GUEST BOOK 2000

We invite you to add your thoughts, ideas and comments about this website, the book Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History, or the traveling exhibition. After eight years of touring, the exhibit was displayed for the last time in Paris at the Hotel de Ville during the summer of 2004. An excerpt of the original show was presented at the International Center for Photography in New York, September 19, 2008–January 4, 2009; and at the Zilkha Gallery at Wesleyan University, Fall 2008.

Please note: we reserve the right to edit comments for inappropriate and/or profane language.

Very interesting and informative web site. Good job!

I was, however, disappointed to see portions of Armenia included within the borders of Kurdistan. I think such a step is wrong not only historically, but also considering today's political situation. Kurds and Armenians are, at present, on good terms, and I think it is in the Kurds' interests to exclude any territorial claims on Armenian territory.

Best,
A

Submitted by: Armen Poghosyan
Date: December 31, 2000
E-mail: KingARARAT@aol.com
Subject: Armenia

I am a turk who is living in australia at the moment. To be honest, i feel sorry for u guys. I mean i don't want to offend anyone. But you guys have to grow up a bit more. I have been to Turkey. Every one is treated equally. Your talkin about human rights. Don't make me laugh my kurdish friends. Look at australia, how do the cops treat aboriginies. I'm a cop myself and i know the experience. Look at America and many other countries. There is nothin wrong with Turkey its just those nations who stir the Turkish kurdish problem. I can tell you people now, no one is going to pull Turkey apart. Turkey is a nation and will not give land to anyone. Mehmetciks have died to save that nation, and therefore no one is going to get land. So Don't bother.

Submitted by: Yurdumu seven
Date: December 24, 2000
E-mail: policefatih@hotmail.com
Subject: We're all brothers

Dear webmaster.

My name is Jens Rasmussen, and I am webmaster on a homepage called:

www.kurdisk.subnet.dk

We are a UNDEPENDENT and NON political culturclub called:

Kurdish-Danish Culturclub

Jens Rasmussen (married to a kurdish woman)

Submitted by: Jens Rasmussen
Date: December 21, 2000
E-mail: katina.ali@get2net.dk
Subject: Link to Your homepage

absoulately excellent! Gulten

Submitted by: Gulten
Date: December 20, 2000
E-mail: gulish@altavista.co.uk

I have recently received an e-mail from a visitor to our web site (www.israel-kurd.org) of the Israeli-Kurdish friendship league. I would appreciate your comments. This is the letter:

Hello,

It seems very odd to me and totally not appropriate for an Israeli-Kurd Organization to recommend on its website on a site by the name: www.akakurdistan.com. At first, I liked the idea that through your site I can find others, but when I entered the site "akakurdistan" to find a map of Kurdistan I have noticed that somehow the State of Israel does not appear in that map and instead, Syria is greater than it really is.

Any way, again, I really think it's not appropriate for an organization like yours, to free-advertize a site like this. I'll appreciate your response,

Aviva Zaken

Submitted by: Moti zaken
Date: December 19, 2000
E-mail: zaken@h2.hum.huji.ac.il
Subject: Israel on your map

Thank you for this brief though powerful look at a people who have endured so much. The horrors that so many of these people have endured is difficult to comprehend.

Submitted by: Verdelle Quig
Date: December 12, 2000
E-mail: s.verqui@verizon.net

Happy Ramadhan to all the Kurds, Turks, Turkomans, Arabs, Persians and Israelis. May God in his wisdom show us all how to live in peace.

The first step is to get rid of hatred and cruelty. Any contributions?

Submitted by: Azhar
Date: December 5, 2000
E-mail: azhar_shemdin@yahoo.com

I was looking for something less political reading the guestbook. It is a pity to see that troublesome individuals undermine the efforts on both sides - just like Israelis and Palestinians. I don't think one party is all white and the other all black. That simply is not true. And I was happy to read messages from Turks having Kurdish friends or vice versa. You may be Kurdish or Turks, BUT WE ARE ALL HUMAN.

Besides, I would like to know if anyone knows anything about the Yazidis (or Yarasadis ?) and their beliefs.

Thank you.

Submitted by: Alex (French/British)
Date: November 20, 2000
Subject: Yazidis

Dearest Kurdish Friends,

We are two Australians who have befriended many kurdish people who have come to Australia refugees,we have found this website very informative and we would like to know how we can show support for other kbefriended many kurdish people who have come to Australia refugees,we have found this website very informative and we would like to know how we can show support for other kurdish people.

