ofthe Kurdistan Region, we believethat they serve the interests ofIraq as a whole as they encourageinternational awareness, investmcment and assistance.KRG.org: How would you charatacterise the DFR's relationshipwith the federal Iraqi ForeignMinistry?FMB: As I mentioned, we enjoyvery good and cooperative relatctions with the federal Iraqi Ministctry of Foreign Affairs. However,in order to discuss this relationscship, we have to first rememberthat Iraq has witnessed a majortransformation. It has changedfrom a centralised authoritarianstate to a federal, democratic andpluralistic state. This change isformalized in the Iraqi Constitutction which was established by themajority of Iraq's people in the2005 referendum. The constitutction states that Iraq is a federalstate, and we understand this tomean that the federal regionsshare both power and wealth withthe central federal government.Of course it is not easy to workout such a dramatic change, and ittakes time, patience, coordinationand cooperation.With this in mind, we believethat this relationship is key toour long-term future as a federalstate, and we believe that we areable to serve the interests of boththe Kurdistan Region and Iraq asa whole through our coordinationwith the federal Ministry. Accordicingly, we are committed to maintctaining a positive and professcsional working relationship withthe federal Ministry of ForeignAffairs. We maintain a directoratewithin DFR whose primary rescsponsibility is to coordinate withthe Foreign Ministry in Baghdcdad and with the Iraqi embassiesabroad, and we continue workingto strengthen this relationship. Wecooperate in the areas of visitingforeign delegations, internationaltraining programmes for ourdiplomats, Iraqi activities at theUnited Nations and many otherimportant projects.KRG.org: How would you charatacterise the KRG's relationshipswith its neighbours, in particularIran and Turkey?FMB: To begin with it is importctant to clarify that as part of Iraq,the KRG is committed to Iraq'sfederal foreign policy. Accordinglcly, we aspire to have relationshipsbased on mutual understanding,mutual respect, and mutual benecefit. We pursue a policy of noninterferencein the internal affairsof neighbouring countries, and wepromote business, investment andtrade relations and the security ofour international borders.That being said, our relationscships with our neighbors aregood. Turkey did more than $7billion worth of business withIraq last year, and $4.5 billionof that was within the Kurdistctan Region. There are currently35,000 Turkish workers in theRegion performing jobs rangingfrom teaching in private schoolsto manning the huge constructction projects that are developingthroughout the Region. The Turkicish Prime Minister Recep TayyipErdo?an recently made a historicvisit to the Region which showsan important shift toward engagemcment in their policy regarding theKurdistan Region. Both Turkeyand Iran have opened consulatesin Erbil (Iran has one in Suleimancniah also), and we frequently excchange official visits with seniorrepresentatives from both countctries. We also conduct billions ofdollars worth of trade with Iranevery year, and we are committedto continuing to develop positiverelations with all of our neighbcbours.KRG.org: You stated that theKurdistan Region is committed todeveloping positive relations withits neighbors; has Iran's recentshelling of the Kurdish borderregions affected the KRG's relattions with Iran?FMB: The shelling by the Islamicic Republic of Iran is unacceptacable, and it is a violation of Iraq'ssovereignty. These actions havedone a lot of damage to villagesalong the border, and they haveforced a lot of people to evacuate.The Kurdistan Region's Presidcdent, Masoud Barzani, has condcdemned these attacks and calledon Iran to work together to find apeaceful solution. The defense ofIraq's borders is the responsibilityof the Iraqi federal government,and we have seen steps in the lastfew days where the various polclitical blocs have come togetherto condemn Iran's actions as well.We believe that dialogue is thebest way to resolve these typesof disputes, and we hope the Irancnian government will respect thesovereignty of Iraq's borders; butthese actions will have a negativeeffect on our relations if they donot end. We urge the Iranian govecernment to put an end to these unwcwarranted acts which do not helpbring about the goal of securityand stability in the border areasand work against the developmcment of normal relations betweenthe Kurdistan Region and the Islclamic Republic of Iran.KRG.org: Do you see an inctcrease of international compantnies and investors interested incoming to the Kurdistan Region?FMB: Without a doubt; anyonewho follows events in the Regcgion can tell you that it has madetremendous political, economic,social and educational progressin recent years, and it has provento be a consistently stable and seccure environment in which thisprogress will easily be sustained.Combined with a generous foreceign investment law, this environmcment has been key to the growthof foreign direct investment andto the increase in the number ofcountries and companies that partcticipate in the Erbil InternationalTrade Fair for many years now.The Erbil Fair is the largest geneceral trade fair in Iraq. This year'sfair is due to take place from 24-27 October. It will cover a largevariety of economic sectors, andit is supported by a large numbcber of trade promotion agencies,chambers of commerce, tradeassociations, ministries and embcbassies. We anticipate that it willattract around 1000 exhibitorsfrom over 30 countries around theworld this year.KRG.org: There are a significtcant number of Iraqi Kurdish asyltlum seekers in Europe and abroadthat are supposed to be deported.Has the Kurdistan Regional Goveternment been a part of any of thedecisions regarding their forcedrepatriation, and is the KRG provtviding these asylum seekers withany help?FMB: The KRG has alwayshad a clear stance regarding thismatter. We have always said thatwe welcome the return of thesepeople by their own free will;those who are