Contrary to what the Turkish government would like you to believe, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, was not born out of thirst for baby’s blood. No, the Kurdish guerrillas in the mountains of Turkey are not all callous sociopaths who gain pleasure from terrorizing villages and kidnapping women and children. The propaganda machine, that is the Turkish state, has been hard at work since the 1970’s trying to paint the most horrific image of the Kurdish movement, and it has been relatively successful in swaying the opinions of major world powers, and a large portion of the general public.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by a number of countries and international institutions, including the United States and the European Union. Since what constitutes “terrorism” has yet to be defined in international law, let’s take a look at what the word means according to Turkish law. In Article 1 of Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law (TMK), “terrorism” is defined as “any kind of act done … with the aim of changing the characteristics of the Republic as specified in the Constitution.”

Based on that description alone, one can infer that in Turkey any form of dissent can be categorized as terrorism. And when you take the racist nature of the country’s constitution into consideration, it becomes disturbingly clear that any advocacy of minority rights is severely punishable under Turkish law. This is the reason why dozens of local and international organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have called for the abolition of TMK.

Nevertheless, the US and EU stand firmly behind Turkey’s “war against terrorism”.

So what is it about the word “terrorism” that gives states license to persecute and harass without repercussion? In fact, when the term first appeared in the English language during the 18th century, it meant “systematic use of terror as policy”. Today, however, the word is vastly distorted and abused by oppressive governments to incite fear and intolerance in the populace. In recent years, we have witnessed a transformation of the term “terrorism” from denoting an instrument of governance to being synonymous with “opposition”.

It was Noam Chomsky who said “the terrorism they don’t like is called ‘terrorism’ and the terrorism they do like, because they carry it out or their allies carry it out, is called ‘counter-terrorism’”, which brings us to the Turkey-PKK issue.

Turkish intellectuals, in an effort to complicate the matter, present the conflict as a “chicken and egg” dilemma; an endlessly looping question of which came first and who is at fault. While the Turkish state cunningly uses the expression “counter-terrorism” to give the illusion that it is simply defending its sovereignty from vicious criminals who emerged suddenly to quench their thirst for destruction. But what they neglect to mention is the decades of brutal oppression and genocide that was imposed on the Kurdish population before they took to the mountains and began to fire back. It is noteworthy that when the PKK first began the armed struggle, most of its commanders and leaders had served prison sentences for pursuing civil and political rights for the Kurds within the democratic and legal boundaries of the Republic.

At this time, I’d like to pose this question to the dear reader: Who is the terrorist, the state that systematically arrests, represses, tortures and slaughters, or the disenfranchised minority who finally stands up and defends itself?

True, both parties employ violence in pursuit of political aims, but considering the scope and scale of the Turkish military and police forces – not to mention the state propaganda system – there is no way the two can be compared logically.

Perhaps even more damaging than the physical violence inflicted on Kurds in Turkey is the psychological terror. Since the country was established on false notions of cultural homogeneity and linguistic uniformity, the indigenous Kurdish population has suffered a distinctive sort of ethnic cleansing. Immediately following the formation of the Turkish Republic, the Kurdish language, along with schools, associations and publications – all manifestations of Kurdish identity – were prohibited. The term “Kurd” was banished. Turkish Army General and the country’s second president, Ismet Inonu, summarized the ideology of the new state in these terms: “Before the Turkish majority other elements have no kind of influence. At any price, we must Turkify the inhabitants of our land, and we will annihilate those who oppose.” Thus began the psychological war.

The policies and practices of devastation, depopulation and dismantlement of the Kurdish society continued into the 21st century, but these appalling facts are presented to the public under a different light. In a letter sent to his prime minister, former President Turgut Ozal suggested: “The scope of our activity in releasing press statements, leaking news, and if need be, spreading ‘disinformation’ should be increased.” This has been the government’s number one weapon in maintaining the status quo, as founder of Kurdish Institute in Paris, Kendal Nezan, explains, “Skillful and effective misinformation convinced a segment of the public that the Turkish state was in essence only defending its territorial integrity against terrorist maneuvers.” While sustaining this false appearance of virtue, Turkey has succeeded in rallying international support for its war against the Kurdish people.

Storming through neighborhoods, kicking down doors, snatching mothers and fathers away from their petrified children during late hours of the night; is this not terrorism? Perpetual arrests are standard for Kurds living in Turkey. Police regularly raid homes and offices of Kurdish individuals and organizations. Being Kurdish is all that’s necessary to fit the state’s vague depiction of a terrorist. Turkish prisons are overflowing with thousands of Kurdish activists and human rights defenders, as well as children, journalists and lawyers.

Violently attacking peaceful demonstrators; is this not terrorism? One characteristic of a democratic society is freedom of assembly, but in Turkey almost every nonviolent gathering organized by Kurds is brought to a bitter end by brutal police intervention. Time and again, peaceful protesters have been killed or severely injured by gas grenades, high pressured water cannons, rubber bullets, and – in the recent cases of Ayhan Yildirim and Murat Elibol – actual bullets.

Deliberately dropping bombs on civilian areas, killing scores of innocent children, and leaving others orphaned; using illegal chemical weapons; proudly posing for photos with mutilated corpses; continually shelling and conducting military raids during a ceasefire; are these acts not the embodiment of terrorism? And can the men and women who order and engage in such behavior not be regarded as terrorists, notwithstanding the flag under which they serve?

