The Holy Month of Ramadan re-

vives the spirit of compassion

and giving, compelling the rich

segment of society to dig deep

into their pockets and share

their wealth with the less fortunate.

Handing out meals is one typical prac-

tice to help the poor break their fast with

hearty traditional Kurdish dishes. Often,

the meals are offered anonymously so

that recipients never learn who was their

benefactor. It is a condition of charity in

Islam as per the saying: “Do the charity

with the right hand without the left hand

knowing.”

Even those Muslims who do not fast

during this month are instilled with the

overwhelming community spirit and par-

ticipate in charitable deeds. During the

Holy Month, therefore, it is common to

find individuals who are accustomed to

large houses, flashy cars and an abun-

dance of wealth, sparing a moment to

sympathize with those that work incredi-

bly longs hours just to put a meal on the

table. It becomes a helpful means of

bridging the great divide, at least for one

month in the year, between Kurdistan’s

elites and the deplorably impoverished

masses.

There are particular locations in the city

of Slemani that are known to attract the

poor of society, those that have sporadic

incomes tend to gather in these places.

These mostly include foreigner workers,

laborers, the handicapped and those who

are simply poor. It is in these poverty

stricken neighborhoods that the charitable

warmth of Ramadan has been extended

every evening for the past month.

The rich prepare the sunset meal for

these people, with the knowledge that

they will be rewarded with blessings for

their deeds. Tens of people line in long

queues eagerly awaiting their food most

of whom have been refraining from food

and drink for the whole day. The donors

do not discriminate as the meal is pre-

pared for everyone who is in that neigh-

borhood, even for those who have not

been fasting.

Nothing short of a feastThe meal given out is nothing short of

a feast, made up of traditional Kurdish

cuisine of rice, stew and some form of

meat, in addition to bread and water. Fruit

is provided as dessert. Giving a hungry

person a warm meal is one of the best

charitable deeds a person can undertake

and when it is done during a holy period

of the year, the rewards are said to be

greater.

In addition to these food donations in

less well off neighborhoods, a feast is

served in the mosques of the city as Mus-

lims, predominately men, go break their

fast there and perform the evening prayer.

On a daily basis, hundreds of poor peo-

ple are benefiting from the charitable ges-

tures of the rich especially in areas near to

the Great Mosque.

Eid Mubarak

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009Price $1

Standoff with SyriaMediation by neighboring states to

help ease tensions between Iraq and

Syria may prove more practical than

waiting for an international tribunal.

REGION page 3

Generation 9/11Eight years on, then-grade schoolers

reflect on the consequences of the

greatest terror attack of this century.

COMMUNITY page 6

Breaking old

taboosThe most forward-looking

government Turkey has ever come

out with takes historic steps to solve

the country’s decades’old ‘Kurdish

question.’

VIEWS page 11

The new frontierJust as US forces withdraw from

Iraq, the US chamber of commerce

urges investors to explore prospects

in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

BUSINESS page 13

Urban dreamsExpansion work is in progress across

Kurdish region to meet needs of

growing population.

BUSINESS page 14

www.soma-digest.com

editor@soma-digest.com

Friedman onKurdish

democracy

An acquiredtaste?

A Kurdishholiday

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

FROM NY TO ERBIL

REGION page 5

HEADS UP

COMMUNITY page 17

HAMILTON’S ROAD

COMMUNITY page 7

INSIDE: Toxi-cities, by Agri Ismail p.8 The democratization of violence, by Dr Joseph Kechichian p.10 Manifest solidarity, by Dr Harry Hagopian p.12

Instilled with the spirit of giving, Kurdistan’s rich offermeals to the needy.

The Christians of the city of Slemani gathered on the evening of 14 September atMar Yusuf Church to celebrate the annual Festival of the Cross. The bonfire ismeant to symbolize the finding of the cross. (photo by Aram Eissa)

Brwa Ab. Mahmud

SLEMANI

An Arab-Kurdish dispute in the

northern province of Ninewa

may be contained, says Barzan

Saeed, head of the local council of the

majority Kurdish district of Makhmoor.

Saeed and others have threatened to set

up a ‘substitute government’ over major-

ity Kurdish towns and districts unless

their demands are met.

The Kurdish Ninewa Brotherhood List

has boycotted the provincial administra-

tion controlled by the Sunni-Arab Al

Hadba List, since the latter won the

largest share of votes in the provincial

polls on 31 January. Prior to the elections,

the Brotherhood List was in power, but

the outcome of the polls turned the tide

in favor of the Sunni Arab constituency.

Saeed and other Kurdish leaders claim

that the new provincial council is biased

to Sunni Arabs and the province has be-

come a base for insurgents and terrorists.

Ninewa’s Arabs explain that their chief

concern is over Kurdish aspirations to

annex parts of Ninewa province.

full report on page 4

Dispute in Ninewa may becontained - official

For richerfor poorer

FESTIVAL OF THE CROSS

2 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

STAFFPUBLISHING HOUSE: Khak Press & Media CenterMANAGING EDITOR: Tanya GoudsouzianDEPUTY EDITOR: Lawen A SagermaCOLUMNISTS: Dr Sherko Abdullah, Agri Ismail, Dr JosephKechichian, Maureen McLuckie, Dr Denise Natali, Anwar M. QaradaghiCONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Zheno Abdulla, Iason Athanasiadis,Karokh Bahjat, Linda Berglund, Devanjan Bose (New Delhi), IlnurCevik (Ankara), Patrick Cockburn, Thomas Davies (Damascus), BayanEissa, Dr Rebwar Fatah (London), Basit Gharib, Dr Harry Hagopian(London), Hemin Hussein, Hewa Jaff, Fakhri Karim (Baghdad), VaniaKarim, Ali Kurdistani, Mohamad Karim Mohamad, Dastan Nouri, AmedOmar, Jamal Penjweny, Asoz L. Rashid (Baghdad), Roshna Rasool,Kurdawan Mohammad Saeed, Jen. A. Sagerma, Dr Tan Azad Salih, DrHussein Tahiri (Australia), Qubad Talabani (Washington, DC), AbdulKarim Uzery

REPORTERS: Awat Abdullah, Darya Ibrahim, Dana Hameed, HeminKakayi (Kirkuk), Saz Kamal, Barzan Kareem, Sazan Mandalawi (Erbil),Galawizh H. Rashid, Dana Rashid

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 SolutionsPRINTING 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 viewson Iraqi and Kurdish affairs. As such, all opinions and views expressedin these pages belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect theposition of the publication.

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

SOMA Digest wishes to introduce someKurdish phrases and expressions, whichthe visitor to Kurdistan will find useful.

Judy Roberts, an American schoolteacher, has been teaching English in aschool in Slemani for over a year. At theschool, she has met Aso, a Kurdish col-league, and their relationship has grownand become serious enough to result in for-mal engagement. In this episode Judy andAso discuss the social and artistic eventsof the region:

Aso: Now that the elections are over,

do you have any observations about

any other topics, my dear?

Esta kewa helbzardinekan tawaw boon,hich serinjekt heye sebaret hich ba-beteki trewa, gyanekem? Judy: Actually, I still have some about

the elections. Shall we discuss those or

do you prefer we leave them to another

opportunity and talk about some other

topics this time?

Le rastida, heshta hendi serijm sebaretbe helbzardinekan heye. Aya awane giftu go le ser awane bkain yan pet bashebo helike tr helyan grin u am jare basy

hendi babeti deke bkain?Aso: Yes, please let us defer those. Do

we have another suitable topic to talk

about now?

Bally, tkaye, be awane dwaxain. Ayababeteki tre gonjaw man heya basy estabasy bkain?Judy: Yes, I think so. Many good things

are happening in the region that deserve

to be discussed and emphasized.

Bally, Mn wa azanim. Zor shti chak leharemeke da roo deden ke shyawibaskrdin u dupat krdinewen. Aso: Such as what my dear?

Weku che gyanekem?Judy: The good place of art and music

in the region.

Pegay bashy huner u muzik in the here-meka da.Aso: And so, please go on. You know I

love to hear your views and appreciate

them.

Dey basha, tkaya, le sery bro. Tto azanimn pem xoshe gwe beesti beroke kantbm u berz ayan nerxenim.

Judy: Thank you my darling. I try to be

objective in expressing opinions about

Kurdish affairs. To me many good

things are happening in the region.

Among those are activities of art and

music.

Supas xushewistekem. Mn hewil dedem le derbrin bo chunma sebaret bekar u bari Kurd babety bm. Lae mn lehereme keda zor shty bash le rudanan.Le new awanada chalaki huner umuzika.Aso: And so, what do you wish to say

about them, dear?

Eh, enja, hez deceit che le bareyanewableit, gyane?Judy: Well, I am certain you have

noticed that the support and encourage-

ment for them are on the increase. The

city has now a new Art Palace. It is

purpose-built and comparable to very

modern places elsewhere.

Eh, mn dlneam tto serinjt dawe ke pishtgeri u handan le zor boon daye. Estashareke Koshkeky Huneri tdaye ke betaebet mandi druest krawa u shyawiberawird krdina legul shweni haw-cherxi jegay tr.

Kurdish for beginnersANWAR M. QARADAGHI

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 3

REGION|CURRENT AFFAIRS NEWS ANALYSIS&

In the run-up to the Iraqi parliamen-

tary elections set for January 2010,

tensions are simmering both inter-

nally and with neighboring coun-

tries. In the latest round of

controversy, Prime Minister Nouri Al Ma-

liki flatly accused the Syrian government

of harboring former Baath members sus-

pected of masterminding the 19 August

bombings, which claimed 97 lives and left

more than 400 wounded, when truck

bomba exploded across the street from

Iraq's Foreign and Finance Ministries.

“The history between Iraq and Syria is

filled with problems and it goes back a long

way. Tensions have risen because of Syria’s

indirect interference and support of groups

such as the Baath party who have made their

way onto Iraqi soil,” said Fryad Rawandzi,

a member of the Iraqi Parliament.

“Tensions have reached a point where Al

Maliki has asked for an international tribu-

nal following the bombings. The Iraqi gov-

ernment continues to hold Syria responsible.

Syria has requested hard evidence to prove

such an allegation that renders them guilty.”

Escalating tensions have compelled

neighboring countries, notably Turkey and

Iran, to intervene in a bid to find a peaceful

solution through dialogue. Sources say there

is no hard evidence directly linking the Syr-

ian government to the attacks.

“There is no proof that supports the claim

that the Syrian government was involved or

behind the attacks of Bloody Wednesday

but there are differing opinions as to who

was behind these attacks,” said Rawandzi.

The media has long focused on the as-

sertion that Syria has been the headquarters

of the Baath Party and is now harboring for-

mer Baath members and aiding and abet-

ting terrorist groups that are seeking to

destabilize Iraq’s democratization process.

“No doubt the Syrians are giving refuge

to Izzat Ibrahim Al Douri and other former

Baath members as well as opposition

groups that contest the new Iraq. They ask

for real evidence to implicate such groups

but there is no guarantee that even if this is

given, they will kick these perpetrators out

of their country,” conceded Rawandzi.

Izzat Ibrahim Al Douri was Saddam's

number two, the Revolutionary Command

Council Vice-Chairman in the former Iraqi

regime, and is now said to be a source of fi-

nancing for Sunni insurgents in Iraq. Media

outlets have broadcasted audiotapes of him

urging his followers to topple the Al Maliki

government after the US withdrawal.

After the 30 June withdrawal of US

troops from urban areas of Iraq, the country

has seen a rise in violence, which has tested

the capability of Iraqi forces.

With many arguing that the country’s se-

curity forces are not yet capable of handling

the situation, the US military has warned

that militant insurgents and Al Qaida are

provoking renewed bloodshed to under-

mine the public’s trust in the democratically

elected government of Nouri Al Maliki. It

is possibly for this reason that Iraq’s prime

minister has called on the international com-

munity.

“It is a natural right of Nouri Al Maliki to

ask for an international tribunal but this will

take a long time and with the parliamentary

elections set for 16 January, diplomacy is the

best way forward,” said Rawandzi.

“It is also advisable to have powerful

countries act as mediator between Iraq and

Syria to solve this problem as this would be

a faster more practical way than the interna-

tional tribunal,” added Rawandzi.

There have been significant periods with-

out large scale violence in Iraq and in par-

ticular the Iraqi capital but bombings like

those of 19 August and the high rate of fa-

talities indicate that the country is vulnerable

and that there is a power vacuum that insur-

gent groups are eager to fill. Certain analy-

sis submits that Al Maliki is trying to divert

attention from his failures in internal affairs

to Syria.

“No there is no such thing; this issue with

Syria is not a small concern but the matter of

the international tribunal will need a lot of

preparation and time which makes it less

practical,” said Rawandzi.

He explained that a number of groups

working in Iraq are remnants loyal to the

former Baath regime in addition to factions

of Al Qaida that hail from within Syria and

many have their headquarters there. The

Iraqi forces, especially after the US with-

drawal, have been criticized for their inabil-

ity to cope with the security situation,

especially at the borders where terrorists are

infiltrating the country.

“Up to now the Iraqi forces haven’t been

able to protect all its borders with its neigh-

boring countries because they have yet to

reach a level of competency that has al-

lowed them to take full control,” said

Rawandzi. He added that Iraq has requested

that Syria prevent terrorists groups from car-

rying out their activities and acknowledge

the Iraqi government and the political

process that it is undertaking.

Additional reporting by Brwa Ab.Mahmud

Standoff with Syria

Lawen A. Sagerma

SLEMANI

Mediation by neighboring statesmay prove more practical than aninternational tribunal.

Replay‘I have not held an Iraqigovernment position since1980 when I was dismissed from the Foreign Ministry. I returned to the ministryafter 2003... I have neverbeen an under-secretary ofstate. It should have beenbased on reliable evidence…’

SAAD AL HAYANI, Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan, astonished over the arrest warrant issued against him foralleged crimes against humanityduring the previous regime.

‘Iraq has historic relationswith Russia and we workto increase cooperationdomain and to implementwhat we have agreed onduring ur last visit...’

NOURI AL MALIKI, IraqiPrime Minister, reiterating Iraq’skeenness to develop bilateralrelations, mainly in electricity, oiland arming, with Russia.

In the months leading up to the next Iraqi

parliamentary elections, discussions are

taking place over doing away with the

old elections law of 2005.

“The law council and the Iraqi represen-

tative assembly have been holding many

meetings in the Iraqi parliament to discuss

those laws and principles which the new

Iraqi election law must contain,” said Hakim

Sardar from the Iraqi Independent High

Electoral Commission (IHEC).