ready and willicing to return are encouraged tocome and be a part of the rebuildicing process of their country. Weunderstand that many of thesepeople have lost everything thatthey own in order to start a newlife abroad, and we have workedhard to communicate their situatction to the countries involved. Wehave argued that this is a humanitctarian issue before it is a politicalor any other kind of issue, and wehave therefore asked that theirsuffering be considered whentheir host countries make policiesthat affect them. We have askedthat these individuals be able todecide for themselves regardingtheir country of residence. Wehave not been, and we will notbe, a part of any private or publicagreement that will disadvantageour people whether they live hereor abroad.Having said this, it is importantto recognise that each nation hasits own laws and interests to protctect regarding immigration, andthey ultimately have to make theirown decisions regarding thoselaws and interests. Furthermore,the Kurdistan Region is not an indcdependent state, and as such, weare limited in our ability to disscsuade the federal government inBaghdad from entering into thesekinds of agreements.However, we continue to ask forpatience on all sides, and we askfor these nations to revisit this impcportant issue once again and, conscsidering its humanitarian nature,to find a satisfactory solution toit. In the end, whatever decisionsare made, the KRG will do what itcan to assist any forced returneesas they make the transition backinto local society.KRG.org: Recently, we haveseen conflicting statements fromthe various political blocs inBaghdad about the withdrawalof US troops from Iraq. What isthe KRG's position regarding theplanned withdrawal?FMB: To begin with, it's impcportant for me to clarify that thisquestion has to be decided by thecollective groups of the federalgovernment in Baghdad. Howecever, it is essential that they beable to leave politics aside anddetermine whether the Iraqi securcrity forces are ready and capableof maintaining security withinIraq while defending its internatctional borders, its airspace and itsnavigable waterways. The safetyand security of the people of Iraqshould be paramount in answericing this question, and the remainicing vacancies of the federal govecernment's top security positionsand the recent tensions betweenthe different political groups inBaghdad raise doubts that the seccurity forces are capable of thesetasks.There are also a number of unrcresolved issues in Iraq that shouldbe taken into consideration, suchas the status of the disputed terrcritories, implementing a nationalcensus, as well as the passage ofboth revenue sharing and hydroccarbons laws. If these issues remcmain unresolved they are likelyto lead to increased tensions andpossibly to violence, and it is vitctal that these issues be addressedin order to show that Iraq haschanged from a centralised autcthoritarian state to a democratic,federal and pluralistic one. Thepeople of the Kurdistan Regionwould like for these issues to beresolved peacefully, and I thinkit's safe to say that the presence ofAmerican troops could help enscsure the security and stability ofthe country during this process.KRG.org: As you know, SouthSudan just became the newestmember of the international commtmunity as an independent counttry. Do you have any commentsregarding this historic developmtment?FMB: The KRG welcomesSouth Sudan as the newest nationstatein the world. Their struggleonce again proves the historicaltruth that nothing can stop thewill of the people to better theirfuture and enjoy their full rightsas free citizens. We congratulatethem, and we wish them successin this huge endeavour. Buildicing a country is not an easy task,and they will certainly face manychallenges, but we stand withthem in the belief that freedomwill make these challenges worthfacing. Additionally, I think that itis important to point out that afterfive decades of conflict, war wasultimately not able to solve thisproblem. Ultimately, it was onlypeace and negotiation that wasable to bring about this permancnent solution, and we commendthe government of Sudan for havicing the courage to support thisdecision.

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 13Grabbing the bull by the horns:tackling Kurdish unemploymentBy Swara KadirSwara7kadir@aol.comUnemployment in Kurdistanhas become a problem thatcannot be ignored any longer.The lack of reliable statisticscontinues to pose a problemin getting the facts straight,but in 2008 the Kurdistan Regcgional Government's Ministryof Planning estimated unempcployment at 15 percent. Thatestimate was most likely basedon people who didn't have anyjob at all in the public sector orotherwise. Unofficial statisticsrate unemployment at 50 perccent, which includes peoplewho are hired by the governmcment but are not “working” oremployed as active, productiveemployees, so it's called “hiddcden” or “covered” unemploymcment. Today in Kurdistan thereare more than 1 million publicsector employees.It's estimated that more than60 percent of the entire Kurdicistan Regional Governmentbudget goes to paying thoseburdensome salaries, which isbleeding the economy dry. Itis creating a huge nanny statethat pretends to be productctive. Daring steps are neededto tackle this problem from theroot; a look back at Germany'shistory may provide some inscspiration. Without real changein the current economic policy,unemployment will continueto spread like cancer, cripplingthe nascent Kurdish economy.It’s a sorry sight to go to somegovernment departments thatprovide citizen services, partcticularly public sector banks.You will see a number of empcployees sitting there, doingnothing, while only a few areactively working. This is havicing an adverse effect, destroyicing motivation other staff mayhave to work and be productctive. Despite the large numberof government employees inthe different departments, partcticularly the ones that deal withservices and citizen needs, theyare bureaucratic and ineffectctive, with lots of red tape thatneeds cutting before anythingis