On the subject of terror and violence, Nelson Mandela famously stated that, “it is the oppressor who defines the nature of the struggle, and the oppressed is often left no recourse but to use methods that mirror those of the oppressor.” The PKK’s “terrorism” is an easy scapegoat for Turkey, but we mustn’t let be forgotten the decades of merciless persecution the Kurdish people endured before they resorted to armed action. The Kurds have repeatedly declared that they do not wish to change the borders of Turkey. And although making it clear that their struggle is for equality and fundamental human rights for minorities within a democratic Turkey, the state continues to label Kurdish activists as “terrorists” and “separatists”. Through official propaganda, the Turkish government breeds racism, intolerance and ignorance in the populace, allowing for this vicious circle of terror to persist.

In essence, Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law is an instrument of institutionalized racism, as it gives the government consent to round up Kurdish politicians and civil servants under the fallacious pretext of wiping out terrorism. Turkey is further emboldened, not only by the west’s continuing silence in regards to atrocities committed against the Kurds, but by its willingness to provide weapons and arms under the spurious justification of “fighting terrorism”. Additionally, the international media continues to accept and regurgitate Turkey’s psychological warfare of misinformation and lies, leading to the utter criminalization of the Kurds’ legitimate struggle for basic rights and freedoms. Only after Turkey abolishes its undemocratic Anti-Terror Law and, together with its western allies, decriminalizes the legitimate demands of the Kurdish people, will a peaceful and political solution to Turkey’s most fundamental issue be possible.

The normal conclusions you’d draw from knowing these things are that the Internet is an amazing tool to connect people, a powerful way of spreading information and changing opinions, and a vast world to explore and so on. On the other hand, the conclusion drawn by many dictatorships is that the internet is dangerous when used by the peoples they try to oppress. This is illustrated in how censorship is implemented in states such as China and Iran and in how social media such as Facebook have become symbols of revolution in the Arab Spring movement. It is therefore no surprise that greater powers seek to consolidate their positions by keeping up with their own time and realizing the potential, the usefulness and the dangers of the Internet.

SOPA, PIPA, ACTA. These acronyms have caused uproar in Europe, America and Asia where people speak up in debates, go out on the streets and demonstrate and wage virtual war against the attempts to stop net-piracy from the USA and EU, who seek to make it possible to shut down and block entire websites that feature, for example, copyright-protected images. The opposition believes that any form of internet-regulation, no matter reason, would lead us closer to a world where governments can regulate the streams of information to control what people can know. Thoughts of George Orwell’s dystopic “1984” haunt the minds of many concerned citizens who see the American attempts to regulate the Internet as a sign of the very same imperialist hubris that started the War on Terror. They used 9/11 as an excuse to secure oil from Iraq and Afghanistan – now they try to control the Internet discreetly in the name of War on Online Piracy.

This collides violently with the interests of the Kurdish people in many ways, brothers and sisters. For it is so, that the Internet is a key tool in our struggle for freedom – imagine it being controlled by states allied to our enemies in Ankara or Tehran, enemies who have shown that they don’t hesitate to attack journalists, activists, photographers or a certain Kurdish TV-station in Scandinavia. Imagine how more SOPAs and PIPAs slowly undermine freedom of speech over the years and how the War on Online Piracy is able to evolve into a campaign against enemies of the American government and its allies. Imagine that we, the already silenced people in mainstream media, become silenced on the net, having our sites taken down, our blogs blocked and our videos and images that prove committed atrocities deleted.

To succeed in our struggle, we need all the help we can get. And it is an accepted doctrine among the Kurds that we must seek support in non-Kurdish governments and peoples who can apply outside pressure on our oppressors. But, in order to do that we need to keep the information flowing from the homeland – the proofs of killed civilians, the jailed journalists, the children on hunger-strikes. There is a reason behind the systematic attacks against Kurdish media by the Turkish, Iranian and Syrian governments – if knowledge is power and additionally free and easily accessible then it’s also dangerous for the regimes. The sharpest spears in our struggle are the pencils we hold in our hands – the letters in an article are more dreaded than the bullets fired by rebels.

Knowing these things it should be absolutely out of the question to even accept that the Internet falls into the hands of any government that may be capable of censorship and cutting information-streams – especially not the information-streams vital to the survival of our struggle and nation. Opposing regulations on the Internet is therefore a question of necessity and survival, of protecting our flanks and sides in the virtual world.

Now, the pessimist might say: “what use is there to protest, they will let these laws pass anyway”. Yes, the governments of the West will probably not back down on these laws sooner than we would like and the opposition is in for a long fight. But it is our resolve that should determine the intensity of our struggle – not the resolve of the people we oppose. With such pessimism the attempts of dialogue between Turks and Kurds could be dismissed as futile, especially since the fascists in Ankara use the army to quell the opposition, in contrast to the states of the West. Yet, the struggle in northern Kurdistan goes on – as should the struggle on the streets and squares of Europe and the forums on the net. The cause, to preserve freedom of speech, will have to fuel people and turn the angry freedom-fighters into patient, unrelenting freedom-fighters. If anything, patience and perseverance are the traits every Kurd carries deep within him or her – born from the constant struggle, which have more than once seemed utterly fruitless. The Kurd is not only in need of joining the ongoing campaign against War on Online Piracy but has a natural place in the struggle and can prove to be a valuable ally of the global opposition.

