Kurdistan hosts international cultures

Foreign performances bring much-needed joy to Halabja town

Dance troupes and musical acts of varying nations from around the world entertain residents in the Region for a five fun-filled days.


More than 15,000 people, most of them young men, sat on the Sherwana Palace stairs in Kalar, impatiently waiting for dance and musical performances of 14 different nations.

As performers took to the platform to present their cultures, the audience excitedly whistled and applauded. For many, it was the first time to see such a cultural display. Spectators used their mobile phones to film Brazilian sambas, Dabka (an Iraqi Arab folklore dance), and Egyptian belly dances.

Kalar is in the heart of Garmyan, located 150 kilometers south of Suleimaniya city. In the 1980s, Garmyan was the center of Saddam Hussein’s Anfal Campaign that killed more than 182,000 people and destroyed over 4,000 villages. Kalar hosted the opening of the five-day Festival of Nations Culture in Kurdistan Region on November 2; 14 nations participated, including but not limited to Brazil, Iran, Sweden, Poland, Egypt, Slovakia, Bolivia, Croatia, and Iraq--including different Kurdish traditional dancing groups. Many Kurdish cities and towns hosted events, except Duhok province due to time and budget issues.

The festival started in Garmyan, where multi-cultural dancers and musicians played and danced on the streets; thousands of people watched. “We were happy that Garmyan hosted the festival because this area has not seen a lot of cultural activities in the past,” said Umed Sadullah, head of the Garmyan Culture Directorate. “When Garmyan areas are mentioned in the media, it’s usually because of sad stories about Anfal. This time it was different. It was about dancing and singing,” added Sadullah.

On day four, the festival went to Suleimaniya city and Halabja town, the town the Iraqi army of Saddam Hussein attacked with chemical weapons. On the last day, the nations came to Erbil city, capital of Kurdistan Region, and performed colorful dances in public parks and halls. “We want to introduce the Kurdish culture to the outside world. Moreover, Kurdistan wants to become a bridge between nations’ cultures,” said Kawa Mahmud, Minister of Kurdistan Region Ministry of Culture.

Sami Atroushi, representative of Iraqi Ministry of Culture, said that through such festivals, Iraq wants to show to the world that Iraq is not what they see on TV. “They [other nations] think Iraq is all about terror and violence; we want to show them that in Iraq there is a place for happiness and music.”

Garmyan youth needs more attention

A young journalist, Dana Najat, in the Garmyan area said that youths in Garmyan face a desperate state of living and need great attention from the Kurdistan Regional Government. “There is a lack of entrainment in the Garmyan area. There are no nice parks, libraries, or nice places in the area for youths to gather and have fun,” said Najat. “The government should bring life to the area by building nice parks and sports fields, and hold cultural activities.”

The Garmyan area is less developed compared to other Kurdistan Region areas. During Saddam Hussein’s rule, Garmyan villages were almost wiped out and the area was neglected for decades. The Kurdistan government began rebuilding that area in 2003, but residents there say the KRG has not done enough.

Red Prison: a place for remembrance

“The freedom we have achieved was not free”

Walking into the Red Prison in Suleimaniya city enlightens visitors of the cruelty of Saddam Hussein and his plan to wipe out the Kurdish nation.

Inside Red Prison Museum, a Kurdish film crew is shooting a well-known and important Kurdish drama series called “Gardalul” (Whirlwind). Some of the actors are dressed in security uniforms from Saddam Hussein’s time; others are dressed in traditional Kurdish uniform. Those in security uniforms are torturing those dressed in traditional uniforms, using various types of torture adapted from other countries.

“Gardalul” is based on Saddam’s oppression of Kurds. He had people randomly killed and arrested. He destroyed Kurdish villages, made people disappear, and allowed the rape of women in prison. Kurds have seen two seasons of “Gardalul,” and impatiently await the third and possibly final season. “The aim of making this drama is to show the new generations Saddam’s cruelty so that they will never forget,” said Jalil Zangana, director of the series.

One of the most important locations in “Gardalul” is the Red Prison, or the “Amna Suraca” in Kurdish. Construction of the Red Prison began in 1979, the design of the building made from East of Germany. The Iraqi government initially falsely claimed that the building was for an agricultural college. The people of Suleimaniya bought the rumour until 1984, when the building was completed and taken by Iraqi security forces. Suleimaniya residents coined the term Red Prison, but Ako Gharib, director of the Red Prison Museum said it is a mistake to call it that, as it was much more. “It was the Baath Party’s headquarters in Suleimaniya province, [built to] wipe out the Kurdish nation,” said Gharib. He was a guerrilla for 23 years, and he spent that time fighting the Iraqi government.

Gharib said the compound consisted of several departments. The Security Department for Economy worked to destroy the infrastructure in the province. The Political Department was meant to destroy the Kurdish revolution, and the Culture Department was built to eradicate Kurdish culture. Moreover, inside the compound was a prison or--it is better to say--a department to torture people and coerce them to falsely confess. Those detainees were sent to prisons in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.

The torture department was comprised of three sections: men’s, women’s, and children’s. “Thousands and thousands were tortured and then sent to prisons in Iraqi cities. And then they despaired forever,” said Gharib. In the early 1980s, the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein initiated the Anfal Campaign to wipe out the Kurdish nation. Kurds claim that in the campaign more than 182,000 people were arrested and disappeared forever, and more than 4,000 villages were destroyed. After 2003, the remains of some of the missing were found in mass graves in southern and middle Iraq.

Gharib noted that these compounds were built in the Kurdish provinces to conduct the Anfal Campaign. There were similar Iraqi regime security compounds in Erbil, Duhok, and Kirkuk provinces. The day of the Kurdish Uprising against Hussein’s government in 1991, these compounds came under attack by Kurdish people and fighters. The security compounds in Erbil and Duhok were flattened, and the Suleimaniya security compound is the only one that still exists—although now as a museum.
After the uprising, the prominent Kurdish female politician and Iraqi First Lady, Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, decided to preserve the Red Prison so that it would remain part of Kurdish history. And only recently did she turn it into a museum. Parts of the premises of the Red Prison have been untouched and remain as it did the day after the uprising. Bullet holes pock the walls. Only in one building is there no sign of bullet, and that would be in the torture department building.


“People and Kurdish fighters knew that there were prisoners inside the building; that’s why they did not attack it,” said one of the Red Prison employees who works as a guide.

The museum is classified into several sections. The torture section shows how security members of Saddam Hussein’s regime tortured people. The culture section exhibits Kurdish culture, and a weapons section shows different kinds of weapons used in the history of Iraq to wipe out the Kurdish existence. A cinema shows documents about the Anfal Campaign and Kurdish Genocide. Gharib said there is a plan to open another department to collect and preserve documents related to Anfal.

The Red Prison attracts both local and foreign visitors. “I am here so that I don’t forget the brutality of the Iraqi regime, and to remember that the freedom we have achieved was not free,” said Abdullah Ali, visiting the Red Prison with his wife.

Kurdish students in Tikrit for their lives

Studying in Tikrit like “going to a war zone,” says one student

Kurdish students in other parts of Iraq demand a return to universities in Kurdistan Region.

Three weeks after Kurdish student Bayar Tahir Ismail was accepted into the College of Engineering at Tikrit University in Tikrit city in northern Iraq, a car bomb exploded 300 meters away from his classroom. “I was sitting in my classroom, and suddenly I heard an explosion that shook the classroom. I told myself I have made the wrong decision to study here,” said 29-year-old Ismail.

In 2008, the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad ministries of Higher Education signed a coordination agreement that every year a number of students in Kurdistan Region can study medicine and engineering in universities in middle and southern Iraq. The agreement came after a number of high school graduates in Kurdistan Region earned grades above 90 percent; but they were not accepted in the medicine and engineering colleges in Kurdistan since these colleges were already filled with students who had better grades.