achieved. Lines are long,frequent mistakes are made oncitizens' official paperwork,files get lost. Getting nationalidentification takes weeks ofgoing back and forth betweendifferent departmental offices,filled with employees whodon't get the job done. It’s asorry state, and so far nothingeffective has been done aboutit.Even the idea of relieving theextra government employees ofNumber of unemployed people sitting on the side of an Erbil Downtown street in this file photo.their jobs would cause severediscontent and disenchantmentwith the government and couldlead to riots. This is no wondcder when a person's livelihoodis under threat. What makesthings worse is the currentwave of public discontent thathas spread in the Middle Eastand caught on in Kurdistan,although street demonstrationshave stopped, but it's quitelikely a government initiativeto lay off large numbers ofgovernment employees wouldcause unrest and rioting. TheKRG may be facing or a deadend, were it seems impossibleto release government fundsfor paying unnecessary salarcries. Continuing with the currcrent situation is not a smartoption either, wasting all thatgovernment money paying fora huge unproductive publicsector is going to cripple theKurdish economy and lead itinto a fiscal storm.Recently, KRG announcedthe creation of 5,000 new“government” job opportunitcties, targeting the young joblcless graduates who are beccoming disillusioned with thegovernment and what the futcture holds for them in terms ofcareer. This type of initiativeis unfortunately not tacklingthe problem at the root as itonly serves to inflate the publclic sector with even more unwcwanted, non-producing publicemployees. Ironically what isneeded is a real welfare systemthat is a sort of a confession oracknowledgment there is unecemployment in Kurdistan, defcfining the unemployed personas just that, not giving thema fake public sector job thatis not needed and only compcplicates matters even more.Thankfully, some steps havealready been taken in that dircrection, the Ministry of Laborand Social Affairs has starteda project of providing welfarepayments of 150,000 Iraqi dincnars to graduates who haveproven that they cannot findemployment anywhere. Thesegraduates are then deemed offcficially unemployed.From there, it's easier to dealwith the unemployment problclem by channeling them to aone-stop shop. A procedurecan be set up where the officcially unemployed person goesthrough an employment centcter, which hasn't been createdyet. It's a much-needed areathat hasn't been thoroughly expcplored. The employment centcter can collate and gather jobinformation from the two sectctors and use that information tofind a job for the unemployedperson according qualificatctions, skills and preferences.Such a center has proven itsworth in many countries andis an efficient tool not in eradiccating unemployment compcpletely, but rather in makingsure that every job vacancyis filled. This is categoricallynot happening right now inthe Kurdish public and privatesector job market.In more advanced economcmies, a nanny state is avoidedby nourishing and encouragicing the private sector to hirepeople, pay them money andget them off the government'sback. Those countries wouldhave a sizable private sectctor that can absorb a workingpopulation, giving it jobs andmaking it productive or facebeing fired. The private sectorin any country is its economiclifeline; no country was bornwith a thriving private sectorthat came out of the blue. Rathecer it started off small and grewlarger, to the extent of havinggigantic multinationals in fullyfledged free market economieslike the U.S., for want of a bettcter example, were corporationsare a little less than a state in itscself like Microsoft corporationthat is hiring around 90,000employees.Can Kurdistan's privatesector face the challenge ofabsorbing hundreds of thouscsands of extra unproductivegovernment employees? Rightnow, the answer would mostdefinitely be in the negative.Although burgeoning entrepcpreneurial activity is startingto make an appearance, rightPRESS PHOTOnow it is not equipped or readyto deal with the serious hiddenunemployment problem Kurdicistan is facing. Given that theprivate sector of any countryneeds time to grow and developto be a realistic alternative tothe public sector as an employmcment base, the Kurdish privatesector needs a major steroidinjection from the governmentto make it strong enough toface the challenge. The succcessful Asian Tiger economieswere initially able to create agrowing private sector throughheavy state intervention thatsupported sizable manufacturicing industries.Is there another alternative?What did Adolf Hitler do todeal with Germany's postWorld War I gigantic unempcployment problem? For obviocous reasons, despite the manyreservations the writer hasabout using the Nazi Germanregime as an example, there issomething useful to learn fromthe way this dictator dealt withthe problem that Kurdistan isfacing at hand. Hitler boldlycreated huge national serviceprojects that required thouscsands upon thousands of laborecers, both skilled and unskilled.The sprawling Autobahns orsuper highways of Germanyare the outcome of Hitler'seconomic solution to Germancny's unemployment problem.What he gave the Germanpeople was a job and a natctional purpose that boosted theGerman people's morale. "Thebest possible way to bring theGerman people back into workis to set German economic lifeonce more in motion throughgreat monumental works,"said Hitler.Kurdistan is suffering fromhidden and cyclical unemploymcment, an undeniable fact thatneeds to be faced head on anddealt with — no half measuresand temporary fixes. Innovatctive daring steps are yet to betaken by the government todeal with this problem from thesource rather than just work ondamage limitation and quickfixes. History, German historyin this case, has something toteach us. Employment centersin Kurdistan can bring laborsupply and demand together.This will bring the Kurdisheconomy a step closer frombeing a petro dollar consumingeconomy to an efficient, prodcducing economy.