Also, aligning ourselves with the people who protect the Internet is according to the principle to seek non-Kurdish support for our cause. As I have stated before, we live in the age of free information and a completely new, global, internet-culture is emerging. Anonymous, Lulzsec and other hacker-groups are groups created from online-communities and when looking at different demonstrators around the world we see that they carry symbols, signs and masks indicating a common cultural base – internet-memes and Guy Fawkes-masks tell us about the new generation of internet-users, the generation that one day will inherit the world. Joining the opposition would therefore not only be an act of defending the interests of our people, but also to create spheres of influence for the Kurds. By demonstrating side by side and joining forces we’d be getting new friends in a generation that is currently gaining power fast. By protecting the values and ideals all free peoples of the world should staunchly preserve, we remind the new generation that we are humans too. And as the development of the Internet-movement continues Kurds ought to jump on the train in time to keep up – the struggle for the Kurdish people lies not only in preserving our ancient culture and following nationalist paroles from the past, but also in carrying our nation, culture and people from one time-period to another. This is the eternal duty every Kurdish generation is tasked with.

Although most Kurds may not even have any access to the Internet it is no reason for us in the diaspora to neglect the ongoing events of War on Online Piracy. In fact, responsibility lies heavier on our shoulders (or should I say, our keyboards?) since we are the only ones who are able to speak for the Kurds in online media. As our brethren suffer unspeakable atrocities in the hands of our enemies, our duty is to keep the flow of information going – and to protect the backs of our people in Kurdistan.

With all this said, we have a lot to win in joining the struggle and a lot to lose if we do not. Let us therefore join the fight against SOPA, ACTA and PIPA as one of the free peoples of the world. We do it for You, Kurdistan.

Kurdish youth across the United States and from all over the world gathered in Washington, DC from January 6-8, 2012 to attend the highly anticipated third annual Kurdish Youth Festival. The three-day event offered fun and educational programs on the Kurdish heritage, and also utilized the advantages of holding the event in the country’s capital by offering attendees a guided tour through Washington, DC to learn about the history of the United States. Nearly two thousand attended the festival while many others were able to participate in the event online through Twitter and the event’s live stream. The festival provided a unique networking opportunity and also served as a platform for young Kurds to exchange their ideas and experiences. The three-day event built upon a shared vision to unite the dispersed Kurdish populations in the U.S. and around the world.

In the evening of the first day, the Kurdish Youth Festival in DC officially commenced with a film screening and film competition. The screening featured the film, Bekas, by Kurdish Oscar Student Academy Award winner Karzan Kader, about two young homeless boys who want to escape the misery of their war-torn Kurdish homeland under Saddam Hussein’s occupation. The film received tremendously positive feedback with many audience members breaking out in both tears and laughter.

Following the feature film screening, the film competition began showcasing short films from young up-and-coming filmmakers including Mr. Bedirhan Sakci, Ms. Serhat Karaaslan, Mr. Mehmet Nuri Chetin, Mr. Keywan Karimi, and Mr. Sarbast Raza Garmiany. The short film that won first prize was A Day in the North by Kurdish director Mr. Juma Hamdo. The film was a heart-wrenching story about the experiences of Kurdish women living in Syria’s Kurdistan region.

Festival hosts, Mr. Minhaj Akreyi and Ms. Sarah Yousif, later presented two young Kurdish students with scholarship awards for their essay submissions on how to distinguish between and reconcile their Kurdish and American identities in daily life. The submissions by Mr. Afsheen Sharifzadeh and Ms. Rezzan Hekmat were chosen among twenty-five others. They were each awarded $1000.00 to foster their educational goals.

The first night of the festival concluded with an interactive and educational trivia game hosted by KurdSat television’s Ms. Lawen Azad. Questions covered everything from Kurdish history to Kurdish music. Selected participants in opposing teams were asked to identify lyrics to Kurdish music or to identify Kurdish notables based on the hints presented to them. The festival organizers also provided a live video stream for online participants and responded to their questions and comments via Twitter and Facebook. Kurds from Australia, Europe, Kurdistan, and all over the United States who wanted to attend this event but could not travel to Washington, DC were able to participate remotely.

The morning of January 7^th opened with a series of panels and round-table discussions designed to engage attendees in constructive discussions and debates about Kurdish social issues. The first panel featured the renowned American linguist and cataloguer of Middle Eastern languages, Dr. Michael L. Chyet, Assistant Director of The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona, Mr. Christian Sinclair and Kurdistan Regional Government Representative, Mr. Amanj Yarwaessi. The panel focused on whether a unified language for the two major Kurdish dialects is practical.

The next two panels were specifically focused on Kurdish social issues. These panels included a discussion on “Generational Gap” and “Community Concerns” and featured Dr. Kajal Rahmani from Harvard University’s Department of Near Eastern Civilization, Kurdish National Congress of North America president Dr. Kamal Artin, and Kurdish American Youth Organization LA Chapter president, Mr. Ranj Zuhdi. Audience members were fully engaged in these discussions as they split up into different groups and discussed various issues amongst themselves to present to the entire audience.

Discussions focused on everything from taboos imposed on Kurdish women to the various obstacles preventing unity among Kurdish community members. Despite the vast number of issues being addressed, common conclusions on how to resolve these issues were reached by attendees.

The day’s program ended with a final panel entitled, “From the Mountains to Twitter,” which included a series of presentations on activism through social networking. The main idea that inspired the panel is the community outreach that has been made possible through various online social media tools. Many festival attendees said they were at the event after hearing about it through Twitter or Facebook. Furthermore, many participated in the festival remotely through these online mediums. The panel included young Kurdish activists, Ms. Aida Aliyeva, Mr. Emrah Usar, Mr. Sirwan Kajjo, and Mr. Karwan Zebari. The panel concluded with spoken word poet, Ms. Cklara Moradian, who presented her piece, “Art is Resistance.” Ms. Moradian’s words were incredibly moving and the message she conveyed left a lasting impression on both audience members and many of those watching the festival online.