Hope to hear from you soon

Submitted by: Lorraine
Date: November 13, 2000
E-mail: hoochie101@hotmail.com

Is there anyone out there who would not mind granting an interview by phone: email Aljohnson33@hotmail.com

Genocide: Indigenous Kurdish Population in Iraq--A Case Study Proposal

The purpose of this case study is to construct a research proposal on the subject of the relationship between Iraq and the Kurds, an indigenous ethnic minority population residing in the northern part of the country. The plan of the research will be to set forth the background for the proposal and the specific question it addresses, to formulate a hypothesis meant to answer the research questions, and then to outline, with reference to relevant class literature, the substance of the research.

Don't compare Turkish Kurds with Iraqi Kurds please...Most Iraqi Kurds are proud to be a part of Iraq and are currently working towards a federal solution for the Iraqi Kurdish problem. We don't want to be associated with PKK terrorists or that idiot Ocalan who relaxed in his villa in Syria, didn't speak a word of Kurdish while he sent thousands of youths to their deaths....

Submitted by: IRAQI KURD
Date: November 11, 2000

You must be commended for the concept of your site, and the execution thereof. I could not leave it and went to bed very late last night. I had to read every word. I am not of Kurdish origin. I was looking for a site that would tell me about the first civilization. But, now I will come on your site again to see any updates. Thank you, again, for educating me in such a loving fashion.

Submitted by: Anna
Date: November 8, 2000
E-mail: anna_mae@pacbell.net
Subject: this site

GO SEE JOURNY TO THE SUN THAN YOU'LL LEARN HOW NASTY TURKS ARE!!

Date: November 4, 2000

I am a South Korean. Our country is torn apart into two, the north, and the south. We have frustration and hope for reunification. I am very sad to know the fact that you have no country of your own, and hosting countries mistreat you. I am also very surprised at the apathy that the world show you. I wish the day come that you come to have your own land.

Submitted by: HEE-HO BYUN
Date: November 4, 2000
E-mail: bhh@shinbiro.com
Subject: VERY SAD

The pictures and commentry are hauntingly beautiful. It is hard to imagine what goes through the mind of a Kurd. I especially appreciated the independent thinking of some in this unique and valuable collection. I hope the traveling exhibition comes to the West Coast of the United States.

Submitted by: Anna Andrews
Date: November 4, 2000
E-mail: anna_mae@pacbell.net
Subject: Cultural history

just listened to kurdish music today in istanbul and i have bought 2 issues of pine a kurdish comics magazine which is distributed freely and THE big surprise is i am living in Turkey the so called oppressor of turks...also one funny thing our government recently completed 22 dams and irrigation facilities for development of you kurds these are paid by my taxes...and i am a turk ...big deal you would say but 32 billion dollars is just that BIG DEAL..well if you want freedom i suppose we should take back all those dams and factories and our relics in so called kurdistan to turkey..who knows it sure would be funny watching you struggle with your feodal society to develop industry......

Submitted by: evren tufan
Date: October 31, 2000
E-mail: tevren@hotmail.com
Subject: kurdistan!

Hello. My name is Bawer Faris Bawa and i most say that i realy enjoyed your site and i would like to wish you goodluck with your work for us Kurd's.

THX Bawa

Submitted by: Bawer Faris Bawa
Date: October 28, 2000
E-mail: bauerbawa@hotmail.com
Subject: Kudistan

WHO EVER WROTE THIS (I LOVE WHAT WROTE) I AM A YOUN KURDISH GIRL AND I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID IT IS ALL TRUE AND I REALLY RESPECT YOU!AND ABOUT KDP THEY ARE NOTHING BUT MONEY LOVERS THEY RATHER DIE BUT TO HELP A KURD!

