Soma Digest - issue#65 by Soma Digest

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

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Seasons Greetings SOMA Digest is a subsidiary of KHAK Press & Media Center.

‘TIS THE SEASON

Entitlement issues

Lost son of Halabja finds his mother

Most political groups are content with the passing of the amended elections bill, but certain parties continue to harbor grievances over the seats allocated to the Kurds. REGION page 3

Barzan Kareem

‘A blueprint for sustainable peace’

London-based expert in post-conflict governance calls for vital steps toward national reconciliation as a necessary condition and tool for rebuilding Iraqi society. REGION page 4

Larger than life The grand opening of City Centre cinema theaters will introduce a new generation of young Kurds to the joys of viewing films on the big screen rather than on television via pirated DVDs. LIFESTYLE page 17

Homegrown economy Experts stress upon the urgent need to wean the Kurdish region off its inordinate reliance on imports to help promote local produce. BUSINESS page 14

www.soma-digest.com editor@soma-digest.com

SLEMANI li Asmin was three months old when he was found by Iranian soldiers in the aftermath of the chemical bombings of Halabja. He was meant to be taken to an orphanage, but an Iranian woman volunteered to adopt him and raise him along with her two sons in Mash-had, Iran. When Ali turned 21, his adoptive mother told him the truth about his background, and the young man decided to make the journey to Halabja to find his biological mother. Several families claimed Ali as their own, as many infants were lost in the chaos of the bombardments. However, following DNA tests, it was proven that Ali’s mother was in fact Fatma Muhamad Salih, whose entire family had perished during that fateful spring when the warplanes of the former regime bombarded the small town. On 3 December, more than 800 townspeople of Halabja gathered to meet Ali Asmin. Tears and cheers greeted the young man who had come home to them at last. Sadly, Ali’s case is not unique. Hundreds of children continue to remain missing but Ali’s return has reignited hope that they may also come back one day. It was an intensely emotional moment for the entire town as Ali embraced his biological mother and other family members. “Ali is like a sun for my dark house and life,” said Fatma. The attacks on Halabja instantly killed 5,000 people and injured up to 10,000, most of them civilian Kurds. Thousands more died of horrific complications, diseases, and birth defects in the years after the attack.

The Christian community light candles and say their prayers as they welcome the New Year.

(photo by Aram Eissa)

Kurdish manuscripts found ore than 100 ancient manuscripts penned by Kurdish scholars were found in Saudi Arabia by Kurdish experts during the Hajj season last month. Rafeq Ahmid Salih, head of Zhen Center in Slemani, has brought back copies of more than 100 Kurdish manuscripts from Mecca. The documents contain studies on linguistic sciences and Islam, which were written by Kurdish scholars during the Islamic state period. Since the Kurdistan Region does not have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, entry visas to the kingdom are only granted to those who wish to make the holy pilgrimage (Hajj). The Zhen Center’s main objectives are to collect, archive and publish historic Kurdish manuscripts.

“[The Hajj] was a good opportunity for me to search for Kurdish manuscripts in Saudi Arabia because Kurds have had many scientists in Islamic history and it is my duty to locate those manuscripts and introduce them as Kurdish historical achievements,” said Salih. In that period, most countries under Islamic rule were influenced by Arabic culture. The writings of Kurdish scientists were mostly in Arabic. Some of those writings are about Arabic morphology, grammar and syntax, jurisprudence and rhetoric. “Because we didn’t have an identity back in those days, people were less educated and because there were no printing houses, most of the manuscripts were lost,” lamented Salih. “After the 1991 Kurdish uprising, there wasn’t much attention paid to those issues. But fortunately the descendants of some of those scientists had kept a

few of those manuscripts, which they donated to our center in 2005. We received additional support from other patriotic people who had collected such manuscripts.” Salih visited some of the big libraries in Saudi Arabia, such as Al Maka Al Mutahar in Mecca, and was granted some of those manuscripts on CD. There were roughly 30,000 manuscripts, but he requested only those by authors with distinctly Kurdish family names, such as Gorani, Shahrazuri, and Sinjari. In return, Salih gave the library copies of the manuscripts the center had in its possession. The challenge facing Salih and his team now is to secure funding for the necessary treatment of the aging manuscripts so as to ensure their preservation. — BY BRWA AB. MAHMUD IN SLEMANI

read more page 7

ROCKY ROAD

SUPERSTAR

EATING IN EXILE

Off the beaten path

Tea with Rania Kurdi

For kebab and country

COMMUNITY page 8

COMMUNITY page 6

CULTURE page 16

INSIDE: Giving thanks,by Agri Ismail p.8 Shielding Iraq from mercenaries, by Dr Joseph Kechichian p.10 Tribes with flags, by Bayad Jamal Ali p.10

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

STAFF

CONTENTS

PUBLISHING HOUSE: Khak Press & Media Center MANAGING EDITOR: Tanya Goudsouzian DEPUTY EDITOR: Lawen A Sagerma COLUMNISTS: Dr Sherko Abdullah, Agri Ismail, Dr Joseph Kechichian, Maureen McLuckie, Dr Denise Natali, Anwar M. Qaradaghi CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Iason Athanasiadis, Karokh Bahjat, Linda Berglund, Devanjan Bose (New Delhi), Ilnur Cevik (Ankara), Patrick Cockburn, Thomas Davies (Damascus), Dr Rebwar Fatah, Basit Gharib, Dr Harry Hagopian (London), Hemin Hussein, Hewa Jaff, Fakhri Karim (Baghdad), Vania Karim, Dastan Nouri, Amed Omar, Jamal Penjweny, Asoz L. Rashid (Baghdad), Roshna Rasool, Kurdawan Mohammad Saeed, Dr Tan Azad Salih, Dr Hussein Tahiri (Australia), Qubad Talabani (Washington, DC), Abdul Karim Uzery REPORTERS: Awat Abdullah, Zheno Abdulla, Darya Ibrahim, Dana Hameed, Hemin Kakayi (Kirkuk), Saz Kamal, Barzan Kareem, Sazan Mandalawi (Erbil), Galawizh H. Rashid, Dana Rashid, Jen. A. Sagerma CULTURE WRITERS: Roshna Rasool, Kamaran Najm UK CORRESPONDENTS: Lara Fatah, Raz Jabary, Sara Naz LANGUAGE EDITOR: Anwar M. Qaradaghi PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Aram Eissa PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kamaran Najm, Soran Naqshbandy CARTOONS: Ako Gharib DIRECTOR OF DESIGN: Darya Ibrahim MARKETING MANAGER: Brwa Abdulrahman CIRCULATION MANAGER: Rashid Khidr Rashid WEBSITE: Avesta Group for Software Solutions

CURRENT AFFAIRS ....................................................................................................................3 COMMUNITY ..............................................................................................................................6 WORD ON THE STREET ............................................................................................................9 VIEWS .........................................................................................................................................10 LETTERS ....................................................................................................................................12 BUSINESS .................................................................................................................................13 CULTURE & MORE ....................................................................................................................15 LIFESTYLE .................................................................................................................................17 HISTORY ....................................................................................................................................18 SOCIETY ....................................................................................................................................19 CHAIKHANA ...............................................................................................................................20

PRINTING HOUSE: Hamdi Publishing House (Slemani) Our offices are located at KHAK Press & Media Center, on Shorosh Street, Slemani, Iraq. Tel: 009647701570615 Fax: 0044703532136666 SOMA Digest strives to offer its readership a broad spectrum of views on Iraqi and Kurdish affairs. As such, all opinions and views expressed in these pages belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publication.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Kurdish for beginners ANWAR M. QARADAGHI

SOMA Digest wishes to introduce some Kurdish phrases and expressions, which the visitor to Kurdistan will find useful. Judy Roberts, an American school teacher, has been teaching English in a school in Slemani for over a year. At the school, she has met Aso, a Kurdish colleague, and their relationship has grown and become serious enough to result in formal engagement. In this episode Judy and Aso discuss the weather in Kurdistan.: Aso: Darling, what do you think of the weather this year? Azizekem, rat chya be kesh u heway emsal? Judy: As you know, the summer was hot. But it is fine currently, especially all this rainfall in early November. Weku azanit, haween gerim boo. Bellam, esta bashe, be tybeti, am hamu baran bareny wa zooy mangy yanze.

Aso: Yes, I agree, the amount of rainfall is noteworthy and it is needed. Belle, le gultam. Qewarey baran bareneke serinj rakesha u westrawe. Judy: But I did not like some of the scenes on the TV. Water has gone inside the houses in many places. It is regrettable. Why is that so? Bellam, hendi demenekani talefzionm be dill nabu. Aw le zor shoen chota naw mallanewe. Jegay xembarea. Bochi waya? Aso: The sewage system is inadequate in those places. Sestemi awa ro lew shwenane natewawe. Judy: Why is that my dear? Bochi awa waye gyanekem? Aso: The relevant authorities have not been able to see to all places yet.

Heshta deselaty paywendidar fryay hamu shwenek nekatwa. Judy:But my dear, if all responsible officials perform their duties responsibly, such things can be completed much faster. Bellam gyanekem, agur hamu fermanberan karekanian be hesti leprsrawiawa be je bken, am cheshne shtana zor zuter tewaw debn. Aso: You are right. To rast dekait. Glossary of key words: Weather - Kesh u hewa Rainfall - Baran barin Especially - Batybeti Amount - Brr Scene - Deman House - Khanu Water - Aaw Place - Shwen

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

REGION|&

CURRENT AFFAIRS NEWS ANALYSIS

Replay

Entitlement issues Most political groups content with the approval of the amended election bill. Zheno Abdulla SLEMANI he controversy over the delayed election law is simmering down as the amended bill was finally approved in the Iraqi Parliament after an emergency session that ended close to midnight on 6 December. The Iraqi Representative Assembly agreed on the last version of the election law bill for the next Iraqi elections which will be raised to the Presidential Council for final submission. “The Presidential Council had asked us to give details about the number of seats for each province and they requested a report,” said Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker Ayad Al Samarrai. According to Khalid Ataya, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, the distribution of parliament seats are made according to the 2005 census plus a 2.8 percent increase in population development since 2005.

‘The population of the Kurdistan Region is roughly 4.3 million, so we should really have 43 seats.’

Fifteen seats are counted as compensative which brings it to a total of 325 parliament seats. As Ataya explained, there are 68 seats for Baghdad, 31 seats for Ninewa, 24 seats for Basra, 18 seats for Zigar, 17 seats for Slemani, 16 seats for Babel, 14 seats for Anbar and Erbil, 13 seats for Diyala, 12 seats for Kirkuk, Salahadeen and Najaf. Another 11 seats are for Wasit and Qadisiya, 10 seats for Nesan, Dohuk and Karbala and seven seats for Musanna. “The Kurdish regional provinces will gain another two seats from the compensative seats which belong to the Christians in addition to the Kurdistan Region’s own 41 seats,” said Ataya. All the members of the Iraqi Representative Assembly have submitted the new law project with the hope that it will not be rejected by vice president Tariq Al Hashimi, who has threatened to use the veto once again if the bill is not a suitable tool for the distribution of seats among the provinces. After the submission of the decision, a press conference was held which expressed the divided opinions of the various political parties in Iraq. One unnamed Arab expressed his grievance, saying: “41 seats is too many for the Kurdistan Region and it should only be 38 seats as the Kurdistan Region’s population is about 3.8 million.” This viewpoint is held by some Arabs who believe that they put in all the hard work until they were able to succeed in the bill which they claim reclaimed the rights of some provinces. This unnamed Arab added that the government was put under pressure

Turkey backtracks on overtures urkey’s democratic ambitions have come under scrutiny after it backtracked on recent overtures toward its long-oppressed Kurdish population. The Turkish constitutional court banned the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) on dubious grounds that it had links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), despite warnings by the European Union that the move would hamper the country’s accession bid. The ban sparked violent demonstrations in Ankara, Izmir and elsewhere in the country. Founded in 2005 as a successor to several Kurdish parties that were forced to shut down, the DTP had a total of 21 seats in the 550-seat assembly before it was found guilty by Turkey's constitutional court of co-operating with the PKK. The latter has been condemned for its use of violence in fighting for autonomy in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast in a conflict that has lasted 25 years and claimed 40,000 lives.