After a break in the evening, the night began with a monodrama performance by Mr. Sarkaut Taro. His creative performance addressed controversial social issues. Following his performance, a lengthy discussion began between Mr. Taro and audience members about the various issues he brought to light through his performance. After the discussion, Ms. Akhtar Waise recited a beautiful poem about Kurdistan, which led to a standing ovation.

Following the performances, the festival’s annual art auction showcased various pieces inspired by Kurdish heritage and culture. Artwork by Kurdish artists, Mr. Lukman Ahmed, Mr. Bekir Orhan, and Mr. Ayad Almissouri, were highly appreciated by attendees as evident by the high bids placed on each item. The night ended with the festival’s annual “Kurds Got Talent” contest where young Kurdish artists from a variety of talents — including music, comedy, and poetry — were able to perform for the audience. Similar to previous years, the competition featured judges that would offer feedback and ratings to each of the participants. Audience members were also allowed to vote for their favorite performance. Kae Kurd’s comedic performance shook the hall with laughter. Kae Kurd, who traveled all the way from London to attend the festival, walked away with a round-trip ticket to Kurdistan!

The third and final day of the festival, January 8^th, was different from previous festivals. This year, festival attendees were offered a chance to learn more about American history and heritage with a tour of Washington, DC. Buses picked up attendees and offered them a view of the nation’s capital before stopping at the White House for pictures. Attendees were later taken to the American History Museum, also described as the most popular section of the Smithsonian, to learn about the history of the country. Buses also took attendees to the National Mall, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial. In addition, attendees were greeted and offered a special tour of the offices of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Representation in the US.

After returning to the hotel, attendees got ready for the grand finale at the Waterford Receptions in Springfield, Virginia for a night of Kurdish music and dancing. Many attendees dressed in their most beautiful traditional Kurdish clothing from the various regions of Kurdistan.

At the start of the grand finale, the festival’s sponsors including Asiacell, the first mobile telecommunications company in Iraq and the festival’s first ever diamond level sponsor, Senk Group (a gold sponsor), Pinnacle Web Services (a silver sponsor), and (bronze sponsors) Kurdish National Congress of North America, Kurdish Youth of America-KYA, Kurdish Youth Club-KYC, Kurdish American Youth Organization-KAYO, American Kurdish Council-AKC, Millennium Brokerage Firm, and Green Kurdistan were thanked for their generous donations and contributions.

The night began with a tribute speech to the late Kurdish singer Dler, by his sister Sarah Yousif.  The night continued with a performance by the renowned Kurdish dengbej performer, Delil Dilanar. Performances by famous Kurdish singers Rekesh Seyrani and Emir Hesen prompted dancing by the party’s attendees. The distinguished musical guests created a vibrant environment in the grand finale that could not have been a more suitable conclusion to such a successful three days.

Visit the official website of the Kurdish Youth Festival for more information on past festivals as well as upcoming festivals.

When an entire people are systematically oppressed and marginalized, small actions to make their story heard can have dramatic consequences. Similarly, small actions to silence their voice can have dramatic and tragic consequences.

RojTV is one of the only international Kurdish language channels available to Kurds. It broadcasted everything from children’s programmes to Kurdish music and film. But most importantly, it filled the large gap of Kurdish news and politics, information that is ignored or censored from mainstream media. For over a year, RojTV had been embroiled in a long legal battle after being accused of violating Danish anti-terrorism laws. Perhaps you’ve read an article related to the case over the last year, or had been following it avidly. Or maybe the first time you ever heard of RojTV and its legal battle was when the case was closed. Kurds celebrated when RojTV kept its license, despite being found guilty of “terrorism” and charged a hefty fine.

Kurdish celebration was short lived, however. On January 19, Eutelsat Communications decided to stop broadcasting RojTV, effectively shutting down one of the biggest sources of Kurdish news in the world.

With the closing of RojTV, Kurds lose a powerful voice, one that frequently was the only one on their side. With the closing of RojTV, Turkey will no longer be held accountable for the arrest of hundreds of journalists, activists, academics, and even children. Iran can continue to hide the murder of Kurdish migrant workers on the Iranian border, and the arbitrary detention and execution of Kurdish activists. Images of Turkish massacres, like the most recent in Roboski, will no longer flicker across the screens of thousands of people, who can then mobilize to demand justice for their dead.

To you, perhaps, the only emotion you felt was “good riddance”. RojTV was provocative, some say. Or worse, an incitement to terrorism. Its messages had no place in anyone’s living room, you claim.

Dear reader, we’re here to tell you your claims are wrong.

Differences in political opinions should flourish. We’re not telling you to think exactly like us. But the dangers in silencing any political opinion are always more dangerous than any political opinion itself. The censorship of RojTV by the Danish courts, Eutelsat Communications, and by the pressures of Turkey itself extend far beyond the closure of this one Kurdish station. With the closing of RojTV, the voice of the Kurds has been silenced, and because Kurds are humans, who proudly claim their basic human rights, a voice of humanity has been silenced.

For you see, the Kurdish struggle isn’t just the Kurdish struggle, just like the Palestinian struggle isn’t just the Palestinian struggle, and the Egyptian struggle and Bahraini and Syrian. Wherever people sacrifice their time, and their lives, for greater freedom for their people, all of us who are invested in human rights and social justice gain. We, the authors of this letter, aren’t Kurds. One of us is Bahraini, the other Syrian. We’re from two countries run by dictatorships. Our people understand very sharply how valuable freedom is. It is only because we value freedom in our own countries that we feel a duty to stand with the Kurds. We cannot advocate for our own voices while we accept the silencing of others.