I AS A YOUNG KURD THANK YOU FOR THIS NICE SITE. I HAVE A LOT OF COMMENTS , BUT WE WON`T TAKE THEM ALL TODAY. FIRST OF ALL TO YOU YOUNG TURKS. WE WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO US FOR 80 YEARS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN OUR LEADER WE ARE STILL HERE . ... AND TO ALL PEOPLE WHO DOESN`T KNOW WHAT THE KDP IS, I WILL TELL YOU. THIS IS AN ORGANISATION WHO WORKS FOR ANYBODY WHO PAYS THEM. SINSE 92 THEY HAVE WORKED WITH THE FILTHY ?TURKS` IN 96 THEY WORKED WITH SADDAM . THEY EXSIST BECAUSE OF THE BORDER TO FILTHY TURKEY IS UNDER THEIR HANDS . WITH THE MONEY THEY GET FROM THERE THEY BUY THERE GUNS TO GET MORE ASSASINS TO WORK FOR THEM . THESE PEOPLE COMES FROM A PLACE CALLED BADINAN , THEIR LEADER IS NOT CHOSEN , HE GOT IT FROM HIS FATHER. JUST LIKE IN A DIKTATORSHIP. THEY DON`T CARE A BOUT THE KURDS.THEY ONLY THINK ABOUT BRINGING HOME SACKS OF MONEY TO THEIR LEADER.

Submitted by: TARA
Date:October 27, 2000
E-mail: tara_chic14@hotmail.com

Do you of Turkiye know what it is like to see your mother raped, then strangled before your eyes... Do you of Iraq know what it is like to recieve a telegram telling you that your uncle has died in an industrial accident that just happened to involve copious amounts of VX nerve gas. Do you know what it is like to live with the knowledge that you cannot say what you think, that even for writing this I could be taken out and shot by a nation that really doesn't care. No one here has seen the fucking assassins, the hit squads, who come at three in the morning, and drag my brothers screaming into the night. You butchers say that we make war. You murderers who call yourselves peaceloving men of God! You blasphemers that spit on the name of the prophet. You say we have peace. You say we have freedom, and democracy. You say that we are bandits and terrorists. You who send your fucking soldiers with automatic weapons to rape and pillage and burn the bodies of my children. You who keep Kurdistan under your heel, know this. There will be no peace. There will be no respite. There will be no rest, no love. There will be blood, war, pain, and death. Not until every single man, woman and child of Kurdistan has been avenged, and not until a free and united Kurdistan stands on the shores of destiny. >From alpha to omega, so shall be the resolve of the Kurdish peoples. And the streets will run red with the blood of the oppressor. Submitted by: Anonymous
Date: July 27, 2000
Subject: Resolve

FOR KURDISTAN

An outlaw word for an identity denied
An eternal language that cannot be spoken
A national anthem that cannot be sung
A red, white, and green flag that cannot be unfurled
A blue silk, tasseled turban that cannot be worn
A clandestine cultural heritage that cannot blossom forth
A tale of bloody massacres that cannot be told
An injustice suffered that cannot be forgotten
A national pride that cannot be vanquished
A long, curved dagger that has not yet been broken

A descendant of the ancient Medes,
As rugged as our native mountains
A majestic land of twin blood rivers
Dissected by imperialist boundaries
An occupied heartland of unknown towns and villages,
With imposed foreign names
An unborn nation of 20 million fighters,
Foreigners in our native land
A persecuted people, oppressed by the previously oppressed
A colony of the previously colonized
An insurgent victim of Turkish parliamentary fascism,
Baathist Arabization campaigns, and the American Shah's
Reign of terror
A card to be played by NATO's despots
Those destined to disappear from history

A headless horseman with a fatal disunity
Yet to be overcome
A myopic prisoner of unprincipled misalliances
With our own executioners
A memory of betrayal by medieval chiefs, atavistic sheiks
And colonized intellectuals
A memory of avaricious traitors fleeing
Into the open arms of our assassins
A memory of the patriot Qazi Mohammad
Hanging in Mahabad Square
A Mother Native Land yet to be rescued
by our stalwart sons and daughters
A national dream that will come true

Submitted by: Bob Arango
Date: July 21, 2000
E-mail: bobarango@yahoo.com
Subject: Poem written in 1988

An American scholar of Kurds told me about this site. I am so pleased to have found your web page. It is simply excellent, and very enjoyable indeed!

I am a Kurdish female artist (painter) who has been in Canada for many years. When I first came to Canada frada from the Middle East, I was as worked out about politics, war and revenge as many of the young people talking about war and forever revenge.

Over the years, living and experiencing the peaceful country that is called Canada, and learning the secret of establishing a permanent peaceful environment, I have come to learn the following basic rules:

1. There is nothing more peace producing than compromise. COMPROMISE is the golden word. 2. Even when only one person is killed, many people are destroyed. These are: the spouse, the children, the siblings, the cousins, the uncles, and other relations.

3. These people who are destroyed are robbed of their humanity, their future, and their happiness, not to mention their potential as peaceful, loving people.

