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Saturday, 25 February 2012, 07:27 GMT
Kurdish leaders insist on peaceful struggle
President Barzani said he supports Kurdish demands for self rule in other parts of Kurdistan, but with "peaceful means"./ GLOBE PHOTO/ Safin Hamed
The Kurdish Globe
By Ako Muhammed--Erbil
Erbil hosts conference to commemorate 66th anniversary of Republic of Mahabad
Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani encouraged Kurds in all parts of Kurdistan to adopt a peaceful approach to achieve their rights and insisted "the time of armed struggle is over."
Barzani's statement came during a Feb. 19 conference in Erbil to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Mahabad. A number of leaders from all parts of Kurdistan also attended the meeting.
A larger meeting for Kurdish leaders from all parts of Kurdistan is expected to be held in Erbil this year, aiming reportedly to unify Kurdish parties and to discuss Kurdish questions at a time when the region faces crucial developments.
"A part of our struggle was armed because we had to defend the identity and the existence of our nation' that stage has come to an end successfully' and now is the time to achieve our rights,"said Barzani, admitting that this type of struggle harmed the Kurdish people and the parties that were fighting.
Attempts were made to push the struggles toward war, between Kurds on the one side, and Arabs, Turks and Persians on the other, but all these attempts failed, said Barzani. He urged protecting the spirit of brotherhood with the neighboring nations.
Armed struggle proved that the Kurds could not overcome the authorities they fought, but neither were the authorities able to destroy the Kurds, remarked Barzani. "This reality proves that the issue of our nation cannot be solved through fighting' we now have to take the peaceful and democratic path, even if the governments, response is not positive. We must be patient." Barzani later encouraged Kurds to prepare for and benefit from rapid changes taking place in the area.
Prominent Kurdish political activist Layla Zana, who also attended the ceremony, complained that the peaceful struggle of the Kurds in Turkey are yet to be taken into consideration by the authorities.
"In the north [of Kurdistan, Turkey] we have been demanding to solve the national problems peacefully for 30 years, but the opposite side hasn't taken any serious steps," Zana, Member of the Turkish Parliament, told Erbil-based AKnews.
There have been developments in the Kurdish question in Turkey, she said, but "there are still many crucial issues untouched."
Zana called on the Kurds from Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria to unite and to strive together for their causes.
Kurdistan's political parties agree on the necessity of national unity but they are slow in taking steps, said Selahattin Dermitas, Co-President of Turkey's Peace and Democratic Party (BDP). Addressing the attendants of the conference, Dermitas called on the Kurdish parties to "remove obstacles and work for the interests of their people."
Holding a Kurdish national conference should not be delayed any further, urged the BDP co-president, showing his party's readiness to make sacrifices to achieve the goal of "forming national unity."
"After centuries, a gate for freedom has been opened for the Kurdish people. And we must make a decision," Dermitas said. "Today is a chance to learn a lesson from the collapse of the Republic of Mahabad to create this national unity."
Kurdistan Republic of Mahabad was established on 22 February 1946, and Qazi Mohammad was appointed President of the Republic. On the 15th of December, the Iranian Royal Forces took back control of Mahabad, overthrowing the Kurdish Republic. Mohammad and three of his aides were hanged in the city's Chwarchira Square on March 31, 1947.
Qazi and Barzani relations
In his speech, President Massoud Barzani shed light on the relations between Qazi Mohammad and Mullah Mustafa Barzani, the President's late father, who went to Mahabad during the time of the Republic to support the Kurds.
"There are attempts by some traitors who work to distort history and to relay the relations between our leaders in other ways, as if Qazi and Mustafa Barzani had differences between them," said President Barzani, noting that he knew which party prompts these writers to do so, but didn't mention names.
President Barzani said that the story he heard from his father -- Mullah Mustafa Barzani -- and from his colleagues, proves good relations between Barzani and Qazi.
"One day in 1945, Barzani and his men went to eastern Kurdistan, where they were warmly welcomed by the people in the bordering towns and in Mahabad," Barzani said, telling the story. "The people of Mahabad shared their homes with the Barzanis. There is also an order by Qazi in which he commands every establishment to welcome the Barzanis, but some tribes tried to stand against the Barzanis."
He said that after that Mullah Mustafa Barzani and his men sat with those tribes in Mahabad and confirmed their loyalty to Qazi Mohammad, the disputes went away.
"Qazi is the leader of all Kurds and I am the first soldier of this Republic," he said, quoting a famous speech by Mulla Mustafa Barzani.
President Barzani also assured that Qazi had trusted Mustafa Barzani. After the collapse of the Republic, Qazi handed the flag of Kurdistan over to Barzani and during his trial, Qazi noted that he had passed the flag to "safe hands, and a day will come when the flag would be raised [again]."