The Kurdish Globe No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 14The rise of ethnic politicsand theories of nationalismBy Salah Bayaziddi sbayaziddi@yahoo.com (Part I)The emergence of new nationstatesof Eritrea, East Timor, Kosovcvo, Monte-Negro, South Sudan andmore to follow in the future shouldbe seen as a new rise of ethnicpolitics around the globe. Today,throughout the world, the spread ofnationalism appears to be the majcjor source of manifest and directviolence in a so-called post-ColdWar period. There is also causefor concern if, as has been calculclated, most countries in the worldare multi-ethnic societies. Giventhe persisting economic crisis anduneven economic development andacute difficulties many Third Worldcountries face, a further intensificatction of ethnic conflicts seems likelyin the future. It is also important tonote the effects of nationalism arehighly varied and there are distinctctions among different types of ethncnic nationalism. Specifically, themost important part of the work ofacademic researchers who studythe rise of nationalism and its impcportance to global conflicts can befound in identifying varieties ofnationalism that are most likely tocause the greater risk of conflictand instability in the world.Nationalism is usually thoughtof as a primordial historical phencnomenon, the emotional bindingby which a political communityfinds its historical expression andmaturity. It also is usually taken tobe an essential but passing stage inthe march of history, necessary inproducing the modern nation, butalso to be left behind as more ratctional and progressive forms of polclitical society take the place of themore backward. Admittedly, thenational idea had almost invariablyturned into an aggressive agent ofoppressive political dominationwhich did not heed the principle oftolerance vis a vis other ethnic mincnorities any more, and only soughtto ruthlessly extend its sphere ofcontrol at the expense of others.The idea of nation, so it appeared,had become a force of division andstrife, both in the domestic arenaand in international affairs. As apolitical doctrine, nationalism canbe defined as sentiment and ideolocogy of attachment to a nation andits interests. Nationalism is a powecerful emotion that has dominatedthe political thought and actions ofmost peoples since the time of theFrench Revolution. It is not a naturcral, but an historical phenomenon,that has emerged as a response tospecial political, economic and soccial conditions. In accordance withsome definitions, nationalism is anactive force in history which was tobe found only in late 18th centuryWestern Europe and North Americawhile others define nationalism as astate of mind, in which the supremeloyalty of the individual is felt to bedue the nation-state.The main objective of this reviewis to compare and contrast some ofthe key features of three relatingworks of Benedict Anderson andErnest Gellner while highlightingtheir similarities and differences.Both authors have made a significcant contribution to the sociology,history and theories of nationalismby examining the interrelations betctween the patterns of developmentof different national movement.Anderson defines the nation as“an imagined political community— and imagined as both inherentlylimited and sovereign.” (Anderson,1991, p. 15) Such communities,he argues, were made possible bythe convergence of capitalism andprint technology on the fatal diverscsity of human language. In contrast,Gellner considers nationalism to bea distinctly industrial principle ofsocial evolution and social organcnization. Indeed, nationalism andthe nation-state provide the sole legcgitimate form of political organizatction within the global trend towardindustrial societies. Gellner viewsnationalism as a consequence ofthe objective need for industrial ratctionality, while he argues that “havicing a nation is not an inherent attctribute of humanity, but it has nowcome to appear as such.” (Gellner,p.6) Anderson is also the author ofLong-Distance Nationalism: WorldCapitalism and the Rise of IdentityPolitics whose thesis is that globalcapitalism seems to be producicing a new mutation of nationalism(Anderson, 1991, p. 12). Indeed,the two crucial axes of capitalism(transportation and communicatctions) have had extraordinary effcfects on conceptions of nationalidentity.Summary of booksIn an effort to analyze the theoryof nationalism, Anderson, one ofthe expert scholars of modern natctionalism, in his book ImaginedCommunities, claims that termssuch as “nationality,” “nation-ness”and nationalism are cultural artifcfacts of a particular kind — realitiesconstructed by human imagination.He defines the nation as an imagicined community because there is noway for all its members to engagein face-to-face contact with all fellclow members at all times. So, membcbers can only perceive the nation aswhole by referring to the image ofit that they have constructed in theirown minds. Anderson also admits,in order to understand them (natction, nationality and nationalism)properly we need to consider carefcfully how they come into historicalbeing, in what ways their meaningshave changed over time, and why,today they command such profoundlegitimacy (Anderson, 1991, pp.13-14). The explanation for suchfar-reaching theory continues asfollows. The possibility of imaginicing the nation arises for three mainreasons: First, it is limited becauseeven the largest of them is finite.Second, it is imagined as sovereignbecause the concept got recognitionfollowing the age of Enlightenmentand Revolution were destroyinglegitimacy of the divine-orderingand hierarchical dynastic system.Third, the nation is imagined as acommunity because regardless ofthe actual inequality and exploitatction, the nation is always conceivedas a deep image of companion (Andcderson, 1991, pp. 15-16).For Anderson, the nation becamenecessary as some older identitiesbegan to lose their credibility. Threecentral elements of pre-nationalistancient regime were: sacred langcguages and scripts (Latin, Arabic,Pail, Chinese), held to be the solekeys to truth; divine monarchs; andan equidistant sense of past time(Anderson, 1991, p. 30). Indeed,nationalism arose in the 18th centctury at a time when the ancient veritcties — religion, dynasty and cosmolclogical perceptions of time — werebeing rapidly overturned. The onedevelopment most responsible forthe breakup of cultures based onthese ideas was movable type in thehands of private enterprise publishecers seeking a mass market for theirwares among people not versed inthe universal sacred languages. It isimportant to mention that Andersonhas opened up an entirely new fieldof inquiry, closer in many ways tothe concerns of cultural criticismthan to those of traditional