Ismail was accepted into the College of Education in Erbil city in 2008, but because he had good grades and his desire was to study engineering, he decided to go to Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s home city, to study. He finished his first year at Tikrit University, but instead of talking about engineering and his studies, he reflected only on the suffering he has endured in the past year.

“We [Kurdish and Arab students] live in a very dirty and old dormitory provided by Tikrit University. We drink water from the Tigris River, which is contaminated,” he said. “But still, my main concern is security. I go to market once a week because insurgents target crowded places.”

Speaking about his first year, he continued: “I was sitting in my dormitory studying for the final, and a car bomb targeting a police station exploded near my dormitory. Just imagine trying to study in this situation.” Ismail said lack of freedom also makes him want to return to the Region to study. He told about New Year’s Eve, when they wanted to dance and celebrate. When they took to the dormitory balcony for celebrations, dormitory guards shot around 15 bullets on the air, warning them not to celebrate or make any noise.

Currently for about eight days now, some 35 Kurdish students studying in other parts of Iraq have been demonstrating and striking in front of the Kurdistan Region Ministry of Higher Education and Oarliament, seeking return to regional universities.

“It is dangerous and risky for us to study in the universities in other parts of Iraq,” said Yassin Abdullah, student representative. Abdullah said a Kurdish student from Halabja city studying in Anbar University near Baghdad was kidnapped last year and later released after his family paid US$30,000 in ransom. Abdullah studies as Mosul University; he is under a lot of pressure from his parents to return.

The Kurdistan Ministry of Higher Education told students that it does not have the ability to incorporate them into Kurdistan Region universities since the universities are overcrowded. Moreover, the ministry remarked that these students signed conformity with the ministry, promising not to ask to be returned to Kurdistan Region universities.

The students admit the agreement. “We admit that there is an agreement between us and the ministry; we promised not to ask to be returned to the universities in Kurdistan Region. But we did not know our lives would be in danger by studying in other Iraqi cities.”

Omer Nuradini, member of Kurdistan Parliament of Higher Education Committee, told “The Kurdish Globe” that Parliament is working hard to solve the problem. “…Our committee sat down with the ministry more than five times to solve the issue. However I don’t think the ministry is able to solve it because its universities are overcrowded with students,” said Nuradini.

He added that this year high school graduates who want to attend government universities and institutes also will not be able to be incorporated. Their only options are to study in private universities in the region or in universities in other Iraqi cities.

Private universities take on more importance to the region as government universities become unable to accept all graduating high school students. Currently, there are nine private universities in Kurdistan Region; all of them have opened in the past three years and, according to the Ministry of Higher Education in the region, next year two more private universities will open.

Last year, 33,000 students graduated from high school. But the government university was only able to accept 25,000 students, said Dr. Abdul Gahar. "Now, 7,000 students are studying in private universities in the region." Ismail said if the ministry does not bring him back to the universities in Kurdistan Region, he will not continue studying. “If Tikrit were safe I would love to study there; you learn good engineering science as well as Arabic language. But going there is like going to a war zone--you feel you will get killed any minute.”

Arabs flood Kurdistan for cars

Erbil becoming a car sales hub to the rest of Iraq.

Cheaper and more reliable automobiles entice Arabs from middle and southern Iraq to journey to Kurdistan for good deals.

Mahrath, the main center where cars are sold, is overcrowded by car purchasers--many of them Arabs from middle and southern Iraq. The car-selling business is booming as Erbil city has become the main hub of Iraq's car business.

"Currently, 90 percent of our Korean-made car customers are Arabs," said Hakim Muhammad, a car dealer, adding that Korean cars are Iraqi's No. 1 choice because they are cheaper than German or U.S. cars and the quality is good. "Here, if you ask anyone which car is best, they will say BMW. But the majority of Iraqi people cannot afford BMW cars as they are very expensive," Muhammad said.

He said Arabs buying cars here do so for economic reasons. "In other parts of Iraq, car plates are very expensive; one car plate costs US$4,000 to US$5,000, but in Kurdistan the price of a car plate is US$700 to US$800."

In Iraq, vehicle plates are issued by the Ministry of Interior, but Iraqi Kurdistan has its own government and rules. In Kurdistan, cars are guaranteed official papers and ownership, and there are no stolen cars here, said Muhammad. But in other parts of Iraq some cars have bad backgrounds. "Therefore, they [Arabs] are very content when they buy cars here."

Most of the customers from middle and southern Iraq buy old cars. Ali Salman of Baghdad recently shopped for a car manufactured between the "90s to 2000. "New cars are not good for Baghdad as the roads are bad--and when someone has a new car in Baghdad, he always worries it will be stolen." Baghdad citizens prefer Korean cars over German and American cars because they are better on gas.

"Baghdad is very crowded; there is rush hour all the time due to the presence of a lot of checkpoints, and you need an economical car--a car that can operate with little gas. Otherwise, you have to spend a lot of money." Although Iraq is very rich with oil, gas, there is always a shortage. Currently the price of one liter of petrol in petrol stations is about 50 U.S. cents, which for Iraqi people is expensive considering their the average salaries.

Imad Majeed, a car dealer, believes that if a Korean or German car manufacturing company opened a branch and made cars in Kurdistan Region that it would be a good investment. "Kurdistan can become a center to export cars to other parts of Iraq, Syria, Iran, and some Gulf Arab countries," said Majeed.

Despite that fact that the car business is booming in Kurdistan, Majeed has concerns. "There is no joy in driving a car anymore; Erbil is stuffed with cars, and when you go to market you can't find a place to park your car." He often takes a taxi to market to avoid parking issues. "I wish the culture of riding bicycles would come to Kurdistan; it is safer and better for the environment," Majeed concluded.

Recently, the General Director of Kurdistan Region Traffic, Brig. Rizgar Ali, stated that in the past 10 months more than 400 people have been killed in car accidents in Kurdistan Region, including in Kirkuk city, and about 5,000 have been injured. The population of Iraqi Kurdistan Region is about 4 million, while there are almost 1 million vehicles in the region. Drivers say driving is not fun anymore as too many cars operated by poor drivers clog the streets.

A joint statement issued recently by KRG's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Interior said that cars manufactured before 2009 and trucks manufactured before 2005 are 'not allowed to enter Kurdistan Region."

Neither Europe nor Kurdistan is 'our home'

Kurdish asylum seekers in Europe live in despair and fear.

While emigrating to Europe in the 1990s was much more acceptable, it is considerably harder for Kurds to gain asylum at this time.


Kurdish asylum seekers who have lived in Europe for less than four years are not allowed to work. They don?t have health insurance and are living in extremely stressful psychological situation. When a company wants to hire someone, the company should send the person?s papers to the job office so that the person gets insurance, health insurance, and retirement insurance, but when the job office sees the person does not have asylum, it suggests the company hire someone else who does have asylum or citizenship. The job offices in Sweden and Germany have long lists of people who are jobless, and the priority is for European people when it comes to awarding jobs.

Asylum seekers living in a refugee camp in Germany receive 40 Euros and 90 cents monthly from the government. They receive food twice weekly and clothes twice yearly. Many Kurdish people who do not have asylum work illegally. In most of the cases, these workers are exploited by employers who pay them much less than usual.

Bestoon Najm, 23, lives in Stockholm and is from Kirkuk city. He went to Sweden three years ago because the security situation was very bad he still does not have asylum. He works in a restaurant illegally for a Finish boss. "I can't save any money--all the money I earn I spend on daily needs and an apartment. Life here is difficult for us; everything is expensive and you can?t do anything here without money," said Najm. Najm said he has decided to return to Kurdistan permanently at the end of September. "The Swedish government does not give me asylum, and I don't want to waste my youth here."