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Kurdish leaders insist on peaceful struggle
President Barzani said he supports Kurdish demands for self rule in other parts of Kurdistan, but with "peaceful means"./ GLOBE PHOTO/ Safin Hamed
The Kurdish Globe
By Ako Muhammed--Erbil
Erbil hosts conference to commemorate 66th anniversary of Republic of Mahabad
Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani encouraged Kurds in all parts of Kurdistan to adopt a peaceful approach to achieve their rights and insisted "the time of armed struggle is over."
Barzani's statement came during a Feb. 19 conference in Erbil to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Mahabad. A number of leaders from all parts of Kurdistan also attended the meeting.
A larger meeting for Kurdish leaders from all parts of Kurdistan is expected to be held in Erbil this year, aiming reportedly to unify Kurdish parties and to discuss Kurdish questions at a time when the region faces crucial developments.
"A part of our struggle was armed because we had to defend the identity and the existence of our nation' that stage has come to an end successfully' and now is the time to achieve our rights,"said Barzani, admitting that this type of struggle harmed the Kurdish people and the parties that were fighting.
Attempts were made to push the struggles toward war, between Kurds on the one side, and Arabs, Turks and Persians on the other, but all these attempts failed, said Barzani. He urged protecting the spirit of brotherhood with the neighboring nations.
Armed struggle proved that the Kurds could not overcome the authorities they fought, but neither were the authorities able to destroy the Kurds, remarked Barzani. "This reality proves that the issue of our nation cannot be solved through fighting' we now have to take the peaceful and democratic path, even if the governments, response is not positive. We must be patient." Barzani later encouraged Kurds to prepare for and benefit from rapid changes taking place in the area.
Prominent Kurdish political activist Layla Zana, who also attended the ceremony, complained that the peaceful struggle of the Kurds in Turkey are yet to be taken into consideration by the authorities.
"In the north [of Kurdistan, Turkey] we have been demanding to solve the national problems peacefully for 30 years, but the opposite side hasn't taken any serious steps," Zana, Member of the Turkish Parliament, told Erbil-based AKnews.
There have been developments in the Kurdish question in Turkey, she said, but "there are still many crucial issues untouched."
Zana called on the Kurds from Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria to unite and to strive together for their causes.
Kurdistan's political parties agree on the necessity of national unity but they are slow in taking steps, said Selahattin Dermitas, Co-President of Turkey's Peace and Democratic Party (BDP). Addressing the attendants of the conference, Dermitas called on the Kurdish parties to "remove obstacles and work for the interests of their people."
Holding a Kurdish national conference should not be delayed any further, urged the BDP co-president, showing his party's readiness to make sacrifices to achieve the goal of "forming national unity."
"After centuries, a gate for freedom has been opened for the Kurdish people. And we must make a decision," Dermitas said. "Today is a chance to learn a lesson from the collapse of the Republic of Mahabad to create this national unity."
Kurdistan Republic of Mahabad was established on 22 February 1946, and Qazi Mohammad was appointed President of the Republic. On the 15th of December, the Iranian Royal Forces took back control of Mahabad, overthrowing the Kurdish Republic. Mohammad and three of his aides were hanged in the city's Chwarchira Square on March 31, 1947.
Qazi and Barzani relations
In his speech, President Massoud Barzani shed light on the relations between Qazi Mohammad and Mullah Mustafa Barzani, the President's late father, who went to Mahabad during the time of the Republic to support the Kurds.
"There are attempts by some traitors who work to distort history and to relay the relations between our leaders in other ways, as if Qazi and Mustafa Barzani had differences between them," said President Barzani, noting that he knew which party prompts these writers to do so, but didn't mention names.
President Barzani said that the story he heard from his father -- Mullah Mustafa Barzani -- and from his colleagues, proves good relations between Barzani and Qazi.
"One day in 1945, Barzani and his men went to eastern Kurdistan, where they were warmly welcomed by the people in the bordering towns and in Mahabad," Barzani said, telling the story. "The people of Mahabad shared their homes with the Barzanis. There is also an order by Qazi in which he commands every establishment to welcome the Barzanis, but some tribes tried to stand against the Barzanis."
He said that after that Mullah Mustafa Barzani and his men sat with those tribes in Mahabad and confirmed their loyalty to Qazi Mohammad, the disputes went away.
"Qazi is the leader of all Kurds and I am the first soldier of this Republic," he said, quoting a famous speech by Mulla Mustafa Barzani.
President Barzani also assured that Qazi had trusted Mustafa Barzani. After the collapse of the Republic, Qazi handed the flag of Kurdistan over to Barzani and during his trial, Qazi noted that he had passed the flag to "safe hands, and a day will come when the flag would be raised [again]."
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