The ruling comes after weeks of clashes between police and protesters angry at the prison treatment of Abdullah Ocalan, the founder of the PKK. Ahmet Turk, chairman of the DTP, and Aysel Tugluk, another Kurdish legislator, were expelled from parliament and barred from joining any political party for five years. The same measure applies to 35 other DTP party members - including Leyla Zana, a prominent Kurd who served 10 years in prison on charges of separatism. The party says it has "no organic links" with the PKK separatists, and the ruling has been seen by critics as a violation of Kurdish rights. Farid Assassard, a Slemani-based political expert, said such heavy-handed measures only serve to encourage - and even justify - Kurdish nationalists’ desperation to resort to violence. “The banning of DTP will without doubt affect democracy throughout all of Turkey

by the Kurdistan Alliance List which allegedly blackmailed the parliament until their seat allocation was increased. “The population of the Kurdistan Region is approximately 4.3 million, so we should really have 43 seats,” said Fryad Rawanduzi, Spokesman of the Kurdistan Alliance List in the Iraqi Parliament. As there was no new census in Iraq to rely on and in accordance with Article 49 of the Iraqi constitution, the Iraqi Parliament benefitted instead from the last official census of the Ministry of Trade in 2005, adding 2.8 percent to the annual population for each province. According to Rawanduzi, the Kurdistan Alliance List made sure that the other political parties did not usurp the rights of the other Kurdish regional provinces. He said that the Kurdistan Alliance List was under a great deal of political pressure and that US President Barack Obama had called Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani to be informed on the latest news of the decision regarding the submission of the election bill.

In response to chauvinist Arab statements, Rawanduzi said: “Why are they participating in the voting process if they did not agree with this decision from the very beginning?” The Islamic Union List had a different view on the matter, saying that they believe the Kurdistan Region is entitled to more seats than what has been allocated to them by the decision. They also claim injustices regarding the minority lists, which have the winner list take eight additional seats. The representatives and official speakers of the rest of the political lists in the Iraqi Representative Assembly have expressed their satisfaction with the submission of the election law and with the distribution of seats. The delayed elections are now scheduled for 7 March 2010 according to government officials as the Iraqi High Electoral Commission has called for more time to be able to schedule the polls and prepare so as to allow those abroad to participate in the nationwide vote.

especially for Kurds because in front of Kurds, just like any nation, there are two paths through which they can obtain their rights inside the country where they reside,” he explained. “It is either peacefully obtained via legal means by way of representatives or through violence and a revolution. [This ruling] makes way for Kurds to resort to the violent path.”

He added: “It has often been reported that Kurds are of a violent disposition and it is in their nature to oppose governments but this is not true. Kurds feel that the countries where they are in always deprive them of their rights even when they are asked for through legal channels.” — BY TANYA GOUDSOUZIAN IN DUBAI

‘Foreign countries stand behind the recent terrorist operations in Baghdad to hinder the electoral process and to destroy the democratic experience in Iraq. These operations aim also to prevent investments and to frighten foreign companies from investing in Iraq.’ NOURI AL MALIKI, Iraqi Prime Minister, on continued foreign interference in Iraqi affairs.

‘The reports confirm that Syria is involved in providing proper working grounds for murderers of the Iraqi people. The Iraqi government has provided information with cogent evidence to the Syrian government to hand over wanted persons but unfortunately Syria procrastinated on this.’ ALI AL MOUSAWI, Advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister, reacting to Izzat Al Dori’s presence in Iraq.

‘Iran has commitments to the international community concerning nuclear reactors…’ TANYA TALAAT, Member of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, saying that the Iraqi government would appeal to the International Court if Iran’s builds a nuclear facility near its border with Iraq.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

London-based expert in post-conflict governance calls for vital steps toward national reconciliation as a necessary condition and tool for rebuilding Iraqi society.

‘A blueprint for sustainable peace’ Mohammed Ali Bapir

called “villains” and “victims” or dominant and minority groups and so on. On the other hand, in terms of external interest there is likely to be discordant viewpoints between states and trans-national actors – as exemplified in the USled “war on terror” where the allied forces failed to obtain a UN endorsement to carry out the war, but nevertheless went on to execute the war unilaterally. How could peace be built in this kind of context (Iraq)? I would suggest some form of stakeholder conference in which all parties (external and domestic) are allowed to engage in genuine dialogue. This should lead to a “blueprint for sustainable peace”, one that takes into consideration the views and visions of all parties. This is by no means easy, but it is achievable.

SLEMANI Dr Usman Tar, Managing Editor of Information, Society and Justice based at the Department of Applied Social Sciences, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, talks to SOMA Digest about governance in post-conflict countries and how to cope with the so-called “economic insurgents”. What are the immediate problems that arise in the aftermaths of conflicts? This depends on the context. But generally, there are a number of possible problems that emerge from conflicts. First, conflicts have devastating impact on the system of governance. A key casualty of conflict is the state (state disintegration or “collapse”) and its institutions such as bureaucracy and security apparatus. There is also likely to be total breakdown of law and order. It will take long for order and democracy to return. Secondly, there will be breakdown of social infrastructure including, but not limited to, family breakdown, low community and national spirit, post-traumatic stress disorder and so on. Thirdly, conflicts usually have devastating impact on national and communal cultures. People’s loyalty will decimate in favor of narrow and chauvinistic interests. People will likely grudge hatred against “others” even though they are all citizens of the same state. Finally, conflicts have catastrophic impact on economic institutions and processes such as entrepreneurship, commerce, science and technology. It will take sometime before a post-conflict setting assumes some semblance of normalcy. But the fact that conflict is over is an indication that the devastating impacts of war can be overcome. Poverty and homelessness are two main upshots of war, how can these be addressed? There should be immediate and longterm solutions to poverty and homelessness as post-conflict problems. In the immediate end of war, all stakeholders should put in place quick measures to provide shelter, emergency care (both physical and mental) as well as shelter to the victims of conflict. In the long-term, there should be plans to rebuild homes and restore vital social, economic, and political infrastructure. Institutions should be rebuilt so that people could get involved in legitimate income-generating activities. The success of both short and long-term plans depends on strong and committed political will from all “stakeholders” –

external and internal actors. Particularly, “return to normalcy” is highly contingent on the preparedness of conflict parties and their leaders to build sustainable peace, so that any risk to relapse to conflict is minimised or even eradicated altogether. ‘Economic insurgents’ have increased their numbers in Iraq, what must be done to avoid such people who feel they have no other choice to turn to committing terrorist acts for money? Wars create not only trauma and destruction, but also opportunity for some. Of course, the victims outnumber the opportunists. We are all aware of the victims of conflict. What we are less aware of are the “merchants”, “brokers” and “pawns” of violence. Merchants of violence are usually the warlords; brokers are usually the arm dealers, while the pawns are usually those who are brainwashed to carrying arms often in the name of “insurgency” or “Jihad”. In the context of Iraq, we are aware of the victims and opportunists of violence. What can be done? I will suggest conscientisation of the society to see the traumas faced by victims, and mercilessness of the opportunist. If necessary, there should be some form of legitimate and strategic negotiation, including in-

centivisation of opportunists who engage in and/or commit violent activities for any sake, to abandon those acts and return to normal life. These opportunists should be targeted, re-educated and empowered to engage in legitimate activities. Above all, the importance of sustainable peace should be revealed to all through workshops, media and aggressive public campaigns. It has been said that ‘poverty is another war rolling through Iraq’. How would you respond to that statement? Poverty is not only a by-product of war, but also an indicator of how quickly a post-conflict society sheds its violent past. In the last few years, Iraq has arguably undergone some positive, albeit limited, change particularly in terms of democracy, representation, and security. But a lot remains to be done particularly in terms of security, employment, housing, education and health – all these have huge implications on poverty and its eradication. I will only suggest that the institutions of democracy should be strengthened. But democracy should be deeply rooted in the people. The most stable democracies are those which guarantee participation of

the people not only in elections but also policy and governance. I emphasize democracy because it provides a formidable foundation for security (democratic nations are less violent), and economic stability (poverty will become a thing of the past)

Reconciliation is the very fundamental factor in rebuilding post-war societies. To what extent can this be achieved in Iraq? Reconciliation is a necessary condition and tool for rebuilding post-war societies. By reconciliation is meant the process through which rival parties come to terms with the violent past by way of confession and regret on the part of the villains, and forgiveness and mercy on the part of victims. There are many approaches to reconciliations. First is amnesia or “letting go of the past” a process often led by the state (especially those still controlled by perpetrators of past violence), in which victims of past violence are indoctrinated to forget about the past. A second approach is truth commissions in which victims and perpetrators are brought together for to talk through

‘Conflicts have devastating impact on communal cultures. People’s loyalty will decimate in favor of narrow and chauvinistic interests.’ Given the much debated “clash of interest” between external and internal actors and institutions in Iraq, is a balanced peace-building feasible in the country? External actors (by which I mean foreign state and non-state interveners) may or may not represent the interests and expectations of local people and communities. This claim has to be qualified because the linkages of and between external and internal interests is much more complex than often perceived. For instance, with reference to “local interest”, there is always likely to be contrasting expectations from the so-

past violence and dispense a reconciliatory justice (the villains confess and the victims compromise). A third approach is trial in which “the law takes its course”: alleged perpetrators are subjected to municipal or international trial for war crime, genocide and crime against humanity. A fourth alternative is reparation which involves the payment of compensation to the victims of war by indicted perpetrators. For the ongoing peace-building process in Iraq, I suggest a combination of the foregoing approaches. A lot of thinking and spadework must however go into the combined formula.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

Faith in dialogue Improvement of KRG-Baghdad relations hinge on five principal issues. Zheno Abdulla SLEMANI uring the last four years, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has dispatched many delegations to the Iraqi capital Baghdad led by the President of the Kurdistan Region or Prime Minister to discuss pending issues with the federal government. There are five principal issues, and these are: Article 140, the Peshmarga forces, the budget, oil and natural gas law and the authority of the governments. After Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s recent visit to the Kurdistan Region and his meeting with President Massoud Barzani and other KRG officials, a Kurdish delegation was sent to Baghdad to resolve these issues. ‘Faith in dialogue’ “The KRG has faith in dialogue. These kinds of visits are a good oppor-

Falah Mustafa

tunity for our relations to progress so that there is understanding between us and we can get closer to the issues of each side,” said Falah Mustafa, Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the KRG. Mustafa, often dubbed the Kurdistan Region’s ‘de facto foreign minister’, explained that the KRG is looking to solve the outstanding issues that are important not only for the Kurdistan Region but also for Iraq as a whole. Oil and gas law He added that any progress made on solving those issues gives hope to the resolution of the other ones. President Barzani has repeatedly stressed upon the importance of the passage of an oil and gas law. For his part, Mustafa submits that if both sides can reach an agreement on this issue then it would constitute another step forward. The issue of the Kurdish Peshmarga forces remains especially contentious. The Peshmarga forces have been included in the Iraqi constitution as part of

the Iraqi defense system, but they were not treated as part of the Iraqi defense system until only recently. The KRG’ stance is that suitable treatment of the Peshmarga forces means more than just providing them with a budget, it means giving them a clarified position. “The relation between the central government and the KRG should be constitutional and institutional. It must not change with any change of individuals and cabinets,” said Mustafa. Power sharing “Another point of discussion was the authoritative participation of Kurds who had practically taken on this role but it wasn’t a real sharing of power in the Iraqi ruling system in political decisionmaking,” added Mustafa. Mustafa conceded that it was just the beginning for these issues and that they could not be treated in the short run as the Iraqi parliament has little time left and as such cannot guarantee to solve them all. He added, however, that it was possible to solve the issue of the Peshmarga forces and the oil and gas law. “It is important to have these kinds of discussions all the time,” he said. “The unsolved problems between the KRG and the central government are sorted into two categories; the simple issues which may be solved in a few meetings like the Peshmarga forces' issue and foreign relations. But issues like Article 140 and authority and power sharing are not likely to be solved in a few meetings,” said Serwan Zahawi, a reporter for Listi Kurdistani. According to Nawzad Salih Rafaat, a member of the Iraqi Representative Assembly on the Kurdistan Alliance List, the relations between the central government and the KRG have improved. He explains that Al Maliki’s visit to the Kurdistan Region and his meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and President Barzani had a significant impact on the central government's view of the pending issues, as it was after that visit that the central government declared that they would review their position. No quick fix However, Rafaat conceded that the pending issues could not be solved simply or quickly. He pointed out that on some issues, the KRG is unlikely to budge such as the oil and gas law, the budget and the salary of the Peshmarga forces which the central government posits should come from the 17 percent allocated to the region from the federal budget. “We authorized five committees in the Iraqi parliament to solve those issues but unfortunately the Iraqi government didn't do anything about them. We have

The leaders of the Kurdistan Region and the federal government are seeing an improvement in their relations.

hope this time around that we will be able to take a few steps towards solving those problems. The security situation in Baghdad is not good now and we can say that the Al Maliki government is in an abnormal condition, so the last visit of the Kurdish delegation was a strong one,” said Rauf Othman, a member of the Iraqi Representative Assembly. Foreign pressure He further pointed out that Al Maliki is under a great deal of foreign pressure and that Iraq’s neighbors are also pressing him especially when a step is taken towards the implementation of Article 140. The country’s neighbors, according to Othman, are fomenting the chaos in the country, and aggravating the situa-

tion for Al Maliki. On the other hand, he says, the prime minister is also being pushed by America to bring about national reconciliation. Othman believes that visits between

the two governments can impact the direction of these problems towards resolution. He states that stabilizing Erbil Baghdad relations is in the interests of both sides.

‘Baghdad-Erbil relations should be constitutional and institutional. It must not change with any change of individuals and cabinets.’