“It seems that the majority of parliament

members are for installing the system of a

multi-member majority system.”

After the fall of the Baath regime, several

electoral systems were discussed, including

proportional representation, majority and

mixed systems. At the end, after all discus-

sions had taken place, the closed list pro-

portional representation system with the

entire country considered as a single elec-

toral district was chosen. The concerns of

inclusiveness, practicality and delays were

addressed and the requirements of the Tran-

sitional Administrative Law (TAL) which

requested that the number of parliament

seats be fixed at 275, a goal of 25 percent

representation of women and the fair repre-

sentation of minorities were included.

Sardar explained that despite ongoing ef-

forts to reach an agreement on the new law

they have reached an impasse.

“The United Nations has suggested that

the parliament finish the submission in mid

September which allows the IHEC time to

set its system properly,” said Sardar.

The United Nations has offered its tech-

nical and counseling role in the process and

ultimately wants to help the current set of

circumstances to progress.

“If the parliament is unable to reach an

agreement and submit a new law then they

are obligated to work with the old one. The

previous provincial elections will be good

experience for the new one, but the com-

mission did face some problems,” explained

Sardar.

“We are running out of time and there are

many differences in views so I don’t think

that we can all agree to submit a new law so

there is more possibility that we will work

with the old law with some modifications,”

said Ahmed Anwar, a member of the law

council of the Iraqi Parliament.

One of the problems that the IHEC faced

in the last provincial elections was that there

were some sections in the elections law that

did not allow for the political participation of

small parties or entities in the elections. The

bouts of controversy currently being fought

in the Iraqi parliament are regarding the cre-

ation of a new law with less negative points

which involves justice for all.

“The IHEC will be subject to that law that

is submitted by the parliament, whether it is

the old or new one but even the old one has

some deficiencies but it may be that time is

not on our side to change it,” said Sardar.

Another issue in the law that needs to be

resolved by parliament is what system will

be used in the elections scheduled for Janu-

ary 2010. The issue of how many votes

translate into seats in the Iraqi parliament

must also be reviewed. In the 2005 elections

the country's population was estimated at 25

million, which has since increased to 31 mil-

lion and therefore the seats in parliament

must be raised to 312 as opposed to the 275

it currently has. Minor issues pertaining to

the candidates also need clarification and so

it would appear that the preference is that

the old law be modified rather than a new

one be created for the 2010 elections.

Zheno Abdulla

SLEMANI

Talks over new election lawDo changing realities in Iraq call for a new election law ormerely amendments made to the existing one?

4 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

Barzan Saeed, administrator of the dis-

trict of Makhmoor (Qaimqam), discusses

the ongoing dispute between Kurds and

Arabs in Ninewa province. The Kurdish

Ninewa Brotherhood List has boycotted

the provincial council, controlled by the

Sunni-Arab Al Hadba List, claiming the

latter is biased toward Sunni Arabs and

has violated the rights of ethnic Kurds.

What has caused the tensions between

the Arabs and Kurds in the province of

Ninewa and in particular Makhmoor?

I wouldn’t call it problems that are be-

tween Arabs and Kurds but rather a polit-

ical problem between two lists, Al Hadba

and the Ninewa Brotherhood. The prob-

lems are deeply rooted especially in re-

gards ideology and the methods of

working that have come into play in the

city. The way that Al Hadba is running its

affairs is contrary to the united stance that

Iraq is working along today. They want to

remove Kurds from having any role to

play in the province and constantly op-

pose Kurds, which is having a detrimental

effect on the sense of brotherhood in the

city between all the different ethnic com-

munities. It has created tensions that have

aroused a sense of fear. We are asking for

a united Iraq, one where everyone is ac-

cepting of one another so we can live a

peaceful life together with progressive se-

curity, politics and administration leading

the way. But their ideology has created

fear. And we believe that having those

types of people will not allow for a new

Iraq and threatens all of Iraq.

Has the federal government shown

favor toward the Hadba List?

We can’t accuse them of favoring Al

Hadba, but rather than standing afar they

should have come and addressed the prob-

lems because this problem has created

tensions that threaten the unity of the

whole of Iraq. They should have come

and dealt with the problems from an arm’s

length but without doubt the tensions be-

tween the federal government of Iraq and

the Kurdistan Regional Government

(KRG) have had a negative influence on

the role of the federal government in deal-

ing with this problem but we do believe

that the Iraqi government wants a solu-

tion.

Has the issue with the Hadba List

caused problems between the Iraqi

forces and the Kurdish Peshmargas?

Yes without a doubt especially at a time

when something fearful is mentioned or

arouses nationalist sentiments, it does

have an influence. Previously we had seen

the Iraqi forces act in an unfavorable man-

ner towards the Kurds causing them many

problems and distancing them from their

work but since then there have been a

number of changes in Ninewa and we be-

lieve there to be a real attempt at separat-

ing the work of the troops from political

factions, which is an indicator that the

problems won’t be exacerbated and that

the issues will be contained between the

two lists in Ninewa.

It has been mentioned in the media that

you have threatened to declare inde-

pendence from Ninewa, is this true?

The Ninewa Brotherhood List have said

that if the Al Hadba List does not recon-

sider its current position and continues to

deny our people our rights then we will be

forced to create an independent adminis-

tration for those areas that comprise of 16

administrations. If these problems are not

resolved then this will be one way of solv-

ing it. We believe that groups with the

same mentality as Al Hadba, whether in

Baghdad or Kirkuk, will threaten the

whole of Iraq.

Is there a legal basis for your request to

break away and become independent?

When we talk about the constitution or

our opponents speak of it, it is important

that they believe in it and the implemen-

tation of the articles in the constitution. We

have Article 140 and up to now we have

no idea why they contest that article espe-

cially at a time when they say that it is up

to the people to determine their own fate.

So why are they afraid of the people’s de-

cision? At a time when they talk of the le-

gality of the constitution, it is necessary

that everything is done in unity. If you

look at Baghdad, everything is distributed

among the different ethnicities and in

Kirkuk they are asking for the same thing.

They asked parliament that everything be

done in unity and presented a bill in this

respect that became law, yet they now

contest the constitution while speaking of

the law. When they implement the law

then they can come and speak about the

law. We haven’t done anything that is con-

trary to the law and when we feel that we

are in danger or that there is a threat over

us, we will try to resolve it in a peaceful

manner. What we are doing is supported

by the law and the constitution.

If the Al Hadba List does not change

their policy, what will be your next

step?

If they continue with their stance irre-

spective of the constitution and the law,

opposing our people and the new Iraq of

which we are a part, then we will request

the implementation of Article 140 of the

constitution in the disputed territories. We

ask that real work be done to implement it

which will automatically mean that those

areas will come back under the jurisdic-

tion of the Kurdistan Regional Govern-

ment and we will have nothing more to do

with the province of Ninewa.

How have the Al Hadba List opposed

Kurds and Kurdish rights?

The first is the contestation of Article 140

which they say is a dead article and cannot

be implemented but this is not within their

power and it is nothing to do with them; it

is something that is within the authority of

the federal government. Second is the op-

position to the presence of those [Kurdish]

forces that have secured those areas and

not allowed terrorists to kill civilians. The

antagonism towards those forces has

served the interests of the terrorists rather

than the security of Iraq. Thirdly when

they speak of agreements, they first need

to support those articles that were reached

through an agreement. If they feel that in

Mosul they have the most votes and the

law gives them power to govern, then they

have to give us the same rights in Kirkuk.

Have political tensions overflowed into

the community?

Yes, from the onset, we were afraid that

this would happen and wanted to resolve

the matter within ourselves so that it

wouldn’t spill over into the community. In

a lot of our areas where our original Arab

brothers live, they cannot come and go as

they please to visit us because some label

them as our supporters, which is really

dangerous for the future of Iraq. It has had

an influence without a doubt and a large

portion of the members and supporters of

Al Hadba oppose the Kurdish nation

rather than a particular group or list.

Additional reporting by Brwa Ab.Mahmud.

‘Something fearful’Lawen A. Sagerma

SLEMANI

Ninewa’s Kurds claim they are discriminated against by theirprovincial council.

An Arab-Kurdish dispute in the

northern province of Ninewa

may further exacerbate should the

Kurdish Ninewa Brotherhood List make

good on a threat to set up a ‘substitute gov-

ernment’ over majority Kurdish towns and

districts. The Brotherhood List has boy-

cotted Ninewa’s provincial administration

controlled by the Sunni-Arab Al Hadba

List, since the latter won the largest share of

votes in the provincial polls on 31 January.

Prior to the elections, the Brotherhood

List was in power, but the outcome of the

polls turned the tide in favor of the Sunni

Arab constituency. This came as no sur-

prise since the Sunni Arabs had boycotted

the 2005 elections en masse, essentially

paving the way for a Kurdish victory.

However, Al Hadba’s campaign platform

was explicitly anti-Kurdish, making such

declarations as Mosul being an Arab city,

and that Kurds needed to abandon plans of

annexing any areas in Ninewa.

Relations were further strained when

Atheel Al Najaifi, newly appointed gover-

nor of Ninewa, demanded that Kurds get

rid of all of their standing politicians and

replace them with ones ‘that would only

work for Ninewa’s needs’.

Barzan Saeed, head of the local council

of the predominately Kurdish town of

Makhmour, as well as other Kurdish lead-

ers, claim that the new provincial council is

biased to Sunni Arabs and the province has

become a base for insurgents and terror-

ists.

Saeed has threatened to declare inde-

pendence from Ninewa’s provincial coun-

cil and form a ‘substitute government’,

unless their demands are met. These de-

mands include two of the top positions in

the provincial council.

Al Najaifi has rejected all accusations

and vowed to dissolve any local council at-

tempting to separate from the governorate.

Ninewa’s Arabs explain that their chief

concern is over Kurdish aspirations to

annex parts of Ninewa province – dubbed

‘disputed territories’ – to the Kurdistan Re-

gion. An Al Hadba spokesman has even

made such outlandish assertions as the

Kurds having relinquished all further

claims on land in 1971, following a self-

rule agreement with the then Iraqi govern-

ment. Kurds have vehemently rejected

such allegations.

While conceding that it would be un-

constitutional to declare ‘independence’

from the provincial council, Ninewa’s

Kurds point out that it is equally unconsti-

tutional for Article 140 to be repeatedly de-

layed. Article 140 in the Iraqi Constitution

calls for the restoration of the original de-

mographics in disputed cities – prior to

Saddam Hussein’s ‘Arabization’ pro-

grams, which saw vast numbers of Kur-

dish inhabitants uprooted from their homes

– followed by a referendum to determine

whether the city should fall under federal

or Kurdish regional jurisdiction.

Outside forces, including the Iraqi Is-

lamic Party, the Sadrists and even the new

US ambassador to Iraq, are in the process

of trying to mediate the ongoing dispute in

Ninewa. But neither side seems willing to

compromise.

— BY TANYA GOUDSOUZIAN IN DUBAI

Impasse in Ninewa

Neither side is ready for compromise.

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 5

Influentual American journalist and

author Thomas L. Friedman be-

lieves there is still a chance “for a

decent outcome in Iraq”, but he

doubts that the price paid by Iraqis

and Americans will ever be justified.

Friedman, who achieved fame and

recognition for his work covering critical

situations in the Middle East, has worked

for the New York Times since the 1980s.

He has been posted in Israel, Syria, and

Lebanon, covering the Lebanese civil war,

which won him two Pulitzer prizes for in-

ternational reporting.

“All I would say is that I still believe that

there is a chance for a decent outcome in

Iraq but I am not sure that the outcome

there will ever justify the cost paid by Iraqis

and Americans these past seven years,”

said Friedman.

Despite a slow US withdrawal many

feel that there is still much to be done in the

country especially after the recent violence

that has seen fatalities at all time highs.

“For the sake of those who have paid

those costs, I hope that we have a decent

outcome," he added, referring to “eco-

nomic growth, political stability, the rule of

law and regular elections deemed free and

fair” as some of those decent products from

the 2003 invasion.

According to many, there are numerous

obstacles for 'a decent outcome' in Iraq,

with many American and Iraqi politicians

considering the Kurd-Arab dispute as the

most dangerous setback of Iraq. But Fried-

man approaches it from another angle.

“The biggest problem is the lack of a

spirit of citizenship by enough Iraqis –

which means loyalty to the government

and the national army, before loyalty to

family, clan or region,” he said.

“You cannot have an effective govern-

ment or democracy without citizens. Every

Iraqi has to identify with their national gov-

ernment as much as they do their national

soccer team." Friedman believes that the

government has to earn this by truly re-

flecting the will of all the people in a fair

way.

The June withdrawal of US troops from

all cities and towns started amid cries that

the country was not yet ready. The full

withdrawal from Iraq is to be completed by

the end of 2011, a plan that has instilled in

Iraqis a fear of a civil war in the absence of

US troops.

“Iraqis have to step up now and take re-

sponsibility for their own future. Seven

years of American occupation and training

wheels are enough,” said Friedman.

He concurs with those that believe that

the future of Iraq depends on the will of

Iraqis to live together. “Iraqis are capable

of running their own country now if they

have the will to compromise and live to-

gether. If they don’t, then another two years

of American occupation will make no dif-

ference.”

One of the justifications of the Iraq war

was the process of democratization in the

Middle East with former President George

W. Bush promising to make Iraq a ‘model’

in the region. The Iraq war, however,

showed that security is more important for

people than democracy. There are those

who argue that the war hampered the

process of democratization in the Middle

East but Friedman argues that “it is too

early to say.”

He believes that “implanting democracy

in a region that has never known [democ-

racy] is a very difficult task” explaining

that it will take a long time to imbed a dem-

ocratic culture, "maybe a generation or

two.”

Some experts and politicians (including

US Vice President Joe Biden when he was

senator) think that 'soft partition' is a quick

remedy for Iraq.

"We have a democratic context now in

Iraq and let the Iraqi people make those de-

cisions," says Friedman on this issue.

The issue of the contested territories in

particular Kirkuk and Article 140 has been

a bone of contention between the federal

and regional governments since the imple-

mentation of the Iraqi constitution. While

many people remain adamant that it is an

internal issue that requires an internal so-

lution, Friedman explains that the “com-

munities there need US or UN mediation

to help them find a fair power-sharing out-

come.”