4. When this kind of destruction happens to an entire community or nation, then a very dim future is left for this community, and for the people who robbed them of their future: i.e. their killers. ipe's so that those of us that cannot speak the language can at least start offer the best foods. basic things in english such as how to make a proper salad and how to make simple breads. thankyou

Date: July 12, 2000

Hello- My name is Scott Shadian and I currently live in San Diego, CA. My Grandfather lived in Kermansha, Iran. Even though we are Persian, my grandfather spoke Kurdish. He was a huge trader of cotten, wool, rice, and oil. Most of his trade routes ran primarly through Kurdistan. I am now 20, and have grown up hearing the stories about my grandfather and his travels through my father and his brothers. Sometime soon I would like to travel to the lands of Kurdistan and retrace as much of his routes that I can. If you have any Information relating to trade routes in the 20s and 30s, I would really appreciate it. I am a photographer and plan to document this trip through photography and maybe video. I will try to give you access to as much of that information that I can. Thank You

Submitted by: scott shadian
Date: July 12, 2000
E-mail: shadian11@hotmail.com
Subject: misc.

Hi there, I want to say thank you for all your efforts,the site idea, the photos, true stories, the graphic, the page design and all other detalis of this page.It's perfect and exclusive. As an Iranian Kurd I should say that we have better situation in Iran than Turkey or Iraq and at least they respect us and they recognize Kurd people as brave and honest people!.(We keep thier borders very well!) Also I'm so sorry about the situation in Turkey,obviosly there is a recism war there and the Kurd people have the worse situation in all other countries.I hope that one day Turkish people realize that all kinds of human being are the same and racism never wins. Again thank you and thanks Internet as the future media for Kurd people, the only media that's free and really open for all people. a Kurd from Iran

Date: July 10, 2000
E-mail: smihcioglu@hotmail.com
Subject: TURKIYE

Super! Seth Resneck said to visit your site and it is wonderful. I work primarily in India primarily with the Banjara. See you at the seminar this weekend.

Submitted by: Nora Fisher
Date: July 6, 2000
E-mail: norafisher@earthlink.net
Subject: textiles costumes ethnic

I actually have an inquiry as the subject. I am currently studying is difficult to find information on through conventional source i.e books, articles, interviews (not very accurate for my purposes anyways, and internet info. I need to find information regarding the roles sex and sexuality play in Kurdish culture-so far I can find no in-depth information discussing the particular attitues towards these other than religious perspectives. If anyone who reads this has any resources for me within the next couple of weeks, I would very much be interested in hearing about it/them. Thank you very much.

Submitted by: Susan
Date: July 3, 2000
E-mail: scersoso01@seattlecentral.org
Subject: sex/sexuality and Kurds

Date: June 13, 2000
Subject: REVENGE

Hey! In my social studies class we are doing a project about Kurdistan. It is a debate. I am going for Kurdistan. My part is a Kurd from Iraq. If you have any reasons about why there should be a kurdistan please email me! Thanks!

Submitted by: Laura
Date: June 4, 2000
E-mail: supachic38@hotmail.com
Subject: need some info!

My thoughts again revisited a people who have thrived while being kept from having a national idenity. May the world once again become aware of the power of the human spirit; the Kurdish people of the Mahabad, Iran area changed my life and I am eternally greatful.

Submitted by: Dale E. Howe
Date: June 1, 2000
E-mail: d.howe@mailcity.com
Subject: Life Memmories of Mahabad

I would first off like to thank you for writing a book on kurds. I myself am a Kurd and know that my people have been through a lot. For someone like you to come out and do this is a wonderful thing. Your web site is also very nice. Thank you

Submitted by: Lana Mohammad
Date: May 25, 2000
E-mail: Lanam82@aol.com
Subject: Thank You

I would like to thank all my brothers that created this website from the bottom of my heart. Birhut Yousuf is totly right we need my kurds like him that could led our country to freedom. i have lived in the u.s.a for 10 years now and ive seen some much negative shit that is going in pur country we need to pull together and fight those basterds that are killing our follow country men. iraq and turkey say lets settle down in peace, BULLSHIT i will never do that after what u basterds did. we kurds cannot forget about halabja and other massacures. Leaving wifes without husbands children without fathers without mothers etc... we will not rest untill we shed blood get revenge we will not forget about Mustafa Barzani "apo" Gazi mohamed "NEVER" we will fight to the death they might kill us capture us torture us but they will never talke our freedom and turks we will keep talking in our language culture and everything else. My father was a pesmerga and my uncles for like 10 years they faught to free kurdistan and we will do that one day. i know some of u kurds lived in Diyarbekir in the early 1900s remember when the turks tried to posin our bread remember and u said we never did anything to u "bullshit" we will do the same to u one day . LONG LIVE THE KURDS BIJID KURDISTAN PEACE TO ALL THAT LOST SOMEBODY