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

COMMUNITY|&

LOCAL NEWS PERSONALITIES

Former host of Arabic ‘Pop Idol Superstar’ feels strong connection with her Kurdish ancestry and yearns to visit Kurdistan.

Rania Kurdi: ‘I’m proud of my name’ Darya Ibrahim AMMAN

he former host of the pan-Arab hit show “Pop Idol Superstar” Rania Kurdi arrives at our 10am appointment at the Al Qasr Hotel in Amman dressed in a red top and stylish purple skirt to take us to her home. Her light brown hair is cropped short, and she is wearing minimal make-up. She is slim and beautiful, and she exudes effortless elegance. She embodies all the characteristics of a fresh starlet, except that she has already established her name as a singer and entertainer in the Arabic-speaking world. While she is often described as a “Jordanian star”, Rania Kurdi, as her name indicates, is actually of Kurdish origin. Over a cup of tea, Rania recounted her journey to stardom and expressed a deep yearning to explore her Kurdish ancestry. Born in Jordan, Rania honed her musical and performing talents at a performing arts college and drama school in England over a period of five years. In the last decade, Rania has achieved monumental success in the Middle East. She was a presenter on Pop Idol Superstar and her music albums and acting performances further boosted her career. Despite western influences in her work, Rania is proud of her Kurdish roots. This was a key reason behind her decision to use her maiden name professionally. Rania is a town in Iraqi Kurdistan and Kurdi simply means Kurdish. “My name is something I’m proud of. It shows my belonging to the Kurdish people even though I don’t live there. Even though I’m married, I liked to keep my maiden name to follow me on as a public figure representing Kurds all over the world,” she explained. Her fearless attitude is reminiscent of other high pro-

file Kurdish women throughout history who have been examples of resilience and equals among men. Rania’s strength as a woman, she believes, stems from her father and through her songs she urges women to have faith in themselves. “Something in me has always desired to be free and outspoken. I refuse to show the woman as a weak figure which I feel many Arabic songs do, for example those that beg her lover to come back,” she said. “The songs that I have written have been about speaking out and believing in yourself, like my song (Dare), the lyrics say: ‘Be daring, don’t fear, you won’t regret it, I promise you.’ I think I have inherited my strength from my father, who is a very strong, straight forward and outspoken man. I hear that this is a typical Kurdish trait,” she added. Jordan is a mere two-hour flight from the Kurdistan Region, but Rania has never been. She does, howeve, express a fervent desire to visit in the new future. “I have always dreamt of visiting Kurdistan and finding my roots. I have so many fans that write to me from there, and I would love one day to find some way to infuse my songs with the Kurdish language and tunes.” Rania regrets, however, that she does not speak Kurdish: “Unfortunately I do not speak Kurdish like my grandfather. I was born in Jordan and it was not passed down to me as a language, but I will manage to learn it one day, I know I will.” Rania the superstar is also Rania the supermom and explains that she has spent the last few years focusing on her two young children who have needed her 'attention, guidance and love' adding that it has been difficult to be working at the same time. “I had been writing my own work in a comedic style which evolved from what I saw around me since becoming a mother and this has now developed into me preparing to co-produce and act in my own comedy show,” she said. She added that she is eager to get back to her singing and that there will soon be a collaboration between her and a group called Taj to make a Hip Hop album. Rania doesn’t rule out the possibility of performing a concert in the Kurdistan Region. “I imagine visiting Kurdistan one day to sing there for all the Kurdish people and to have a documentary made about all the people I meet and see where I came from. I imagine it will be a very emotional experience for me that will be a turning point in my life,” she said. “I feel I embody the Kurdish people in my personality, my looks and my love for vibrant colors. I always choose paintings for my home that are Kurdish because the content and colors attract me every time.”

Kurdistan’s Rose. Rania Kurdi has expressed a desire to go back to her roots and pay the Kurdistan Region a visit in the very near future. A joint concert could well be on the cards for the Kurdish beauty.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

Sixth Kurdish Film Festival hailed a success.

Cinema verité Raz Jabary LONDON he Sixth Kurdish Film Festival started off with flamboyant words from both Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Barham Salih and London Mayor Boris Johnson, who said that he felt “honored to bring Kurdish cinema to as many people as possible.” Some 127 films were broadcast at the festival, with two already having won prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. Some filmmakers arrived from different parts of the world, while others were denied visas and were therefore unable to enter the UK. Most films were based on everyday aspects of Kurdish life. These included the hardships faced by many women and the flight of young Kurds in search of opportunities in Europe. Mustafa Gundogdu, director of this year’s festival, said: “Most of the films we show at the festival wouldn’t have had a chance to be shown in the UK otherwise, because a filmmaker in Kurdistan wouldn’t be able to send his films to the international film festivals”. Adding to the hardships faced by Kurdish filmmakers, Gundogdu cited “censorship issues.” Surprisingly, viewers who had come to see the films were not just Kurds but in fact included a range of nationalities with interests in the Kurdish struggle. ‘Whisper with the wind’, a film by Shahram Alidi, reflects the suffering of the

Kurds under the rule of Saddam Hussein. It puts in the spotlight a messenger travelling around Iraqi Kurdistan who finds whole villages wiped out. The dramatic ways in which the story is conveyed has the effect of really getting the feelings of insecurity and desperation across to the viewer. Beri Shalmashi, a talented youth film producer whose pieces have been shown on national Dutch television, had flown in from her residence in Cairo. ‘You know I love you’, one of Shal-

‘A traumatized people want to express that emotion via film’ mashi’s three films that were shown, resonated with the audience. A middle aged Kurdish man in search of his daughter, whom he had seemingly left or neglected, flew to Rotterdam in the Netherlands where he hoped to find her. Full of sorrow and grief for the negligence he had shown towards his daughter - now married and with a child the father pleaded for her to join him on his return to their homeland, but in vain. The story captures the question of identity and ancestral norms and values relevant to a substantial proportion of Kurdish youth in

mainly European countries. “It seems to be a screenshot of the issue of modernization and its clash with traditional Kurdish culture and habits,” one viewer remarked. The nature of the short films leave much of the story’s interpretation to the viewer. Due to the restricted timeline the audience is often left to guess about a particular motive or a preceding event that led to the development covered within the piece. ‘The Children of Diyarbakir’, a film by Miraz Bezar which brings to the foreground the Kurdish issue in Turkey, is about a boy and a girl forced to face the world on their own after they watch their parents getting killed by a Turkish militia. “Going back to the Kurdish part in Turkey, it wasn’t difficult to find people with a story to tell,” said Bezar, indicating the many events a lot of people had gone through in the 1990s at the height of the war between the Turkish army and PKK. Some films portrayed a cruel reality hardly anyone would have dared to imagine, such as ‘Welcome’, which tells the story of a desperate young Kurdish refugee trying to make it to the UK from France and who eventually decides to make the crossing by swimming. Films were screened at six places throughout London. Bayan Sami Abdulrahman, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Representative to the UK, remarked: “It is not very surprising that as a traumatized people we want to express that emotion and we want to tell the world about what happened to us.” Reflecting upon the nature of the stories of most of the films, she said: “While we will never forget what happened to us we also want to be able to tell the stories of hope.” The closing gala marked the end of the biggest Kurdish film event to date and saw awards being handed out to films selected by judges.

The lost son of Halabja with his mother.

Halabja’s lost son found after 21 years t was a day of tears and cheers as a young native of Halabja was reunited with his family after 21 years on 3 December. A few months old at the time of the chemical bombardment of Halabja, young Ali Asmin was taken to safety by Iranian soldiers who found him lying on the ground. The soldiers planned to take the infant to an Iranian orphanage, but an Iranian woman volunteered to care for him. Ali’s story is not unlike the case of many children who were separated from their families during this dark chapter of Kurdish history. Ali was three months old when the warplanes of the late Saddam Hussein attacked Halabja and he was separated from his family. They thought he had perished along with the thousands of other victims. Kubra Hamid Pur, the woman who adopted Ali, is the one who gave him his name, and raised him with her two other

sons in the city of Mash-had in Iran. Once he had grown old enough to understand, he was told that he was originally from Halabja and a survivor of the chemical attacks. It was then that his quest to track down his family began. In early October, the Kurdistan Regional Government's former Minster of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, Chnar Saad Abdullah, visited Iran aiming to find those Kurdish children who had been lost during the Anfal campaigns. There, she met Ali and brought him back to his hometown of Halabja. On his arrival, several families claimed Ali was their own ‘lost son’. To resolve this problem, 12 DNA samples were taken from those families. The results were disclosed in a special ceremony at the Halabja memorial which was attended by representatives of chemical weapons victims, political and governmental officials along with those families who were eagerly waiting for the results. Up to 800 people gathered in the town's hall to hear the result of the DNA test. Many attendees cried as Ali embraced his mother and immediate family members. According to the DNA test, the doctor announced that the biological mother of Ali was Fatma Muhamad Salih. “I can't say anything, words cannot describe my happiness,” she said. Salih who had lost all her other immediate family in the attacks welcomed the arrival of the son she thought had perished over 20 years ago. “I thank God for returning my son to me after 21 years; I lost every one in my family. I lost four other children and their father, but now Ali is like a sun for my dark house and life,” she said. The other families that had claimed Ali to be theirs rejoiced in the news stating that they all regarded Ali as their son nevertheless and a son of Halabja. — BY BARZAN KAREEM IN SLEMANI

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

Off the beaten path Promoting rock climbing in Kurdistan may require a culture change.

The mountains of the Kurdistan Region are a great location for those seeking the thrills of rock climbing. The rock formation near Hazar Merd is a fabulous place to begin or continue with the hobby. Sebastian Meyer HAZAR MERD ock climbing in Iraq? Really?” Those were the responses I kept receiving in emails from friends back in New York and London. No matter how hard I’ve tried to convince people that Iraqi Kurdistan is safe and beautiful, I’m still met with the same reaction all the time. “Yes. I’m going rock climbing in Iraqi Kurdistan. You better believe it!” I typed before I grabbed my cameras and ran out to the waiting car. I had heard that there were some Amer-

“R

Giving thanks

THE BORNE IDENTITY AGRI ISMAIL n one of those flukes that send people making YouTube clips about the Illuminati, this year Eid Al Adha and US-Thanksgiving turned out to be on the same day. While nobody invited me to fly to Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage, I was invited to commemorate some pilgrims. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this year I celebrated my first ever Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, as most of you

know, is a celebration of the time around the 1620’s when the Plymoth settlers were taught how to catch fish and grow corn by the American Indians and then, to celebrate their first harvest, had a lot of food and, later, wiped out said American Indians. Whoever suggested that one ought to teach a man how to fish rather than just giving him a fish clearly hadn’t contemplated the issue of consequent ethnic cleansing. Once the American Indians had all been wiped out and Hollywood agreed to never ever show them in a good light in any movie, the tradition moved on from a religious one (the Thanks you are supposed to Give is to God for the good harvest) to a secular one, now mostly giving dysfunctional families a reason to meet up and argue about things. But the food, which is the highlight of the holiday, is great: turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and

gravy. And it is made over several hours, some people beginning as early as the night before and every family having their own take on how to cook a turkey, how to make the stuffing and whether or not to put marshmallows on the sweet potatoes (a revolting concoction which is more common than it sounds). As for us, we spent the entire day cooking, with four people in the kitchen peeling and frying and praying that nothing would happen to the 7 kg turkey in the oven. Our clothes began smelling like things that had been fried and became translucent in parts due to the oil splatters. Various fingers were cut in various ways by various instruments and at several times during the day the prospect of there ever being a finished meal seemed as unlikely as Sisyphus managing to roll the stone atop his hill once and for all. And all the while we nibbled on the various dishes pretending that it was to see if they were seasoned correctly rather than having to stay alive and not collapse due to

icans in Slemani who went rock climbing on the weekends. A few phone calls later I found myself bouncing along a dirt path a few miles outside of Suli, on my way to the Qalat, rock formation near Hazar Merd. Jeremiah Small, a 31-year-old teacher at the Classical School of the Medes, was driving and telling me about how he had transplanted his love of rock climbing from Alaska to Kurdistan. He had come here four years ago but for his first two months, Jeremiah didn’t really leave Suli. Every day he would stare at the surrounding mountains until finally the temptation proved too great. As spring approached, he could no longer resist and one day he got in his car and began to explore. As Suli fell away behind us, I asked Jeremiah how on earth he started rock climbing in the region. Security wasn’t a concern, but landmines were. Hugely. The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) estimates that there are over 3,000 minefields across Kurdistan. Last year I spent a day photographing inside the Red Cross prosthetics factory in Erbil where I learned what happens when you stray from the beaten path in Kurdistan. Because his Kurdish wasn’t good enough to get guidance from locals, Jeremiah came up with an ingenious way to find safe routes. The idea was to follow well worn sheep and goat paths. If neither the animals nor the shepherd had been blown up, the logic went, it was a safe route. A few days after climbing with Jeremiah I sat down with Amin Aziz Bakir, a member of the Kurdistan Mountain Climbing