But some of the refugees are reluctant to return to Kurdistan. "If we go back to Kurdistan, then we have to start from zero," said Zana Abdulwahid, who has been in Germany for six years and still does not have asylum.

"Here in Europe I have no money, and in Kurdistan I have nothing since I left Kurdistan eight years ago. All my friends in Kurdistan who we went to university together now have their own homes and cars, and many of them now are married with children,? said Abdul Wahid, who lives in Munich. ?I am reluctant to go back; if I go back I would feel I am a stranger in Kurdistan and I would feel that I have wasted six years in my life,? he added.

The Globe talked with several Kurdish refugees in Sweden and Germany, and starting from zero is their main reason for not wanting to return to Kurdistan. In Iraqi Kurdistan Region, there are still youths who want to live in Europe; they believe Europe is paradise when it comes to entertainment, and some believe that earning money is easy in Europe.

I advise all Kurdish youths not to come live in Europe; it is madness for a young Kurdish man to try to become a refugee in Europe. Europe is not what you see on TV,? said Kamal Omer, who lives in Munich, Germany, and has asylum.

In the 1990s, emigrating to Europe was a good thing. There was civil war in Kurdistan and two sanctions on Kurdistan--the United Nations embargo, which was against all of Iraq, and Saddam Hussein?s embargo, which was only against Kurdistan Region, said Omer. Omer added that in the ?90s there was no life for people, especially for youths in Kurdistan. But now it is different--now Kurdistan is safe and its economy is growing.

But some have a different view. Alan Bayz from Stockholm says Europe is good in terms of freedom and entertainment. "I wouldnt tell anyone not to come to Europe; if someone wants to live in Europe, he should come and experience it for himself." Bayz admitted that Europe is very difficult if you don't have asylum. "But--beside all the problems--I always have electricity, and I have health insurance and good doctors and medicine, and we don't have these things in Kurdistan."

Currently, a number of European countries, Sweden, Britain, and Germany, are deporting Iraqi refugees. Meanwhile, a group of failed Iraqi asylum seekers who were forcibly deported to Baghdad recently claimed they were beaten by British security staff and Iraqi police. The violence allegedly erupted when the refugees refused to leave a charter flight after it touched down in Baghdad.

Pictures of one of those said to have been injured were released by the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees, a London-based organization.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government bans flights returning failed asylum seekers from UK.

The U.K.?s home office deportation flights are being prevented from taking failed asylum seekers directly to Kurdistan Region because of a diplomatic dispute with the KRG. The ban is on incoming flights from the U.K. landing forcibly returned Kurds at the regional airport in Irbil. Political objections and local protests have led to the U.K. Border Agency redirecting the planes to Baghdad. The KRG said it has asked the British government to send only those people who want to go back. It is opposed to forcible deportations.

Re-connection

Walking with my brother……………..in a park in Munich

A look at Kurdistan's IT Department

By Qassim Khidhir


The Kurdish Globe

Long-term IT goals of the government cover broad spectrum of IT

The Kurdistan Region Information Technology Department works to computerize Kurdistan Regional
Government entities.

Until now in Kurdistan Region, if a ministry wanted to deliver a letter to another ministry, it did so manually. That's because government establishments in Kurdistan Region are not on a computerized network.

In 2007, the Kurdistan Regional Government laid the foundation for the first Information Technology Training Center in Erbil city. It was funded and built by the Korea International Cooperation Agency following the former KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani's request to the Korean government to support IT in Kurdistan.

Last week, with the aim of understanding more about the business needs and strategic objectivities of the individual entities within KRG and their own views on how technology can support the delivery of their visions, the IT department held a two-day workshop. Representatives of the ministries discussed the vision of IT according to the needs of their ministries.

"Here in Kurdistan we still don't understand what information security means," said Ibrahim Rostam, inspector in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. "We need a network to connect all the ministries together and connect each of the ministries to its branches," said Rostam. He also said that his ministry needs a good IT system to share its information with the citizens.

Improving effectiveness and transparency in government, reducing routine, sharing information with citizens, information security, and helping investors get information and data easily were the most important visions the representatives suggested.

KRG representatives remarked that some of the ministries do not have IT departments, and moreover, in many of the ministries, there are no well-trained or skilled IT employees. "We want to create the right process in order to make a better future for the people," said Botan Mahmud Othman, head of the IT Department.

Othman told The Kurdish Globe that IT alone cannot do anything. "We need support from the government." He added that government officials are very keen on developing IT within the government structure. In order to draw on the experience of other governments and organizations to ensure that our ambitions are realistic, said Othman, the IT Department has brought in IT experts from the UK, Scotland, Bahrain, Geneva, and Northern Ireland to Kurdistan Region. He also mentioned that Price Waterhouse Coopers is partnering with the Kurdistan IT Department.

The IT Department currently is implementing its first phase, which is writing a draft about vision, mission, and objects of information technology of Kurdistan Region.

And the IT's long-term plan and goal is to develop common information and communications technology, support economic development, modernize public administration and service delivery through electronic government, and enhance KRG's technology capacity.

Kurdish filmmakers call for conference

The Kurdish Globe


The Ministry of Culture must become more engaged, say directors

Erbil's Short-Film Festival turns into a tougher discussion about Kurdish directors and the cinema itself.

Day two of the Erbil Short-Film Festival turned into a heated debate as the crowd began arguing about problems. Well-known Kurdish film director Bahman Ghobadi described Kurdish cinema as "a child who does not have a mother and father." Ghobadi said the child will collapse if no one holds his hands and takes care of him. "There is a great opportunity in front of the Kurdish cinema because Kurdish cinema has its own signature and culture." Ghobadi also criticized officials in Iraqi Kurdistan Region for not seriously developing Kurdish cinema.

The crowd remarked that the KRG does not have a clear vision regarding Kurdish cinema, and called for an immediate conference with the attendance of government officials to discuss the problems. "It is a good thing to hold a conference, because we need politicians and government officials to listen to us; our biggest problem is that no one listens to us," said Shakhawan Edrees, General Director of Erbil Cinema at the Ministry of Culture.

Edrees noted that eight months ago he was nominated to become the General Director of Erbil Cinema, but he has not had the opportunity to talk with the Minister of Culture for even one hour to discuss issues regarding his department. He admitted that the government has a good budget for the cinema, but it won't distribute the money fairly due to nepotism.

Not only the government, but film directors faced criticism by festival attendances. One attendee complained that Kurdish film directors make films only to show them in the festivals in other countries, not for people in Kurdistan. "Why does the government give money to directors to make films while the directors never show their films to the people of Kurdistan," asked the attendee. The director asked how they could show their films to people in Kurdistan when there are no cinema halls in the region.

Kurdish directors have made a remarkable number of films, and many of them have received international awards. Most have been shown at film festivals in other countries, particularly in Europe, while people in Kurdistan have yet to see many of them.

Erbil city used to have four cinema halls, one of which was destroyed; another was sold. Only two remain open. However, they are suffering financially and may not be open much longer. Meanwhile, the current cinemas in Erbil have bad reputations because they showed pornography in the '90s. Now people rarely visit these cinemas. In addition, there is no plan by the government or private companies to build new cinema halls.

At the Third Erbil Short Film Festival, 15 short films and six documentary films were presented. An independent committee will evaluate all the films, and the best one will receive the Golden Oak Award.

Kurdistan Local NGOs cry for more independence

By Qassim Khidhir
The Kurdish Globe

NGOs seek a new commission to be their watchdog

Local NGOs in Iraqi Kurdistan Region want an independent commission and not the government to organize and observe their work.