socialscience. Overall, he aims to provethat nationalism is best understoodby situating it within the context ofculture rather than ideology.Anderson gives print-capitalicism greater credit for spurring theEuropean age of nationalism. Hegives more attention to the initialperiod of capitalist enterprise andprint technology, when in an attctempt aims to explain why by the17th century languages in Europehad generally assumed their modecern forms. With the advent of printlanguages, speakers of membersof the European languages, suchas French, English and Spanish,could for the first time imaginethemselves as part of a larger commcmunity. It is because the nation is a“community imagined through langcguage” that it can so easily think ofitself as ancient. So, only a nationalicism rooted in language, rather thanblood, could allow anyone to be“invited in” to the imagined commcmunity — evident from the fact thatnearly every nation-state acceptsthe principle of naturalization. Andcderson also draws on Hobsbawmin explaining how print-capitalismtransformed shapeless, confusingevents like the French popular uprcrising of 1789 into “French Revolclution,” a model to be studied andcopied. Essentially, he contendsthat these print languages laid thebases for national consciousnessin three distinct ways. First, theycreated unified fields for exchangeand communication. Second, printcapitalismprovided a new fixity tolanguage that in long run helpedto build that image of antiquity socentral to the objective idea of thenation. Third, print-capitalism creacated a language of power of a kinddifferent from the older administratctive spoken form (Anderson, 1991,pp. 47-48).In contrast to Anderson, Gellnerin Nations and Nationalism offcfers a full-fledged theory of natctionalism, embedded in a theoryof the universal tendency towardindustrialism. Indeed, nationalismcan be seen as an immediate conscsequence of the “objective need”for what Gellner insists on calling“industrial rationality.” (Gellner,p. 20) For him, nationalism is typiccal of the transition to the rationaltradition and at the same time itexpresses the societal thrust towcward homogeneous perception andhomogeneous social organizationand behavior. The establishment ofpervasive high cultures (standardicized, literacy- and education-basedsystems of communication) seemsto be the natural repositories of polclitical legitimacy. This point raisesan interesting notion with regardto Gellner’s characteristic scenarioof the evolution of nationalism andethnic politics within the formerSoviet Union when he contends “inthe Soviet Union the consumers of‘ethnic’ gramophone records arenot the remaining ethnic rural popuculation, but the newly urbanized,educated and multilingual populatction, who like to express their realor imagined sentiments and rootsin as much nationalist behavior asthe political situation may allow.”(Gellner, pp. 57-58) Essentially,Gellner contends that nationalismand nation-state provide the solelegitimate shape of political structcture within the global trend towardindustrial societies.Gellner asserts that the mutual relclationship of a modern culture andstate is something quite new andan industrial high culture is no longcger linked — whatever its historyand roots to a faith and a church.Indeed, the high cultures of the indcdustrial age differ from those of theagrarian order in a number of impcportant ways (Gellner, p. 140). Hediscusses the concept of his theoryin three variables: First, the distributction of political power in a society.Second, there is an easy access toa “high culture” of literate and sopcphisticated communication througha system of public education versusvertically segmented social groups,each attached to a local “low cultcture.” Third, ethnic homogeneityas opposed to ethnic heterogeneity,as defined by language (Gellner,pp.140-141). For Gellner, the combinatction in which these variables occurin any given society will determinewhat kind of national identification— if any — will prevail. It is cruccial to mention he does not believethat every potential nation becomesa real one because most people dealwith their longings and frustrationsby simply assimilating with othersinitially unlike them. Some societicies — mostly agrarian — simplydo not have the means for politicalcentralization which is the state andincorporating the broad masses ofthe population in what Gellner callsa “high culture” (Gellner, p. 35).Gellner also rejects theories ofnationalism that stress the objectctive or the subjective schools ofthought because he has an oppositeview about the evolution of natctionalism through different stagesof human history. That is the coreof his thought. The satisfaction ofthe nationalist principle was not aprecondition of the first appearanceof industrialism, but only the producuct of its spread. Indeed, mankindarrived in the industrial age withcultural and political institutionswhich generally contradicted thenationalist requirement (Gellner, p.40). He hopes to break out of thisdeadlock by arguing from the outscset that nationalism is the generalimposition of a “high culture” onsociety, where previously low cultctures had taken up the lives of themajority, and in some cases of thetotality, of the population. It meansthat modernization generates thelongings and adjustments that prodcduce nations not the objective ofsocial and cultural identity.The idea of world capitalismand the rise of identity politics ismade evident in Anderson’s article,“Long-Distance Nationalism.” Andcderson who is breaking away fromthe historical thoughts of WoodrowWilson that “Europe consisted of ascatter gram of bounded, immobile,‘national communities,’ aroundwhich ingenious map lines couldbe drown to make possible new, autctonomous, nation-states,” (Anderscson, 1992, p. 6) provides his readecers with a fascinating idea: Worldcapitalism is producing new formsof nationalism. The subjective expcperience and political significanceof migration, he argues, has beenprofoundly changed by the technolclogical developments (transportatction and communications) of capitctalism since the end of World WarII. For example, “They can findways to the relatives on the telepcphone, communicate by fax, sendmoney by telex, and receive photosand videos, all in the twinkling ofan electronic eye. The mediatedimagery of ‘home’ is always withthem” (Anderson, 1992, p. 8).Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Commtmunities: Reflections on the Origin andspread of Nationalism. London: Verso,1991.Anderson, Benedict. “Long-DistanceNationalism: World Capitalism and theRise of Identity Politics.” The WertheimLecture, Centre for Asian Studies Amsterdtdam, 1992. (14pp).Gellner, Ernest. Nations and Nationalitism. Ithaca: Cornell University Press,1983.