This is what motivates us. This is our cause. We are not terrorists, nor advocates of terrorists. Odds are, the word doesn’t mean what you think it means anyway. But either way, there is no political agenda behind our efforts. We merely speak up against violations of human rights, something the Kurds suffer far too often.

And because we speak up, we, as Arabs, are the target of some of the same attacks that Kurds face themselves. We receive hate mail and threatening comments, usually in the name of extremist Turkish nationalists. Our site has faced numerous hacking attempts. All because we stand up for Kurds. If we, as non-Kurds, face this abuse, then what do our Kurdish brothers and sisters have to put up with, simply for claiming their right to their rich historical and cultural background? For asking to live with dignity?

We realize we are reaching out to an unfamiliar audience. You may have never met a Kurd, or have your own opinions regarding the Kurdish struggle. Regardless of anything else, everyone has a basic human right to a voice, and a voice that is heard. Despite centuries of abuse, despite their very language being banned, the Kurdish voice has never been louder. At the very least, you have an obligation to hear them out. Banning TV stations and imprisoning journalists won’t silence the Kurds, but it will lay the foundations for a dangerous world where we all surrender our basic human rights to the people in power, where surveillance and censorship are valued more highly than dignity and liberty.

The Kurds are facing a painful battle for their freedom, one they’ve paid for with their lives. With your support, crimes against the Kurdish people will no longer weigh on humanity’s conscience. Speak up for a world where everyone can be heard regardless of ethnicity or faith. Freedom is non-negotiable. If these crimes are allowed to go unnoticed and unpunished, you could be next.

In solidarity,
S. Boulad
E. Al Shafei
The Alliance for Kurdish Rights

It was a wicked invention; everything good and beautiful became revolting and disgusting when reflected by the mirror.

One day, the Devil flew around in the air with his mirror, reflecting the divine sky but it was too much beauty for the mirror to handle. It broke into millions of pieces, some as small as grains of sand. They fell onto the ground, but also into the hearts and eyes of men, women and children whose heart froze to ice and whose eyes could now only see that which was unpleasant and evil.

The Verdict Of ROJ TV

Not many miles away from the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen and merely 137 years and a few months after his death, the verdict of the trial of the Kurdish TV-channel ROJ TV was announced.

We were 500 snowmen outside the court in Copenhagen, paralysed and silenced by the cold gushes of wind. Then, we heard a scream of joy; we all melted and became a sea of flames.

I was burning and freezing when I turned my back to the dancing crowd, bowed my head and tweeted ”we won.”

We did not win. Yes, ROJ TV was allowed to keep broadcasting from Denmark but only because of formalities in the Danish penal law; a penal law so vague and obscure that the satellite provider, Eutelsat, suspended its agreement with ROJ TV and shut down its satellite signal to avoid being part of ”terrorist activities.”

The Danish court ruled that ROJ TV has acted as a mouthpiece for terror. This ruling was based on the judge’s conviction that ROJ TV is controlled by PKK, a Kurdish rebel group listed as a terror organisation by the European Union, the United States and Turkey, in regard to both finance and content. Therefore, the court sentenced the two companies behind ROJ TV to pay a fine of approximately 900,000 dollars, a verdict that was appealed to High Court three days later.

The verdict of ROJ TV is 190 pages long. The following section will present the essential conclusions that were summarised by the Danish newspaper, Jyllandsposten.

1 – From February 7, 2008 to February 10, 2010 ROJ TV has acted as a mouthpiece for the terror organisation, PKK.

2 – The TV-station has repeated messages from PKK without presenting other views. The guerrilla is portrayed in a positive way and manner that indicates more than sympathy for PKK.

3 – There is however no proof of these links between ROJ TV and PKK in the period June 10, 2006 to February, 2008 which had also been a count in the charge against ROJ TV.

4 – PKK has ”to a great extent” supported ROJ TV financially from 2006 to 2010

5 – The decision about what ROJ TV is allowed to broadcast is made by a media company in Belgium. The department in Denmark has no influence on what programmes to broadcast.

6 – Documents found in Belgium show that individuals with close relations to PKK have had the final word in regard to what ROJ TV should or should not broadcast about PKK.

7 – The two companies, ROJ TV A/S and Mesopotamia Broadcast A/S, have promoted PKK activities and are therefore sentenced to pay a combined fine of approximately 900,000 dollars.

8 – The companies are acquitted prosecutors’ demand of suspending the broadcasting license in Denmark. The Danish penal law cannot on legal basis confiscate the rights of companies, associations, etc.

One Man’s Terrorist

When the trial of ROJ TV started in August 2011, the court not only had to decide whether ROJ TV was a mouthpiece for terror or not, but also if PKK was indeed a terror organisation as Turkey, the European Union and the United States have listed it to be.

The judge looked at the terror lists, she looked at the extracts from ROJ TV’s programmes selected by the prosecutors and then found herself enlightened enough to declare PKK a terror organisation.

Now, this can nothing but enrage people seeking justice and expecting nothing but justice from a court in Denmark that holds its freedom so dear, so dear.

How can anyone regard Turkey’s terror list trustworthy when Turkey is infamous for its treatment of journalists and its restrictions on freedom of press and freedom of speech all the while referring to its terror law?

How can anyone regard the US’ terror list trustworthy when the US only removed Nelson Mandela from the list 4 years ago, when the US is ignorant enough to think that “by killing people who has killed people we can teach people not to kill people” and when the US still has not closed the most terrifying man-made institution on this Earth, Guantanamo Bay?