More than 80 nongovernmental organizations in Kurdistan Region held a two-day conference from April 25-26 to discuss a draft law about NGOs in Kurdistan that was prepared by Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Planning.

The conference was organized by Future Centre for Youth Issues (a Kurdish NGO), and the NGOs participating in the conference were from the three Kurdistan Region provinces of Erbil, Suleimaniya, and Duhok.

Participants criticized the Ministry of Planning for preparing the NGO draft law without consulting any actual NGOs. Currently, local NGOs in Kurdistan Region are getting licenses, registrations, and basic endowments for accommodations from the Ministry of Interior.

Now if a group of people (no less than five) decide to establish an NGO in Kurdistan Region, they must first visit the ministry to obtain a license, and it can sometimes take more than a year to get the license. After getting licenses, NGO then must register and the ministry gives the NGO monthly money, mainly for renting an office. According to the NGO activists, the government does not treat all the NGOs equally in terms of the endowment.

"Some NGOs gets 1 million dinars (US$850) from the government, while there are NGOs that get more than 1 million dinars, some between 10 to 20 million dinars. Not because they are very active or they are better than other NGOs, but just because they are closer to the government or a party favored by the government," said Ali Kareem, NGO activist.

Regarding the draft law, Dr. Wahdi Suleiman Mizuri, professor at Duhok University said: "There is no guarantee that this draft law can protect the independency of the NGOs." Dr. Mizuri explained that the draft law will put NGOs under control of the government, since the law states that NGOs should be under the observation of the Ministry of Interior.

All NGOs at the conference agreed they wanted out from under government control, and they are calling for a higher independent commission to be formed to observe and organize the work of the NGOs-and the works of the commission should be monitored by Kurdistan Region's Parliament.

"It is better for Kurdistan Region's Parliament to monitor the work of the suggested commission than the government, because Parliament represents all people and political parties in Kurdistan," said Aram Jamal, NGO activist.

Ali Kareem explained that the suggested commission will be like USAID (United States Agency for International Development) or SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency), where all NGOs to get donations from and are monitored by the commission.

Kareem added that if the government does not agree to let NGOs out from under its control, NGOs will continue to resist and complain. The NGOs are also demanding that the government allocate two percent of Kurdistan Region's general budget every year to develop the region through NGOs. "It has been proved that if a government in any country in the world tries to run the country without the help of NGOs and private investors, it will not be successful," said Kareem.
"To protect the NGOs

Some of the NGOs in the region are here in name alone; they perform no activities and people don't even know they exist. They take money from the government for accommodations, and use their offices for relaxation.

At the conference, the majority of the NGOs decided that the allotment of money should be based on project proposals. "If getting a donation is based on a good project proposal, then eventually those NGOs that are not active will close their offices," said Sirwan Abbas, head of Future Centre for Youth Issues.

Searching for a rent house in Erbil

By Qassim Khidhir

An engaged couple looking for a home find it more difficult than they imagined.

Finding a rent house is one of the most difficult problems young couples face in Erbil city due to lack of affordable residential units.

Dyar Muhammad, 25, and his fiancé, Shilan Anwar, were visiting one neighborhood after another, looking to find a rent house. They found plenty of houses for sale, but very few houses for rent.

Recently engaged, the two plan to marry next month. But ahead of organizing the wedding party, they need to rent a house. Before they began their search, they did not realize how difficult this would be. "I thought asking Shilan's father for his daughter's hand would be the most difficult thing. But actually finding a rent house is the most difficult thing," said Muhammad. "I have been looking for a rent house for four days, and I still haven't found one."

Muhammad and Anwar seek a house not very far from the city center and close to their workplace. At the beginning, they began looking in a neighborhood very close to their workplace, with no luck. "We went to all the real-estate offices in the Bakhtyari neighborhood, but they did not have any houses for rent," said Anwar.

After finding disappointment in the Bakhtyari neighborhood, they went to other neighborhoods far from their working place.

Muhammad and Anwar visited about 17 real-estate offices in Salahadin, Minara, and Nusaran quarters. There were only very few houses for rent, but they were either very expensive or the landlords chose only to rent to companies.

"The houses were between US$700 to US$1,000 a month, and I want to rent a house between US$350 to US$400," said Muhammad. Both he and his fiancé are school teachers with monthly salaries of US$500.

Mam Ali, who runs a real-estate business in the Minara neighborhood, told "The Kurdish Globe" that there are very few houses for rent in the neighborhood, and landlords want to rent to companies because they can pay higher monthly rents. Ali pointed out that with Erbil's booming economy, the number of companies is increasing every day, and those companies need offices.

Muhammad and Anwar-becoming increasingly impatient--walked through neighborhoods and asked people on the streets and shopkeepers about rental houses. A woman on the street buying fruit said she knew an elderly woman who wanted to rent her house. Muhammad and Anwar visited the woman, named "Aunt Fatima," who at around 65 years of age lives alone in a two-floor house.

"I live on the first floor and want to rent the second floor," said Aunt Fatima in a very calm voice. "But I will only rent to a family that does not have any children because I am old--I don't want any noise," she added. After Muhammad explained to the woman that they do not have any children, she agreed to rent them the house.

A survey conducted by the Kurdistan Institution for Political Issues (KIPI), released on January 13, showed that the cost of housing in the region is people's No. 1 cause for concern.

The survey was carried out in the three provinces of the Kurdistan region, Erbil, Suleimaniya, and Duhok. Twenty-four percent said housing is their main problem, with similar but smaller numbers focusing on the inflating cost of goods and services, poor electricity supplies, and unemployment.

Compared to the average salaries of residents in Kurdistan, housing is heavily overpriced. There is a lack of small, affordable residential units for young people. There is a need for planned developments of different sizes and price ranges that are accessible for people with different income levels.

unification among kurdish parties urged

niqash | Qassim Khidhir Hamad | thu 01 apr 10

Kurdish politicians are advising strict unity concerning Kurdistan's internal views before entering into negotiations with winning Iraqi parties.

In the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, it seems that the majority of people do not care about which Iraqi political entity Kurdish parties should enter a coalition with. What they do want is one voice to be shared by the Kurdish parties regarding the major interests of the Kurdistan Region.

After the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced the final election results, Kurdish TVs began asking people on the street “who would you prefer the Kurds to ally with: Allawi or Maliki?”

“It doesn’t matter,” come most of the replies. “The most important thing is Kurdish unity in Baghdad.”

Altogether, Kurdish parties won 57 Iraqi parliament seats. The Kurdistan Alliance, composed of the two major Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) got 43 seats.

And the other three Kurdish parties, well known as the opposition in the region, took the rest (Gorran 8 seats, the Kurdistan Islamic Union 4 seats and the Kurdistan Islamic Group 2 seats).

The KDP and PUK asked their Kurdish opposition parties to unite with them in the national parliament but the opposition parties continue to demand the resolution of problems at home before working together in Baghdad.

The three parties met before the election to discuss their views and the conditions they will demand from the Kurdistan Region’s President, Massoud Barzani.

“In the meeting we all agreed that Kurdish parties must have one voice in Baghdad. And also we have some demands about approaches to certain problems in Kurdistan Region,” said Abdulstar Majeed, a prominent member of the Kurdistan Islamic Group. Majeed did not give details about the problems they are going to ask the President to solve.

The talks – and the resolution of Kurdish differences – have become more important after Iyad Allawi’s Iraqiya list outperformed the Kurdish Alliance at the polls.

The KDP and PUK are furious over decision of other Kurdish parties to participate on separate lists. “60,000 Kurdish votes were wasted in Kirkuk because Kurdish parties were not united,” said Adnan Kirkuki, Kurdistan Alliance candidate who secured a seat.

“If we were united, we would have got 7 to 8 seats in Kirkuk,” Kirkuki added.