Federation. Amin then turned on his laptop and began to show me images that just simply blew my mind. On his computer were videos that looked as if they’d been shot in the Himalayas. A line of men roped together, with crampons on their boots, trudged up a snowy incline. It wasn’t Everest, he laughed. It was Halgord, the tallest mountain in Iraqi Kurdistan (3,607 meters). The federation which officially opened in 2005 was the brainchild of Anwer Ali Mohammed Dolemeri, an Iraqi Kurd who grew up in Iran where he developed his love for mountaineering. He returned to Iraq in 2003 and began to organize groups of friends who shared a love of mountain climbing. “The problem with Kurdistan is that the only sports that people know are football and volleyball,” Anwer told me. “And these sports are only played by healthy men. At the federation we want to bring mountaineering to everyone. Boys, girls, young, old, strong, and disabled. The only problem is the culture.” Jeremiah concurs. Mountains in Kurdistan, he said, are associated with the Peshmerga. They’re folkloric places in people’s imaginations which are tied to war and resistance. Jeremiah would love to help change that mentality, to bring people and mountains together in much more positive way. As would Anwer. “Kurds have mountaineering heros like Mohammed Oraz [the first Iranian to summit Everest]. Our dream for the federation is to make mountaineering the national sport of Kurdistan.”

starvation and exhaustion. When the guests finally started arriving, carrying bottles of wine and bouquets of flowers, and we set up a laptop showing college football (the North American variety, you know, the one where there is rarely a foot touching a ball) which, although the

Canadians, had to do with my philistine impression of this tradition. Well, let’s see. We’ve cooked a multitude of dishes all day for more guests than can fit in the house. What took eight hours to cook, took eight minutes to eat. And afterwards we’re left with dishes that rival the Great Himalayan

sport remains as incomprehensible as the Iraqi electoral law, led to much rejoicing as Northwestern won. The most common question, surrounded as I was by Americans and

Range. What do I think? It’s just like every Kurdish meal ever cooked. Except, you know, once a year rather than once a day.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

Word on the street Aram Eissa listens to what average Kurds have to say about foreign soap operas dubbed into Kurdish and on whether the government should monitor media channels in the region. Karzan Faruq, 30 (freelancer) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “Most of them are not academic and offer no solutions to the social problems here and they make matters worse. Those countries want to find a good market for their goods which I think they have found in our society.” Should the government monitor the media? “There should be no monitoring on what is published because what has been obtained has often been through confidence and we cannot betray their trust.”

Karwan Mahmud, 27 (civil servant) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “They may not be talking about our own problems but unfortunately most of our people are wasting their time with them and this has had a negative impact on our society.” Should the government monitor the media? “I think it is important to have monitoring on everything in the media channels because some of them want only money without caring about the content of their publications. ”

Bamo Salah, 25 (teacher) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “Some of the foreign series are well produced but they still leave a negative impact on our people because our traditions are different from those countries. I think it is one of the great tasks of the Ministry of Culture to control this.” Should the government monitor the media? “Monitoring is the best way to limit different types of media insults on individual freedoms and traditions.”

Bakhawan Hama, 28 (driver) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “Turkey can’t control the Kurdish people by their army but now Turkey is trying to publish its culture through these series and via it control the mind of the people but I am far from watching these series.” Should the government monitor the media? “I think this task falls into the jurisdiction of the media because they have their own laws and syndicates as well as procedures for those who fall out of line.” Chewar Muhammad, 23 (freelancer) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “It is not a good thing for our society especially for those who want to emulate the practices portrayed. I think one of the main aims of the television channels should be to serve our own history and culture.” Should the government monitor the media? “I don’t think that the government can control all the garbage in the media as the government isn’t even aware of them because it is deep rooted in corruption.”

Ehsan Edris, 39 (freelancer) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “I don’t think any of them are parallel with our Kurdish traditions and culture and I wonder why we don’t work on our own rich culture. It is very funny that most of us know about King Faruq of Egypt yet few of us know Mer Ardalan [ancient Kurdish king during the Ardalan Emirate]!” Should the government monitor the media? “We need monitoring on the media and especially newspapers in order to understand what real free journalism is. Our educated people know how to differentiate between good and bad journalism.”

Aso Ali, 26 (mechanic) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “I don’t think that they are good enough for our society. Our own TV series are much better despite their flaws. I think when something is translated, its nature and soul are lost. And of course when they translate it wrong it makes it worse.” Should the govn’t monitor the media? “The government's monitoring on all the media sectors should not only be for national security but for the impact that they leave on our literature and culture.”

Muhammad Rahman, 24 (freelancer) What are your thoughts on dubbed foreign soaps? “I think they are good series but I don’t like the Kurdish ones which are not made perfectly so we are obligated to watch the foreign series on TV or buy the DVDs of them.” Should the government monitor the media? “The government should be more aware of what the media says but not politically, rather more about the veracity of the content which they publish as their policy desires.”

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

VIEWS|&

EDITORIALS COMMENTARY

TRIBES WITH FLAGS BAYAD JAMAL ALI was recently discussing with some friends the Kurdish dream and the problem of our political identity along with the quest for statehood, mentioning the difficulties the Kurds face from being spread out across various countries. We all know that we will need another World War to create a united Kurdistan. Then the topic of the Arab dream and the creation of the Arab world unity came up. We discussed the reasons behind why they always complain about their hard luck in opposing the wiliness of Jews and imperialistic westerners. I noticed that our youth have very little knowledge about this topic which is crucial, especially when we live in a country that considers itself an Arab country. Fitting as it is to describe the 22 countries (including the as yet unborn Palestine) that belong to the Arab League as “the Arab world”, this neat phrase can mislead. This is a miscellaneous collection of some 350 million people that vary from Maronites, Copts, Berbers, Kurds and Africans as well as to Arabs and Muslims who inhabit a variety of lands from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf and from the Saharan desert to the foothills of Anatolia. So all generalizations about the Arabs—their experiences, sense and styles of faith or politics should be treated with skepticism. Being “an Arab” is as amorphous a no-

tion as being “a European”. These are loose identities, put on and taken off according to taste and circumstances. Many a Kurd living in the north of Iraq, and many a black Christian African living in the south of Sudan, both countries that happen to be members of the Arab League would be staggered to be called an Arab. These minorities who are living in the Arab world, it is not from the benevolence of the Arabs that they have stayed, yet because of the continuous oppression and mass killing of these minorities and the geopolitical difficulties that they are obliged to stay within these borders. Examples of these minorities are the Kurds in Iraq and Syria, the Copts in Egypt, black Africans (Darfurians) in Sudan, the Polisario (Berbers) in Morocco, the Huthies in Yemen, and of course the Jews who were expelled from all the Arab countries. If they are not an ethnic or a religious group, the only factor that is keeping this minor sense of being an Arab is the Arabic language which is declining day by day. Arabic is widely spoken in the Arab world, but so is French. The Arab dialects differ so much that a Syrian will struggle to understand the Arabic of a Moroccan. Since most of the borders of the Arab world owe more to the dispositions of European colonialists than to authentic national groupings, some Arabs may think of themselves as Arabs first and

Shielding Iraq from mercenaries

DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ DR JOSEPH KECHICHIAN t was difficult for any investigative journalist to follow-up on the seminal work authored by Jeremy Scahill in what is still one of the best studies on how Washington outsourced portions of the War in Iraq to private armies. His best-selling book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, conclusively demonstrated that the North Carolina firm, which is now known as Xe Services, LLC, engaged in lawless activities and may have broken not only Iraqi laws but also American ones.

On 11 November 2009, Mark Mazzetti and James Risen of the New York Times, supplemented Scahill’s decisive work by reporting that top executives at the “firm,” authorized “secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a 16 September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.” Scahill and now Mazzetti and Risen have conclusively argued that company owner Erik Prince, the founder and sole owner of Xe, who was a decorated former US Navy Seal officer, viewed “himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe,” with farfetched allegations that his companies “encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life.” According to the New York Times, Blackwater representatives “approved the cash payments in December 2007,” to quell “protests over the deadly shootings in Nisour Square” when 17 civilians were gunned down. Investigators concluded that the shootings were unjustified, and while senior Iraqi officials, including the Prime Minister, publicly admonished the com-

Jordanians or Libyans second. For an Egyptian, it is probably the other way around. This diffusion in identity is deeply rooted, and the obviously fragile sense of unity appeared after the football match between Egypt and Algeria which resulted in a break of all relations between the two countries! Another recent case to show this delicate sense of unity is the case of Dubai's debts. After asking Abu Dhabi, another emirate within the country of the United Arab Emirates for help, the ruler turned down the assistance requested and left Dubai to deal with its problems alone. So much for unity! Islam is the dominant religion of the Arab world, but most of the world’s Muslims are not Arabs and although Islam gives Arabs a strong sense of fellowship, it can be a dividing force too. Exploit and oppress As the notable Iraqi Arab figure Dr. Ali Al- Wardi indicates, the selfishness of the Arabs of dominating Islam by using it for their own interest, taking advantage of the religion to exploit and oppress the non-Arab Muslims led to the creation of the Shittie doctrine opposing the Sunni doctrine. They hate each other more than the Arabs hate Israel. As we see in Iraq, the Sunnis and Shitties still fight brutal religious wars against each other, as well as the cold war going on between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shittie Iran. Also in utter contrast to Europe, the Arab world has seen little formal integration. The United Arab Republic (UAR), which Egypt and Syria formed, lasted three years. Thanks to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, the ACC (the Arab Co-operation Council of

Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, North Yemen) survived only a year after its birth in 1989. The Arab Maghreb Union has been a flop also. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), consisting of the six Gulf countries, has fared better. But this and other projects have been held back by rivalries. As for the Arab League, it does little more than organize bad –tempered summits, fend off western criticism of human rights abuses by its members, and denounce Israel. Many years ago an Egyptian diplomat, Tahsin Bashir, called the Arab states “tribes with flags” which in turn Charles Glass wrote a book about and holds true for all of the countries except for the recently trans-

formed Iraq and Lebanon. The political instability of the Arab world because of the struggle of the thwarted programs of nation-building between ethnic, confessional, secular, and sectarian groups and on the other hand the Machiavellian fascist tribes who practice all the means to oppress their own people, the absence of freedom of speech, restrained media, abuse all human rights and invade each other. In the last two decades, UN figures show that almost one million Arabs were killed in wars in order for these tribes to stay in power and there was neither progress in democracy nor accomplishing the dream of Arab unity.

pany by suspending its operating license, Xe received authorization to continue providing security to private clients. At stake were hundreds of millions of dollars annually, which will now be placed under the legal microscope, to reveal who in the Iraqi Government received “secret payments” of about US$1 million as bribes and who allowed Blackwater to remain in Iraq albeit under a new name. It may be worth recalling that Baghdad had earlier promised to prosecute those who were involved in the massacres although no arrests were ever made. Naturally, no trials were scheduled either, which highlighted a level of connivance between Xe and its “clients” in Iraq. This will now change not because Xe is still operating in Iraq—on what is a cushy $200 million contract even if everyone recognizes that the work is extremely challenging—but because a very serious legal question has arisen. Bribery is illegal in many parts of the world but especially in the United States where various agencies watch each other with hawkish zeal. The New York Times reported that “Cofer Black, who was then the company’s vice chairman and a former top CIA and State Department official,” was alarmed when he discovered the corruption scheme. He allegedly confronted “Erik Prince … who did

not dispute that there was a bribery plan.” In the event, five Blackwater employees were scheduled to stand trial in federal court on several charges, including that they slaughtered 14 innocent Iraqis, while a sixth Blackwater operative pleaded guilty. Add to this list other allegations, ranging from illicit weapons smuggling to tax evasion to war crimes, and one begins to understand that Xe will come under fire. Yet, and despite the gravity of these charges, the legal bullets that will probably hurt most will be those associated with bribery. Blackwater and its officials face charges of obstruction of justice and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bans bribes to foreign officials. Even worse, because the bribes were alleged disbursed to Interior Ministry officials, there is a direct link between Iraqis with responsibility to issuing operating licenses [first to Blackwater then to Xe]. These intended recipients can no longer be protected in a court of law, which will be truly embarrassing and, perhaps, a blow to democratization and transparency in Iraq. Reportedly, Xe and its predecessor “earned more than $1.5 billion” for the work of “protecting American diplomats and providing air transportation for them inside Iraq” between 2004 and 2009. It is now eminently clear that the alleged

bribery plan involves senior Iraqi officials, whose active participation in various payment schemes will be revealed in court. Even US Department of State officials, who wished to quickly resolve the 2007 incident behind, could be liable. How much money exchanged hands, for what ends, and how often, will all be divulged in a sordid affair that obscures any good that the security firm and its associates may have accomplished. It will be years if not decades for Iraq to regain a state of normalcy and one of its goals will surely have to be to end outsourcing responsibility. Baghdad will eventually have to learn how to fend for itself and earn the right to govern. Unquestionably, one of the critical steps towards that end would be to stop various security associations, which it currently has under contract. It will also learn that government and unaccountable business firms, like Blackwater, seldom join to accommodate democratization. It may be worth remembering, and perhaps reminding senior Iraqi officials, that ensuring security does not require an association with operatives who view themselves as crusaders. And it certainly does not pay to take bribes from such characters. Dr Kechichian is an expert in Gulf Arab affairs and author of several books.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