Submitted by: NEZAR AHMED TOVI
Date: May 23, 2000
E-mail: NA10206@AOL.COM
Subject: FOR KURDS AND BIRHUT

first of all i want to thank all my brothers who made this great page from the bottom of my heart. i want to ask if it's possible to add more things to this great web site, so as we could send our country's map and our culture to our frineds. thank you very much

shan

Submitted by: shan qader
Date: May 9, 2000
E-mail: shanroula@hotmail.co
Subject: adding

It is excellent site and great work. i will ask you about this book: i want to buy this book. how much cost if i order from united states?*

Submitted by: khaled rabin
Date: May 8, 2000
E-mail: khaled_rabin@hotmail.com
Subject: will buy this book

*[Note from the Webmaster: Those wishing to buy the book may do so directly from this site. Simply go to THE BOOK section, and click to order the book via AMAZON.]

To Mr. Taylor: The map over Kurdistan would be reality now, if it wasn?t for the wealthy, "democratic" and forgetful governments. The truth here, not the fantasy is that after World War 1, the Kurdish people were promised independence in the peace agreement in S?vres in Aug 1920. Their country, culture and language was to be rightfully owned and controlled by themselves. This promise was, however, forgotten after some years, as many other promises from rich governments to poor people have been forgotten throughout history.

So, please check your history.

And, Carmen I certainly hope your letter is a bad joke, if not - then I feel sorry for you.

To all Kurds keep fighting for your independence, and for peace (also amongst yourselves)

Submitted by: Christina
Date: May 7, 2000
E-mail: Nashhov@hotmail.com
Subject: kurdistan

BU SAYFANIN NE AMACLI OLDUGUNU, BILIMSEL AMACLIMI YOKSA POLITIK AMACLIMI OLDUGUNU ANLIYAMADIM..BEN INSAN HAKLARINA SAYGILI VE AYRIMCILIKTAN YANA OLAN BI INSAN DEGILIM. FAKAT TARIHTE OLAN SEYLERI TEK YANLI GOSTERMENIN KIME NE FAYDA GETIRECEGINI VE GELECEK KUSAKLARA NE VERECEGINI ANLIYAMIYORUM...GELECEK BARISINMI OLACAK YOKSA SIDDET VE KAVGANINMI...BOYLE SEYLERIN INSANLARIN KARDESLIGINE BARISA FAYDA YERINE ZARAR VERECEGINE INANIYORUM....ONEMLI OLAN TURK VE KURT KARDESLIGINI SAGLAMAK ...BUNA HIZMET ETMEK MILLIYETCILIKLE BUTUN DUNYA BU HALE GELDI...TESEKKURR.EDERIM. SAYGILARIMLA.*

Submitted by: OKIKARTAL
Date: April 19, 2000
E-mail: OKIKARTAL@AOL.COM
Subject: YORUMUM

(*translation)

I did not understand if this page has a scientific or political purpose. I am a person, who cares of human rights and I am against discrimination. But I do not understand whom it helps to show things, which happened in history,only from one point. Will the future belong to peace or to violence and fight. I think from such things the brotherhood and the peace will not benefit, but it will damage it. Yt is important to set up the Turkish and Kurdish brotherhood. Yt is ymportant to serve in this way. With the nationalism the world has become as it is. Thanks. Sincerely

Submitted by: OKIKARTAL
Date: April 19, 2000
E-mail: OKIKARTAL@AOL.COM
Subject: YORUMUM

I just wanted to say that God loves you. You don't have to be any religion, just Believe in God. Ask him in your heart, and you will be saved for Eternety. Be a Christian today. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

PEACE BE WITH YOU!!! Jesus loves you!!!

Submitted by: Berivan Smeller
Date: April 17, 2000
E-mail: DMDS.OSD.MIL/COOL@WorldNet.net
Subject: YES!!!

I think the book was very good itwas intersting and it was very good pictures.