In September 2007, Friedman wrote a

column about the Kurds after his first visit

to the Kurdistan Region. Under the title

'The Kurdish secret', he blamed the Bush

administration for not telling Americans

the 'success stories' of the Kurdistan Re-

gion, the only stable part of Iraq. In re-

sponse to the question that Friedman asked

in the column 'Why is Iraqi Kurdistan

America’s best-kept secret success?', he

replies: "Because few people have visited

there and because many people want to

paint the whole Iraq war as an unmitigated

disaster."

While some observers consider the Kur-

distan Region's democratic process as un-

desirable with gaps, Friedman believes that

'Kurdistan’s democracy is a work in

progress and it still needs a lot of work if it

is going to deliver for all the Kurdish peo-

ple the kind of governance they need and

deserve.'

*The Kurdish version was first published in Lvin Magazine

‘Kurdistan’s democracy is a work in progress’Hemin H. Lihony

SLEMANI

‘Iraqis are capable of running their owncountry now if they have the will to compromise and live together.’

KURDISH PROVERB

Better a wise foe than a

foolish friend.

6 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

COMMUNITY| LOCAL NEWS PERSONALITIES&

Eight years after the largest ter-

rorist attack ever to take place

on American soil, Generation

9/11 is coming of age. Too

young to have understood the

full ramifications of the attack, but old

enough to realize it was pretty serious,

Kurdish youngsters who were still in

grade school on 11 September 2001,

never imagined this momentous tragedy

would unleash a chain of events that

would lead to the removal of Saddam

Hussein from power and spark a new era

in Kurdish politics.

As soon as the two commercial planes

ripped into the twin towers in New York,

most people around the world were glued

to the TV or radio, awaiting the latest de-

velopments with bated breath. When a third

plane crashed into the side of the Pentagon

and another onto a field, media coverage

went into overdrive and there were mixed

reactions around the world, especially in the

Middle East region. Kurds in northern Iraq

had no inkling then what effect it would

have on their future in the years to follow.

Dylan Tawfiq was in the middle of a

physical education lesson at his high school

in London, England, when class was cut

short and students were called to the school

hall for an emergency assembly.

“There was a long pause, some people

cried while some people didn’t care. I was

just speechless about the whole situation.

Everyone was confused and scared,” recalls

Tawfiq, who was just nine years old at the

time of the attacks.

Heja Abdulla, 11 years at the time and

also from London, was on his way home

from school when he learned the twin tow-

ers had been struck by two planes. Abdulla

says he was ‘flabbergasted’ by the attacks. It

didn’t take long before fingers were pointed

and the perpetrators identified as Osama bin

Laden and Al Qaida. The infamous ‘war on

terror’ had commenced.

America first unleashed its fury on

Afghanistan and then on Iraq, which was re-

ferred to as part of the ‘axis of evil’ and ac-

cused of having weapons of mass

destruction.

“I didn’t think it would have led to the re-

moval of Saddam Hussein but I was ex-

pecting a backlash from the US,” says

Abdulla.

For his part, Tawfiq now views the atroc-

ities of 9/11 as having been the catalyst to

‘American propaganda that the world

should believe Muslims from all back-

grounds were responsible [for the attacks]

and not to be trusted.’

Tawfiq admits: “Even I was worried

every time a man with a long beard boarded

a plane!”

Less than two years after 9/11, US-led

forces invaded Iraq in March 2003. It re-

sulted in the downfall of Iraqi dictator Sad-

dam Hussein and his Baath party,

responsible for the deaths of hundreds of

thousands and the main persecutor of Iraqi

Kurds and Shiite Arabs.

Shna Ali, a 21-year-old student, admits

that she was ‘shocked that this was happen-

ing in America’ and while she didn’t think

9/11 would lead to the removal of Saddam

Hussein directly, it was from the earliest

days widely expected that this would

change politics worldwide especially in re-

gards the Kurds.

“Kurds would somehow get the oppor-

tunity to show the world that they do actu-

ally exist. Kurds are now known as a nation,

we can say we have more opportunities and

this shows through our economy and edu-

cation,” she says.

While the 2003 US-led invasion and re-

moval of a brutal dictator is now vastly crit-

icized, back then it was greeted with

jubilation and elation.

Abdulla, whose father spent years strug-

gling as a Peshmarga, says: “If Saddam had

not been removed I would still have been in

good old England,” forgetting why he and

his family fled in the first place.

Rasyan Tahir, another student who was

11 at the time of the attacks, says: “My hori-

zons are broader than they were before the

attacks.”

The older generations of Kurds, those

who had lived under the oppressive regime

of Saddam Hussein, never expected the

rapid pace of changes witnessed in the Kur-

distan Region since 2003. Some maintain a

healthy degree of cynicism until today.

The younger generation, however, have

little to no real memories of those darker

days, and their outlook on life and on the fu-

ture of their nation appears to them far

brighter than it has for decades.

“Nobody anticipated these changes,”

gushes Tahir. “We never thought it would

lead to this!”Generation 9/11Ranu Talabany

SLEMANI

Eight years on, then-grade schoolersreflect on the consequences of thegreatest terror attack of this century.

The events of 11 September 2001 sent shockwaves all over the world but IraqiKurds never anticipated the removal of the late dictator Saddam Hussein.

Kurds in Canada, the US and

around the world are calling for a

formal apology by Canadian

Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the

unwarranted arrest of Kurdish folk singer

Shivan Perwer

On 16 August, while traveling on

Highway 427, renowned Kurdish musi-

cian and political activist, Shivan Perwer,

and three members of his crew were

pulled over and handcuffed at gunpoint

by Ontario Provincial Police officers and

arrested on route to performance at the

Toronto Kurdish Community Center.

The Canadian Police OPP near Niagara

Falls were operating on an anonymous

tip that a weapon had been spotted in the

black Hummer the men were traveling

in. OPP established that the weapon in

question was actually camera equipment

to be used for filming footage for an up-

coming Kurdish television program. The

men were released from custody.

“We were just filming Canada's coun-

tryside, and then there were guns every-

where! One policeman said: ‘I will kill

you now’” recalled Perwer, visibly

shaken, in an interview shortly after the

incident. “It hurt our honor.”

Tawfiq Sulevani, KDP Representative

in London, Ontario, told SOMA Digest:

“I am concerned that the action taken by

the police was excessive. After Mr. Per-

wer's vehicle was surrounded by six

provincial police cruisers, each man was

ordered out of the car at gunpoint, forced

to the ground and handcuffed. This dra-

matic scene took place on the strength of

just one phone call by a motorist who be-

lieved that the video camera held by one

of the passengers was a firearm.”

He added: “Racial and ethnic profiling

is a recognized problem in our society

and Mr Perwer and his friends are Mid-

dle Eastern males.”

Ontario is home to about 50,000

Kurds, and Perwer has long been held as

a cultural ambassador for Kurds across

the world.

— BY GALAWIZH H. GHULAMIN LONDON, ONTARIO

Kurds demandapology fromCanada PMfor arrest ofKurdish singer

Shivan Perwer

Taking youINSIDEfor a tasteof life in KURDISTAN

Every Saturday night on Kurdsat23:00 Erbil 20:00 GMT

inside@kurdsat.tv

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 7

Snow-capped mountains, fields

of wild-flowers and clear-run-

ning streams. It could be

Switzerland or the Spanish

Pyrenees, except it’s not. It is in

fact, “the Other Iraq” - Iraqi Kurdistan, and

the tourists are not flocking here in droves.

Not yet, anyway.

Yet things change and every country must

start somewhere. Peace is probably the best

place and Iraqi Kurdistan is indeed a re-

markably safe place to visit.

It is the need to search out something a lit-

tle different that is sending the first trickle of

Western tourists over to Iraqi Kurdistan and

the region does have something that is truly

special – gorgeous, unspoilt beauty and awe-

inspiring scenery.

The rugged nature of large parts of Iraqi

Kurdistan is foreboding, yet fantastic and it

was this same imposing landscape that pre-

sented itself to Archibald Hamilton, a New

Zealand-born engineer, when he was com-

missioned to build a road connecting Erbil

with Persia in 1928. The road, was com-

pleted in 1932 and runs from Erbil to Haji

Umaran, crossing mountain after mountain

and rising 1400m in the process.

Even today it remains a vital artery for

trade and travel and it was with great excite-

ment that a friend and I set out to retrace old

Archibald’s footsteps. Our total lack of Kur-

dish language skills and a sense of adventure

brought us to the conclusion that, rather than

take public transport, we would simply walk

along the road until someone slowed down,

took pity and took us in the right direction.

So, armed with little more than a map, some

spare clothes and sleeping bags we set off on

the first part of our trip – Erbil to Rawanduz.

Getting a lift proved easier than antici-

pated and it wasn’t long before we were sit-

ting snugly in the back of a 4x4, welcomed

in by a family escaping to the hills for the

day. Soon, we were winding our way up and

over green hills and through meadows

ablaze with bright yellow flowers. Green

hills gave way to a horizon of dark moun-

tains and we headed towards the Gali Ali

Beg canyon – described by Hamilton as

“one of the grandest formations of nature to

be found in nature”.

Dissecting the Bradost and Korek moun-

tains, the canyon is formed by the two rivers

making up the Great Zab river and is an in-

credible introduction to the beauty of Kur-

distan. Entering the canyon, the road splits

into an upper and lower half, and taking the

Upper Hamilton Road we followed the line

of the river far below us and of the sheer

stone cliffs that peaked far above.

Both beautiful and hair-raising, it was

with a mixture of disappointment and relief

that we reached the end of the canyon and,

after passing the Bekhal Waterfall, arrived at

the Pank Resort funfair. Having passed

through the heart of a mountain gorge and

some terrifying roads, imagine my surprise

to find a Ferris Wheel, rollercoaster and pic-

nicking families in their Saturday finest.

For all the excitement of Pank Resort, it

was not exactly what we were looking for, so

we jumped into the back of a Toyota Pick-

Up and towards Rawanduz. With the sun

rapidly retreating behind the mountains, we

belatedly started thinking about a place for

the night. At US$100 a night, Pank Resort

was too steep for backpackers, so we thought

we’d look for somewhere else to stay.

The arrival of two Europeans in the mar-

ket town caused quite a stir. Jumping from

the back of a pick-up and shouldering ruck-

sacks, our presence did not go unnoticed and

with the flash of an ID card, a stern faced

man arrived in front of us.

At first the man from the ASAISH looked

grim. What were two Europeans doing in

Rawandoz at dusk? Were they spies, or Ira-

nians, or terrorists? Or all three, perhaps?

“Safara, safara!” We are travelling, we are

on holiday!

Stern faces turned towards confusion,

quickly replaced by smiles. In a mixture of

broken Arabic, broken English and hand-

signals, we were presented in front of the

local English teacher, who quickly offered

us a hot dinner and a place to sleep.

Well-fed and immensely grateful to our

hosts, we rose early and caught a lift down

the valley towards the dusty town of Soran.

As with Rawanduz, people were welcom-

ing and happy to point us towards Choman

and Haji Umaran. Two Englishmen trudg-

ing down an unmade road was clearly not

the norm for a Sunday morning in Soran and

before long we were sharing sweets with

kids dressed in Barcelona football shirts!

Clearly impressed by my football knowl-

edge, an elder brother took it upon himself to

be our guide and so we began the next leg of

our adventure – Haji Umaran and the Iran-

ian border.

If Gali Ali Beg had been beautiful, the

road to Haji Umaran was something else.

We were now in the heart of the Zagros

Mountains – the air was cooler and snowy

peaks encircled us. Head out of the window

and mouth-open in amazement, I drank in

the surrounds of a spectacular road. Spring is

a wonderful time in Kurdistan and the small

villages we passed were busy with life and

useful energy. As a Londoner, I felt pangs of

jealousy for this rural idyll and though I am

sure it is not an easy life, the kindness of the

family that offered us tea and warm milk, left

me briefly imagining a prolonged stay.

It was rough country here and I thought

of old Hamilton and his travails. Today, the

mountains were incredible and made our

journey great; to him they must have seemed

impossible obstacles. After Choman, the

road became steeper and the air thinner.

Heavily-laden trucks provided a reminder of

the proximity of border with Iran and as we

arrived in Haji Umaran, we came to the end

of the line.

Unlike a recent trio of borderland adven-

turers, we chose not to try our luck on this

well-guarded frontier and instead settled for

a beef kebab in the town’s only restaurant.

Once again, our welcome was fantastic and

easy conversation soon began. With the in-

evitable arrival of the local ASAISH and an

‘invitation’ to meet the local security chief,

our new friends were able to extract us from

trouble, with the advice that we leave town.

We had reached the end of the Hamilton

Road and ultimate goal of our journey,

happy in the knowledge that we would have

to return the way we came and then on to-

wards Ackreh, Barzan and Amadi and yet

more adventure in this beautiful place.

In the footsteps of ArchibaldHamilton, bound for Kurdistan.

The beauty of the Kurdistan Region is awe inspiring. (photo by Bwar Kurdi)

Thomas Davies

DAMASCUS

Kurdish holiday

“Brief Recollections: Per-

sonal Flashbacks in Kurdistan”

is a new book by our Language

Editor, Anwar Qaradaghi, that

is just published by Khak Foun-

dation in Slemani. Its content

comprises his columns (and

some other articles) in the first

55 issues of this paper, SOMA

Digest, of the last three years or

so – and it is in English. Its

price per copy is 3,000 Iraqi Di-

nars and is available at Khak

and SOMA.

The majority of the pages

speak of differing aspects of life

in the city of Slemani and its

surrounding areas in the last 60

years or so. That is how they

used to be in his recollections

and how they have become or

could have developed.

In most cases they also con-

tain suggestions for improve-

ment. Consequently, they

contain interesting details to tell

about Slemani, the Kurds and

Kurdistan and Iraq in general.

Moreover, it is believed that

these short articles may be in-

teresting and useful to visitors

of the region with the aim of

giving them some general in-

formation about the Region, its

history, culture, language, cus-

toms, and aspirations.

Anwar Qaradaghi, who

(holds MBA from Leicester

University in Educational Man-

agement), has had many years

of teaching, administration,

writing and translation experi-

ence, has other published works

that include two collections of

English short stories translated

into Kurdish and a history book

on Kirkuk translated from Ara-

bic into English.