AN HERCULEAN TASK In today’s competitive global economy, young Iraqis must be educated to international standards so they can participate in the global economy. DR ROD MONGER urdistan and Iraq are facing an enormous economic challenge which is how to educate its young generation. After decades of isolation due to war and oppression, that task will be Herculean. Why Herculean? Iraq is now experiencing a ‘baby boom’ similar to the post-World War II generation bulge in the United States and Europe. Half of Iraq’s population is now 20 years of age or younger; 38.8 percent is 15 years of age or less. Compare that to China and Kuwait where the under 15 year of age populations are 20 percent and 26 percent, respectively. At present, only 84.1 percent of Iraqi males and 64.2 percent of the females are literate. But in today’s competitive global economy, just being literate is not enough. Young Iraqis must be educated to international standards so they, and Iraq, can participate fully in the global economy. Yet, within Iraq’s borders, virtually no educational program exists that would lead someone to a professional accounting or finance certification by a recognized international agency. That, for example, creates a major barrier for Iraq to move ahead with the adoption of international accounting standards now used widely throughout the world. Without these international standards, Iraq cannot achieve the transparency and reliability in financial reporting demanded in international business. The lack of people trained in accounting, finance, marketing and other areas also starves the economy of educated manpower needed to reform the banking system and other financial institutions, and implement modern consumer marketing practices. The recent addition of universities like the American University of Iraq – Slemani and the BMU Lebanese French University in Erbil, while laudable, are only a drop in the bucket considering Iraq’s overwhelming higher education needs. The Iraq Education Initiative Scholarship will help but does not offer a definitive solution. Dubai’s Approach Dubai has been faced with much the same problem of improving educational standards and delivery. Through Madaares, an investment company that specializes in education delivery, concentrated on improving primary schools building quality grade by grade from first form year by year. But that primary school first strategy meant that Dubai faced an immediate problem in terms of supplying higher education. This was addressed by opening the doors to qualified educational institutions of higher learning. Dubai now hosts an impressive array of schools including the US-based University of Phoenix which specializes in distance learning. The University of Phoenix boosts that it is the largest accredited private university in

North America with 350,000 student enrolments and 300,000 graduates worldwide. Most are American. But the University of Phoenix has begun to branch out to Europe, Asia and Africa where the number of enrolments now totals 1,400. However, the potential market is massive, estimated at 45 million people worldwide. Distance Learning Though the University of Phoenix has bricks-and-mortar classrooms located in many cities, most of its offerings are over the Internet as distance learning. Various methods are used to deliver distance learning but the University of Phoenix uses an ‘asymmetrical’ mode. This means instructor and students log into the online classroom whenever they can though there are minimum participation requirements. Instructor and students are not online together. The instructor sets up assignments, posts lectures and other materials. Students submit papers and homework via the online system, and also take exams online. Instructors grade student material and offer feedback. Students are assigned to teams and must write papers and even prepare presentations though obviously the asynchronous mode does not allow for actual delivery in front of classmates. Distance learning has, of course, triggered a long-standing debate in academic circles with traditionalists holding that quality higher education cannot be delivered online. Yet many highly reputable universities now offer distance learning. And U.S. students can receive federal financial assistance for distance learning program. Distance learning is particularly popular among stay-at-home moms, people who live in isolated areas which are inconvenient to universities and those who work offbeat hours and find it hard to attend normally scheduled classes. A single class, which is usually capped at about 20 students, can span much of the globe from Guam to Jordan. The University of Phoenix offers pro-

grams in Arts and Sciences, Business and Management, Criminal Justice and Security, Human Services, Nursing and Healthcare. A program in Education is offered only in the United States. Bachelors, Masters, and doctoral degrees are offered. The University of Phoenix, like many other distance learning providers, is not a discount degree. Also, many distance learning providers are accredited though usually not by agencies which provide accreditation to traditional universities. Still, anyone contemplating a degree from a distance learning organization should consider what that degree offers in terms of future career opportunities. In Iraq, for example, someone who wants a degree to open up job opportunities in government or in private companies needs to make sure that the distance learning provider and degree are acceptable. Critics argue that distance learning providers simply sell “mail order” degrees – not the genuine article. And while it’s true that distance learning degrees do not carry the same weight as those earned through ‘traditional’ university education, the fact remains that large swaths of the population both in developed countries like the United States and in developing countries like Iraq need access to higher education in massive doses. To date, distance learning institutions have no market in the Iraq market primarily because of the low penetration of Internet access among the population. But that is changing. That means that the potential of distance learning to help solve immediate education needs in Iraq is rising. One could say that the time has come to systematically consider the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning for Iraqis. Depending on the outcome, some effort to facilitate access to distance learning by the population may make sound sense. Dr. Rod Monger is an Associate Professor at the American University of Iraq – Slemani.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

A DIVIDED IRAQ? Iraq’s politics are based on identity not ideology. But identities may not be as clear cut as before. RAZ JABARY raq is as divided as an apple pie. Arabs and Kurds make up its two main ethnic groups. A further religious division puts the Arabs into two main camps: Sunnis and Shiites. Not too long ago critics spoke of a ‘civil war’ in the country. Laws are vetoed, deadlines aren’t met by parliament, insurgents infiltrate the national police and army. What is to be the future of such a country? The controversial election law was finally passed in the Iraqi parliament, but the national elections, first slated for January, are now set for early March next year. The source of the controversy around the law was the Kirkuk governorate in the north. Under the rule of Saddam Hussein and many preceding Iraqi governments (from 1963 onwards) Kirkuk was the target of a radical ‘Arabization’ policy aimed at deporting mainly Kurds making up the majority within the city and its surrounds and replacing these with ethnic Arabs in hope of putting claim over the oil-rich governorate. Saddam, with a stroke of a pen, reduced its Kurdish make-up by placing Kurdish towns outside the governorate’s boundaries. Tens of thousands of Kurds were forced into exile. In 2003, after the fall of the dictatorship, many Kurds returned to the city with the hope of rebuilding their lives. Nevertheless, the city’s relatively dangerous security situation as opposed to the northern Kurdistan Region (which in 2005 was claimed statistically safer than London and where various ethnic and religious groups live in peace and harmony), combined with the neglect of the

city’s essential infrastructure and facilities such as water supply and electricity, put off many Kurds from returning to their homes in Kirkuk. Thousands more have permanently settled abroad. Now, with the tyranny gone and a new democratic government system, the Kurds want to incorporate Kirkuk into their federal region, based on a referendum in which the city’s inhabitants can decide their own future. Unlike general elections here in Britain, those in Iraq are still very reflective of people’s strong expression and association with their identity. It would be unthinkable for Sunni Arabs to vote for Shiites or for the Kurds to vote for Arabs. It is the result of many decades of oppression. As such, Iraqi politics are based on identity rather than ideology. There is no such thing as an ‘Iraqi people’s party’. Does this

sion and feelings of insecurity by giving in to the demands of a great proportion of the Iraqi people, namely far-going federalism or even independence? The reality on the ground is much more complicated. Inter-related marriages between Shiite and Sunni couples will lead to a new generation that will find it hard to express a preference for one side or the other. I know such people and I am aware of their ‘identity crises’; they simply term themselves as ‘Iraqi’. In an ethnically mixed city such as Baghdad people of various backgrounds have lived there for generations. Often you will find Shiite, Sunni and, to a lesser extent, Kurdish families living in the same neighbourhood or even on the same street. How do you divide such a place? It is an almost impossible task. The expression of support from abroad for a perpetuation of a united Iraq is immense. SaudiArabia is fearful of having an independent oil-rich Shiite state to its north. Iran, Syria and Turkey – each with their own Kurdish minorities seeking self-rule – strongly oppose the creation of an independent Kurdish state. The US, already criticized, would be even more humiliated if its initial promise for a ‘free, united and democratic Iraq’ were to turn into a fragmented Iraq as a result of the failure in the practical implementation of a democratic system. In the event of a break-up, how would the Kurds and Sunnis cope with suddenly becoming landlocked and depending upon neighboring states for essential supplies or the allowance of the operation of supply routes? Would I, born an Iraqi, prefer to have the old regime back instead of facing all these everyday problems? Certainly not. I believe that the Iraqi people are better off without the cruel dictator who murdered thousands of his own people and even his closest relatives. For the Shiites and Kurds who were victims of a longstanding double embargo of food and medical supplies in the 1990s – one from the United Nations and the second from Saddam himself – are enjoying improved living standards. The Kurds have built a safe, prosperous and peaceful federal entity in the north. The Iraqi oil sector is up and running, but this time instead of its revenues going to arms and palaces for the dictator, they go to ordinary Iraqi citizens. But facts alone cannot determine Iraq’s future. Dividing Iraq, as a result of the country’s failure to serve its people equally, may be seen by many as a justified measure. But this is unlikely to materialize any time soon. Any way forward for Iraq should be in the hands of the Iraqis themselves, free from foreign interference and manipulation, free from economic embargos and above all free from violence.

Iraq has always been a divided country ever since it was established as a British mandate in 1920. phenomenon underline that Iraq is already a divided country and in fact has always been so ever since it was established as a British mandate in the early twentieth century? Yes it does. The British were quick enough to recognize this and as a result handed over power to Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority upon leaving, thus depending on an iron fist rule to keep the country together. George W. Bush failed to understand the country’s divisions in 2003. Why would the international community not take the responsibility to put a stop to daily sectarian disputes, claims of oppres-

L E T T E R S An expression of gratitude I’m one of your Facebook fans. As a Kurd living in London and as a fan of SOMA Digest, I would like to express my gratitude to your wonderful and interesting paper. I hope that your paper continues to represent all Kurds in and outside of Kurdistan. I think that SOMA Digest is one of the most valuable and influential English-written papers in the history of Kurds that deals with Iraqi and Kurdish affairs politically, culturally, socially, economically and so forth. I wish you all the best. Alan Saeed LONDON

Iraqis of all ethnicities and religious affiliations are sick and tired of these people. We hear of them and their activities every day. We would much rather hear about pleasant, positive news. SOMA Digest has thus far done an excellent job in providing stories that show the world a more appealing side to our beleaguered country. I hope you will continue in doing so. Allow me to congratulate you all for producing a commendable newspaper. Van Barzinji ERBIL

Resident evil While I greatly enjoyed reading your interview with Lahur Talabany (“Fighting Evil” p.3 issue #64) I was less pleased with the article that followed (“Dangerous minds” p.4 issue #64). It is one thing to hear from the team that is working daily around the clock to keep our region safe from terrorists and insurgents, but it is another altogether to give these vile souls a platform to speak their mind and relate the gruesome details of their horrendous activities.

C O N TA C T U S LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Want to be published in SOMA? We’d really like to know what you’re thinking. If you’ve got a comment on one of our stories, or about an important issue, simply email it to: editor@soma-digest.com Letters may be edited for purposes of space, clarity and decency.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

BUSINESS|&

INVESTMENTS MARKET NEWS

Home makers. Fall of premium market has upped appeal of low cost housing. vegetable vendor, a chai seller or a meat shop vendor in the Kurdistan Region – can these people dream of a house of their own? In the present circumstances, they may not but with a Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) working under a proper legal and regulatory framework they have every reason to dream. MFIs are thriving in the housing sector globally. Until now, the real estate boom globally meant that developers and builders could make money by simply catering to the premium market. With the premium market having fallen in some places and tanked in others, developers are now eyeing low-cost (affordable) housing for the first time. The President of India has initiated a project to construct 12 million low cost houses in the next 2 years. Similar projects can be replicated in the Kurdistan Region. For large projects like this to happen the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) should bank on Public Private Partnerships (PPP). This implies that the government will set up the enabling framework and private sector players like developers and microfinance institutions (MFIs) will partner to deliver the affordable housing units. Traditionally it seemed easier and more profitable for developers to make money in middle to high end housing units. Even if developers were willing to build appropriate housing structures for the poor, they found it difficult to come up with financing. Now, given the fresh optimism in the market, it seems like affordable housing is an idea whose time has come. How MFIs work Micro Finance Institutions are usually established to fulfill a mission – of reaching credit and financial services to the poor who are otherwise unreached by mainstream financial institutions like banks and other government aided financial companies. Therefore MFIs try to simultaneously achieve access (by the poor) and sustainability of its micro-credit portfolio. Long term sustainability can be achieved by the proper legal and regulatory framework which ensures protecting the interests of small savers, proper term of credit, instilling financial discipline and a proper reporting and supervision system. Regulation and supervision ensure that MFIs are run prudently and cases of fraud or incompetence are minimized.