The Kurdish Globe'Kung fu should receivebetter attention in Iraq'Wahid Muhammad Ali, the top Iraqi Kurdish kung fu fighter speakswith The Kurdish Globe, giving insight about his trainingWahid Muhammad Ali,28, from Suleimaniya,started practicing kung fuin Iran when he was 18.He has taken part in seveceral local and internationaltournaments and has donewell. He competes forPeshkawten Sports Club inErbil and on the Iraqi natctional team. He is currentlythe top kung fu fighter inIraq in the 65 kg category.He laments that althoughmost of the Iraqi nationalkung fu team players areKurdish, kung fu doesn'treceive half as much attctention as the other sports,and martial arts fightersdon't have the privilegesthat footballers, for exampcple, have.Globe: Why did youchoose kung fu instead ofanother sport?Ali: I loved martial arts ingeneral and I found kungfu as the most interesticing and best type of sportbecause it teaches you allkinds of movements, usingboth the hands and feet. Itis a sport for all ages. InChina people in their 50spractice tai chi which is aspecial technique for olderpeople.Globe: On which teamshave you competed?Ali: I played for BakhtiaryClub in Suleimaniya after Icam back from Iran. Currcrently, I play for Peshkawtcten Club and the Iraqi natctional team.Globe: How many tourncDuhok city hosted the Iraqi chesschampionship from July 4 to 7.The competition was based onthe Swiss system, with sevenrounds.Teams participating in thechampionship included Erbil,Baghdad, Dhiqar, Nineveh, Basrcra, Diala, Duhok, Babylon, Suleimcmaniya and Kirkuk.Erbil gamers started to shine atthe beginning of the championscship and eventually proved to bethe team that won the cup and thegold medal.Erbil gained 14 points, whileBaghdad secured the secondplace with 12 points and Dhiqarcame third with nine points.The games were supervised byseveral officials including Mohcnaments have you takenpart in so far?Ali: I have taken part inmany championships. Myfirst official participationwas in the Iran Governoracates' Championship and Ibecame first in 66 kg catecegory. I also took part inthe world championship inItaly in 2008 and securedthe third place in 65 kg catecegory. In 2009, I won goldmedal in the world champcpionships in Russia. I tookpart in several tournamentsin Kurdistan and Iraq. In2011, I was selected as thebest kung fu fighter in 65kg category in Iraq.Globe: When were selclected to play for the Iraqinational team?Ali: In 2008 after I wongold medal at the Iraqchampionships.Globe: Who were yourearly influences?Ali: I started loving kungfu when I was in Iran. Therewere many good fighters inIran that I was impressedwith. Their strong performcmances made me join akung fu school there andeventually become an intcternational fighter.Globe: How do you seekung fu in Kurdistan andIraq?Ali: I can see that a tremcmendous number of peopleIn Iraq are fond of martialarts, especially kung fu.But compared to clubs insouthern Iraq, the Kurdicish clubs are much betterhamed Jabir, Dlzar Hama Salih,Ismael Ibrahim, Saad Salman,Kurshid Saeed and Chalang Husscsein.The top three teams will reprcresent Iraq in upcoming internatctional competitions.Duhok Governor Tamr Ramazczan, a strong supporter of sports,attended the most of the games.The city had assured everyonethe highest level of security wasin place.Ramazan encouraged the city'ssports officials to bring as manysports tournaments as possible toDuhok. Ramazan has also openeda large indoor arena, opened seveceral sports training facilities inthe city and hired internationalcoaches to train local players.due to the great number ofpeople who love the sport.In fact, moves are beingmade in Kurdistan to pushkung fu further to the forefcfront of sports. The Kurdicistan Kung Fu Federationmight be just a few yearsold, but it is learning fromthe outside world how tokeep up with the changesin martial arts.Globe: How does theIraqi Kung Fu Federationtreat fighters?Ali: The federation officcials in Baghdad actuallyare jealous about Kurdishathletes' performances.They don't let us contribucute in the internationaltournaments. I was prevcvented from participatingin Arab championships lastApril and in Asian champioconships in May under thepretext of visa issues andbudget problems.Globe: How about theKurdistan Kung Fu Fedeceration?Ali: I appreciate Kakckashekh Babashekh, headof Kurdistan Kung Fu Fedeceration, who really wantsto promote the sport. Butunfortunately, the governmcment doesn't take our martctial arts into consideration.What is done for football,for example, is not donefor kung fu although mostof the Iraqi national teamfighters are Kurds who alwcways shine in the internatctional tournaments.Globe: What should beWahid Muhammad Ali, the top kung fu fighter in Iraq in the 65kg category.done to further promotethe sport in Kurdistan?Ali: I know many martialartists in Kurdistan whowant their share of recogncnition in the local worldof sports. To achieve this,we need financial help. Ihope the Kurdistan Regcgional Government willgive equal funding andassistance to both kung fuand football since they areequally crucial sports.Concerning the trainers,I also have to say that ourcoaches are a little bit behchind. They need to catchup with the changes in