— EDITORIAL

‘Brief Recollections:Personal Flashbacks inKurdistan’

RECOMMENDATION

Kurdistan’s scenery has visitors coming from afar. (photo by Aram Eissa)

‘Gali Ali Beg canyon one of the

grandest formations of nature to be

found in nature’ -- Hamilton

8 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

Framed by a chain of moun-

tains demarcating the border

between Iraq and Iran, in the

district of Qaladeze, lies a

sleepy little village called

‘Hero’. Before the genocidal Anfal

campaigns of the late 1980s Qaladeze

was a bustling border district, but

when it was razed to the ground, many

fled their homes for their lives. Some

people chose to return after the 1991

uprising, prompted by the regional

government’s decision to restore the

area as it once was.

The village of Hero, in particular, has

many special features that set it apart

from other places. One such feature is a

mysterious water source claimed to pos-

sess miraculous healing attributes. Little

is known of the origins of this water

source, not even the venerable elders of

the village can say. According to 80-

year-old Fatma Mustafa, a longtime res-

ident of the village, the water source

existed long before she was born.

“This water source has existed here

since before I was born. I remember

washing our clothes in it and never hav-

ing to use soap because it didn’t need it

as the water alone was enough to clean

the clothes,” she recalls. “We didn’t have

much money during those times and

couldn’t really afford to buy detergent so

it was a great help. The water has a jelly-

like characteristic when you wash some-

thing with it.”

The water in the village of Hero is be-

lieved to perform miracle cures for skin

ailments and digestive problems. How-

ever, its strong, unpleasant smell, some-

thing akin to rotten eggs, will need

someone with a high smell threshold. It

is not entirely uncommon for people to

regard water from springs as holy after

great numbers have claimed to have ben-

efited from using it for skin disorders

and others who have drank it to treat

their digestive problems.

These natural sources of treatment

have gained more popularity over the

years through word of mouth and as

such have attracted people from far and

wide.

“I was only a little girl but I remember

people were coming from Baghdad, Kut,

Basra, Mosul and other cities to use this

water and to take some home with them.

People still do this now but not as much

as before,” says Mustafa.

Naza Khidir, another resident of the

village, explains that some believe that

the water comes out from phosphate

land which accounts for the foul smell

as well as its spicy taste.

“The water is warm in the winter and

cool in the summer which makes people

use it even if they are not sick. The peo-

ple here have separated off some differ-

ent areas in the water source for

alterative uses such as swimming, pray-

ing and drinking,” she says.

Using the water for the first time

means engaging in a rather strange ex-

perience for the rotten stench is off-

putting and the feel of a jelly compound

on the skin is a peculiar sensation. How-

ever, those who often practice this ritual

state that the smell and the jelly feeling

on your skin subside after a few minutes.

Another characteristic of Hero’s water

source is that both men and women can

use it which is in contrast to other water

sources that are specifically for one gen-

der. Some water sources are only meant

for drinking or for cleaning purposes.

Hero’s source, however, has become

something of a holy site as people be-

lieve the water can cure them of their ill-

nesses.

In the past, people were poorer and

less educated, and as such, had no re-

course to medical treatment or proce-

dures for their diseases. For this reason,

such water sources were viewed as tried-

tested-and-true means of curing a range

of ailments. As people have seen their

income grow and have had access to bet-

ter education, the number of visitors to

the water source has declined dramati-

cally. However, there are still those who

visit the water, because they continue to

believe in its miraculous healing powers.

Miracle waterIraqis from far and wide travel to thevillage of Hero for the legendaryhealing powers of its water source.

Imagine the first person to dis-

cover the basic fundamentals of

agriculture. I mean, talk about a

revolution: here was someone who

couldn’t run into the forest bare-

handed and return a few hours later

with a handful of slain lions, bears

and an assortment dinosaurs, who

could create his own food. And if a

bowl of rice isn’t as delicious as, say,

the thigh and wing of a pterodactyl

drizzled in peri peri sauce, it still

made for a pretty nifty party trick,

not to be surpassed until far later in

history with the water/wine miracle.

Not to mention that once the

tenets of agriculture were grasped,

people could stop wandering around

nomadically like the hunter-gather-

ers of yore had done (due to the need

to constantly find new animals to

hunt and gather) and settle in what

would eventually become cities.

The Indians then took it one step

further and created drainage and

flush toilets over a thousand years

BC (seriously, while the only thing

going on in an ice age-ravaged Swe-

den was a squirrel trying to get an

acorn, these guys already had flush

toilets. We barely have functioning

ones in the UK now!), and while set-

tling around rivers had been great

initially for agricultural purposes, it

became even more useful when

salesmen would sail down, making

ports international hubs of com-

merce. It was now possible to get

food from all over the world and

with time these cities grew, and

grew until one of them - medieval

Baghdad - passed the 1 million pop-

ulation mark, followed by Beijing.

Fast forward now, while the cities

become metropolises which in turn

become megalopolises. With the in-

dustrial revolution London becomes

the world’s biggest city, taking over

from Baghdad which had a popula-

tion of over 2 million at one point.

People came from all over the world

and soon people stopped knowing

who their neighbors were, stopped

caring who the people they crossed

in the street were.

And now, modern day London,

where people fall and others walk

over them instead of trying to help.

While beggars are ignored and

waved away as a nuisance, we talk

on our phones and read our papers

and if something bad happens to

someone, well at least it’s not hap-

pening to me.

The modern city breeds

anonymity. It’s a great liberty but

also makes us very lonely. In Kur-

distan we still have the city as a

place of communion, where every-

one knows who their neighbors are

and know the exact links that relate

us to anybody in the street: “You

may not know this,” they’ll say, “but

we’re related.” And although it’s a

stretch to think of your aunt’s hus-

band’s second cousin’s wife’s uncle

as family, it’s true that there is dra-

matically less violence in cities

where you have this feeling of

knowing everyone. Let’s not forget

that one of the reasons terrorism has

been so limited in Kurdish cities is

that there is such vigilance to notice

things that are out of the ordinary.

So when Kurds move to the glo-

rious Europa (sic), they are terrified

to find that nobody cares. They

could die, right there in the street,

and nobody would stop. The open-

ness that allows for a foreigner to

move there is also the reason that

there is no longer a sense of com-

munity. We don’t know each other.

So what happens? We gather into

groups, feeling a sense of belonging

only within our respective commu-

nities, which in turn breeds isolation

as we can’t assimilate. Yet then

there’s the kicker: what is there to

assimilate to, in today’s anonymous

cities? The days of Ellis Island-style

Americana are long gone. In its

place are a mass of individuals, who

long for the city as it once was,

where people knew each other in-

stead of feared each other.

So, I suppose, the next time you

hear somebody gossiping about you,

you shouldn’t really be upset. At

least someone still cares.

AGRI ISMAIL

Toxi-cities

THE BORNEIDENTITY

Little is known of the origins of this watersource, not even the venerable elders of thevillage can say. But it iswidely believed to cure arange of ailments fromskin disorders to digestiveproblems.

Roshna Rasool

QALADEZE

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 9

Aram Eissa asks average Kurds why Iraqi security has been compromised and if they believe that the next Iraqi Parliament will be better after the elections in 2010.

Word on the street

Mukhtar Rafiq, 33 (veterinarian) Why has Iraq’s security been compromised?“The political parties within Iraq have eitherseparated into more branches or simply do notget along well with each other allowing othercountries to see this weakness.” Will the next Iraqi parliament be better?“It won’t get better because the Shiites are notunited and the Sunnis have problems withinthemselves also, and now even Kurds are notshowing a united front as there are rumors thatthey will go into the elections with separate listsand not as a united list.”

Rawisht Twana, 21 (photographer)Why has Iraq’s security been compromised?“This is due to Al Qaida and other terrorist groupswhich are so weak that the only way they can succeed and take power is to take over a weakarea as they themselves aren’t strong enough totake over strong places.”Will the next Iraqi parliament be better?“If the election law gives way to a closed sys-tem then this gives way for corruption and itwill allow it to increase and what we have seenfrom the government will continue and it won’tget any better.”

Nawzad Ghafoor, 39 (laborer)Why has Iraq’s security been compromised?“The explosions and acts of terror are doneby neighboring countries that do not practicedemocracy so that they show their peoplethat nothing good will come of them trying toget rid of their current regimes. It is this external interference that has hindered ourprogress and caused this instability.”Will the next Iraqi parliament be better?“If the election law remains the same then sowill the state of our parliament and then itwon’t get better.”

Bakhawan Maaroof,26 (tailor) Why has Iraq’s security been compromised?“All the forces withinIraq itself are weakand this allows forsuch dangers to comeour way, and I thinkthat other foreigncountries are playingtheir part in the explosions and bombings in Iraq.”Will the next Iraqi parliament be better?“If the new electionlaw is good, this willalso allow the newIraqi parliament to be good. But if it remains thesame or there are no modifications done to it,then nothing will change.”

Mohammed Ahmed, 70 (retired)Why has Iraq’s security been compromised?“I think that America is behind the explosions, so that theycan still have a role in Iraq, and therefore have a level ofcontrol, and to say to the Iraqis you won’t have securitywithout the presence of American forces.”Will the next Iraqi parliament be better?“If the Kurds unite and go into the elections as one listas opposed to a number of independant lists, then it’sgood for the Kurds but for the Arabs I don’t think it’ll getbetter.”

Farooq Najib, 57 (barber)Why has Iraq’s security been compromised?“The weakness of the Iraqi forces has allowedthe Baathist entities to do their work, and thisis due to the support of other Arab countries sothat the Shiite groups will not have such powerin the region.”Will the next Iraqi parliament be better?“Due to the fact that corruption is on the riseand those that want to be part of the Iraqi parliament do so for the love of money andpower, not for the love of their country. This isa great problem for the progress in Iraq.”

Salah Ahmed, 48 (teacher)Why has Iraq’s security been compromised?“There are a lot of unemployed andpoor people, which allows for theperfect conditions for terrorists to re-cruit and until their economic problems get better, this state will continue. It is often out of poverty andfrustration that people take drastic measures and if there is no better alternative, they will keep doing this.”Will the next Iraqi parliament be better?“The future of the Iraqi Parliament is rather bright I think as we are headingcloser and closer to a good system of democracy.”

Madi Ahmed, 57 (civil servant)Why has Iraq’s security been com-promised?“America is always the source ofconflict as there are many that donot like them. If Iraq could reach agood level of independence I thinkthe problems will eventually dimin-ish.”Will the next Iraqi parliament bebetter?“Due to past experience the peoplenow know what they want andthere are lots of choices for themto choose from so I think the futureIraqi parliament will be a betterone.”

10 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

VIEWS|EDITORIALS COMMENTARY&

The judicial system in Iraqi Kur-

distan is very much in its infancy

stage. There is a dire need to pro-

duce more lawyers, as well as to

reform the old system. Prime

Minister Nechirvan Barzani stated that the

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)

is committed to the establishment of an

independent judiciary. Barzani has spear-

headed a campaign to ensure the inde-

pendence of the judiciary from

government and has called for raising a

better awareness of the law among the

public.

The KRG has already backed its com-

mitment to the program of reform by estab-

lishing the Court of Cassation, which is to

be the highest court in the Kurdistan Region.

Furthermore it has recognized that the Judi-

ciary can only be truly independent if it is

financially reliant on itself and not the gov-

ernment.

Separation of powersThe three branches of power that make

up authority of a state or region are the Ex-

ecutive (which in effect is the government),

the Legislature (Parliament) and the Judici-

ary (Legal branch). The relationship be-

tween these three powers is crucial as they

shape the very fabric of society. Politics and

law go hand in hand and have significant in-

fluence on one another. Boundaries need to

be set for these two sister disciplines so that

there are clearly defined duties and powers

for both politicians and judges/lawyers.

There are two schools of thought when

considering the relationships between these

three authorities. The most prosperous

countries in the world have what is referred

to as “separation of powers”, which ef-

fectively means the independence of

each of the powers of authority. The

United States of America is perhaps

the best example of this. This style of

governance ensures that there are

checks and balances against each au-

thority.

The other system is a fusion of pow-

ers which in effect sees an amalgam of

powers that overlap one another. The

United Kingdom is seen as the cham-

pion of this type of system. Here the

legislative and executive branches are

connected but the judiciary is still in-

dependent. The United Kingdom has

made a success of this form of gover-

nance but whether such a system is suitable

for the Kurdistan Region is up for debate.

Although the Kurdistan Region does not

have complete separation of powers as yet,

the fact that an independent Judiciary is

being encouraged, shows progression away

from secrecy.

Former regimePrior to the Prime Minister’s announce-

ment, the Judiciary of the Kurdistan Region

was under the authority of the KRG Min-

istry of Justice. This system had its critics

who believed that in certain cases Judge-

ment was handed down because of adverse

influence from politicians and was regarded

as muddled, archaic and unjust. Effectively

the government controlled all aspects of the

Judiciary, from the hiring and firing of

judges, to regulating lawyers and judges.

Politicians had played a key role in not only

in law making but also law enforcement by

directly meddling in the affairs of the court

or indirectly influencing judges.

Many were aggrieved by this old system

calling for reform that is needed to bring the

Kurdistan Region in line with modern prac-

tices of law.

The new independence that the Judiciary

has gained will see the Judicial Council reg-

ulating law enforcement under the leader-

ship of the Chief Justice. This positive step

will hopefully lead to transparency of the

legal system, which will go a long way

to remedying the public’s grievances.

Many obstacles stand in the way of

complete legal reform. The KRG must

invest a great deal in ensuring that re-

form is carried out to its full extent.

Training is required not only for

lawyers and judges but also for the ad-

ministration of the courts.

The futureThe KRG has voiced its commit-

ment to the program and that it is nec-

essary for legal documents and

judgements to be made openly avail-

able to the media and public in the fu-

ture. Moreover, the KRG has indicated

its aim of keeping up with the digital

age and has vowed to modernize the legal

framework with the introduction of techno-

logical innovations.

Overall, the future of the Kurdish legal

system looks bright and undoubtedly more

favorable with the proposed reforms in

place. However, much will depend on the

pro-activeness of the KRG in providing

funding and training for the courts that it has

continually promised. Previously, the main

obstacle was the need to make the Judiciary

independent and now that this has occurred,

the legal system can be reformed by

lawyers, academics and experts in the field

rather than just by politicians.

Now that the Kurdistan Region is free

from dictatorial rule and is prospering both

politically and economically, the world’s

focus has shifted to other areas of Kurdish

governance. Kurdistan is seen as a poten-

tially lucrative economy by many not only

in the Western world but also the Asian sub-

continent. Therefore many international

companies will be working with companies

in the Kurdistan Region or setting up their

own businesses there. These companies will

need to have confidence in the legal system

of the land, to ensure that their investment

will be protected. As such, it is essential that

a transparent, professional and efficient sys-

tem of law enforcement is present.