IHEC’s results show that the Kurdistan Alliance and Iraqiya each won six seats in Kirkuk Province.

And although 60,000 people voted for the Kurdish opposition parties, none of them managed to secure a single seat, meaning all those votes disappeared.

But the blame game works both ways.

“Before the election the KIU told the PUK and KDP that Kirkuk is a sensitive province and we have to be united. They rejected our call,” stated a spokesperson for the KIU.

Meanwhile, on 30 March, the Kurdistan Alliance officially filed a complaint with IHEC concerning the election process in Kirkuk and Ninewa province.

In a statement Kurdistan Alliance has demanded IHEC to count the votes in Kirkuk and Ninewa manually.

Also, the Alliance believes that Iraqiya committed fraud in some areas in Ninewa and Kirkuk.

“We have submitted to IHEC the meaningful evidence against the official election results in Ninewa and Kirkuk Provinces,” said Jahfar Ibrahim, a member of the KDP who supervised the election.

Ibrahim believes Kurds might win two extra parliamentary seats due to their objections in Kirkuk and Nineveh Provinces.

Kurds also lay accusations at the door of the UN.

“The UN was not neutral and supported fraud in Kirkuk province,” said Khalid Shwani, the victorious candidate of the Kurdistan Alliance. “Massive frauds took place by Al-Iraqiya list in the southern areas of Kirkuk province and UN supports those frauds.” He added.

Ad Melkert, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Iraq and the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) sought to clarify the UN’s role in the Iraqi elections.

“The role of the United Nations is solely to advise institutions in the country on an impartial basis, at their request,” Mr. Melkert said in a statement posted on UN Website. “This is what the UN has done throughout the electoral process, in support of the Independent High Election Commission Board that has the sole decision-making power and has been unanimous in declaring the final result after reviewing complaints.”

The pride of Erbil needs urgent care

Niqash.org | Qassim Khidhir Hamad |

The process of revitalising Erbil Citadel is extremely slow. Experts call for immediate attention to Kurdistan Region's archaeological history. They say that if important work is not carried out soon, the walls of the Citadel may fall down putting many of the citadel's houses in danger.

“It hurts me a lot when I see a wall of the citadel has fallen down or a house has been ruined,” said Safeen Hussein, 26, as he sat with his friend on top of Erbil Citadel and looked out over the city.

Hussein said he often hears that the government will renovate and repair the Citadel, but what he actually sees is the citadel falling into worse shape with every passing day.

The estimated 8,000 year-old Citadel located in the center of Erbil, which claims to be the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world, has attracted thousands of visitors since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

There are over 500 residential buildings inside the Citadel, most of which are built round courtyards and made of brick and short-span timber with mud roofing.

Many buildings have opulent interior decoration with painted ornaments, coloured glass windows, carved doors, arcades supported by timber and marble columns all common.

But the roofs and walls of many buildings are in seriously poor condition and in need of immediate attention. Erosion has almost completely removed roofs in some place and entire blocks of walls have fallen due to negligence and the harsh weather.

According to the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalisation (HCECR) 40 percent of the buildings are in real danger, 40 percent are ruins and 20 percent are in a state described as ‘average’.

At the end of 2007, the Kurdistan Region Government decided to renovate the citadel and asked its inhabitants (several hundred families) to leave the area and accept compensation. One family was asked to remain in the citadel, though, so that life and inhabitation there could continue.

After the evacuation, the Kurdistan government established the HCECR and UNESCO decided to supervise the renovation and work to place Erbil's Citadel in the World Heritage List.

For the first year of its existence, however, the HCECR completely failed to carry out its duties and the government was forced to change the commission’s head and some staff three months ago.

“For almost one year, nothing was done for the citadel,” said Dara Yaquobi, the new head of the commission.

Yaquobi, an architect who worked on the citadel in the 1980s added, “Now we and UNESCO are back to work.”

The citadel’s renovation is divided into three phases. First the houses are to be meticulously documented and a master plan drawn-up. 10 houses in the worst shape will be renovated immediately.

According to Yaqoubi, UNESCO, working with a British architectural practice, has already completed 85 percent of the masterplan and has declared the tender for renovating the ten critically damaged houses. The renovation should begin in April.

The second phase of the project is to re-build the citadel’s infrastructure, including the building of water pipelines and electricity, telephone and internet cables and to renevate the majority of the remaining houses. Yaquobi said that the Kurdistan Region Government allocated US$12.9 million to implement the second phase.

Finally, the citadel’s so-called ‘buffer zone’ will be refurbished. The neighborhoods and shops around the citadel are also very old and their condition is very similar to that of the citadel itself.

“I believe in ten years, the citadel will be in a good shape,” said Yaqoubi. While sitting in his office inside the citadel, Yaqoubi said he hoped for greater involvement from UNESCO. Currently, he feels he does not see their staff enough.

“Their time is very limited. I cannot see them very easily. When they come to the citadel, they are extremely cautious and protected by security forces. There is no need for such procedures because Kurdistan is safe.”

Last week, it was announced in a press conference inside the citadel that UNESCO has decided provisionally to put Erbil Citadel on the World Heritage List.

According to the government's plan, once the citadel is renovated, 50 families will move in to live in there. Khalis Younis Mustafa, who owns an antique museum inside the citadel, is concerned, however.

“The people who will live in the citadel, must be educated people in order to take care of the citadel, not destroy it,” he said.

“The government must make the citadel a very lively place. The people who will in the citadel must at least speak English or Arabic because everyday a lot of tourists visit the citadel and they want ask people questions about the history of the citadel,” he continued.

While locals have legitimate concerns about the citadel’s future residents, the priority for the moment is to renovate the area and return it to a livable state, so that it can return to its rightful place at the centre of Erbil city’s proud social and cultural life.

American University of Iraq graduates first class

By Qassim Khidhir
The Kurdish Globe

AUIS sends its first master's of business administration graduating class into the business world.

Kurdistan Prime Minister Dr. Barham Salih calls the new graduates "the basis of developing the country and building democracy in Iraq and Kurdistan."

Last week, the first group of students graduated from American University of Iraq-Suleimaniya (AUIS). Twenty-nine students received master's degrees in business administration.

The graduating students were elated in the ceremony, which was attended by the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Kurdistan Minister of Higher Education, and a great number of academics.

"It's the day we dreamed about. Now, in our country, we have a high-quality university," said Hiwa Othman Faraj, one of the graduating students.

Graduates remarked that their minds have been opened by the information they learned at the university, including business planning, investing, and finding job opportunities.

The current Kurdistan Prime Minister, Dr. Barham Salih, ex-U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, along with numerous other influential Iraqis, Iraqi expatriates, and American citizens and officials began to formulate a concept for a center for the development, education, and training of the future leaders of Iraq.

Originally, it was Dr. Salih's idea and dream. He stated that he "always dreamed one day to open the American University in Kurdistan Region." At the ceremony, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rafeh al-Isawi said that "Dr. Barham Salih is the father of the American University of Iraq project." Al-Isawi noted that "the University is the best investment for developing Iraq."

Dr. Salih thanked all of the people in his speech who helped build the university. He also praised the graduates. "I am proud of you, because you will be the basis of developing the country and building democracy in Iraq and Kurdistan." He hoped that Kurdistan Region would become a gate for all of Iraq, and both Arabs and Kurds, to build a developed and stable area.

Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador in Iraq, Christopher Hill, promised that United States will always support the university. "Kurdistan Region has a strong economy; it is rich with natural resources and in an important geographical position."

Said Hill: "We [Americans] have been here for seven years; we are not the kind of people to run away from responsibilities. On the contrary, we will stay here until we finish the job, and we have great faith in U.S.-Iraq relations, and U.S.-Kurdistan Region relations."