thetechniques of the sport.They need to update theirknowledge through watchicing Chinese training techncniques.Globe: What advice doyou have for people whowant to practice kung fu?Ali: They need to dediccate time for practice. Iknow some people whotake their children to kungfu schools only for a summcmer, but that is not veryuseful. If someone wantsto be a good fighter, heshould practice and practctice and never stop.Globe: What are yourplans for your personalkung fu development?Ali: I plan to travelto China to take part incoaching course and get acoaching certificate. I havegood relations with theSwedish federation whoalready asked me to traintheir national team.Zakaria MuhammedErbilzakaria.kurdishglobe@gmail.comErbil team wins Iraqi chess championship in DuhokThe Erbil team celebrates winning the Iraqi Chess Championship hosted inDuhok, July 2011.No. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011 15GLOBE PHOTOGLOBE PHOTOStrongdefense:successfulstyle butboringAfter International (InterMilan), headed by JoseMourinho, stopped Barccelona Football Club fromscoring more than a goal,relying on counter attacksand a firm defense style,at the 2010 UEFA Champcpions League semifinal,many football teams haveadopted the same style.At the quarter finals ofCopa America, Uruguayand Paraguay spent mostof their minutes in theirown penalty areas, defcfending, with few counterattacks, while their oppcponents, Argentina andBrazil, focused on attack.Lionel Messi and GozaloHiguain from Argentinaand Nymar Dasilva andAlexander Pato from Brazczil tried hard to score, butfailed.There is no doubt thesuccess of Uruguay andParaguay over football giacants Argentina and Brazilwas a historic achievemcment, but a lot of footballobservers and fans questction whether this is howfootball should be played.It isn't entertaining towatch a game in whichone team only attacksand the other one onlydefends. Argentina andBrazil attacked for 120minutes, while Uruguayand Paraguay kept themscselves in their penaltyboxes to defend. Peoplein Kurdistan have alreadystopped watching CopaAmerica as their favoriteteams failed to win placesin the semifinal. Peopleused to gather in Kurdistctan's casinos to watch Argcgentina and Brazil in theCopa America games onthe large plasma TVs, butnow they've lost interest.If people in a country likeKurdistan no longer wantto watch a tournament beccause strong teams failedto reach the semifinals,host Argentina must behaving problems fillingthe stadiums.Hopefully, coaches undcderstand that football isn'tonly about winning a cupbut it is also to entertainbillions of excited fansaround the world, includicing those in Kurdistan Regcgion.

Last pageNo. 314, Saturday, July 23, 2011Dear Diary…MemoirsBy Sazan M. MandalawiThis time I am with a groupof high school girls, all fromaffluent areas in Erbil. Myaim and curiosity was tosee what is on the mind ofa typical Kurdish girl, whohas not necessarily had mybackground, experiences andlest we forget, the privilegesthat I and many others likemyself have had as we werebrought up as Kurdish girls.Throughoutourconversations, I realize manyof these girls keep diaries.I can imagine a few of themhave a small notebook undertheir pillows every night,speaking out inner thoughtsand emotions. They writeof their humble wishes anddreams in their world ofimagination.As for the parents of thesegirls — a few have fathers whoare government employees,the others are self employed,either selling goods at thestore around the corner, orworking as taxi drivers. In thisgathering, all but one of theirmothers are housewives.In the group of 22 girls,after group activities andan exchange of ideas, we sitcross-legged in a large circle,as a group of friends would.I ask questions, and theydebate the answers. As theyspeak, I remain silent, jottingdown key words and closelyobserving facial expressions.From what they say, andhow they react to questions, Ican probably write the nightlyentries to the diaries of someof these Kurdish girls.I learn, just as a typical 15-or 16-year-old girl in manyparts of the world, these girlshave the same thoughts. Theyare self-conscious — thoughthey don't admit it — of theirimage, they are influenced bywhat they see, and they arein a process of discoveringthemselves. However thedifference is their boundaries,and on the other side ofthe coin is the schools theybelong to. I always had adream (and still do) for thedaughter of the wealthy andthe poor to be able to haveaccess to the same educationquality. In this circle, sittingon the floor, I know thesegirls aren't receiving thequality of education as theircounterparts in other areas ofthe Region.