Submitted by: FERHAT
Date: April 13, 2000
E-mail: ferhat_008
Subject: Rojbas

I am Outhman Karim Saleh, 34 years old, who entered the U.S. as a political refugee and live in Charlotte, N.C.for the last year and a half. Thank you very much for this web site. I have many stories to tell of my life in Kurdistan but not now. Will visit again.

Submitted by: Abram Karim Saleh
Date: April 12, 2000
E-mail: Erna.Zemel@mciworld.com

you have a great site here where the world can learn thank you

Submitted by: mike
Date: April 9, 2000
E-mail: mike@yahoo.com
Subject: none

Thank you very much. A little friend of mine 10 year old friend........asked me if I could look up Turkey for her school project. I found this and I have not stopped reading it for myself, never mind my little friend's project......it is one of the most interesting things I have found on the web....again thank you. miss.k.r.worrall

Submitted by: kate worrall
Date: April 8, 2000
Subject: thank you

Long ago, before humanity had its organised religions and pontificating priests, the celebrations of people revolved around the key dates in the year-the harvest time, midwinter, the coming of spring, longest day etc. The seasons and their rhythms controlled both the farmer and the herder and dictated the peace and nature of their celebrations. Organised religions have always resented these "people festivals" and have converted them into "saints day" or banned them altogether. Yet two of these have survived despite repression and proscription and are still with us today. One is the midwinter('Yule') that even now manages to push its way through the Christmas and other religious veneers given to the longest night celebrations. The other celebration that still survives intact is that which welcomes the Vernal (spring) Equinox, the time when the days become longer than the night and winter has clearly ended. This festival has been kept alive throughout many communities in the middle East but non more strongly than by the Kurdish people.

This day is called NEWROZ Literally NEW DAY and has been celebrated for literally thousands of years in the Zagros mountains and surrounding area. It pre-dates even the Zoroastrian religion of the area but became part of it and was a joyous and noisy event that all the Kurds looked forward to every year. With the coming of Islam in the eight and ninth centuries, Newroz became a festival that represented the struggle of the Kurds for freedom against the various enemies who attempted to subjugate them-whether it was Arab armies, Christian crusaders, Mongol cavalry or Ottoman Turks.

Throughout the long centuries since, Newroz each year has been celebrated, sometimes in secret but always in joy, by everyone who considers themselves Kurdish. The Kurdish legends say that Newroz celebrates the overthrow of ZUHAK the tyrant, who in various stores had snakes growing out of his shoulders and required human sacrifices to control his affliction. He was eventually defeated when a brave blacksmith by the name of KAWA led a revolt against him and freed the people.

Since the re-emergence of Kurdish national awareness in the last century, Newroz has become the symbol of a people rejoicing in their tradition but at the same time defying their respective oppressors. Newroz in 1946 saw the proclamation of Mahabad Republic in Iranian Kurdistan and more recently it marked the high-point of the uprising in 1991 against the Saddam and the Ba'athists in Iraq.

1992 saw Newroz celebrated for the first time in a free Kurdistan-at least in South Kurdistan. Parallel with this, however, South Eastern Turkey saw the massacre of unarmed Kurdish demonstrators in town like Cizre, Nusaybin, Shirnak and Bitlis. These people arrived in various towns with a promise from the new Turkish Coalition Government that a purely cultural event would be allowed. They were appalled to find that the police and the military were determined to repress any public show of celebration and banners were torn down and crowds attacked in an unprovoked display of violence. However, there is no doubt that this year will see Newroz celebrated again in Turkish Kurdistan-either in secret or in defiance of the Government's restrictions. Free Kurdistan will see large and happy gatherings on the day and Kurds in Iran, Syria and the former Soviet Union will ensure another

Newroz is suitably marked by singing, dancing and the traditional fire ceremonies. These days there are large Kurdish communities in many countries and Newroz will be celebrated with gusto in Germany, France, Sweden, USA and Britain. It is a tradition that progressive everywhere could usefully copy!

THE KURDISH PEOPLE CELEBRATE NAWROZ AS A SYMBOL OF THE MASS STRUGGLE AGAINST TYRANNY

By Alex Atroushi

Nawroz literally means the "New Day"; it marks the first day of the spring season, where the life and energy are renewed in every aspect of nature after a hard winter. Moreover, it signs a day of victory for the people over the regiment of tyranny and regression after a preached struggle.