AUIS opened in October 2007 in Suleimaniya city. It is a nonprofit institution of higher education following the American model of undergraduate and graduate education in the Middle East. The university operates with the Carnegie semester credit model. All instruction at AUIS is in English. The institution is licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research of the Kurdistan Regional Government of the Republic of Iraq.

The vision of the university is to be the foremost educational institution in the development of future leaders in all fields, so as to promote and preserve a peaceful and democratic Iraq with liberty and prosperity for all its citizens and for the entire region.

The missions are to promote the development and prosperity of Iraq through the careful study of modern commerce, economics, business, and public administration. The mission is also to lead the transformation of Iraq into a liberal and democratic society, through an understanding of the ideals of freedom and democracy.

Note: Photo by AUIS.

Korea, from the military base to a restaurant

By Qassim Khidhir
The Kurdish Globe

Korea's cultural presence in Erbil continues to enrich Kurdish culture

A Korean businessman opens a Korean restaurant serving Korean and Kurdish food in downtown Erbil city.

Kobang means "guesthouse" in Korean. Kobang, a new restaurant in Erbil, is designed and decorated according to Korean tradition. In addition to the main dining room, there are several private rooms, or quiet rooms, where guests can dine comfortably and in silence.

The restaurant's walls are covered by well-known Korean actors like Dae Jang Guma and Hayn Jwan Yo. These actors are also are very famous in Kurdistan, since Korean dramas are widely shown on Kurdish TV because of South Korean troops in the region.

In August 2004, South Korea deployed more than 4,000 soldiers to Erbil city as part of an influx of multinational forces. South Korean troops left Iraq in December 2008.

Kobang owner Kim Ki Seon used to run a restaurant inside the Korean military base in Erbil, which was also known as the Zaytun Camp. When the Korean military was in Kurdistan, Seon thought about one day opening a Korean restaurant outside of the base in Erbil city.

Fuad Aziz Qadir, a Kurdish worker at Kobang, also worked in the restaurant in the Korean military base for five years. "When we were inside the base, Kurds who worked with the Korean military as well as guests and delegations always asked Mr. Seon why he didn't open a Korean restaurant in the city," said Qadir. "Local people liked the Korean food very much; we discussed opening a Korean restaurant in Erbil city many times with Mr. Seon," said Qadir.

"The Kurdish Globe" visited Kobang on its second day of being open for business. According to Qadir, most customers who had visited were Kurdish and some foreigners; he said most of Kurds asked for Korean rather than Kurdish food.

Kobang's staff is Kurdish, Korean, and Nepalese. The Korean foods include Bulgoki, Kimchi, and Tukboggi, as well as Kurdish and international fast food.

Kim Nam-Seon, business advisor and Seon's assistant, is also Kobang's owner. He pointed out that business for Korea is lucrative for Koreans. And Korean technology manufacturing companies such as LG and Samsung, along with Korean carmaker companies like Hyundai and KIA, enjoy an excellent market in the region, said Seon.

The Korean National Oil Company (KNOC) is currently exploring and drilling in Bazyan area in Suleimaniya province, and five Korean construction companies currently are working in the Kurdistan, noted Seon. "Now we are planning to open a permanent exhibition trade center in downtown Erbil city, selling and exhibiting only Korean made goods."

Seon speaks good Arabic as he studied in Saudi Arabia and worked as an advisor and interpreter for the Korean military when they were based in Kurdistan Region. He stated: "Korea has a very good reputation in Kurdistan Region. The Korean troops were different from other multinational forces in Iraq; the other multinational forces only gave donations to Iraqis. But in Kurdistan Region, we taught people how to catch fish instead of just giving them fish. Korean troops also respected the culture of Kurdish society."

According to Seon, it was easy for Koreans to understand the Kurdish culture, "The Kurdish customs are similar to the Koreans; Kurds respect elders, guests, and strangers; and just like Korea, the family connection is very strong."

Behind Seon--inside the restaurant--was a carpet on the wall that read, in the Korean language, "Zaytun," a Kurdish and Arabic word for olive, and the name of the Korean military base in Erbil city.

"Zaytun is front and center in our relations with Kurdistan Region, and we will continue to strengthen our relations with Kurds through business, diplomacy, and the Kurdish-Korean Friendship Organization, which has only recently been established," concluded Seon.

Japanese businessman: "Don't expect too much from Iraq"

Some companies say they "misunderstood the situation" in Iraq.

For neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iraq is a central market.
For other countries-not so much

Last week, the International Auto Show opened in Erbil. Ninety companies showcased their products, and most of the companies were from Turkey.

Some companies have decided to open offices here, and a number are willing to open factories in Iraq, but several well-known huge companies stated that it wasn't what they expected.

"Iraq is our biggest market because of all these developments. We're trying to enlarge our presence here," said Goktug Eyiip, import and export manager of KARBA, a Turkish company that produces equipment for garbage, firefighting, sewage, and water-tank trucks.

Eyiip is elated to do business in Kurdistan Region and Iraq, and he notes that Iraq saved KARBA during the international economic crisis. "Let me give you an example: Last year [2009], our company budget was 17 million Euros--the source of more than half of the money was from the Iraqi market," he said.

KARBA exports its equipments to all Middle East countries as well as Thailand and North Africa. Now, the company uses Kurdistan Region as the gate for all of Iraq.

"We have a plan to send a number of Kurdish mechanical engineers to Turkey for training, and then we will open a factory--a branch of our company--in Erbil city," he told "The Kurdish Globe."

Eyiip wants Iraqis to trust Turkish companies and products, and he insists the quality of Turkish products is similar to European products and the price is much cheaper.

European, American, and Japanese companies are not as pleased as Turkey regarding the Iraqi market. "Before coming here, we thought Iraq was a huge market, but actually it is not. We misunderstood the situation," said Tsuyoshi Morimoto, general manager of Japan's TAICHI HOLDINGS LIMITED in the Iraqi Kurdistan office.

Morimoto, who exhibited Japanese cars at the Auto Show, pointed out that many big companies from Europe, the U.S. and Asia mistakenly expected too much from Iraq. "To be honest, the Iraqi market is not that great--it is just like any other country in the Middle East," he said.

Morimoto says the problem is that Iraq doesn't have a lot of sources of income besides oil, which is not sufficient to develop the country.

He said that when the economic crisis hit the international market, many big companies turned to Iraq in hopes that it would save them. "Big companies talked a lot about Iraq and paid a huge amount of attention to it. It is just like we suddenly built a Babylon, and now the Babylon is collapsing."

Despite what Morimoto said, some companies want to build factories here, as business ordinarily means risk.

Skoda, a Czech car producer, said it is planning to open a factory Erbil city to fulfill the Iraqi market's demand of vehicles.

Skoda was planning to open the factory after the fall of the former Iraqi regime in 2003; however, the plan failed "due to the low rate of taxes put on the importation of cars, which accounts for only 5 percent of the car's price; moreover, the government encouragement and facilities for the setup of such a factory is missing," said Adil Agid Sadiq, company manager.

Iraq is a big car market, Sadiq said. "We will set up the factory in Erbil if the Iraqi government fulfilled these points." The problem of an organized taxation system and lack of government support and facility hamper the establishment of many other various factories in the country, according to Sadiq.

By Qassim Khidhir

A hospital in Turkey to help Kurdish journalists

The hospital will cut 50 to 70 percent of the cost.

Iraqi journalists are calling for more help, as a majority--including journalists in Kurdistan Region-are facing difficult financial issues.

The Organization of Writers Without Borders in Iraq has signed a deal with a big hospital in Ankara, capital of Turkey, to treat Iraqi and Kurdistan Region journalists, as well as their families, at a discounted cost.

