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Iraqi Kurdistan is enjoying safety

August 23rd, 2009Wladimir van Wilgenburg

While there were terrorist attacks in Baghdad, the three Kurdish provinces Erbil, Slemani and Duhok are calm. Friday Iraqi Arabs visited Northern Iraq to relax and enjoy the safety and calmness. Popular places are Bekhal, Shaqlawa, Ankawa and Rawanduz. On the day before Ramadan, people in Hawler (Arbil) visit entertainment parks like Family Fun or go to supermarkets.

The violence in Baghdad was not forgotten during the opening of the Kurdish parliament and the recently elected Kurdish president Massoud Barzani promised to do everything they can to help the victims of the attacks. Despite of the Kurdish-Arabic dispute, economics is more important then nationalism in Kurdistan and Kurds benefit from Arabic tourism. A lot of Arabic tourists visit the Kurdish regions, play Arabic music and try to forgot their problems. Also Iraqi soldiers and generals come here to take a rest.

In Kurdistan it’s also not strange to hear Arabic, Kurdish or Turkish music. It’s not rare to hear people singing Turkish songs of Ibrahim Tatlises (who is of partially Kurdish decent). There is also a big minority of Turkmen in the city, who have their own political parties and education and recently there was a Turkish fashion show.

Off course there are problems like nepotism and corruption. There are politicians of all political lists that have huge villa’s and drive around in big land cruisers (also called monica’s). A lot of young people also always tell me they want to go to Europe. Just like in Turkey, but there are also a number of Kurds who return from Europe to rejoin the political struggle (like for instance Safin Malakara of the Kurdish opposition list Change) or to just get a job.

Despite of this, it seems that in the supermarkets, bazaars and entertainment parks are secure and people try to have fun. It’s also not rare to see couples holding each other’s hands. The police chief Abdulkaliq visited family fun with his family without much problems. Especially during Ramazan the number of people in the streets will not decrease in the evenings, because people will eat late at night.

*Wladimir van Wilgenburg is currently busy with an university internship at the Kurdish newspaper Rudaw.net in Northern Iraq. He also writes freelance articles for Today’s Zaman, Jamestown and other media.

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5 Responses to “Iraqi Kurdistan is enjoying safety”

  1. #1 North Iraqi - August 26th, 2009 at 8:19 am

    Is this a promotion text for the KRG?

    What about the poverty? What about the female genital mutilation (about 90% !!!!! of all the little girls!) What about the huge refuge of the kurdish youth that wants to leave? What about the massive torture of prisoners (See human rights reports). Why do the minorities (Turkmen, Assyrians, Arabs) complaint? Why does the KDP and PUK intermingle with political movements of the non-kurdish minorities?

    From a foreigner we expect a more critical approach to the existing regime in the KRG. Only oppositional and critical voices will improve the situation of Kurdistan for all its inhabitants. Not these colorful texts that do not describe reality. A disappointing report from Mr Wilgenburg!

  2. #2 a christian from iraq - August 27th, 2009 at 3:28 am

    I am a christian from Baghdad,,,,,terrorists atacked christians and church every day in Baghdad and other cities BUt we escape to Kurdistan region..it is really a heaven for minority…

    here we feel peace ..kurdish people respects christians and they do not have any religious problem with others…

    yea Kurdistan region is very safe …and I hope other part of Iraq became as kurdistan region

  3. #3 foreigner - August 30th, 2009 at 9:51 am

    @first commentor
    learn to read.
    he already covered some points where u were complaining
    the numbers u are quoting are wrong because fgm is limited to certain areas and there in fore are 70to 80 percent. and those are mostly areas who were previously not krg controlled.
    secondly the human rights report that was released earlier this year did say that the krg is improving in human rights. in contrast to the rest of iraq, it is doing outstanding.
    last thing i heard was that the turkoman complained about turkish intermindling in kurdistani affairs.

  4. #4 Sirwa - August 31st, 2009 at 2:50 am

    @ foreigner: This is not true. FGM is everywhere and inside the KRG territories. See http://www.stopfgmkurdistan.org

  5. #5 Kurd - September 13th, 2009 at 11:04 pm

    well done Wladimir , we are thinkful for you good understanding and also the family fun really amazing i asked once the friend of mine he in family fun about the number of people visiting in one night he said around 10,000 person or actully ticket because under 10 year dont need ticked , so if u calculate the number you find that erbil is heavn and people are happy , i am one of them . thank u very much again for the report.

    Regards,
    KURDI

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