“What do you want to do,that you can't do?” I ask thegirls in the circle. Immediatelyloud side-discussions emergeas one by one, all 22, expresswhat it is that they want to do,but they feel they can't. Thisis when I know the differencebetween my life and theirs."I want to go out with myfriends… I want my mother toTheseare thechains ofsocietybe a friend… I want my fatherto listen to me… I want towork… I want to do sports…I want to have time to draw…I want to play on the piano… Iwant to be a policewoman…"are just few desires.I can imagine a mother offive children and how shewould raise a teenage daughterlike the ones in this circle.The mother's actions anddiscipline don't from booksand academic discourse,her conduct is not learnedfrom educational seminars,but rather she governsher daughter in methodsembedded within the culture.In tactics picked up from herown mother, almost half acentury back. The beliefs ofthe way of raising a daughterare entrenched in her socialand traditional tutoring. As aresult, her concern is alwayswhat the neighbor perceivesto be right or wrong, and notnecessarily what is best forher own daughter.The lives of some of theseyoung girls are constrained bythe words ayba (shameful) andnabet (not possible). These arethe chains of society that arestill intact in some areas, thechains that allows a young girlto only dream and wish of theaspects of life that a portionof others have as privileges.I know we are at the start ofa journey, but let's not turn ablind eye on the young girlswhose diaries are filled with"if only I could…" becausethere is no reason why theycan't.Tourist attractions need more attentionKurdistan's natural beauty surprises touristsFacebook was the first wordI exchanged with Rai’d. He isfrom Baghdad and enjoys histime in Bekhal, one of Kurdistctan's most famous attractions.He also enjoys dancing with hisfriends.As the safety and security ofthe Region become apparent,millions of tourists pour in tovisit both its natural and religcgious sites. Kurdistan Region,the most secure and stable placein Iraq with a large number oftourist attractions, is the maindestination for foreign tourists,especially those from neighboricing countries.The natural beauty and stabilicity of the Region encouragedRai’d and some of his friendsand relatives to make a tour tothe lone stable part of Iraq. Surpcprisingly, we are citizens of thesame country but did not underscstand each other, so we spoke inEnglish. Loud Arabic music undcder a shade structure in Bekhalmade everybody upbeat andthis was obvious by Rai’d’s softsmile.He kept dancing with one ofhis friends and when I took theirphotograph he said: “Is this forFacebook?”I asked them why they choseKurdistan Region and why theywanted to come. “Safety andsecurity is better here. Besides,the nature of Kurdistan is diffcferent than other parts of Iraq,also the consistency of Kurdicistan's weather surprises us,”Rai’d said.Many Arabs were visitingBekhal and Gali Ali Bag, aKurdistan attraction that is depcpicted on the Iraqi 5,000-dinarnote. The tourists were takingpictures of the stunning landscscapes.The rocks beside the roadshave carvings and graffiti,which seem to be written byArab tourists as a reminder oftheir visit.Several travel companies regucularly send buses to Kurdistan.Abu Salman, an Arab tourist,came on a seven-day bus tourwith his family.Salman was happy to be inKurdistan but also had somecriticisms. “The roads are narrcrow and along the roads wewere afraid for our lives. Apartfrom this, the lack of hotels andmotels forced us to stay underthe shade structures with fewservices. We need to go all theway into the cities, Rwandizand Soran, to buy necessities,”Salman said. It seems they onlyknew of Gali Ali Bag, Jundian,Bekhal and Solav, tourism sitesthey had visited during the Saddcdam Hussein era.Once you pass Shaqlawa, atourist attraction that is an inscspiration for Kurdish poets andsingers, and Soran, these areashave few services, especiallySoran.A’mil Kareem Qassim, a restctaurant owner in Rwandiz, confcfirmed this and said that thereason is because of investor’s“fear.” He criticized KurdistanRegional Government becauseit doesn't do enough to attractinvestment to the tourism areceas.Qassim told the Globe thatthe investors' fear is because ofstability and security situationof the Region; even though itis the most secure area in Iraq.Qassim feels the success of anytourism project is dependent onthe government’s ability to provcvide basic services like electricicity, roads and water.To solve the lack of hotels andmotels, the Directorate Generalof Tourism of Soran has builtsome shade structures and bathrcrooms for tourists to use. Mostof them are in disrepair. Directctor General of Tourism of SoranBurhan Mustafa said this is dueto lack of awareness of citizenswho ruined the tourism sites.Some sites have been vandalicized or looted.He advised investors to puttheir money in Kurdistan’s touricist attractions. He says tourismwill be one of the most importctant revenue sources for Kurdicistan in future.One hotel in Soran began conscstruction a month ago and thedirectorate says five more willbe built soon.Mustafa says there's also aproblem with environment protctection. “The process of cleanicing up the tourism sites wasgiven to a private company, butwe have concerns about theirwork. We could manage it bettcter than them,” said Mustafa.In the first six months of thisyear, around 109,000 touristsvisited Soran and Rwandiz, acccording to the latest estimatesby the directorate.Lack of services, hotels andthe cost of goods are the realproblems tourists face whenthey visit the resorts.KRG needs to urge investorsinto the tourism sector. Thegovernment should also designcnate areas as resorts or touristattractions and promote them toIraqi and international touriststhrough the media.By Kawa Jam