Pressing forwardThe infancy of the Kurdish judicial sys-

tem makes it vulnerable in many ways but

only with time and experience can the re-

gion hope to establish a system of law en-

forcement that represents and preserves the

society’s moral and ethical codes. The new

initiative of the KRG to press forward with

an independent judiciary is crucial in estab-

lishing a system of law enforcement that is

strong and durable, that can hold not only

the subjects of the land accountable but also

the government in the interest of public pol-

icy.

The KRG will have to ensure that its poli-

cies of an independent judicial system are

implemented and not merely rhetoric, be-

fore it can be said that a successful legal

mechanism is established.

Asos Askari holds a degree in law andpolitics and a masters degree in inter-national relations from the Universityof Manchester in England.

ASOS ASKARI

LAW OF THE LAND

Because the level of brutal violence

diminished during the month of

July 2009, Prime Minister Nouri Al

Maliki ordered that some of the more vis-

ible fortifications throughout Baghdad

should be dismantled, confident that his

government was able to ensure internal

security in the aftermath of the 30 June

American redeployments to more forti-

fied bases. Sadly, the past few weeks

recorded a particularly vicious cycle of

cruelty in Iraq, with simultaneous attacks

that left hundreds dead and many more in-

jured. There is a democratization of vio-

lence that needs attention lest the country

plunge in an outright civil war. What

would prevent such an outcome?

Although the decision to save Iraq from

its foes lies mostly in Iraqi hands, a dis-

tinct American concern must also be ad-

dressed, especially now that a decision

was made to withdraw combat troops out

of the country by 2011. The Obama Ad-

ministration is preoccupied with the war

in Afghanistan and would very much like

to accelerate the withdrawal from Iraq to

shift sorely needed resources farther East.

In fact, a carefully leaked memo, authored

by an advisor to the Iraqi military com-

mand, Col. Timothy R. Reese, recently

called for an outright declaration of vic-

tory in Iraq. It also recommended that

Washington plan to leave by mid-2010 in-

stead of lingering until 2011, which is an

obvious acknowledgement that popular

support for the Iraq campaign is waning in

the United States.

This line of thinking, which is proba-

bly far more prevalent than recognized by

analysts, may have a direct bearing on fu-

ture training programs geared to signifi-

cantly upgrade Iraqi security forces.

Indeed, President Obama’s plan for an ex-

tended advisory mission may be in jeop-

ardy, if senior officials conclude that an

Iraqi collapse is inevitable. That is why

Prime Minister Al Maliki cannot afford an

emasculation of the military, mired in cor-

ruption, under the strong influence of, and

victim to, established sectarian pressures.

Every time a bomb goes off some-

where in Iraq, many point to myriad

shortcomings, ranging from poor equip-

ment to superficial training to specific un-

professionalism. Iraqis correctly wonder

what have the billions of dollars lavished

on security forces bought them and ask

whether the most recent coordinated ex-

plosions were meant to re-invite Ameri-

can troops back into the cities.

It is now clear that Baghdad’s long-

term policies to usher in an era of national

reconciliation will face additional hurdles.

In addition to the disillusioned Sunni pop-

ulation, a near breakdown of unity within

the ruling Shiite-led coalition will prove

fatalistic, unless rapid corrective measures

are adopted. Though Iraqi security forces

saw their overall numbers increase

quickly during the past few years, recruits

were chiefly drawn from militia groups,

whose allegiances to the “State” have yet

to be established. Shockingly, many lead-

ers, including the premier, have retained

their previous leadership roles after as-

suming nationalist positions. The Prime

Minister of Iraq may consider the notion

that the best way to serve his “nation,” and

in the process set the example for others,

would be to resign from all parallel insti-

tutions. That would certainly indicate his

commitment to a unified country and

strengthen his hand in the national recon-

ciliation debates.

Another key ingredient towards that

objective would be to end the ongoing rift

among the ruling elite. In late July 2009,

the premier accused Vice-President Adel

Abdul Mahdi of masterminding the rob-

bery at the state-run Rafidain Bank. The

episode was murky at best because large

portions of the embezzled money were

mysteriously “found” in the offices of a

newspaper owned by Abdul Mahdi.

Baghdad’s crack investigators also identi-

fied five of the robbers as being members

of the vice-president’s security detail, al-

though Abdul Mahdi denied any involve-

ment. Similar events occurred during the

past few years, adding fuel to the collu-

sion fire, which essentially implied that

members of various security personnel,

police forces, or even the military, owed

allegiance to individuals rather that the

“State.”

It is now up to the Prime Minister to

draw the lessons from the last Kurdish

provincial elections, which witnessed an

unprecedented level of transparency and

ushered in new actors in the regional par-

liament. In preparation for the January

2010 national parliamentary elections, the

Prime Minister may wish to reassess his

exclusive nationalist slate for a genuinely

unified coalition, lest he polarize the

country into ethnic gangs that will settle

their differences in non-peaceful ways.

Though Iraq is a rich canvass of ethnic

and religious communities, it cannot re-

main a unified country if willful divisions

do not end, and this is precisely where the

premier ought to step-up to the leadership

plate.

Kurdish leaders demonstrated im-

mense wisdom and patience by not falling

into the fragmentation traps in these coali-

tion calculations but the ball is now in

Baghdad’s court. If Al Maliki wishes to

put an end to the wanton violence, and

end the interminable bloodshed, he should

pay attention to Col. Reese’s memo, be-

cause the ultimate goal of the nascent re-

public is not—or ought not—be to train

and equip crack security forces to whip

the country into shape. Rather, one way

to prevent an outright civil war would be

to rule with the consent of citizens, as the

foundations of a solid nation emerge.

Dr Kechichian is an expert in Gulfaffairs and author of severalbooks.

DR JOSEPH KECHICHIAN

The democratization of violence

DEMOCRACY INIRAQ

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 11

Efforts by Turkey’s ruling Jus-

tice and Development Party

(AKP) to break old taboos and

resolve the Kurdish question in

Turkey are historic and un-

precedented. In modern democracies,

unitary and federal states, all citizens, re-

gardless of their race or religion, are proud

to be part of their own countries. Often,

their differences even strengthen their

countries. During times of war, or natural

disasters, all citizens hurry to help and

support each other. No one asks what is

the race or religion of the victims. The

US, the UK, Germany and other coun-

tries, are good examples where people are

proud to be part of their states and also

proud to be part of the federal country it-

self.

Scotland even prints its own version of

the British Pound. It has its own govern-

ment and Parliament. This system of a

‘country within a country’ has made the

United Kingdom stronger. When fighting

terrorists in Afghanistan, soldiers from all

parts of the United Kingdom (England,

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) are

fighting together as British troops and carry

one flag. This is at a time when the Kurds of

Turkey are not pushing for a Scotland-like

solution inside Turkey; all they want and

need are basic human, cultural and political

rights within the Turkish state.

As the most forward-looking govern-

ment Turkey has ever produced, Prime

Minister Recep Tayip Erdoğan, is working

on a historic initiative to address the Kur-

dish issue in Turkey. The timing is suitable.

There is positive feedback from many Turk-

ish citizens from all walks of life. Kurds, in

and outside Turkey, are also looking for-

ward to concrete steps that will ensure peace

and prosperity for all citizens of Turkey.

What is important now is to find a peace-

ful solution to that conflict. History teaches

us that there is no military solution to ethnic

issues. As an observer and independent

journalist, I believe that the Turkish gov-

ernment should continue their efforts to-

ward finding a peaceful solution to the

conflict with the PKK. Turkey has more im-

portant issues to focus on, like membership

in the European Union. A peaceful, stable

and prosperous Turkey where “all” its citi-

zens enjoy their natural rights will increase

its chances of membership in the EU and

possibly even expedite the process.

Possible suggestions to end the conflict

could be: The Turkish Government taking

brave steps to recognize the Kurdish lan-

guage and culture and facilitate their use in

the predominately Kurdish areas of Turkey,

incorporate ethnic Kurdish citizens into im-

portant government departments and posi-

tions like the Foreign Ministry and the

diplomatic corps, issuing an amnesty to the

PKK and the release of Kurdish political

prisoners, and also to widen social and eco-

nomic assistance to the impoverished

southeast.

Taking the above-mentioned steps would

never be interpreted as making concessions,

rather it will be recorded in history as brave

steps that helped put an end to bloodshed.

The PKK on its part must renounce vio-

lence and its outdated revolutionary slogans

and lay down its arms and commit itself to

a peaceful solution. Violence does not pay;

and the PKK’s presence in the mountain-

ous border areas made those beautiful sce-

nic areas off-limits to the people of Iraqi

Kurdistan.

On the other hand, Turkey must also con-

tinue consulting and working with the Kur-

distan Regional Government, which also

suffered from the PKK violence and

counter action by Turkey. The KRG leaders,

especially Prime Minister Nechirvan

Barzani, made tremendous efforts to im-

prove relations with Turkey and foster

stronger economic ties between both private

sectors. Hundreds of Turkish companies are

working in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Cars with Turkish plate numbers are a fa-

miliar scene on the streets of the region.

Moreover, as we look into the future, we

see that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is rich

in natural resources, especially oil and gas.

Turkey needs energy and the Kurdistan

Region has it. The region is a close and

friendly market for Turkey. In return, the

Kurdistan Region can benefit from Turkish

industries and investments. The potential for

mutual cooperation is bottomless.

Kurdish intellectuals and writers, espe-

cially in Europe, must voice their support

for the full membership of Turkey in the

European Union. Iraqi Kurdistan Region is

better off with an EU member as its neigh-

bor.

As for the role of the US, UK and EU

countries in this process, they can play an

important role in talking to the Turkish mil-

itary generals (their NATO partners) and en-

courage them to support the Turkish

government’s efforts to resolve the Kurdish

issue in Turkey. The budget Turkey is allo-

cating to fund its war against the PKK could

be used for better projects. The sooner the

war ends the better for all.

Peace and stability in Turkey’s Kurdistan

is vital for all the peoples of Turkey and also

for Iraqi Kurdistan. It is also in the interest

of America and Europe. Supporting the ini-

tiative of the Erdoğan government to re-

solve the Kurdish issue in Turkey, is a moral

responsibility of everyone, East or West.

The author is an independent journalist based in Erbil.

RAWAND ABDULKADIR DARWESH

BREAKING OLD TABOOS

The most forward looking govn’tTurkey has ever produced takessteps to solve Kurdish question.

History teaches us

that there is no

military solution to

ethnic issues.

12 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

L E T T E R S

Lobbying for a brighter

futureThank you for the interview with

Qubad Talabany, KRG representa-

tive in the US, which shed light on

the efforts underway to secure the

future of the Kurdish nation (‘Anopen door policy’ page 4 no.61)What the Kurdish nation has long

needed is a

stronger pub-

lic relations

campaign to

get across the

realities of the

Kurdish peo-

ple, and their

perspective. It

will be a slow and long process, but

we are late in the game. Still, better

late than never. I commend the work

of Talabany and his team. They de-

serve respect and encouragement

because it is their work that will

bear an imprint on future US policy

vis-a-vis Kurds and the region as a

whole. Moreover, their mandate is

not very different from that of

SOMA Digest, so I urge your edito-

rial team to continue with the in-

valuable work you have been doing

since your very first issue - to en-

lighten and educate a foreign read-

ership about ‘The Other Iraq’.

James HuberDUBAI

Where to go, what to

do in KurdistanI confess I was among those who

was first puzzled by the launch of

your new section entitled

‘Lifestyle’. I had felt it was out of

place in the paper, which had so far

ran sober analysis and reports on se-

rious issues, but I’ve since come

around. If you were to expand your

paper eventually, I would urge for

you to even add another page of list-

ings, which is of great benefit to for-

eign newcomers to the Kurdistan

Region. Such people are usually

clueless about where to go and what

to do here. I also recommend that

you add phone numbers and ad-

dresses of the venues you list.

Sham AneziERBIL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Want to be published in SOMA? We’dreally like to know what you’re thinking.If you’ve got a comment on one of ourstories, or about an important issue, sim-ply email it to:

editor@soma-digest.com

Letters may be edited for purposes ofspace, clarity and decency.

C O N TA C T U S

As is my wont of following

the world news on some

European channels, both

radio and television, I was

struck this week by the

dearth of coverage about Iraq. Only one

year ago, we would have been inundated

with endless stories about what is occur-

ring in this unfortunate country. Yet, de-

spite some serious developments on the

ground let alone regionally, it felt that the

unpredictable nature of the media had be-

come tired of Iraq. It seems there are other

stories to chase these days.

This media fatigue in broad terms about

Iraq does not mean that the country is finally

in good shape. Over the past few months, I

have written about the impact of the rede-

ployment of US troops from Iraqi city cen-

tres, as well as about the parliamentary

elections in Kurdistan or those that will take

place nationally in January 2010 and their

impact not only on Iraqis but also on re-

gional alliances and interests. But today, I

would like to highlight two events drawing

my interest.

The first event is the portentous diplo-

matic spat between Iraq and Syria over the

recent terrorist attacks in Iraq that sadly re-

sulted once more in bloody fatalities among

its long-suffering people. But in this in-

stance, Iraq robustly accused Syria of facil-

itating those attacks through their porous

borders, leading to the recall of ambassa-

dors, the higher decibels of mutual accusa-

tions and then the expected meetings and

smiles feigning that all is well in the politi-

cal arena between them. However, a closer

analysis of what the Syrian and Iraqi offi-

cials stated would indicate that the two

countries are still very much in the midst of

an unresolved crisis. Iraq believes that Syria

is fomenting instability in Iraq, and so re-

sists any such ploys by saying that it will

never become another Lebanon-like the-

ater. Syria, on the other hand, rejects any

such political intentions.

Complex realityThe reality, I believe, is a bit more com-

plex than what is being fed to the public in

general. In fact, it is self-evident that Iraq

has been a zone of conflicting interests

between many regional powers as much

as local actors. On the regional level, the

main players at the moment are Syria,

Iran and the USA, with each party at-

tempting to market its interests by check-

mating those of the other. As far as Syria

is concerned, it is not solely a matter of

the historical enmity between two politi-

cal systems or ideologies, but equally one

of regional and international spheres of

influence. Syria wishes to remind the

West that it is a major player who could

either stabilize or destabilize the region as

a function of the political realities affect-

ing it. Iran is also another key actor, and it

is interesting to note that the two main

mediators in this crisis were / are Turkey and

Iran - not the Arab League - with the former

trying to burnish its Islamic and regional

credentials, and the latter strengthening the

cards it holds largely in its negotiations with

the 5+1 Group over its nuclear program.