"From the 25th of this month, journalists and their families can get treatment in the hospital," said Mam Burhan Qaneh, head of Writers Without Borders from the Suleimaniyah city office.

Qaneh pointed out that according to the deal, the hospital will cut 50 to 70 percent of the cost. Moreover, the organization will prepare visas for the journalists and their families. He requested that journalists visit their offices in Erbil, Suleimaniyah, and Kirkuk for more information.

Writers Without Borders in Iraq was established in 2005. It is a nongovernmental organization that aims to help Iraqi writers and journalists; its headquarters is in Kirkuk city.

Qaneh told "The Kurdish Globe" that since the organization announced the statement, in a very short time a number of journalists have contacted the organization and want to go to the hospital.

He mentioned that Iraqi journalists deserve more help and support from government and nongovernmental organizations. Ara Ibrahim, a journalist from Kurdish language "Hawlati," praised the efforts of Writers Without Borders.

Ibrahim said, "There is not so much help for Iraqi journalists including journalists in Kurdistan; we only have a syndicate, and the only thing they do is give us an identification--nothing more."

the article and photo by Qassim Khidhir

An Iraqi poet insults Kurds

During a poetry festival in Baghdad aired on Biladi satellite TV, which belongs to Ibrahim al-Jaffari, former Iraqi Prime Minister, poet Samir Sabih took the stage and started reading poems about attacking Kurdish people. “Soon we will burn down Kurds and drive them away from Kirkuk city," read Sabih.

The TV showed Iraqi Turkmen MP Fawzi Akram Tarzi from Sadr bloc continuously applauding and cheering as the poet constantly insulted Kurdish people. The scene, widely reported in Kurdistan Region, angered Kurdish people.

Kurdish MPs in Baghdad immediately demanded MP Tarzi and Sadr bloc apologize, but they haven't. Meanwhile, 32 Kurdish MPs have signed a petition and demanded Iraqi Parliament lift immunity on Tarzi.

After the incident, the Kurdish security agency in Kirkuk issued a statement. The statement read that on February 2, 2009, in a security operation, the agency arrested three insurgents; two of them were the bodyguards of Fawzi Akram Tarzi. Tarzi's bodyguards are responsible for killing U.S. soldiers, Iraqi police, and soldiers in Baghdad and Kirkuk, the statement added. "When we arrested them, they were in possession of sniper rifles and anti-tank weapons," read the statement.

Moreover, it pointed out that the two insurgents were able to pass checkpoints very easily, because they had identification made by the Sadr bloc MP. Biladi TV was established in 2006 and is funded by Iran.

Volunteer grave diggers

Some find comfort at the bottom of an empty grave

Hajji Salah, 56, and his team are ready to dig a tomb for anyone, Muslim or Christian, at anytime--and at no charge.

In Kurdish society, when someone dies and he is male, he is washed in a mosque. If the person is female, she is washed at home. Immediately after, a group of men rush to a cemetery to dig a grave for the dead person.

Hajji Salah, also known as Salaha Rash, and his team of five men have been digging graves for eight years; they have all the necessary equipment for digging graves such as shovels, drillers, a generator, a tent and other tools of the trade.

 "In Erbil city, we are well-known as tomb diggers--we are ready to dig graves for anyone, Muslim or Christian, at anytime and for free," said Hajji Salah while he was sitting behind a fire in his workplace. He is also a construction worker. "I want you to publish my phone number so that people can call me to dig a grave," said Salah.

He started this volunteer work eight years ago. He liked going to the cemetery whenever someone close to him died to help dig the grave. He likes the feeling inside the grave. "Inside the grave, while I am digging, I feel very comfortable and life becomes very simple in front of my eyes."

 Salah and his men can dig and prepare one grave in less than two hours; regularly, every week, they dig three graves. The height of the grave should be one meter and a half, and about two meters wide, but for children the grave is smaller.

There are other volunteer tomb-diggers in Erbil city who are well organized. Moreover, there are workers who dig graves for money. They charge US$200 to dig a grave during daylight, but if it is at night they charge more money. Salah said the workers who dig graves for money don't like the volunteer groups. "They think we are a threat to their business."

In Erbil city, there are no companies for such a business, but in Suleimaniya city there are.

Hajji Muhammad, Salah's friend, said when Salah went to Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, he helped a lot of people. "It was very crowded in Mecca; many old people died and collapsed; Salah carried a number of dead and sick Hajjis and put them into ambulances. I called his wife and I said even in Mecca he is helping people," said Muhammad.

Salah and his wife live alone together alone. His wife is OK with what he is doing, but she wants him to be at home at night--not digging graves.

By Qassim Khidhir

Kurdistan: The land of mosques

The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs of Iraqi Kurdistan Region says no country in the world had as many mosques as Kurdistan Region in terms of area.

Ministry spokesperson, Mariwan Naqshbandi, stated that 100 mosques were constructed throughout Kurdistan Region—and one church—in 2009.

"Eighty percent of the mosques were built by the private sector--not by the ministry," said Naqshbandi. In Kurdistan Region, the wealthy usually build mosques, not the government; the government mainly restores old mosques.

There is a special committee in the ministry designated to build mosques. And that committee has imposed certain terms and conditions for any donor who wants to build a mosque.  The ministry decides where the mosque will be built and if the mosque design is attractive. 

Mosques built in the last four years were funded by benevolent donors rather than the government, according to Naqshbandi.

 Statistical figures show that there are 4,079 mosques in Kurdistan Region, Naqshbandi said. Some 600 were built by wealthy men. Kurdistan Region holds the world record in terms of number of mosques.

Whenever a donor proposes to build a mosque in the region, the ministry briefs him on the large number of mosques in the region and appeals to him to build a school or a hospital instead, as they are no less charitable works.

The love-hate relationship with Iraqi tourists

By Qassim Khidhir

When Hardi Omer, a 25-year-old Kurdish man, landed at Beirut International Airport, he was very happy
 and excited - it was his first time in Lebanon as a tourist. He quickly was disillusioned when he saw that airport staff dealt with Iraqis in a different manner than other nationalities.

"I noticed [westerners] breezed through all the procedures and were given a lot of respect," said Omer. "But we - Iraqis - stayed for about an hour; one officer at the airport asked us to fill out a form stating who we were, where we were going, for what purpose, where were we staying in Lebanon, what our phone number was, and more questions. On the plane going to Beirut, I forgot that I am Iraqi because I was very excited, but the airport procedures reminded me that I am Iraqi, and Iraqis are not welcome," he told The Kurdish Globe.

Many travel and tourist companies have been opened in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region for a couple of years. They organize group tourism to Turkey, Lebanon, Malaysia, Egypt, and Morocco, as well as health tours for patients who cannot be treated inside Iraq - the health tours usually are to Jordan and Iran.

Hoshyar Ahmed, manager of Kurd Tours Company for travel and tourism, told the Globe that there are three reasons other countries do not like Iraqi tourists.

First, when Saddam Hussein was in power, a large number of Iraqis left the country for Europe and neighboring countries; the Iraqi refugees became a burden on these countries, and moreover, the Iraqis failed to gain a good reputation since some Iraqis were involved in illegal activities such as drugs.

Second, when Saddam was toppled, everybody thought the situation in Iraqi would improve and flourish, but it was the opposite. Iraq became a shelter for insurgents, security was very bad, and again more than 2 million Iraqis took refuge in neighboring countries.

Third, the Iraqi government never defends its people when they are insulted or humiliated in other countries; in fact, the Iraqi government encourages neighboring countries to be harsh with Iraqis.

Ahmed said when Iraqi people complained that the Jordanian authority was harsh with Iraqis at the Amman Airport and before the Jordanian government responded to the complaints, the Iraqi embassy to Amman issued a statement saying, "We told the Jordanian authority to be strict with Iraqis at the airport and on the border."