How can anyone regard the EU terror list trustworthy when the European Union Court in 2008 annulled its ruling that PKK was a terror group?

How can anyone regard terror lists trustworthy when it is common knowledge that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter?

How can anyone regard terror lists trustworthy when it is always the ”state”, ”the richest and the biggest” that has enough money and power to make up a list, put people on it and say: ”There you go, one terror list, please follow it or I will make your life a living Hell.”

How?

The judge did not even allow for ROJ TV lawyer, Bjoern Elmquist, to present his material about ROJ TV to the same extent as the prosecutors. This has given the prosecutors, who have been criticised for their close and friendly relationship with the authorities in Ankara, plenty of opportunities to portray ROJ TV and PKK as terrorists without the risk of being proven wrong by Elmquist.

An Unjust Law

The entire trial of ROJ TV has been a curious one. This has caused many experts to comment upon the fact that the judge did not take into consideration that she was dealing with a TV-channel and should therefore judge ROJ TV by the rules that apply for the media.

If the media is not allowed to interview the part in a conflict called the terrorist, then who is? Yes, ROJ TV may have portrayed the Kurdish guerrillas as freedom fighters, but PKK is after all the resistance movement that was formed as a re-action to Turkey’s oppression of the Kurdish people, a tyranny and brutality only condemned in vague words by the rest of the world.

The Kurdish people and ROJ TV are puppets in a play dominated by world leaders. If the Kurdish people do not speak up, it is massacred by the Turkish state, but if it does speak up, it is silenced by the European Union and United States.

Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862), author of the essay “Civil Disobedience”, wrote:

Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his con science to the legislator? Why has every man a con science, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. […] Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well disposed are daily made the agents of in justice.

If the law is seeking to silence the rightful rebellion of the Kurdish people against the barbaric and heartless oppression, then the law is unjust; then the governments are what Thoreau calls the agents of injustice.

ROJ TV has a conscience that cannot remain silent under Turkey’s oppressive regime and is therefore offering itself as being the mouthpiece for the Kurdish people, dwell on this for a moment: mouthpiece for the Kurdish people.

The Kurdish people consist of freedom fighters, only freedom fighters. Kurdistan is freedom for it is borderless and those who fight for freedom are Kurds.

We Face Death

Everything is relative and has to be seen in its context. ROJ TV is not the average TV-channel whose viewers are safe at home and free to speak the language they want, read the books they want, sing the songs they want or even wear the clothes they want.

There was an incident during one court session. The prosecutors were showing an excerpt from ROJ TV and they pointed out that the journalists were wearing PKK-clothing. The looks from the Kurdish audience in the courtroom must have been those of incredulity and astonishment; this was merely another ignorant comment from the prosecutors who, if they had done their research properly and if the judge had not dismissed all Elmquist’s witnesses including Leyla Zana, would have known more about the Kurdish culture and understood that the ROJ TV journalists were wearing Kurdish clothes.

ROJ TV is much more than the average TV-channel; it gives the Kurdish people a sense of unity that one rarely feels because of the brutal division and oppression of Kurdistan. It is the symbol of the peaceful Kurdish struggle for freedom; it is a mouthpiece for freedom, a mouthpiece for our freedom fighters like members of BDP, the pro-Kurdish party in Turkey, and the passionate Kurdish youth fighting for its identity.

ROJ TV is perceived a mouthpiece for terrorism because the world does not know what terrorism is.

ROJ TV is perceived a mouthpiece for terrorism because the human being is a suppressor of oppression.

ROJ TV is perceived a mouthpiece for terrorism because it is alive, it is not afraid of man-made institutions or death.

To be a freedom fighter is to be alive because being constant aware of death makes you kiss the earth softly, rest your cheek on the scabrous bark of a tree and lay your head on sweet smelling moss. To be alive is what the rest of the world fails to be because being safe and comfortable is to be dead. You are only alive if life tastes like the salty sweat that evaporates from your body when you are fighting in what seems to be Hell.

Boiling Blood

Denmark is the kingdom of the Snow Queen and the West is her empire; she reigns it with a coldness that renders her vassals motionless and speechless. The cold winds carry flakes of snow, which the Snow Queen weaves into the clothes of her subjects, thereby hindering the small pieces of the Devil’s wicked mirror from leaving the eyes and hearts of men.

The Snow Queen’s most loyal servant, the vicious and despicable troll, the worst of trolls, the Devil is laughing, his plan is working: Every single one of the cold, dead vassals see only a distortion of that which is beautiful, stunning, ravishing, alive!

The troll and his empress have a weakness, though, Hans Christian Andersen revealed: the small pieces of the troll’s wicked mirror can be melted and oh, who is better to melt ice than the burning Kurd with the boiling blood?

The Snow Queen and the wickedest of trolls can easily be defeated. Every Kurdish freedom fighter has flames shooting from his fingertips, flames kept alive by the blazing, roaring Sun.

As long as the Sun is burning so long will ROJ TV burn; because ROJ TV is the mirror in which the Sun reflects itself.

I have set up an e-petition urging the British Government to recognize the Genocide inflicted upon the Kurdish population by the former regime of Saddam Hussein.

If we get 100,000 signatures than they will debate this cause in the British Parliament, thus please sign and pass on your petition.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/25526

I would like to thank you all for the support and for being a friend to Kurdistan.

Laween Atroshi

As a British – Born Kurdish Health professional whereby having graduated in the cutting edge field of Biomedical Informatics I wanted to prove locally, nationally and internationally that this is not an accurate reflection of the Kurdish people.

