A Protest Memorandum Against the Looming Dangers of New Rounds of War on the Lives and the Future of the People of Kurdistan

On Monday, July 21, 214, a delegation representing free, anti-war and humanitarian voices in Kurdistan visited the office of Kurdistan Parliament n Sulaimani.  (the delegation comprised of Dashty Jamal, Shorish Amin, Alan Noory, Ary Jalal, Kawa Qaradaghi, and Hussein Salih). The delegation met with parliamentarians Zana Abdulrahman, Oumar Einaiat Said, and Parwa Ali Hama Muhammed, and handed them copies of a protest memorandum (see below).  The memorandum was drafted in a public meeting of free, anti-war, and humanitarian individuals held at the Cultural Cafe in Sulaimani a week earlier.  The memorandum warned of the devastating impact of armed conflicts on the lives and the livelihood of the people of Kurdistan.

The meeting with the parliamentarians focused on the key aspects of memorandum that were addressed to the leadership, and each member ,of the parliament asking them to rise to the challenge of the historic responsibilities they are facing in preventing the devastating consequences of war in Kurdistan. The delegation urged the parliamentarians to focus on the livelihood of the people of Kurdistan under siege by the dual crises of delayed salaries for public sector employees and the general fuel shortage

 The meeting also discussed the humanitarian conditions of the displaced Iraqi families that fled to the Kurdistan region from the ongoing hostilities in Nineveh, Salahaddin, Diyala, and Anbar provinces. The delegation urged the Parliament to preserve the dignity of the families by providing living conditions and by combating racist hostile rhetoric in addressing their tragedy in main stream media, and within political and cultural elite.

 The parliamentarians valued this public effort to bring attention to urgent issues that threaten lives and livelihoods of the people of Kurdistan and promised to support the demands in upcoming Parliament sessions.

 At the end of the meeting a press conference was held to inform the public about the event.

 The following is the Memorandum that was submitted to the Sulaimani Office of Kurdistan Parliament:

 A Protest Memorandum

Against the Looming Dangers of New Rounds of War on the Lives and the Future of the People of Kurdistan

 

To The Leadership and Members of Kurdistan Parliament:

 Since the fall of Mosul and many other Iraqi cities and towns in the hands of the darkest, bloodiest and most reactionary forces in modern history, mass killing, destruction, and forced mass migration are everyday life for many Iraqis.

 Iraq has become an extension of the devastating endless civil war in Syria and battlefield for a proxy-war for domination between many regional and global super powers. Iraqi armed groups are now divided between the different camps of this ugly war. No longer there is any safe haven for human beings and their rights in much of the country. Iraq is moving rapidly towards militarization of population centers around ethno-sectarian lines. Mass beheading and senselessmurderous Fatwas are on display by the warring sides for the whole world to see.

 Regretfully we observe that the two dominant Kurdish political parties are not only negatively involved in these events, they are also divided, each for their own political gains and economic interests, between thewarring sides. With this self-centered attitude towards the war, they both are serving a corporate agenda that seeks control over the vast oil reserves in Iraq. Their politicking at this existential moment could bring epic bloodshed and destruction to the people of Kurdistan. Drums of war and power-grabs have already brought a great deal of anxiety, economic distress, stagnation and a continuous crisis of public employee salaries to Kurdistan.

 We, the front of human freedom and humanitarian action in Kurdistan,to show our compassion and responsibility,have gathered in a public meeting in Sulaimani to call for action to keep war and militarization from Kurdistan society. The people of Kurdistan have suffered too much from war, destruction, forced migration, and exile, to be dragged into it all again! Therefore:

 1. We strongly condemn warmongering discourse from all sides, along with the direct and indirect foreign envelopment in this new round of senseless war that threatens to repeat the endlessly self-destroying Syrian model. We find any involvement of the dominant political parties in Kurdistan in aiding any of the warring sides to be a reckless gamble with the lives and the future of the people of Kurdistan. Such involvement will not be tolerated.

 2. The atmosphere of war cannot be an excuse for setting back the struggle of Kurdistan people for better life. Public employee salaries must be paid on time, the fuel crisis must be ended, inflation and stagnant labour markets must be addressed.

 3. Iraqi refugees from the war zones have the right to a dignified life. Their basic rights and needs must be met. It is the duty of the government of the Kurdistan region to provide them with relief, support, and security. They must be protected from all forms of segregation, subjugation and racism.

 

Public Meeting of Free and Humanitarian Individuals

Sulaimani

July.2014