Within this wider constellation, the Iraqi ac-

tors themselves are divided in terms of loy-

alty and fealty, and are tugging the country

into divergent crossroads.

The other alarming issue is the persistent

tension in the northern Iraqi province of

Ninewa between the ruling Sunni-Arab Al-

Hadba list which now enjoys majority rep-

resentation in the provincial council and the

Kurdish Ninewa Brotherhood list. The live

tensions have placed the governor on a col-

lision course with the Kurds, and there are

constant recriminations about the future of

this region within a larger Iraq as well as

threats about possible boycotts or even uni-

lateral independence.

Disputed territoriesOne major source of tension is the Iraqi

Arab concern that Iraqi Kurds aspire to

annex those ‘disputed territories’ into the

Kurdistan Region, whereas the Kurds are

insisting upon a restoration of the original

demographics of the disputed cities - in ac-

cordance with the much-delayed imple-

mentation of Article 140 of the Constitution

- that were altered forcibly and inequitably

as a result of the policy of Arabization pur-

sued by the late president Saddam Hussein

who uprooted vast numbers of Iraqi Kurds

from their homes and substituted them with

Iraqi Arabs from the southern provinces and

governorates.

The diplomatic tussle between Syria and

Iraq needs to be resolved in such a way that

Iraq does not become an even nastier the-

ater of operations for foreign powers but

preserves a modicum of its sovereignty as it

attempts to re-edify the country and salvage

it from the ruins that preceded - and also fol-

lowed - two Gulf wars. As for the latest Iraqi

Arab-Kurdish tensions, it is critical to check

them too and so disallow further fragmen-

tation of the country in a way that could

boomerang against them.

But here again, I come back to my prin-

cipal thesis: it is up to Iraqis - Shiites, Sun-

nis, Kurds and all other smaller

communities - to undergird the stability of

their country and lead it back to a prosper-

ity based on investing in its abundant human

and oil resources as a forerunner for the

peace that all Iraqi leaders without excep-

tion owe to their constituents. Nobody is

going to care much about Iraq when its own

leaders choose not to stand together and

manifest solidarity against all transgres-

sions.

The political omens today, with Iraqis

coming toward the end of the holy month

of Ramadan and ‘Eid Al Fitr, are tentative.

The country is still torn, as it teeters between

hope and despair, so what will be the bold

choice of its leaders?

© hbv-H @ 13 September 2009

MANIFEST SOLIDARITY

DR HARRY HAGOPIAN

The country is still torn, as it teeters between hopeand despair. What will be the choice of its leaders?

Iraq believes that

Syria is fomenting

instability in Iraq,

and so it resists any

such ploys by saying

that it will never

become another

Lebanon-like theater.

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 13

BUSINESS|INVESTMENTS MARKET NEWS&

Avisible US presence has

often been associated with

troops and as American

forces slowly withdraw

from the country a new re-

lationship is being cemented. Ties with the

United States and their investment in the

Kurdistan Region are seen as imperative

to aiding the transition toward a more lib-

eralized economy.

The Iraq Business Initiative (IBI) which

is made up of a group of distinguished

American businesses aims to increase mem-

bers’ access to Iraqi markets, including the

markets of the Kurdistan Region. This will

be done by helping expand investment op-

portunities and promoting dialogue and ac-

cess to decision makers in the US, the

Government of Iraq (GOI), and the Kurdis-

tan Regional Government (KRG), says Yas-

min Motamedi, Executive Director of

Middle Eastern Affairs in the United States

Chamber of Commerce.

While there are currently 49 American

companies working in the Kurdistan Re-

gion, investment has been slow despite

American companies in the energy, infra-

structure, logistics/transportation and agri-

culture sectors expressing a keen interest in

potential investment projects in what has fa-

mously been dubbed the 'Other Iraq.'

“The American private sector has not

been fully engaged in investing in Iraq. This

is in part due to lack of knowledge on their

part about the golden investment opportu-

nities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” Mo-

tamedi told SOMA Digest.

“American private business has an op-

portunity that it cannot afford to miss. The

elements are there to once again make Iraq

a strong economy in the region,” she added.

The 2006 KRG Investment Law favors

foreign investors by providing them with the

same rights as Iraqi investors, giving them

full ownership of projects and companies.

This has been a key point of attraction.

“Per the law, non-Iraqi staff may freely

transfer their profits or income abroad with-

out paying taxes or customs. The law also

provides major investment incentives, in-

cluding exemptions from all non-customs

taxes and duties on projects for 10 years,”

says Motamedi.

Such enticements have formed the foun-

dations of contracts as a growing number of

foreign investors are beginning to acknowl-

edge the economic benefits in the most se-

cure and stable part of Iraq.

“The US Chamber of Commerce’s Iraq

Business Initiative, with the support of its

membership, has taken a leadership role in

facilitating and strengthening that engage-

ment,” says Motamedi.

“The Middle Eastern Affairs’ key mission

for the remainder of this year and in 2010 is

to work with American firms to bring more

sustainable US investment from a wide-

range of sectors to Kurdistan.”

Motamedi explains that in the past two

years, the Chamber has taken five trade mis-

sions to Iraq, two of which were to the Iraqi

capital and three to the Kurdistan Region.

The Chamber is planning to take a fourth

trade mission to the Kurdistan Region, ten-

tatively in December 2009.

Motamedi adds that in the past year, the

Chamber’s Middle Eastern Affairs Depart-

ment has hosted a number of business del-

egations and economic stakeholders from

Iraq. Several distinguished Iraqi officials

have attended, including the Kurdistan Re-

gion’s President Massoud Barzani, Prime

Minister Nechirvan Barzani, former Iraqi

Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, Iraqi

Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and Dr.

Sami Al-Araji, Chairman of National In-

vestment Commission of the Republic of

Iraq, to name a few.

“From 2 – 6 August, 2009, as part of the

US Chamber of Commerce’s Kurdistan

Task Force, the Chamber led an executive

business delegation of 12 American com-

panies to Kurdistan. The broader purpose of

this delegation was to lend American busi-

nesses interested in exploring investment

and partnership opportunities unique access

to senior government and business leaders

in the region,” says Motamedi.

For three full days, the US Chamber del-

egates held high-level business-to-

government meetings with the KRG

including meetings with the ministers of

agriculture, planning, trade, interior, hous-

ing as well as the Chairman of the Invest-

ment Board and the governors of Erbil and

Dohuk.

“The delegation also participated in busi-

ness-to-business meetings with prospective

Iraqi business partners, and met with nu-

merous regional chambers of commerce.

Moreover, we conducted sector-specific site

visits to see first-hand how the commercial

climate is progressing favorably in the re-

gion,” says Motamedi.

The economic recession that has plagued

the world and the United States in particular

was worrisome as predictions of the next

Great Depression began to circulate. Many

were led to believe that investment in Iraq

and especially in the Kurdistan Region

would soon cease.

“The current global economic crisis has

brought about great positive shifts in inter-

national capital flows, including sovereign

wealth and private capital in the Middle East

and East Asia,” says Motamedi.

“It has also brought continued diversifi-

cation of emerging economies in many re-

gions, and helped expand intraregional trade

and investment in the Middle East and

North Africa, South and Southeast Asia and

other regions.”

Motamedi explains that “Kurdistan is a

new frontier for trade and investment” and

that it was the goal of the Chamber to en-

sure that American business takes advantage

of the opportunities available there and in

the rest of Iraq.

“The US Chamber of Commerce is ac-

tively engaged in building bridges for global

commerce and establishing the relationships

necessary to ensure that our members are

not locked out of lucrative international

markets, including and especially in Kur-

distan,” she says.

‘American private

business has an

opportunity... The

elements are there

to make Iraq a

strong economy in

the region.’

The new frontier. US urgesinvestors to explore prospectsin Iraq and Kurdistan Region.Lawen A. Sagerma

SLEMANI

14 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

On the current global

economic scene, the

Kurdistan Region fea-

tures prominent

among areas most in

need of investment in a variety of sec-

tors, despite the ongoing financial

crunch. Scenes of feverish construc-

tion have been common in the Kur-

distan Region for past few years,

drawing in further investment from

abroad, and even vast numbers of

Kurdish repatriates from Europe and

the United States. As a steady stream

of families pour in, the number of res-

idents has soared, compelling the re-

gional government to expand cities to

accomodate the growing population

before it is faced with an urban crisis.

Due to the expansion of the cities, the

requirements are now greater than what

they were decades ago. People are no

longer content with basic necessities,

which in some areas, remain entirely

non-existent. To provide the residents

with a better standard of life, the Kur-

distan Region has undergone massive

development and undertaken new resi-

dential projects and retail developments

in the cities and the countryside.

One of the most important residential

projects in the region is the ‘Kurd City’

project in the city of Slemani. The proj-

ect is underway in Kani Goma in west-

ern Slemani, building approximately

1,500 residential units of which 960 are

near completion.

The project is built as three floor

apartments; each floor consists of 12

flats. There are three types of units, 100

square meters, 90 square meters and 70

square meters. Prices vary according to

size and are affordable for lower-in-

come families. A great number of them

have already been reserved.

The total covered area of the ‘Kurd

City’ is approximately 160 donums (one

donum is equal to 2,500 square meters),

with the contract for its construction

valued at US$40 million. Supervised by

the KRG Board of Investment, it is

being carried out by Nalia Company.

“The first stage of the Kurd City proj-

ect was built on 76 donums of land and

consists of 80 three floor apartments

with three different kinds of flats. This

first stage included 960 residential units

and work started on this in January

2009 and so far 80 percent of it has been

completed,” said Aram Mohammad

Saeed, project supervisor.

In an attempt to expand the project,

the government has decided to build

‘Kurd City Two’ as phase two of their

project and have already begun work on

it.

“The prices for these units are very

reasonable and affordable especially for

the young and less well off. They can

pay 80 percent of the money in install-

ments over a period of ten years,” said

Saeed.

The apartments are built in stages,

and those who wish to purchase can pay

in installments. They pay once the first

stage is completed, and pay again upon

achievement of the second stage and so

forth. With everything catered for, the

flats are going for a steal at US$50,000

in comparison to the other rates that are

currently available to the elites of the

Kurdistan Region.

The company has planned for more

than just houses, aiming to provide a va-

riety of public services, including a hos-

pital, school, mosque, supermarket and

a play yard. This will render the project

a fully serviced small town. Each flat

has the same uniform design externally

and inside there are three bedrooms, one

living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.

Along with the apartments, all kinds

of services are underway, including

roads, a sewage system, water and

power supplies.

“The government provides all the

necessary services for investment proj-

ects and for this residential venture they

will be undertaking the responsibility

for water, electricity and roads along

with bulding a hospital, school and

mosque,” said Saeed.

Concerning the engineering aspect,

the project is a modern design with

many high standard systems, providing

a comfortable atmosphere for the resi-

dents. Moreover, a professional engi-

neering staff is supervising the project

and all the work is done according to in-

ternational standards.

The people, for their part, are very

pleased with the project and they con-

fess that they have received a great ben-

efit from it and that it will go some way

to decreasing a reasonable portion of

the housing problems in the city

“As a youth, I am very happy with

the government and the Nalia Company

for implementing this ‘Kurd City’ proj-

ect. The process of the construction has

been managed very well and I hope that

such projects will continue," said Botan

Sherko, a resident of Slemani.

It is expected that the ‘Kurd City’

project along with other residential

projects will go some way in reducing

the residential problems in the city of

Slemani and the greater Kurdistan Re-

gion.

Urban dreams. Expansionwork in progress to meet needsof growing population.Barzan Kareem

SLEMANI

The Kurd City project is set to reduce some of the housing problems in the city of Slemani.

‘When the company enjoys all the top-notch financial, administrativeand technical potentialsand Iraqi and foreigncompanies are workingunder its umbrella, it will definitely be able toattain significantbreakthroughin Iraq’s oilexports.’

ABDULHADI AL HASSANI,committee deputy chairman,on the need to amend the fi-nancial appropriations aspectof the law on the national oilcompany.

‘Three laws will be given priority. The SupplementaryBudget Law, an amendmentto the Investment Law,and the Infrastructure.’

AAMERA AL BALDAWI,member of parliamentary economic comittee, on fivecrucial economic laws awaitingapproval.

‘The economic conditionin Iraq needs private initiatives and a larger roleby the private sector andforeign investments...’

ALI BABAN, Planning Minister,on the Iraqi govnt’s inability tocover economic sectors’ needs.

‘It is necessary to set up apermanent headquartersto represent Egyptian petroleum companies inBaghdad... I will discusswith the officials in theIraqi oil ministry keyfields to be included in executive programs inwhichEgyptiancompanieswill takepart...’

SAMEH FAHMI, Egyptian Petro-leum Minister, on Egypt beingfirst Arab nation to have presence in Iraq through cooperation in the oil domain.

‘The law has had many bureaucratic obstacles,which we need to overcome.’

MOHAMMED KHALIL, amember of the parliamentaryeconomic committee, on theadmendment to the draft lawon investment no. 13.

‘The suggestion faced opposition by the govn’trepresentative in the parliament for the absenceof sufficient financial resources.’GHUFRAN AL SAADI, Iraqi MP, on approval of Sadristbloc’s proposal to give eachIraqi family ID100,000 on the ration card base.

‘The compound will beworking again... after a hiatus of three weeks dueto high saline rate in theShatt Al Arab water.’

HUSSEIN AL SHIMARI, FacilityDirector, on work resumption ofpetrochemicals plant in Basra.

‘The water flow into theEuphrates River inHaseeba area has reached430 cubic meters/second,in comparison to 300cubic meters/second lastweek.’DR ABDULLLATEEF JAMALRASHEED, Iraqi Minister ofWater Resources, on increasein water supplies from Turkey.

‘The government provides all necessary

services for investment projects. For this

venture they’ll undertake responsibility

for water, electricity and roads.’

