- Global Voices - https://globalvoices.org -

Travels in the Kurdish Blogosphere

Categories: Popular Post, First Post!, Middle East & North Africa, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey

Here is a quick update of the lastest in the Kurdish Blogosphere:

Cultural
As mentioned on a previous installment the death of Kurdish singer Merziye Feriqi [1]has left the Kurdish community in mourning. Recently on the blog From Holland to Kurdistan an anonymous Kurd sent a heartfelt memorial article [2] to be posted. Merziye was dedicated to the Kurdish people:

The amazing[thing] with Merza was her passionate love for Kurdistan. She was never far from her smile and she always supported organisations working for Kurdistan. She attended every demonstration, she attended all festivals and concerts asking for her performance and she was always giving 110% to the people.

A large memorial concert was held for her in Sweden where various other Kurdish artists such as Ciwan Haco and Nejmeddin Xolami performed songs in her honor. She will indeed be missed.

Political
On October 15th, the Iraqi Constitution referendum [3] will take place. While the new Iraqi Constitution [4]is quite clear on the extent of the federal government that will be created, there are still musings in the Kurdish community of a completely independent Kurdistan located in Northern Iraq. Emmunah from Pershmerga Women voices her opinion on not only the possiblity of a 3 state solution for Iraq, but also that logically an independent Kurdistan [5] is the only morally correct outcome that can result. Other views such as John Derbyshire's article [6] in the National Review indicate the impossibility of an independent Kurdistan in the scope of world politics.

In the United Kingdom, new deportation laws have brought the issue of deportation for that nation's Kurdish population to a head. Several protests have been held in areas like Yorkshire and Sheffield [7] asserting that Iraq is not safe and that deportations should not take place. Hiwa from the blog Hiwa Hopes was present at one of the Yorkshire protests [8] on this very issue. Oddly enough, another protest on the same day and at the same venue was planned for protesting the suicide bombings within Iraq. Both groups were not expecting the other and there was some disagreement as to if they should develop a single message and combine their forces. However there was no consensus noted a disillusioned Hiwa.

There are many voices that should be heard, but there is no assurance that they will support the same ideals.