Indeed, after visiting Kurdistan for the first time in July 2011 & October 2011 it was quite hard not to notice the wealth of talent, determination and skills that stem from the Kurdish professionals.

After visiting different universities and hospitals it was clear professionals and the youth were very dynamic and keen to grow. Moreover, the influx of girls being encouraged to study and work was overwhelming and an area that carries my support. As with any system, there will be flaws but a reform is happening and I always think of the saying ‘Rome was not built in a day’.

My message to my fellow Kurds has always been to study and utilize the knowledge gained effectively and contribute it back to Kurdistan. For Kurdish Anfal recognition I started an e-petition on the British Government website urging them to recognize and remember the Kurdish Anfal. Indeed,www.ekurd.net the weapon of defense for our forefathers was riffles but now it’s the pen and it should be used to protect Kurdistan and show the world the talent this forgotten nation holds.

However, actions speak louder then words so I nominated the Slemani Autism Centre a project initiated by a non-political NGO called Kurdistan Save The Children working collaboratively with the Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs for the most prestigious award of public service from the United Nations. This is the first time in history that Iraq has been nominated for such an award and my rationale for doing so was because it promotes and integrates disability into society. it acts as a platform to encourage community partnership & serves as an educational tool in reforming the stigmatization of disabilities.

We may not win the award but at least we are striving hard to try and compete intellectually at that platform and will be recognized for attempting.

Kurdistan may not be independent at the moment but by working collaboratively as one voice we can claim independence at other channels, nationally and internationally which will gradually lead to Kurdistan’s independence by having people informed on our capabilities and peaceful rich culture.

Thus, as Kurds we must never give up, never be pessimistic and always support each other and aim high, with the hope we may become recognized for our good qualities and talented workforce.

Laween Atroshi
UK Health Informatician & Ambassador For Peace (UPF)
All views & opinions are of my own and do not reflect my employers or any organization whom I have a direct or indirect affiliation with.

Tweet me @laweenatroshi and let me know your opinions, I could be wrong but this is how I feel from my experience. My views do not reflect any individual or institution. www.laweenatroshi.com

The involvement of the Arab League, and its recent dispatch of observers to different regions in Syria, have fueled protests throughout the country, including in the Kurdish region. On December 23rd, named “the Friday of the Protocol of Death” in a mockery of the “protocols” that Bashar al Assad supposedly agreed to with the Arab League, Kurdish protesters filled the streets of Qamishlo, waving giant Kurdish flags and Syrian independence flags. This last Friday, the Friday of “God Will Grant Us Victory”, resulted in protests in essentially every Kurdish region of Syria, from Amûdê, Kobanî, Dirbêsî, Hasakeh, Dêrik, Tirbesipî, to Qamişlo.

In this clever protest from Amûdê, a protester dressed as the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi in a mockery of him.

Also in Amûdê, protesters had criticism for both the Syrian regime and for the crimes of Turkey after an air strike killed 35 Kurdish villagers.

The Kurdish cities of Syria have also been enthusiastic participants in the Dignity Strike, which continues to unfold in various stages. In Qamishlo, entire streets have been completely shut down at different points, and even some merchants in Aleppo (which has been the most reluctant city in participating in the protests) shut down their businesses at great risk to themselves, especially in the Kurdish region of Kobanî (Ein al-Arab).

Although Kurds have been enthusiastic participants of the Syrian revolution, the question of the Kurdish role in a future free Syria remains to be seen. The main opposition group, the Syrian National Council, displayed some problematic tendencies in its supposed inclusion of Kurds, including a disturbing statement by SNC president Burhan Ghalioun where he compared Kurds in Syria to immigrants in France. Since then, however, the Syrian National Council has made explicit overtures to Kurdish organizations, including the Kurdish youth organizing committee. The SNC also made a strong statement during its first congress in Tunisia that it will seek constitutional recognition of the national Kurdish identity, and stated that it will seek a democratic resolution to the issue of the denial of Kurdish human rights.

As the Syrian opposition takes shape, a second Kurdish opposition coalition has been formed, explicitly outlining their position on many key issues. Some of their positions are to ensure “dialogue with all Kurdish political powers outside of the coalition, coordination of the efforts to ensure the unity of the Kurds” and “[rejecting] violence and the encouragement of forgiveness, reconciliation, and tolerance among all citizens, as well as respect for all international treaties and conventions, as well as for human rights”.

Protest in support of the Kurdish National Council in Kobanî (Ein al-Arab):

One of the highlights of Kurdish participation in the Syrian revolution has been the emergence and celebration of the Kurdish identity within Syria. Protesters continue to chant in both Kurdish and Arabic, and wave Kurdish and Syrian independence flags. As the regime weakens, Kurdish involvement in a new and free Syria should be of upmost importance.

beautiful hoisted flags in Derbasiyeh sit-in protest

Crowdvoice’s page “Kurdish Protests Against Assad” contains a comprehensive collection of the latest videos, pictures, and blogs from Kurdish protests in Syria.

This post was cross-posted from our website KurdishRights.org. For ongoing updates follow us on Twitter @KurdishRights.

While we hear about the achievements of Turkey’s AKP government especially in the Middle East after the Arab Spring, AKP’s government internally is facing a real challenge after the further detonation recently in ties with the minority Kurds that are making around 20% of Turkey’s population.

