On May 9, 2010 five political prisoners were executed in Iran, all sentenced with “enmity against God.” Four of them were Kurds: Farzad Kamanger, Shirin Alam Hooli, Ali Heydarian and Farhad Vakili. They fought for the rights of the Kurdish …
Posted in Activism, Discrimination, Executions, Free speech, Iran, Political Prisoners, Torture, Trials | Comments Off on The Words of Farzad KamangerAmidst the many analyses of what changes the withdrawal of PKK will bring, one important issue is drowning in the political game: The plight of the Kurdish people in Turkey. The impression is that PKK was standing in the way …
Posted in Discrimination, Free speech, Political Prisoners, Torture, Trials, Turkey | Comments Off on Eyes on Turkey, not the PKKKahraman Kaya, a 17-year-old Kurdish boy who was attacked by a fascist group in Istanbul and was taken into intensive care since the incident, lost his life today. Last Thursday, 10 Kurdish students went outside the school to come together …
Posted in Discrimination, Displacements, Turkey, Violence, Women | 4 CommentsHuman Rights Watch has released a video that calls attention to the state killings and disappearances of Kurdish civilians in the 1990s committed by Turkey. It highlights the importance for immediate action to be taken in regard to the torture, …
Posted in Discrimination, Displacements, Executions, Human Rights Watch, Torture, Trials, Turkey | 1 CommentLast night’s episode of Arab Idol brought more than flashy dresses and big voices to the stage. As the number of contestants dwindles down and each singer can taste victory, one Kurdish woman by the name of Perwas Hussein wowed …
Posted in Culture, Discrimination, Iraq, Language, Media | 4 CommentsNazife Babayigit is a 77-year-old Kurdish mother born in the Kars province in Turkey. Her son, Metin Babayigit, joined the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) in 1993. Overwhelmed with the longing for her son that she hadn’t seen for 21 years, …
Posted in Discrimination, Political Prisoners, Trials, Turkey, Women | 4 CommentsThey do not exist, said Syria. They were not Syrians. Their citizenship was taken away from them, they were not allowed to travel outside the country, their way through the educational system was impeded. They were not Kurds either. They …
Posted in Arabic, Discrimination, Kurdistan, Suppression, Syria, Turkey | Comments Off on Syria: Fueling a false image of the Kurdish struggleDear Mr. Secretary of State John Kerry and Mr. Prime Minister Recip Tayyib Erdogan, It is perhaps not with the utmost respect but with some respect when I sincerely ask of you both to just shut up. Lately Mr. Kerry, …
Posted in Discrimination, Turkey | 2 Comments