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 15

The city of Slemani has always

been renowned as the region’s

cultural capital and as such, var-

ious forms of arts have taken root

and flourished here, but one art-

form that has long been neglected is the

ballet. Small steps were taken in previous

years to introduce ballet to the people of

the Kurdistan Region with a number of

performances by the Laezeen Group,

which was founded after the Kurdish up-

rising in 1992. This group, under the di-

rection of Rubar Ahmed Saeed along

with a number of graduates from the Fine

Arts Institute in Slemani, was able to in-

troduce ballet to the Kurdish arts and cul-

ture scene.

“After 1992, we presented a number of

projects to the Ministry of Education and

Ministry of Culture for the establishment of

a school for ballet but we were not very

successful,” said Saaed, who is a theater

graduate from the Fine Arts Academy in

Baghdad and finished ballet studies at the

Music and Ballet School in the Iraqi capi-

tal.

However, through the Laezeen Group,

Saeed and her graduates were able to stage

some performances over the years and in

2004 travelled to Germany to participate in

‘The Silky Road’ festival.

“At the event we displayed a production

called ‘The Kingdom of Head’ and this was

a great way to show our abilities as Kurds

to foreigners. We didn’t translate the piece

and let our movements tell the story,” she

said.

Following their success the Laezeen

Group were also able to create a number of

small groups in the Kurdistan regional cap-

ital Erbil and in Dohuk. This group along

with its members, many of whom were

trained under the guidance of Saeed, plus

the courses they followed with the Ameri-

can Voices group who taught ballet under

the direction of a number of professional

ballet teachers went from strength to

strength. They also participated in a work-

shop on postmodern dance with the French

group ‘Balinda Baran’ although the initial

teachings were predominately classical bal-

let.

“After graduating from the Music and

Ballet School in Baghdad I brought with

me all my study material and the methods

that I was taught with. I was able to create

a school for teaching ballet and obtained

approval from the Ministry of Education. It

is the first of its kind in the Kurdistan Re-

gion,” said Saeed.

This school extends over a period of 12

years for students who wish to learn the art

of ballet. These 12 years are broken up into

three stages, each of which lasts four years

and students are accepted from six years of

age and there is no gender bias as both girls

and boys are admitted.

This ballet school, which does not yet

have its own building and must share with

another school, has managed in the space

of one year to hold its first festival.

While some critics contest that it is sim-

ply too short a time for a festival to be per-

formed, Saeed explains that the reason be-

hind this was in large part down to the

students’ desire to showcase their ability

and it was further encouragement for them

to flourish in this field.

“Even though ballet has a longer history

than cinema and television, it reached us

very late and this has been unfortunate as

we are missing a piece so it is important we

work toward introducing ballet and famil-

iarizing it with its audience,” said Saeed.

Saeed explained that they have been

very fortunate with the community spirit

that has warmly embraced ballet, but she

conceded that she thought conservative

Kurdish society would prove to be an ob-

stacle in the progression of this art form.

“The families of our students have been

incredibly supportive and have allowed

their children to take trips outside the city

and stay overnight. This has been very en-

couraging,” she said.

Saeed also explains that there were some

misconceptions as to what will be shown

in the ballet performances.

“On one occasion someone approached

and said that he was told not to come be-

cause it wasn’t a good thing but admitted

that what he had witnessed was nothing

more than beauty on stage,” she said.

Saeed explained that Kurdish culture is

incorporated into the choreography of the

productions as much as possible and that in

the last four years of the students’ time at

the school, they are taught folkloric Kur-

dish dance.

Culture

Laezeen Group introduces ballet onto theKurdish arts and culture scene.

Getting the ballet rolling

Aram Eissa

SLEMANI

The art of ballet is now being taught to ambitious students in the cultural city of Slemani. (photo by Aram Eissa)

FILMS MUSIC LITERATURE HERITAGE

INSIDEThe bookseller of

Slemani tells his storyROSHNA RASOOL IN SLEMANI

What starts off as a hobby can be-

come a lucrative profession.

The crafts center was estab-

lished in Slemani in 1971 by the then Min-

istry of Education and called ‘Malbandy

Rahenani Pishayee’ (center for making

handmade crafts). It later became known

as the Handmade Crafts Center, which

served to train professional artisans.

Those who used to attend the center in

previous years had left and used their skills

for paid professions, but after 1997 this

practice changed and the center became a

training center for art teachers. Yearly, sev-

eral three-month courses were offered. The

center is made up of many sectors; metal

work, flower arrangement, screen, knitting,

weaving, carpentry, leather work, tailoring

and ceramics.

Kazhal Ibrahim, a teacher

in the metal sector said:

“In the area I work

in, we work with

copper of dif-

ferent thick-

ness, with

metal or

wooden

e q u i p -

m e n t .

T h o s e

w h o

come to

us to learn

will firstly

be taught

how to use the

equipment along

with steps needed to

acquire skills for this

art. The student comes in

and is taught several things and is

then allowed to apply the knowledge and

skill to form a creation.”

He explained that the work entails

sketches and pictures according to the pref-

erence of the students and these are often of

popular figures which become a source of

inspiration as the art is based on producing

images of such people.

Due to renovation work in the center, the

courses stopped running until September

when they recommenced. The head of the

center, Rostam Saeed, stated that the cen-

ter is geared for art teachers, but sometimes

organizations and other groups request

entry and exceptions have been made on

some occasions.

“The work that we do is to help others,

and so we are able to allow others onto the

course,” he said.

In another part of the center synthetic

flowers are made of fabric and a special

molding material; cold ceramic. Another

department is dedicated to teaching the art

of weaving for all types of rugs.

Shano Ahmed, a teacher of the weaving

sector of the center, concedes that the art of

weaving is not simple and needs a lot of

time and dedication.

“There are many steps and it is more ex-

hausting compared to the other sectors so

it’s something one needs to find motivation

to do. Currently we are making small rugs

due to the size of our looms which limits us

in the size of the rug,” said Ahmed.

“In 1973, I went to Iran to train for a

course and I was able to bring back many

things that benefited us in the weaving sec-

tor and allowed it to prosper,” explained

Saeed.

In this center, there is a knitting

loom for knitted objects

such as prayer mats,

and has been work-

ing reliably

since 1976.

The leather

needed for

the leather

w o r k

c o m e s

f r o m

Baghdad

a n d

M o s u l

a n d

comes in

many differ-

ent colors and

types. Pictures

illustrated on the

leather tend to be of

renowned places and peo-

ple.

‘Screening’ which involves pictures

being put onto materials like glass, ceram-

ics and fabric is another section within the

center. The carpentry sector produces

mainly objects that will be used for home

décor.

“There are many useful types of equip-

ment available to us that can allow one to

make all sorts of furniture as well as those

objects already being created, but unfortu-

nately there aren’t people that have come to

benefit from this,” said Saeed.

A center such as this one aids teachers

in being able to improve their teaching

skills and help the art community starting

from young children and assist them in re-

alizing their potential and talents.

— BY ROSHNA RASOOLIN SLEMANI

When hobbies become professions

16 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

Booksellerof Slemani

Seventy-year-old Mam

Anwar works 13 hours a

day doing what he loves

best; encouraging people to

develop an appreciation for

literature. From 5am until late in the

evenings, Mam Anwar can be found

at the bookshop on Salam Street in

Slemani, ready to receive prospective

customers and engage them in dis-

cussions over the merits of one par-

ticular book or another.

Mam Anwar hails from a family of

poor farmers in a village near Bazyan.

Born in 1939, he has led a varied life,

starting as a student, serving as a Pesh-

merga and then becoming a teacher. He

traveled to many places before finally

settling in the city of Slemani.

“I get great enjoyment from my job

and this is why I wake up early every

day to go to work and spend my time

there until the evening,” he says. “My

love for my job makes it so that I don’t

feel tired from what I do, and my cus-

tomers are mostly open-minded edu-

cated people who appreciate books.”

What encouraged Mam Anwar to be

a teacher, writer and bookseller was the

community he grew up in. Coming

from a family of uneducated farmers, it

was these circumstances that propelled

Mam Anwar to make a change in his

own life.

“The state my family was in pushed

me to do more with my life and when I

started school I fell in love with books

and it began from there. I had lived a

poor life for too long in more ways than

one,” Mam Anwar explains.

Through books, he says, he was able

to understand more and be able to pave

the way for a new kind of life, one that

would help improve the state he was in

on many levels for him as well as for

his family.

Mam Anwar believes that if it

weren’t for his love of books, his chil-

dren would not be where they are now.

One of his sons is now an engineer, an-

other son and a daughter are studying

law. The latter is actually pursuing her

studies in the US.

The bookstore is seldom empty as

many people come in on a daily basis

and buy numerous books. However,

Mam Anwar isn’t exhausted by the

daily rush.

“Those who come to my shop, I see

them all as my own family, like my

sons and daughters,” he says. “The job

I do is something that is related to soci-

ety and the connections made, and the

joy that comes from others appreciating

what I fell in love with many years

back.”

Some 10,000 books line the shelves

of Mam Anwar’s shop, a testament to

his passion for literature, he confesses.

He sells books with no prejudice or dis-

crimination.

“It doesn’t matter what language my

customer speaks, we’ll find means of

communication. It doesn’t matter what

books they come in for either. Whatever

their political view, religion or outlook

on life, it makes no difference to me.

I’m just here to provide books that will

quench their thirst for knowledge and

broaden their path for thinking,” says

Mam Anwar.

If Mam Anwar feels affection for his

customers, then this sentiment is recip-

rocated. Luqman Namiq, a loyal cus-

tomer, said of Mam Anwar: “This man

is a role model for many of his cus-

tomers, working hard for what he loves.

He has a heart full of compassion and

is always calm.”

Indeed, Mam Anwar’s personal

charm has contributed to increasing his

customer base over the years. He has

been known for helping many students

in Slemani as his book store has acted

as a library, a resource center for those

students who come to borrow his

books.

“I come to Mam Anwar’s bookstore

as he helps me a great deal with my

studies, providing me with the neces-

sary resources I need and he under-

stands the hard life of a student,” says

Hewa Ahmed, a university student.

“I am able to take the books and then

return them to him free of charge. This

empathy he has for students has made

us love and respect him even more,” he

adds.

How his humblebeginnings asthe son of a poorfarmer fuelled hislove for reading.

Mam Anwar submits that it is was his humble upbringing and love for books that fuelledhis desire for his bookstore. (photo by Aram Eissa)

‘Whatever their

political view,

religion or outlook

on life, it makes no

difference to me.

I’m just here to

provide books that

will quench their

thirst for

knowledge...’

Roshna Rasool

SLEMANI

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 17

Living under the constant threat of terrorattacks, the beleaguered people of Kirkukstill find ways to enjoy the simple pleasuresin life, especially those available in nearby,more secure parts of the country. MuhseenRestaurant, located on the road to Erbil, isvery popular among Kirkukis. It is reputedfor serving delectable traditional dishes, notably dolma (stuffed vine leaves) and‘qozi’ (rice with boiled meat and soup).Muhseen is well known for its stellar service (often compromised by other venues) and tasty cuisine, which continueto attract big crowds both from the city andsurrounds. Along with traditional Kurdishfoods, it also caters for Western palettesand offers a variety of delicious salads.

The disparities between urbanites in Iraqi Kurdistan, and their counterparts in Europe or the US have quickly diminished over the pasteight years. A torrent of foreign investment and a flood of foreign goods into the local bazaars means that even the ubiquitous‘Blackberry’ is now available. See what’s new on the scene with Lifestyle, a vista to an emerging society.

As modernity seeps into everyday life in Kurdistan, affluent young Kurdsfind ways to reconcile global trends with tradition.

Although there are restaurants that cater for this dish, which can only be described as an‘acquired taste’, many families prefer to prepare the sarope themselves at home. Homemade sarope is said to taste distinctly better than those made in restaurants.

DINING FASHION INTERIORS LEISURE

COMPILED BYAWARA JUMAA IN KIRKUK

RANU TALABANY IN SLEMANI

Munching at Muhseen’s

For beleaguered Kirkukis, Muhseen Restaurant is a popular place to dine.

Lifestyle

Computer games have always been a hitwith teenage boys. Network, a new arcade-like establishment, meets the electronic entertainment needs of Slemani’s idle male youth. Located onSalim Street, Network consists of fourplasma widescreen TVs, each connectedto a PS3 games console offering a varietyof games ranging from football to the latestaction and car racing games. Network alsoboasts 12 LG PC desktops, which are connected to a server enabling patrons toplay against each other in games such as‘call of duty’. Refreshments are availableduring breaks. Prices are considered reasonable, and the venue has beenhugely successful.

Network craze

Network caters for the electronic entertainment needs of Slemani’s teenagers.

For those who are accus-

tomed to bacon and

eggs, or the continental

croissant and a glass of

juice, ‘sarope’ may

seem like an unconvential break-

fast. Starting off the early morn-

ing with a hearty serving of

boiled sheep’s head and feet,

however, is not only common but

very popular in the former Per-

sian regions, the Caucasus and

Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Admit-

tedly, the dish is more popular

among men, who are less both-

ered with the consumption of ex-

cessive calories and their fat

intake.

Although there are restaurants

that cater for this dish, which can

only be described as an ‘acquired

taste’, many families prefer to pre-

pare the sarope themselves at

home. Homemade sarope is said to

taste distinctly better than those

made in restaurants. Albeit, when

made at home, sarope is typically

eaten for lunch rather than for

breakfast early in the morning at

the crack of dawn.

In the past, the necessary meat

was bought the night before be-

cause cleaning it took a very long

time. The head and the feet were

the most difficult and time con-

suming until all the hairs were re-

moved. Once this was done, the

head and feet were held over a fire

so as to burn off any residual hairs.

Left to cook over overnightThe intestines are also thor-

oughly cleaned out and cut up into

a number of pieces that are deter-

mined by the number of servings

one is preparing. The intestines are

filled with cooked yellow rice,

meat, nuts, almonds and lots of

spices, then sewn up using simple

needle and thread. This pouch is

called a ‘gepa’.

Before cookers became a com-

mon household item, the gepa and

the head and feet were put into a

pot of water and left over an oil

heater or wood fire to cook thor-

oughly, sometimes overnight.

Legend has it that the high level

of calcium in this dish is actually of

great benefit to those with ligament

problems in their knees.

However, the high cholesterol

levels should not be overlooked but

suffice to say even doctor’s orders

prohibiting sarope has never de-

terred anyone from eating it.

During the Holy month of Ra-

madan, many diehard sarope fans

bring the dish home from take-

aways shops and indulge during

Iftar or Suhoor. While it may seem

unthinkable to some, the brain and

the tongue are also eaten!