The pattern of ownership and good governance are also crucial to their sustainability. Ownership can be of no one (as in non profit NGOs), of member-users (as in co-operatives), or of investors, (as in companies). As stated above a vast number of MFIs in India are non-profit NGOs which are legally not owned by anyone. NGO-MFIs are registered as societies or trusts under the Societies Registration Act. Sustainability requires tadopting a three track approach, using mutually complimentary strategies: Sensitizing existing mainstream financial service providers (apex financial institutions – Central Bank of Iraq other commercial banks and financial institutions) to enter the micro-finance sector as a serious and productive business proposition. Developing and encouraging new microfinance institutions with a supporting policy and regulatory framework and financial resources to enlarge and expand their services. Building a strong demand system in the form of community-based development financial institution. The community based demand system (housing) is already in place in the Kurdistan Region. In case of mutual benefit type MFIs (cooperatives and mutual benefit trusts) the assumption is that member control would ensure good governance, although there are some flipsides of this kind of MFIs – member control in mutual benefit gets seriously limited as soon as the size and distance of an MFI grows beyond a few hundred members. Differences in income, literacy and exposure levels can also lead to the problem of oligarchic control. Again there are some very encouraging examples of member-controlled MFIs. There are many similar illustrations globally which can be easily replicated in the Kurdistan Region. The attraction for MFIs is that they remain connected to their customer base understanding the poor consumer psyche better than the regular mainstream bankers. For instance, most poor households can afford to pay regular small sums every day over a long period to the MFI loan collector. But ask them to provide up-front advances and large monthly payments, and chances are they will default. — BY DEVANJAN BOSE IN NEW DELHI

Bring it on. Lessons for Kurdish leaders from fall of Dubai. Tanya Goudsouzian DUBAI he burst of the Dubai bubble – the annoucement that the debtladen emirate could not meet its interest bill –came as a shock awakening for countless residents who had lived fantasy lives in tandem with the ruling sheikh’s own fantastic ambitions. This applies equally to neighboring countries that had sought to follow the much-touted “Dubai model”. Overnight, the idolized golden city-state of the Gulf – the region’s ‘Monte Carlo’ – became the target of harsh criticism and the butt of jokes. Dubai became a metaphor for “excess”. I moved to Dubai back in 2000. On opening a bank account, I was told that within a couple of months I would be eligible for a credit card with a limit that totaled seven times my monthly salary, a car loan and access to a lump sum loan of up to 12 times my monthly salary. All I needed was to present a salary certificate from my employer and the loan would be approved by the bank’s mother branch in Abu Dhabi within three working days. Naturally, such easy access to whopping sums was abused by some beneficiaries, who basically took the money and ran back to their home countries. Others took the more ethical – if unsensible – approach and availed those loans to drive luxury cars and lead glamorous lifestyles that they’d otherwise never have lived... Only for

some sudden, unforeseen event to pull the rug from under them. I cannot claim to have been any wiser; I too was a loan junky at one point. It was simply the way things were done in Dubai. When in Rome, after all. The news that Abu Dhabi has stepped in to underwrite a chunk of Dubai’s loans has appeased some of the trepidation, but not entirely. There are growing concerns in the region that Dubai’s troubles will somehow spill over into neighboring economies and affect the lives of average Joes who have never even visited the fallen Gulf emirate. It goes without saying that India will be hard hit by a drastic plunge in remittances by expatriate Indian workers in Dubai. There may be a rise in unemployment among Arab expatriates, but some will likely find other opportunities in Saudi Arabia or Qatar, whose economies are not based on borrowed cash. As for Iraq, most local experts are unfazed. According to one Iraqi economist, Dubai’s credit default will not affect the Iraqi economy, which does not have significant investments in Dubai’s stock markets. “Economic relations between Iraq and Dubai are commercial, rather than financial,” said the head of the economic studies department in the Center for Gulf Studies at Basra University. Iraqi and Kurdish financial culture is still very much based on saving up in gold, investing in property or hiding money in a

safe place - usually not a bank. Banks lost their credibility years ago during the many wars fought by the previous Iraqi regime. Local society is only now starting to reconsider the concept of personal banking. A stock exchange does not yet exist in the Kurdistan Region, and the Baghdad Stock Exchange is out of reach for the everyday man in the big Kurdish cities of Erbil or Slemani. Moreover, it bears remembering that it was Dubai that benefited financially from the US-led war on Iraq, serving as a major port of trans-shipment for goods and services. The extent Iraq or even the relatively prosperous Kurdistan Region benefited from the Dubai “boom” is questionable. Although the Kurdistan Regional Government had frequently made reference to its ambitions to emulate the phenomenal success of Dubai, apart from frenzied construction in the regional capital Erbil, Kurdistan’s economy has little else in common

There are concerns in the region that Dubai’s troubles will spill over into nearby economies and affect the lives of people who’ve never even visited the fallen Gulf emirate. with the beleaguered sheikhdom. Much of the construction activity is actually dominated by Turkish firms, and little if any of this is done on credit. The Dubai crisis may have one positive impact on the Kurdistan Region if it serves as a model whose mistakes Kurdish leaders can learn from in building up their semi-autonomous region.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

Homegrown economy. Weaning the region off imports to aid local produce. Zheno Abdulla

produce a sufficient quantity to export. SLEMANI There are many factors as to why the eographical evalua- Kurdistan Region has remained a contions have shown that sumer nation rather than a producer one, much of the Kurdistan but politics have been the main hinRegion is fertile agri- drance. This began with the late Saddam cultural land, which - Hussein’s discriminatory policies if used properly - has the potential for against the Kurds, aimed at weakening high production and the capacity to their villages and ensuring that all the provide for the daily needs of the local agriculture, natural resources, animal repopulation. It may even fulfill the sources and tourism potential were bicountry’s plans for exports. Unfortu- ased in favor of the Arabs. “However this situation hasn’t existed nately, however, the region is not exporting as much as it should, while since the liberation in 1991 of the Kurdistan Region but it was a very hard task import rates have steadily increased. to recreate all those Last year the agricultural sources United Arab Emiin a very short rates held an exhibiThe new law on time,” said Dr. Motion for the local hammed Tofeq, a productions of a taxing all university profesnumber of counimported goods sor. tries. A delegation “The regional from the Kurdistan will help boost the government couldRegion participated n’t rely on its agrisale of local in the event, intent cultural production on impressing the produce in the locally or internainternational audiences in attendance. Kurdistan Region. tionally because the government had no The Kurdish proplan to support the duce was evaluated agricultural sector as best in quality mainly because Kurdish farmers don’t owing in large to previous unfavorable use fertilizers or other chemical sub- political impact and its continuous reliance on imported goods,” he added. stances. Tofeq explained that these imports The unfortunate fact remains, however, that the Kurdistan Region doesn’t make up the bulk of the products in the

‘Imposing any sort of tariffs on goods entering Iraq through bordercrossings needs parliament’s legislation.’

‘Exports resumed to Turkey after efforts exerted by the Northern Oil Company which managed to rehabilitate the pipeline in a short time. The Ministry is pumping 640,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) to compensate for the shortage caused by the interruption.’

DR SHALTAGH ABOUD AL MAYAH, Basra Governor, explaining the Basra Council’s decision to cease imposing tariffs on goods entering Iraq through border-crossings.

ASSEM JIHAD, Iraqi Oil Ministry Spokesman, on resumption of oil exports to the port of Ceyhan in Turkey through Kirkuk after a five-day halt due to sabotage.

‘The law will protect Iraqi products from bad policies.’ AMIRA AL BALDAWI, Member of the Iraqi Parliament’s Economic Committee, on upcoming vote over a bill to protect Iraqi products .

bazaars and are cheaper than the local goods. He also lamented that the government hasn’t implemented any procedures that would avoid reliance on imports. Greenhouses Tofeq pointed out that the last few years have seen many attempts for progression in local agricultural production. A number of greenhouses have been built that would protect the local produce; transportation of goods has improved from the villages to the cities. The creation of a law for taxing all imported goods will make the local productions cheaper and thus be sold in greater numbers. The next five years’ plan of the regional government gives much attention to the agricultural sector and experts be-

lieve that this will help transform the region from a consumer society to a productive, self-sufficient one. “Our villages started from zero because the villages were razed to the ground. Fortunately the Kurdistan Region became somewhat productive after the government set a strong plan for improving the agricultural sector through the agricultural ministry,” said Jalal Abdulla Saed, a member of the Kurdistan Parliament. “They provided grains for the farmers and land owners so that they produce 500,000,000 tons of grains till 2012, which will fulfill the region’s needs. The Kurdistan Region’s orchards are providing 60 to 65 percent of the region’s fruit and vegetable needs through nearly 2,000 greenhouses in the Slemani area

‘Basra is qualified to be a main hub for investors because of its strategic position and its huge natural wealth...’

‘Following the improvement in the security situation, we have started to consider some alternatives by signing contracts with General Electric and Siemens to add 11,000 megawatts to the national grid...’

JABAR AMEEN JABER, Chairman of the Basra Council, on Basra’s potential as an economic hub

‘Reviving the Iraqi economy would be achieved only through rehabilitation of the infrastructure to serve development projects...’ RAFIE AL ISSAWI, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, on the need to finance SMEs in Iraq.

KAREEM WAHEED, Minister of Electricty, calling on new Iraqi ambassadors to the world to encourage investors to play a more prominent role in the Iraqi electricity sector.

alone,” added Saed. Saed explained that for providing meat of all kinds, the government has given 100,000,000 Iraqi Dinars (ID) to the banks to give as loans without advantages for those who have projects and modern systems to domestic animals, producing milk and producing white meat locally. US$12m for poultries “In Kurdistan there are 300 kinds of projects of domestic birds for which the government has provided US$12 million to reconstruct their poultries. There has also been noticeable progress in honey production in the region. The government has a plan for the next few years to make great changes in local productions,” said Saed

‘Economic relations between Iraq and Dubai are commercial, rather than financial.’ HEAD OF ECONOMIC STUDIES at Basra University, claiming that Dubai’s credit default will not affect the Iraqi economy.

‘This is a good and significant year for Iraq. We will see the Iraqi economy progressing well and reaching a steady stage during this year. We have to deal with corruption...’ CHRISTOPHER HILL, US Ambassador in Iraq.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

Culture FILMS

MUSIC

LITERATURE

INSIDE

The writing on the walls of Kurdistan BRWA AB. MAHMUD IN SLEMANI

HERITAGE

How to make Kifta Kiftay Koraw is not only delicious but also helps regulate digestion. Preparation time: 30 minutes Yields: Four main-dish servings Cooking time: 45 minutes Making the shell * 2 cups of Burgul * 2 cups of cream of weat * 1 cup of ground beef * Salt and pepper Combine seasoning, Burgul and cream wheat. Mix well. Add ground beef, and water. Turn into soft pastry and make small ball shapes. Fillings

Iraqis living in Jordan or simply visiting the country no longer have to starve as Zarzur provides them with a taste of home with Iraqi cuisines.

For kebab and country An Egyptian-owned Iraqi restaurant in Amman serves up a taste of home to desperate expats. Darya Ibrahim AMMAN hen one is far from their homeland, one is invariably faced with the challenge of integration into one’s adopted country. It is not easy to adapt to new customs, a new culture and a new climate. But for the Middle Easterner in exile, what can probably be the most difficult is to adapt to a new cuisine for nothing can ever beat the taste of home cooking. And for many, finding a place abroad that provides ‘home cooking’ can be a truly emotional experience. Many Iraqi families left their homeland for Jordan after the US-led invasion. Although the Arab surrounds filled some gaps, finding a place that served genuine Iraqi cuisine was not easy. But just as their waistline was getting smaller, an Iraqi restaurant was found and all was right with the world again. “We tried hard to adjust to Jordanian food but we couldn’t eat it. Once or twice we tried to remove some of the ingredients that were used in the food but it didn’t change the taste,” recounted Ali Abbas, a 26-yearold Iraqi. “We even tried to convince the owner of

the restaurant to prepare something else to which he responded: “If this is what you are like, why did you leave Iraq?” Although this statement hurt, perhaps it was true. Maybe it is a good idea to bring our own cook with us next time!” Imam Baiyati is a 28 year old Iraqi in Jordan who concurred with Abbas. Since Jordan is a tourist country and serves a variety of foods, they should also serve Iraqi cuisines, he says, because a large number of Iraqis live there and even more have traveled to the country in recent years. “Fortunately most of the Jordanian restaurants directed us to the one Iraqi restaurant that exists here. It was hard for us to go a few hundred miles in order to have a meal, but we had no other option. My friends and I lost a lot of weight which is not a bad thing,” said Baiyati, half joking. Naji Tahham, an Egyptian national living in Jordan, is the owner of Zarzur restaurant in Amman. He named his restaurant after a restaurant in Baghdad because it serves exclusively Iraqi food. Tahham has many stories of groups of Iraqi visitors who visited his restaurant eager to eat. “Most of the Iraqi visitors do not like the food in Amman so they search for some real Iraqi food here,” said Tahham, while he was busy preparing food for a group of Iraqi youths in the restaurant.