It’s widely believed that since AK Party came to power in 2003, a silent revolution has undertaken.  That revolution has swept all aspects in Turkey’s post-Kemalism era. Similarly, AKP has tried to solve Kurdish question through a process that called Democratization, by giving individuals more freedom. As the government has opened a 24 hours TV channel, TRT6, that airs programs in Kurdish. However, Kurds are accusing AKP for misleading the decades-standing Kurdish question. Kurds in the violence-ridden southeastern Turkey say AKP tries to erase Kurdish culture through TRT6, by airing twisted stories in Kurdish to convince the ordinary Kurds. Moreover, Layla Zana one of the prominent Kurdish leaders said the Kurdish question can’t be solved through giving more individual freedoms, but by giving Kurds their rights as a nation. Recently, the already detonated ties between government and Kurds worsen further after Turkish army jets killed 35 civilian, smuggler Kurds.

Kurds say that shows how AKP government is still continuing the same policy of previous governments regarding Kurds in another style, while challenged all others blemishes. The worsening in ties between Kurds and Turkish government may lead to an uprising in the Kurdish cities in the wake of Arab Spring, as the anger of Kurds already turned to daily demonstrations in both Istanbul and southeastern region. PKK, which through his political wing, BDP, got 80% of the votes in latest election in southeastern region called on the Kurds to upraise against the Turkish government, as promised to ascendant attacks against Turkish army. Diyarbakır, the capital of southeastern Turkey, displays its politics. Graffiti throughout the city cheers PKK. Lately, more popular demonstrations has taken place in Diyarbakır, but aggressively quashed by the police. Meanwhile, Pro Kurdish Peace and Freedom Party or BDP lawmakers asked for the referendum in the predominately Kurdish southeast as a test for democracy in Turkey. Worthwhile, Kurds putted autonomy as a minimum demand regarding a solution for Kurdish question before. In respond, AKP strongly refused such demand, and claimed it threats Turkish unity. Turkish president Abdullah Gul many times described Turkey’s diversity as a source for richer Turkey, but never reflected in the real life. One of the local leaders of BDP in Diyarbakır told me Turkish prime minister delegitimizing the Al-Asad’s regime in Syria for Killing civilians and suppressing peaceful demonstrations, but same thing is happening here; last week at least 35 civilians Kurds killed and the peaceful demonstrations similarly suppressed. The local residences in the area believe that situation will continue until the Kurdish problem gets solved.

The predominately Kurdish cities in southeastern Turkey are vividly ignored compared to the Turkish cities, as the Turkish state has tried to erase Kurds as a nation since the foundation of the republic in 1923. It would be rational to give all provinces inTurkey more power, even if the state doesn’t want to name it autonomy. It firstly takes off the more burdens that are facing the government with the government engaged further in the regional politics. Also it won’t differ Kurds from the rest of the country which government afraid to claim separation and get independence one day.  Moreover, Kurds still doesn’t have the right to study in their native language, as a first step, if government makes Kurdish an optional material in the predominately Kurdish cities, it can gradually solve the language problem as well. That brings peace to the southeastern area and then PKK, as promised, may lay down its weapon which Turkish army annually spending 10 billion dollars in fighting it; it also stops the imprisonment of thousands of Kurdish activists that have arrested in the name of terror recently, that’s in one hand. At the other hand, government needs to take those steps to make the economy’s flourishing continue. Last year, Turkish government unleashed a goal to make Turkey one of the 10 biggest economies in the world, engaging southeastern region is very important to reach this goal because this region makes one third of Turkish land and 20% of Turkish population.  The area is rich with agriculture, as there’s huge cheaper labor force, and with the historical places, it can be turned to a tourism hub. That will also accelerate government’s efforts to make Turkey one of the 10 first economies globally.

Turkey is witnessing a radical political standoff between government and Kurds anyways, as the whole region is chaging which that may weaken Turkey’s external ambitions. At the end either AKP government should give Kurds their rights as a nation firstly through the new promised civilian constitution that suppose to be ready by the second part of this year, or inspired by the Arab Spring Kurds will revolute loudly against AKP’s silent revolution, and take their rights by their own.

The commemoration was filled with formative and heated discussions with contents ranging from academic, ethnic and religious perspectives.

Among the contributors was Laween Atroshi, a 22 year old British Kurd and Peace ambassador. Here he discusses the successful and applause worthy developments the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq has made thus far in its running. Laween raises points such as our strong education system, and the legal laws implemented within the region which condemn honour crimes and honour killings as well as other acts of human injustice.

He also mentions and makes a request for the UK Labour Party to consider Kurdistan’s cause and struggle for independence and the not so long-ago history of our Halabja genocide.

Laween Atroshi on Kurdistan’s Rights & Development

]]> http://www.mideastyouth.com/2011/12/29/kurds-human-rights-talk-uk/feed/ 0 House of Lords,Human Rights Commemoration,Kurdish Youth,Kurdistan,Kurds,london,UK Human Rights Day 2011 was warmly welcomed in London's House of Lords where a board of delegates came together from across Europe in discussion and reflection of the developments and progress made within the global community on the agenda of human right... Human Rights Day 2011 was warmly welcomed in London's House of Lords where a board of delegates came together from across Europe in discussion and reflection of the developments and progress made within the global community on the agenda of human rights. The commemoration was filled with formative and heated discussions with contents ranging from academic, ethnic and religious perspectives. Among the contributors was Laween Atroshi, a 22 year old British Kurd and Peace ambassador. Here he discusses the successful and applause worthy developments the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq has made thus far in its running. Laween raises points such as our strong education system, and the legal laws implemented within the region which condemn honour crimes and honour killings as well as other acts of human injustice. He also mentions and makes a request for the UK Labour Party to consider Kurdistan's cause and struggle for independence and the not so long-ago history of our Halabja genocide. Laween Atroshi on Kurdistan's Rights & Development Mideast Youth no