Traditionally, however, consum-

ing sarope was part of a ritual that

involved the men going to the local

public hamams (bath house) very

early in the morning. After they

came out of their bath, the men

would sit together to eat their

sarope and then cap it off with

glasses of Kurdish tea.

— BY ARAM EISSAIN SLEMANI

Sarope - an acquired taste?

IN FOCUS

18 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

HISTORY

As a result of the 25 July re-

gional elections, the incum-

bent President Masoud

Barzani obtained a landslide victory in

the region's first direct presidential

election. Perhaps it is now appropriate

to reflect on what has so far been

achieved and what more is expected

of the holder of that post in the coming

four years.

As the Chief Executive of the Re-

gion, he represents the needs and as-

pirations of the inhabitants of the

region. He ensures the sustained inter-

est and active participation in the key

affairs of the region in order to help

identify anddevelop all aspects of

making life happier and more mean-

ingful.

Therefore, for the region's president

to be familiarized with the region's

multiple requirements, it is proposed

that during his new term, he makes it

his normal practice to periodically visit

all the region's areas so as to see and be

seen, to talk and listen, to receive direct

suggestions from and offer responses

to them. In this manner he will have

the gist of the people's views.

In this connection, many feel that

during the previous term, he did not

provide time to see and be seen suffi-

ciently within for instance, Slemani

city and its surrounding areas – which

may partly explain why many of the

votes cast, were to others.

Another equally important function

of the President is to monitor the fiscal

health of the region in such a way to

diminish and if possible, eradicate all

that is said about financial corruption

at all levels of the region.

Moreover, it is expected of the Pres-

ident, along with the KRG, to wel-

come the opposition parties, who have

fared well in the elections and are con-

sidered a viable opposition, and to fa-

cilitate their envisaged positive role for

the general good of the people and the

smooth operation of the Kurdistan

Parliament whose functional plate is

full of essential goals that need to be

tackled collectively. Tasks at hand in-

clude unemployment and human re-

source development, the economy and

enhancing its internal factors and cre-

ating opportunities for the youth.

Another important requirement for

the President, along with the KRG, is

ample preparation for the national

elections in Iraq that are scheduled for

January 2010. Here, two important is-

sues are currently at stake. One is the

need for the President and KRG, to re-

solve the issues and disputes pending

with the Federal Government in

Baghdad to forge a reasonable recon-

ciliation. While it is important to main-

tain the Kurdish position, it is equally

necessary to maintain some flexibility.

However, what is necessary is the

kind of effective approach the Kurdish

side will follow. In this regard, it might

be appropriate to request honest bro-

kers' mediations that can influence

both sides in a spirit of objectivity that

is based on the Iraqi Constitution.

The other factor is sincere prepara-

tions, within the Kurdistan Parliament,

KRG, and the constituent parties, to

agree on a united stand for the major

objectives of the region. It is believed

that the Region's President, with his

usual humane approach and realism,

can contribute very actively towards

achieving that requirement.

In this connection, it is felt that in

order to ensure the realization of the

aims and aspirations of the people, it is

only proper that all sides operate

humbly and modestly with each other

and attempt to disregard their own in-

dividual differences.

In this they have a duty towards the

whole people. This would be no come

down for any one of them but rather a

true Kurdish national pride in which

all can secure a win-win result with the

consequence that they then present

themselves as one united Kurdistan

front to the Iraq High Independent

Electoral Commission and the whole

nation at large.

Perhaps another desirable factor is

to do with the accessibility of the Re-

gion's President for the people at large.

He needs to ensure that there is not

much red-tape deterring members of

the public who need to meet and see

their president. He is everybody's pres-

ident within the region and such meet-

ings may have much useful benefit to

enable the Regional President to con-

duct his functions even better.

It is desirable that all top senior pub-

lic officers realize that no person or

party can indefinitely sustain power

and authority that is merely based on

past legacy and achievements. They

need to work for their support among

the masses of the people through their

hard work and obvious dedication.

Finally, it is hoped that all con-

cerned will continue supporting

democracy and the rule of law, so as

the Kurdistan Region can continu-

ously develop towards institutional-

ization and a transparent society.

anwarqaradaghi2003@yahoo.co.uk

ANWAR M. QARADAGHI

High expectations for thePresident of the Region

FLASHBACKS

This account written by G.E. Hubbard,secretary of the delimitation commission isof his journey in Mesopotamia (Iraq) andKurdistan from November 1913 to April1914. It is an account written by an astutepolitical mind and contains much informa-tion about the political history of this volatilearea. Like other travelogues he peppers hisaccount with amusing anecdotes and vistasof the customs and folklore of the areas hetravels through. The book has a chapter onthe history, customs and manner of theKurds. Printed in 1917 there are few firstcopies available and are quite expensive butthe 2003 reprint can be bought fromwww.abebooks.co.uk from just $4.00 ster-ling.

“The chief feature of

Halebja is, or was till

quite recently, Lady

Adela. Adela Khanum,

to give her her usual

title, belonging by birth to the family of

viziers of Ardelan, a Kurdish tribe which,

though now considerably diminished was

a few centuries ago practically an inde-

pendent sultanate, and still retains some

of its old prestige. She married one of the

chiefs of the Jaff tribe whose headquar-

ters were Halebja. The Turkish Govern-

ment, following their traditional customs

of propitiating such of the borderland

chiefs as were too powerful to be coerced

by force, appointed her husband, Mah-

mud Pasha, Qaimakam of Shahr-i-zur.

This led to his being absent for a large part

of the year, with the result that Lady

Adela, who was a person of eminently ca-

pable and decided character, replaced him

at home. She not only managed her own

and her husband’s private concerns, but

also (if one may use the term) “ran” Hale-

bja. She built a prison, law-courts where

she acted as president, and a noble bazaar,

besides several fine houses, which redeem

Halebja from being, what it would other-

wise be, merely an overgrown, squalid

Kurdish village.

At the time when this enterprising lady

was in her prime, the whole district of Shar-

i-zur was completely in the power of the Jaff

tribe. In coalition with a smaller and very

warlike tribe called the Hamawand, they

controlled all the roads, and without their

permission it was next to impossible for a

caravan to pass from Suleymanieh to Hale-

bja without being plundered. Constantino-

ple had no authority at all, and when a

Government telegraph line was put up the

tribesmen merely appropriated the posts and

wire for their own private uses without a

word being said. With the Constitution,

however a new order of things set in, and

when we visited the town we found Turkish

postal and telegraph services working with

admirable regularity. Adela Khanum, more-

over, had to our great disappointment passed

more or less into retirement, her husband

having died some years before.

She is a personality of such interest, how-

ever, and her status presents such a contrast

to the ordinary conception of woman’s po-

sition in Mohammedan countries, that I can-

not forbear to quote from Mr Soane’s book

a description of his meeting with her in

1909. Mr Soane was travelling in Kurdis-

tan disguised as a merchant of Shiraz, and

he thus relates the event:-

“In the manner of Kurdistan it was a pri-

vate interview, so I found no more than

twelve servants, retainers, and armed men

standing at the door. The room was long and

narrow, two walls of which were pierced

with eight double doors opening on to a ve-

randa, the other walls being whitewashed

and recessed, as is done in all Persian

houses. The floor was carpeted with fine

Sina rugs, and at the far end stood a huge

brass bedstead piled high with feather quilts.

Before and at the foot of this lay a long, silk-

covered mattress, and upon it sat the lady

Adela herself, smoking a cigarette. The first

glance told her pure Kurdish origin. A nar-

row oval face, rather large mouth, small

black and shining eyes, a narrow, slightly

aquiline hooked nose, were the signs of it;

and her thinness in perfect keeping with the

habit of the Kurdish form which never

grows fat. Unfortunately, she has the habit

of powdering and painting, so that the

blackened rims of her eye-lids showed in

unnatural contrast to the whitened forehead

and rouged cheeks. Despite this fault, the

firmness of every line of her face was not

hidden, from the eyes that looked out, to the

hard mouth and chin. Her head-dress was

that of the Persian Kurds, a skull-cap smoth-

ered with rings of gold coins lying one over

the other, and bound with silk handkerchiefs

of Yezd and Kashan. On each side the fore-

head hung the typical fringe of straight hair

from the temple to the cheek below the ear,

and concealing it by a curtain of hair, the

locks called ‘agarija’ in the tongue of South-

ern Kurdistan. The black hair, plaited, was

concealed under the silk handkerchief that

hangs from the head-dress. Every garment

was silk, from the long open coat to the

baggy trousers. Her feet were bare and dyed

with henna, and upon ankle and wrist were

heavy gold circlets of Persian make. Upon

her hands she wore seventeen rings, heavily

jewelled, and round her neck was a neck-

lace of large pearls, alternating with the

gold-fishes that are the indispensable orna-

ment of the Persian Kurd and of many of

the Persians themselves.

Although Lady Adela’s position was

probably unique owing to a happy combi-

nation of rank and character, the freedom of

her sex which it exemplifies is entirely char-

acteristic of the social life of Kurdistan. The

veil and all it implies is unknown and the

women are, for all practical purposes, as free

as in England. My first walk through the

streets of Halebja brought this vividly to

view. In place of the black-draped ghosts

which in other Mohammedan countries

peep and giggle, or else bolt like frightened

rabbits on the sudden appearance of a Eu-

ropean, the good dames of Halebja sat and

gossiped on their doorsteps”.

Balka Jura, May 31 – We left Halabja this

morning. For the first hour or two, while the

caravan was still on the edge of the plain or

among the lower hills, we passed through

several Kurdish villages. Each one was built

by the side of a stream and surrounded by

trees, chiefly pomegranates. There is usu-

ally an artificial pond, or rather basin, in the

centre of the village under some specially

large trees; the basin, which is fed with run-

ning water, is enclosed with a broad stone-

coping about 3 feet high, with a ledge of

convenient height on the inner side which

serves as a bench for the village grey-beards,

who sit there and smoke and gossip and

watch their own reflections in the water –

an enviable occupation in this heat.

The villages themselves were empty, and

the people living in tabernacles of bough

just outside. I wondered if spring cleaning

was going on, or if they were indulging in

the “simple life”. Neither was the case –

they had simply run away from the fleas. A

similar exodus takes place every year, I am

told, during the “flea season,” the wretched

folk being literally hunted out of their homes

by these outrageous parasites, whose num-

bers are only reduced to a sufferable level

after the whole house has been turned inside

out and every sort of carpet and covering

spread for some days in the full blaze of the

sun.

After five and a half hours of clambering

up rocky ravines and traversing steep slopes

we came into sight of our present camping-

place. The last part of the approach gave one

a delicious foretaste of the scenery we may

expect in these mountains. The path drops

quite suddenly over the edge of a narrow

steep-sided valley full of fine walnut trees;

at the further end there is a noisy waterfall,

and near by a splash of magnificent purple

iris. The village itself is on the opposite

slope, to which it seems to be growing like

a fungus to a rock. The angle is so steep that

the flat brown roofs project one above the

other in tiers, the door of each man’s house

opening straight on to the roof of his neigh-

bour down below, so that streets become a

quite unnecessary luxury. A little tea-shop

by the wayside, with which some local gen-

tlemen in dress of flowered cotton were

grouped, together with the trees, the water-

fall, and the rather pagoda-like effect of the

superimposed roofs, gave to the whole

scene quite an atmosphere of Japan.

From the Gulf to AraratMaureen McLuckie

LONDON

She built a prison,law-courts where sheacted as president,and a noble bazaar,besides several finehouses...

Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009 19

SOCIETY| LIFE TIMES&

The Cultural Children’s Directorate holdsan exhibition at Tawar Hall.(photos by Aram Eissa)

A new underpass at the Saholaka Street. (photo by Aram Eissa)

National Youth Orchestra of Iraq perform at the Art Palace. (photo by Aram Eissa)

A calligraphy competition under the name of Khalid Zandar at the Fine Arts Hall. (photo by Aram Eissa)People break their fast at the Great Mosque in Slemani. (photo by Ranj Abdulla)

With the Holy Monthof Ramadan camea reminder of thejoys of communitylife. Days were filledwith activity untilsunset when all satdown to break theirfast with friends andloved ones.

20 Issue no.62 Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2009

JWAMER

Please Kaka Bayiz. Can you check my pulse?

BAYIZ

Why? What’s wrong with you?

JWAMER

I don’t know. I think I have a serious disease.

BAYIZ

God forbid. What is your complaint?

JWAMER

What I believe and what I say are not in harmony.

BAYIZ

Excuse me? This is not a disease. We all have thesame problem. You are not alone.

JWAMER

I wish I were alone.

BAYIZ

You must be joking.

JWAMER

I’m very serious, more serious than the Swine Fluwhich is supposed to visit us in the Fall.

BAYIZ

Swine Flu?! Such propaganda!

JWAMER

No, I told you my belief is different from myspeech.

BAYIZ

Rest assured. Nobody is sick.

JWAMER

Except one. Our media is gravely ill.

BAYIZ

Why don’t they send a brilliant doctor to cure him?

JWAMER

Because it is a hopeless case.

BAYIZ

Oh no, you mean that our media will die soon?

JWAMER

No, our interest in the media will die.

BAYIZ

No problem. I myself have lost interest in my po-litical party, but I’m still working in it.

JWAMER

Which means?

BAYIZ

We may have lost interest in our media, but stillwe follow the news.We are psychologically ab-normal.

JWAMER

Thanks now I can proudly say that I’m sick.

BAYIZ

Not only you. We are all sick. So don’t be so proud.

JWAMER

But I need that feeling. You must give me something to be proud of!!!

BAYIZ

Don’t shout, otherwise a bloodthirsty journalist willhear it and will write an offensive article about you.

JWAMER

About me??

BAYIZ

Not only you, about your mother, your sister. Justto be famous.

JWAMER

But what does he do with such bloody fame?

BAYIZ

He acquires the support of a big politician.

JWAMER

And then what?

BAYIZ

He gains more fame, attacks more people and acquires more support.

JWAMER

And finally?

BAYIZ

Finally we should say bye bye.

JWAMER

Bye bye to who?

BAYIZ

To all ethics.

Dr Sherko Abdullah is editor of SekhurmaCartoon magazine.

At the chaikhana

The teahouse is a popular Kurdish institution, where wisemen (or, wiseguys) gather every evening to discuss life, politics andthe future. Dr Sherko Abdullah lends an ear to the talk, and reports what Bayiz and Jwamer had to say...

Nevermind. It’s a hopeless cause.

Our media is gravely ill.Send for a doctor!