Most of those foods which are served in Zarzur are fried or barbequed meats like kebab, meat tikka and chicken tikka but with an Iraqi flavor, which has ensured that the restaurant is always buzzing with customers. Most Iraqis are of the opinion that Jordanian food is prepared with onions, vegetables and other ingredients that change the flavor of the meal, but Iraqi food is prepared simply and has the original flavor of the ingredients used. “Those who prepare foods here in Jordan are Iraqis who have come from Baghdad, especially the kebab makers. Those who come to eat always ask for the Iraqi kebab. We have two kinds of kebab, the simple one and ‘mahshi’ (a mixture of meat and chicken) which is prepared with some vegetables,” said Tahham. According to the Egyptian restaurateur, Iraqi residents in Jordan head to these kinds of restaurants because of their love for their homeland. “The name of our restaurant is the same as in Baghdad so they come here with the thought that they are sitting there in Baghdad and they talk about their memories,” he says. The favorite meal in Kurdistan for a great majority of Kurds is ‘brinj and shilla (rice and stew) which cannot be found easily in

* 11/4 lbs lean (90%) ground beef * 1/3 c. loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped, * 1 mid. onion (6-8oz) chopped * 1/3 c. raisins (optional) * 1/3 c. almonds * Salt and pepper * 2 tablespoons olive oil * 1/2 teaspoon allspice * 1 teaspoon cumin

Amman either. If one searches hard enough, they may just strike lucky in an Egyptian restaurant but granted it won’t be the same as mom’s homemade brinj and shilla. Pishtiwan Muhammad, a 29-year-old Iraqi Kurd, had many problems adjusting to the culinary culture during his month-long stay in Amman. “Since I have been in Amman I ate brinj and shilla twice and that was in an Egyptian restaurant but it was nowhere close to my mother’s cooking,” he lamented.

Cook beef in 10" skillet until well browned add oil stirring to break up meat. Stir in onion, parsley, raisins, and almonds and then add spices. Mix well for about five minutes. Let cool for a while. Shaping kifta Flatten the dough in a palm of your hand and fill it with the filling make them into ball shape. 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry small onion for two or three minutes. In a pot on low heat combine two cups of yoghurt with 3 cups of water. Bring to boil. Add salt, pepper and dried or fresh chopped mint, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice add ready made Kifta balls and heat to boil cover the pot for 15 min. then uncover the pot and cook for another 20 min. until it is cooked through and the kiftas are tender. Sprinkle with thyme. It can be served alone or with other dishes. — BY GALAWIZH H. RASHID

“In Slemani when you order this, the waiter brings you your favorite shilla with the rice and this is all included in the price but here it is different. Your order of shilla is another order and extra money as shilla is a different food from brinj and shilla!” griped Muhammad. “I think 99 percent of those who eat here are Iraqis and most of them tell me about their suffering in Jordan. I'm very proud of my restaurant and I am pleased I can be of service to my Iraqi brothers,” said Tahham.

The Iraqi Kebab is one of the most asked for dishes at Zarzur.

Up the wall So it shall be written so it shall be read. Brwa Ab. Mahmud SLEMANI here are two statements which people often find on most of their neighbors’ walls, and it either says ‘do not put your garbage here’ or ‘do not park here’. Few people pay attention to the writing on the wall however politely or simply the message is conveyed. But when the writer resorts to rude language or threats, it is a different matter. Consider the following: ‘Whoever puts garbage here is an ass’. Whether bonafide advertisement or hand-scrawled graffiti, the message is conveyed more efficiently if the reader’s curiosity is tweaked. Apart from the political and commercial slogans which cover most Iraqi cities, there are many other kinds of writing that catch the eye. The latest trend is not about selling a product, giving warnings or venting personal frustrations. Rather, it seems intent on imparting positive energy and optimism. For example, on the wall opposite a social club in Slemani is marked in large colorful script: ‘Life is very nice.’ Some of the greatest witticism can be

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

found on the walls of public toilets. People write jokes, political slogans, proverbs and many more. There are the old romantics who inscribe their memories and dates of encounters of love on trees. But this token of traditional affection has been overshadowed by the emerging numbers of individual rappers and rap groups who are leaving their symbols and logos in a variety of places. More often than not most people do not understand what they mean or who they are talking about. 2Pac, Eminem, the King R and the Black Wolves have yet to become familiar celebrities with Kurds in Slemani. There are also those who distort the artistic nature of graffiti by writing cuss words on school walls. In the revolutionary period during the late 1970s through to the early 1990s there were people who made it their job to write slogans on the walls. This risky job could cost them their life if ever they were caught. Back in those days most of the slogans on the walls were to encourage the public to

stand against the Baath regime, to strengthen the peoples' patriotism and make people aware of Kurdish rights. Slogans made from verses of the revolutionary poems of Fayeq Bekas for example said ‘O my land! I'm fascinated by you and I remember your shape when I'm in prison and cuffs are on my feet’, ‘Liberty for Kurdistan’ and ‘the aim is Kirkuk and Khanaqin or we will fight till the end.’ The other slogans were about the beautiful game and the football teams around the city. Every team had written their team’s name and logo on their walls and even then most of the names were revolutionary names like ‘kolnadaran’ the unbreakables, ‘peshawa’ leader, ‘ranjdaran, the laborers and ‘koshish’ struggle. It is apt to compare the writings on the walls now with those of some two decades ago. Once upon a time, the thrust of all writings was about Kurdish rights and nationalism. Now, it is about the latest rap group. The winds of time have swept through the Kurdistan Region indeed.

The wall opposite the Social Club in Slemani says it all.

(photo by Aram Eissa)

Spinning tales Villages still produce goat hair suits. Roshna Rasool SLEMANI nitting plays an important role in Kurdish society and although the Kurdistan Region has yet to produce a designer label, making clothes in the region still requires a level of professionalism and adequate equipment. Sheep’s wool and goat’s hair are used to produce textile items. The wool is spun on a spindle and ‘distaff’ mostly by women who want their essentials to be hand made. “Using the wool of sheep and goats, one can make many things, such as socks, vests, prayer mats, and a rug called ‘jajim’. The yarn has to be thin. With thicker yarn, one can make tents and a stone throwing device used by children called ‘jawal’,” said Amina Jalal, a housewife. Making clothes is a common handicraft done in the villages of the Kurdistan Region, and sheep and goat’s wool is often used to make men’s traditional Kurdish clothing called the ‘biziw’ or ‘shal’ suit, which can be very rough on the skin. Nazdar Azad, another housewife, explained the process: “Spinners first wash the wool and leave it to dry in a well ventilated area. Once it has dried, it is combed over with a special type of comb to separate the wool threads. They are then bound on the ‘distaff’ and spun into threads using the spin-

dle.” The thread is then rolled into a ball of yarn and placed in cold water for 24 hours so that the thread keeps its shape and doesn’t come loose, she added. The next step is to give the yarn its color, after which it is placed in a loom and woven into fabric by the ‘jola’ (the weaver). In Kurdish folklore, this process is considered an art. In many villages, this traditional weaving is also a source of income. “Some of the ‘baziw’ suits are now made in China and obviously differ from the traditional suits as they are not made of real goat hair. The ones made in Kurdistan are more expensive as they are handmade with higher quality fabric,” he said. Mass produced Chinese Kurdish traditional suits cost a mere US$40 whereas the real goat’s hair suits range between US$200 and US$600. The suits are worn for religious, national and personal ceremonies, and are worn by all ages. The suits are available in grey, brown and white. Khidir Bakir Khayat, a tailor said that while there are very few people that do not own a Kurdish suit, “there are very few people that have the ‘baziw’ type since it is pricier and rough on the skin.” The suits are less popular among the youth nowadays and only worn on very special occasions, such as Nawroz.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

Lifestyle DINING

FASHION

INTERIORS

COMPILED BY AWARA JUMAA N IN ERBIL JEN A. SAGERMA IN SLEMANI

LEISURE

As modernity seeps into everyday life in Kurdistan, affluent young Kurds find ways to reconcile global trends with tradition. As 2009 comes to a close, the Kurdistan Region has good cause to celebrate in ushering a new year. The housing crisis will diminish as construction projects near completion, developments in the health sector mean one need not rush abroad for treatment, and a new cinema theater will revolutionize leisure. Lifestyle, a vista to an emerging society, offers a glimpse.

IN FOCUS

Larger than life he older residents of Slemani can remember the thrill of watching a film at one of the cities two cinemas, Goyzha and Sirwan or even going to the old summertime open air cinema; but unfortunately those are long gone. Young film lovers have had to make to do with counterfeit DVDs or a TV showing interrupted by countless adverts. However, the big screen has finally returned to Slemani. Slemani is now home to the first modern cinema in the Kurdish region. Located in the Serchinar area of the city, the ‘City Centre Cinema’ opened over the Eid festival and had over 4,000 customers in its first two weeks. Yad A Abdul Kadir, CEO of City Centre Cinema, is excited that the people of Slemani will now be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of seeing the latest Hollywood releases on the big screen. The cinema currently has two 95-seat cinemas, and another two are due to open in time for the Nawroz festival in March. The cinemas are finished to a high standard, with comfortable seating, Dolby Surround Sound and plenty of popcorn. Kadir reveals that they worked through the night to make sure they had ironed out all the kinks in time for the holiday opening. The two screens also have VIP rows

The grand opening of the City Centre Cinema introduces a new generation of Kurds to the joys of viewing films on the big screen, rather than at home via pirated DVDs.

The Kurdistan Region’s one and only ice skating rink is drawing in crowds.

that for an extra 2000ID gets you the best seat in the house with extra leg room and bigger chairs. Kadir enthuses that when the two larger screens open in the Spring, they will have ‘super VIP’ areas that offer separate lift access to the VIP balcony seats. The cinema is to be the centrepiece of a leisure complex that will include a franchise of Italian coffee chain ‘Café Barbara’, a branch of US juice bar ‘Froots’ and a large branch of the Lebanese chain ‘Safadi’, a small boutique hotel is also being built on the site. Kadir laments the various problems during the building, such as a nearby dam bursting its barrier and flooding the entire site and equipment, or the late arrival of the ticket machines. In order to meet customer demands for food with their films, they will open a Sharwarma cafe before the New Year. The parking lot of the cinema is lined with posters of the upcoming film releases. Kadir proudly points out that Kurdistan will only lag behind Dubai by one or two weeks for release dates. Kadir has signed distribution deals with many of the big film houses including Walt Disney, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros and Columbia Pictures, who provided the opening blockbuster ‘2012’. He adds that he is currently trying to sign a

deal Universal Pictures who have just released the second instalment of the ‘Twilight Saga’ which has gripped Kurdish youths. Kadir goes on to say that for him it is not a purely commercial venture, that he hopes the opening of the cinema will help to revitalize Kurdish cinema. He says: “There are a lot of Kurdish films being made at the moment, but there has been nowhere to show them, which is a real shame.” The films currently being shown are all in English, but some Arabic ones will also be shown. The films are currently shown without Kurdish subtitles. “Of course we want to put subtitles so that everyone can enjoy the films fully, but at the same time we want the subtitles to be of a good quality, and it has been a big problem to find reliable and accurate translators,” says Kadir. The cinema is due to launch its website soon, which will detail film times and ticket prices. The cinema has been well received by locals. “It was great to see a film on the big screen, the special effects were amazing,” says Slemani resident Naz Rashid. “It’s the first time I’ve been to the cinema!” — BY LARA FATAH IN SLEMANI

Dancing on ice

Scent of a woman

An ice rink in the Kurdistan Region's capital is drawing in crowds. It has only opened in the last five months based on a German system of such leisure places. It is the first of its kind in the Kurdistan Region. It costs 5,000 Iraqi Dinars (ID) to skate for two hours and 1,000 ID to stand on the rink side and watch others. All ages go but it is more popular among youngsters and foreigners. Inside the arena, there is a cafeteria serving drinks, burgers and pizzas. There is a DJ playing western music to add to the atmosphere. It is very cold so one should dress warm otherwise the North Pole like temperatures will have you leaving the arena faster than you can say ‘skate’!

For those who love their perfumes and colognes and have found it difficult to find originals in the Kurdistan Region, look no further than Zagros Supermarket, which boasts a wide selection of designer perfumes to suit all budgets. It has become more common to find designer perfumes and gift sets in Slemani but their authenticity is sometimes dubious. Designer make up has also made its way into the market as demand has risen for quality cosmetics. Zagros has become a popular place to purchase designer scents. Perfumes are always a great gift choice and a good place to purchase it as there is also free gift wrapping because every little bit helps.