Ahmed said he is very comfortable with Turkey. "Turkey doesn't make any problems for Iraqis," he noted.

Hardi Omer, who went to Lebanon as a tourist, said, "When people discovered I was Iraqi, they only asked about war, car bombs, and political conflicts in Iraq; they never ask or talk with you about other subjects."

Imad H. Rashed, executive manager of Shabaq Airline for travel and tourism in Erbil city, capital of Kurdistan Region, said many people in Kurdistan want to travel to other countries as tourists, stating, "Since the economic situation of Kurdistan improved, the demand to travel to other countries increased notably."

Shabaq is the first company to start group tourism in the Kurdistan region, and it is the first company to open a tourism route between Kurdistan and Lebanon.

"When I went to Lebanon to make deals with authorities and hotels so that I could bring group tourists to Lebanon, I faced many difficulties. I went to 20 hotels and no one trusted me, but after 20 hotels, one hotel accepted the deal, and I was very surprised," Rashed told the Globe.

"Now, after I took a large number of tourist groups to Lebanon, everybody trusts my company - even the Lebanese Minister of Tourism paid a visit to [the] Kurdistan Region," he said.

He has pointed out that very limited countries at present accept Iraqi tourists, and many countries think Iraq is not a normal country and don't want Iraqi tourists.

"I encourage all countries to accept Iraqi tourists, in particularly tourists from [the] Kurdistan region; I guarantee that tourists from that region will not make any problems," he noted.

In addition, he requested that all consulates in the Kurdistan region distribute visas so people can travel to other countries.

Omer, the tourist, said the neighboring countries and other Arab countries have a love-hate relationship with Iraqi tourists. "They love Iraqi tourists because they have money, and they hate them because they are Iraqis."

Kurds and Kurdistan in 2009

On January 1^st Turkey launched the first state-run Kurdish language TV station (TRT6). Turkey has been under pressure to expand cultural and political rights of its estimated 15 million Kurds; the European Union welcomed the channel, but warned that the channel should not be a mouthpiece of state propaganda. Meanwhile, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) did not welcome the channel, PKK said opening a Kurdish TV will not solve Kurdish problem in Turkey.

On January 20^th Iraqi army tried to create a belt around Kirkuk city and kick out Kurdish security forces; the move created a tension between Iraqi army and Kurdistan region security forces, in the result more Kurdish forces deployed to Kirkuk and prevented Iraqi army to make any move.

In February Kurds won the second place in Nineveh and Diyala provincial elections."Nineveh Brotherhood List (Kurdish list) has won 25.5% of the votes in Nineveh province and Kurdistan Alliance list has won 17.2% of the votes in Diyala province," stated IHEC in Baghdad.

In another word, means Kurds won the provincial elections in the disputed areas; Kurdistan Region President, Massoud Barzani has immediately called Baghdad to respect the will of people and implement the article 140 of Iraqi constitution.

In February Baghdad decided not to recognize travel documents issued by Kurdistan Region. Iraqi Ministry of Interior warned foreigners who enter Iraq through Kurdistan region without a valid visa issued by the authorities in Baghdad will be detained and face legal charges.

On March 29^th the Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) in Turkey won the municipality elections in mainly Kurdish populated region of Turkey. DTP defeated the ruling AKP Party, it won the municipalities of eight cities in the region, including Diyarbakir with a population of 1.5 million.

On April 5, Palestinian President, Mahmud Abbas, visited Kurdistan Region with the aim of cementing ties between the two largest stateless peoples in the Middle East.

Kurdistan Region President, Massoud Barzani praised Abbas for being the first "president" to visit the autonomous region in northern Iraq.

"Just as he is the first president to visit the region we expect and we hope that the Palestinian consulate will be the first consulate to open in Erbil," Barzani said.

In May Iraqi Kurds were deeply disturbed by new round of Iranian bombardment. For over a week, Iranian artillery and helicopter gunships have constantly bombed the mountainous areas of Kurdistan Region's border with Iran. As a result, hundreds of families have been displaced, although no causalities have been confirmed thus far.

Iraq summoned Iran's ambassador to condemn Iranian shelling of villages in the Kurdistan Region, the Iraqi government warned of «negative consequences» if attacks continued.

On May 29, Kurdistan region started exporting crude oil to foreign markets for the first time in history.

Baghdad government allowed its pipeline to be used, in a deal that could begin resolving internal disputes over Iraq's substantial oil wealth and thehe revenue tobe shared between Baghdad, the Kurds and oil companies.

In June, "Chemical Ali" finally confessed to Halabja gas attack. He confessed that the former Iraqi regime attacked Halabja with chemical weapons on March 16^th 1988. But somewhat oddly he added that this was done with the “participation” of Iran, Iraq’s deadly foe at the time.

On June 24, Kurdistan parliament agreed, with the majority of votes, on the region's long-awaited Constitution, which includes disputed areas, including Kirkuk, as part of the region.

Out of Parliament's 111 members, 97 attended the session and 96 voted in favor of passing the Constitution, which comprises 122 articles and regards disputed areas including Kirkuk as "historical and geographical part of Kurdistan Region."

Meanwhile, a number of Arab MPs in Iraqi parliament stood against Kurdistan constitution, they said the constitution is absolutely contrary to the Iraqi Constitution since it gives more power to the region and controls the lands beyond the region's "border.»

On July 16, Hewler (Erbil) repeated as football league champion. Hewler beat Najaf in the final match of the Iraqi Football League by penalty kicks in a game that took on 30 additional minutes and ended 0-0.

For the five penalty kicks, the two clubs took the field for the tie game. Hewler goalkeeper Ahmed Ali blocked shots, but with a single shot, Hewler's Yaser Ra'ad scored and goalkeeper Ali's dramatic blocks helped Erbil retain the trophy.

On July 25, Kurdistan region held parliamentary and presidential election. Twenty four political groups, including five alliances, participated in the elections, competing for 111 seats (11 reserved for ethnic and religious minorities). More than 2.5 million people have registered to vote and there was a huge turnout, about 79%.

The Kurdistani List, which is consisted of the two main Kurdish parties, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Massoud Barzani and Patriot Union Kurdistan (PUK) headed by Jalal Talabani, won the election with 57% of the vote. The Change List (opposition) won 23% and the Service and Reform List (Islamic opposition) won 12% of the vote.

Moreover, the incumbent president, Massoud Barzani, was comfortably re-elected as regional president.

On August 20, Barzani sworn in and new Parliament speaker announced. The re-elected President of Kurdistan Region calls for fulfilling the promises that were given to the people during the election campaign.

On September 1^st, Kurds in Turkey organized a huge rally for peace.More than 100,000 Kurdish people rallied in Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, urging the Turkish government to grant them greater rights and reach a peace deal with Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The demonstration was organized by the Democratic Society Party (DTP), a pro-Kurdish party in Turkey, under the slogan "Yes to an Honorable Peace."

On October 28, Kurdistan parliament approved Kurdistan region government sixth cabinet which consists of 19 ministries. The parliament approved Barham Saleh as as the Prime Minister and The Parliament also, with majority of votes, approved Azad Barwari as Deputy Prime Minister and allowed immunity to the Cabinet's ministers. The vote came in the absence of a group of Parliament members who left the session objecting to the voting system.

On December 11, Turkish top court banned the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). Turkey's chief prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya argued that the Democratic Society Party (DTP) took orders from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The DTP was the latest in a series of pro-Kurdish parties to have been closed down in Turkey.

The EU, which Turkey hopes to join, expressed concern over court's decision ruling.

In addition, Kurds in Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan and Europe organized huge demonstrations and condemned the Turkish court decision.