Designer perfume lovers need look no further than Zagros Supermarket.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

HISTORY ‘The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire’ Maureen McLuckie LONDON This is a book about the small nations of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and Russia and some other post-Soviet states of today. It was published in Estonian in 1991 and in English in 2001. The foreword of the book explains the book's approach by saying, “the authors of the present book, who come from a country (Estonia) which has shared the fate of nations in the Russian and Soviet empires, endeavour to publicize the plight of the small nations whose very existence is threatened as a result of recent history.” The book can be downloaded http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/index1.shtml

KURDS Self-designation. The Kurds of Caucasia and Central Asia have been cut off for a considerable period of time and their development in Russia and then in the Soviet Union has been somewhat different. In this light the Soviet Kurds may be considered to be an ethnic group in their own right. It is also worth mentioning that the name Kurd is officially used only in the Soviet Union, in Turkey they are called Turkish Highlanders and in Iran Persian Highlanders. The Kurdish name for themselves is kurmandzh. Habitat. In Transcaucasia the Kurds live in enclaves among the main population: in Armenia mainly in Aparan, the Talin and Echmiadzin regions and in settlements in eight other regions; in Azerbaijan mainly in the west, in the regions of Lyaki, Kelbadjar, Kubatly and Zangelan; in Georgia the Kurds have mainly settled in towns or live scattered in the eastern part. Some Kurds live in the republics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Their oldest habitat is in the south of Turkmenia along the Iranian border, many of them live also in Ashkhabad, in the town and region of Mary. Population. In 1939 the number of Kurds registered in the Soviet Union was 76,000, according to the 1959 census this number had decreased to 59,000 (26,000 in Armenia, 16,000 in Georgia and more than 14,000 in Central Asia and Kazakhstan). At the time of the 1979 census there were 51,000 Kurds in Armenia, 26,000 in Georgia, but no data for Azerbaijan. In 1983 the number of Kurds in the Soviet Union was 130,000. Kurdish is an Indo-European language which belongs to the northwestern Iranian branch and is divided into several dialects. The Kurds of Caucasia and Central Asia speak the kurmandzh dialect, but the language of the Central-Asian Kurds, especially those of Turkmenia, is somewhat different. Bilingualism is wide-spread. Usually the second language is that of the host country but younger people, especially in towns, speak also Russian. The Caucasian Kurds

have their own script. Anthropologically the Kurds belong to the Balkano-Caucasian Caspian type of the European race akin to the Azerbaijanis, Tats, Talysh etc. The anthropological type of the Central-Asian Kurds has not been thoroughly studied but they are related to the Iranian Europeans (Iranian Kurds). Religion. In the main, the Kurds are followers of Islam. The Armenian Kurds are Sunnites, the Central-Asian and Azerbaijani, Shiite. Kurds-Yezidis in Armenia and Georgia are a distinctive ethnic group. Their religion is based on Mazdeism, the dualistic religion of ancient Persians, which incorporates also elements of Judaism and Christianity. Yezidis have been called the worshippers of the Devil. Because of their religious rites the Yezidis were despised by the rest of Kurds and lived in isolation. Sometimes they have been considered to be a separate people, at least for the census of

1926 when the number of Yezidis in the Soviet Union was recorded as 15,000. Their base is in Iraq. History. It is not known when the Kurds first appeared in Caucasia but single tribes were there from time to time, possibly on the look-out for better pastures. From the 10th to the 12th century the area between the rivers Kura and Araks was ruled by a Shaddadid dynasty of Kurdish ancestry. A more extensive resettlement of Kurds, from Kurdistan into Transcaucasia, started only at the beginning of the 19th century, after the incorporation of Transcaucasia into Russia. Relations between the Kurds and the Persian and Turkish authorities had always been extremely bad, the Kurds were cruelly persecuted and exterminated by the thousand (a situation that has not improved even by the end of the 20th century), a situation which led some Kurdish tribes and smaller groups to try and find refuge in Russia. They were allocated land and villages which, for one reason or another, had become uninhabited. For example, 600 families settled in Karabakh in 1807. The number of migrants

increased steadily until the first decades of the 20th century. The Armenians and Kurds were granted certain resettlement privileges after the Russian-Persian wars (1804--1813 and 1826--1828), especially after the Turkmanchai Treaty of 1828. The majority of Kurds settled in Armenia after the Crimean War of 1853--1855 and after the RussianTurkish War of 1877--1878. The influx of Yezidi Kurds from Turkey into East-Armenia, i.e. present-day Armenia, was especially large. They came to escape religious persecution. The Yezidis also fled to Armenia during World War I, to escape mass extermination (together with the Western Armenians who had stayed on in Turkey), and to a lesser extent to Georgia from 1917 to 1918. As to the Central-Asian Kurds, it is known that a big group of them settled there at the end of the 19th century arriving from the Khurasan Province of East-Persia, however, they had been preceded by smaller groups. The Kurds came to Turkmenia to find unclaimed land but sometimes also to escape starvation. Demarcated by origin, faith and habitat, there are three big Kurdish communities: the Kurds of Azerbaijan (mostly settling from Persia at the beginning of the 19th century), the Kurds of Armenia (mostly from Turkey but partly from Persia after the beginning of the 18th century) and the Kurds of Georgia (mostly from Turkey and Armenia). Until the 20th century livestock breeding was of primary importance in the socio-economic life of the Transcaucasian Kurds. It shaped the whole life and culture of the community. A nomadic or semi-nomadic life was the norm until the establishment of Soviet power in 1920. Each tribe had its own herding routes -- in spring up to the mountain pastures, in autumn down again. The Kurds were famous as herdsmen in Caucasia and in the whole Near East (sheep, cattle, horses). Land was cultivated in valleys and on the lowlands; more popularly among the Mountain Kurds of Azerbaijan. Occasionally some Kurds gave up their nomadic life and settled in villages as farmers. Usually the pastureland was state-owned and the Kurds had to pay rent. Often, the lands were on long-term private lease, for example in the hands of Russian generals, who also pocketed the land tax. The archaic tribal system and way of life was preserved longest by the nomadic herders who fervently maintained the old customs. The Yezidis were especially conservative. The nomadic herders for a long time retained the black-cover Kurdish tent. In winter and in permanent settlements the farmers lived, just like other ethnic groups, in traditional earth dwellings or even caves dug into the mountain sides. Low clay and stone houses used to be built, in which the living quarters were under the same roof with the cowshed and stable. It was a feature peculiar to the Kurds to have no walled-in courtyard. Neither had they any gardens as the Yezidi faith banned vegetable growing. The most noticeable external change of sovietization had taken place in the type of dwelling. Now the Kurds live in standardized units. Some distinctive features still remain; in the Ararat Valley Kurdish houses differ from those of the locals by the absence of a terrace and a wine-press room.

Baghdad now and then

ANWAR M. QARADAGHI

FLASHBACKS or the name of Baghdad, 'Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, alleges that there have been several rival proposals as to its etymology. The most reliable among these is that the name is a Kurdish and Turkish compound of Bagh "garden" + dad "fair", translating to "The fair garden", or Sanskrit compound of Bag(a) "god" + dād "given", translating to "God-given" or "God's gift". Another proposal is that the name comes from Middle Persian Bāgh-dād "The Given Garden". The name is pre-Islamic and the origins are unclear. As to the Mideast & N. Africa Encyclopedia, it states that "the etymology of the name is not clear. It is not of Arabic origin; it may be a combination of two Persian words, bag and dad, which together mean gift of God. Others suggest that the name existed before the time of Hammurabi as the name Baghdadu. Records of Baghdad's early history before Islam are sketchy. There are some indications that in the late period of the Sassanid and at the time of the Islamic conquest of Iraq, Baghdad was a small village next to major cities such as Ctesiphone of Sassanide. Moreover, Encyclopedia Britannica states that Baghdad is "Located on the Tigris River, the site has been settled from ancient times. It rose to importance after being chosen in ad 762 by Caliph al-Man ūr (r. 754– 775) as the capital of the Abbāsid dynasty." That much for documented old history, however, it is an established fact that Baghdad has been the capital city, and the leading center of economy, culture and learning in Iraq. It has also been the hub of movements within and out of the country. For the Kurdistan Region, this changed recently when two international airports were built in Erbil and Slemani. It is well known that Iraq, as a country, was established in 1921 under British control based on their interests through a systematic suppression of mostly Kurdish national aspirations. While Baghdad, as the capital of the country, has in general, been the source of bliss and joy, it has also un-

fortunately been the cause of continuous frustration and suffering, particularly for the Kurds, during the almost 40 years of Baath rule. Like many others in the country, I have had my share of differing memories of Baghdad. On and off, my family and I have spent around 30 years there. We left Baghdad to Slemani just before the bombing commenced in 2003. But I personally had to frequent Baghdad a few times more until the middle of 2004 and once or twice later till last October when we visited Baghdad for a week, mainly to find a buyer for our house. As a result, we formed some observations. To begin with, the road from Kirkuk to Baghdad seemed to be much safer than a couple of years ago. This is mainly due to many additional checkpoints. Though these delay the travel, they reassure passengers of their safety. In Baghdad, we found that both running water and electricity power were available. The public supply of electricity plus a couple of hours of private generators' lasted all night long and some hours during the day. Shops and supplies were very satisfactory and comparative prices of things were 10-15 percent lower than in Slemani. The weather, while we were there, was very agreeable. The garbage collectors visit the houses two to three times a week. In general, places look relatively cleaner. Construction, both public and private, is on the increase. The dilapidated infrastructure is slowly being rebuilt. However, unemployment and poverty are still very noticeable, particularly among the youth, most of whom must work very menial jobs. People sell unnecessary portions of their houses' lands with the consequence that accommodation units in general, perhaps just like Slemani, are becoming smaller in area. Though the once thriving social clubs have reopened, not many people frequent them and vibrant night life is no more. Contact is mostly maintained through cell phones. Movements of people are mostly confined to essential places. In view of lack of reliable statistics, these statements are of necessity only generalizations. There is a need to carry out the expected general census and elections fairly and transparently. Regrettably, these issues are not always determined in the interest of the people as a whole, but rather on their likely impact on specific sectors, who may have the authority for the decision making process. Nevertheless, people wait and tend to look optimistic and hope for better things to happen in the not too distant future.

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

SOCIETY| &

LIFE TIMES

A theatre production of ‘The women’s bathhouse’.

(photo by Aram Eissa)

A recognition award for singer Hamae Nergiz.

(photo by Aram Eissa)

A performance by Groupi Hunari Mili in the Culture Hall in Slemani. (photos by Aram Eissa)

As 2009 comes to a close, Kurdistan’s cultural agenda has been brimming with dance shows, art expos and even award ceremonies recognizing various artists’ lifetime achievements. Happy 2010!

A project on Kurdish colors at the Contemporary Museum.

(photo by Aram Eissa)

SOMA’s own Director of Design in the Jarash Bazaar in Jordan picking out gifts for the rest of the SOMA crew.

(photo by Rebeen Ahmed)

Issue no.65 Dec 18 - 31, 2009

The teahouse is a popular Kurdish institution, where wisemen (or, wiseguys) gather every evening to discuss life, politics and the future. Dr Sherko Abdullah lends an ear to the talk, and reports what Bayiz and Jwamer had to say... JWAMER Hurry up Bayiz, or we’ll be late for the ceremony. BAYIZ Leave me alone, Jwamer. I’m in a bad mood. JWAMER Rest assured, my friend. It’s not a political event. We’re invited to a social ceremony.

BAYIZ Mostly black. I get them from these newspapers. Wanna see? JWAMER No thanks I have allergies to such ideas.

BAYIZ Go alone please, I hate ceremonies.

JWAMER Change the channel to the Animal Planet.

JWAMER I know that, but where is it? Let’s go.

BAYIZ Animal Planet, what is that?

BAYIZ I think it is too late. Let’s finish our discussion.

JWAMER It is where the strong eats the weak.

JWAMER What was our discussion?

At the chaikhana

JWAMER No, I can’t leave you here, so sad.

BAYIZ Our discussion is endless... JWAMER Bayiz, are you okay?

Indeed. Turkey taught us that lesson.

It’s never too late to solve any problem. BAYIZ I’ll be okay. I have these newspapers to read. JWAMER Ah, they’ll only worsen your mood.

BAYIZ Yeah, it was just another black idea.

BAYIZ You’re right. The news here gets uglier and uglier.

JWAMER Bayiz, you must visit a doctor. Little by little you are getting detached from reality.

JWAMER That’s precisely why I cannot leave you.

BAYIZ That’s not such a bad thing. Kidding! Now let’s go.

BAYIZ Can I tell you something friendly?

JWAMER Where? To the doctor?

JWAMER Friendly? Is there anything friendly? BAYIZ Yes, of course. We have friendly fire.

BAYIZ No, to the ceremony! It’s never too late for anything. Not even for solving the Kurdish issue.

JWAMER Are you sick, Bayiz?

BAYIZ Me too.

BAYIZ Just like here?

JWAMER I agree, but who taught you that?

BAYIZ I think so. I’m feverish with ideas.

JWAMER So don’t read anything or else your ideas will remain blocked.

JWAMER What do you mean by ‘here’?

BAYIZ Turkey, my friend. Turkey.

BAYIZ But they come through the TV.

BAYIZ ‘Here’ is the adverb of place.

JWAMER Congratulations. What are these ideas like?

Dr Sherko Abdullah is editor of Sekhurma Cartoon magazine.