The story goes back to over two thousand years ago, when the toilers united under the leadership of a blacksmith Kawa, who led them a revolutionary uprising against the oppressor king ZUHAK, who used to ease his impossible sickness, as the folk story tells, by killing one youth every day. The revolution culminated in the killing of the tyrant with the hammer of Kawa. The people lighted up fires to announce the news and proclaiming their happiness and delight over the removal of the source of misery, injustice and oppression. The fires are considered in the Kurdish literature and culture as a symbol of freedom and liberation.

Kurds as well as other people, such as the Farsis, Baluchis, Aziris and Afghans, everywhere celebrate this national occasion. On the day of the festival bonfires are lit on the peak of mountains and on the tops of hills. Folk dances are performed in rural areas and urban centers throughout Kurdland and in the neighboring countries.

Kurds from all parts of Kurdland, whether in their own country or living as refugees abroad, will celebrate this occasion as usual every year. Social gatherings are arranged and they will be attended by large numbers of Kurds and their guests, various activities will be presented, including Kurdish music and dancing, performed by both Kurdish women and men in their bright, colorful national costume. Kurdish food is also offered.

We take this opportunity of wishing all Kurds and friends of the Kurdish people a Happy Nawroz.

Submitted by: AHMED BARZONI
Date: April 6, 2000
E-mail: KURD@hotmail.com
Subject: NEWROZ PERZO BE

What Does KDP stand for? We are the party of taking the first step and our words brought into concur with our deeds. We believe in the rights and freedoms of all peoples; and we work towards a brave government that minimizes interference in our daily lives; and maximizes ours initiative. We believe in government that sustenances and encourages its people through inspiration. Our intent is that we should live with honor, peace, safety, freedom, and Democracy in our Kurdistan soil, our own soil which belongs to us. This is our national aspiration. KDP is surrounded by the most important objectives, to seek and achieve all basic human and national rights including the right of freedom of expression and association and to support all democratic principles for all ethnic, and other oppressed peoples, we are fasten to the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the United Nations (U.N.) Organization, the U.N. sponsored International Human Rights Covenants and Protocols, the European Convention on Human Rights. We believe in human beings, in our possibilities to change ourselves, and our capacity to transform the world in which we live. We believe that history consists of the offering of many people, fleeting from generation to generation, and cumulate toward overcoming discomfort and suffering and toward building a human world. We will ensure that young Kurds are properly recognized as one of our Nation's greatest assets. The greater fitness of youth to accept change and will lead the way for Kurdistan. We give young Kurds an effective voice in KDP and ensure that their interests and needs are continually at the frontage of party decision forming. The Kurdistan Democratic Party has a long and proud record of promoting and supporting Kurdish culture and the arts. We Believe in those most basic freedoms of democracy, the freedom of thought, deference, speech and association. We believe in a just and kindhearted society in which the importance of the family and the role of law and justice is maintained. The KDP adopt new policies and strategy which corresponds to the changes in Kurdish and International politics. We work hard to strengthen the basis of the Federal state and Kurdistan National Assembly which was made by the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of our people and we work hard to mobilize international support for it.

Submitted by: AHMED BARZONI
Date: April 5, 2000
E-mail: KURD@hotmail.com
Subject: none

The most prominent Kurdish national leader, Mustafa Barzani, was President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) when he died on 1 March 1979 at Georgetown Hospital, Washington DC. Millions of Kurds and others mourned him. His memory will remain alive in the hearts of all Kurds who support the aims he struggled for all his life. He will remain a towering figure in the history of the Kurdish people. He remains the inspiration and ideal for today's Kurdish youth who are fired by the spirit, tenacity and resilience of the legend that never wavered in his commitment to the Kurdish struggle for Peace, Freedom and Democracy. You all know about our father

Submitted by: AHMED BARZONI
Date: April 5, 2000
E-mail: KURD@hotmail.com
Subject: none

I was doing a school project about the Kurds when I come upon this website. I took a look around the site and found some interseting facts about the Kurds and thier home land. The photographs were great and each had a story to tell. At first I wasn't happy about this project about the Kurds but now I'm glad. The Kurds are great people in my view and this site tells a great story. After coming to this site I wonder why isn't Kurdistan a country. Well good luck Kurds with your problems. I'll enojy telling the class about the Kurds.

Submitted by: Linda Moore
Date: April 5, 2000
E-mail: LInDa@yahoo.com
Subject: KURDS

Mrs. White you talk about all of those countries using us kurds but you forgot America. It is the americans that are using us kurds the most, who killed Barzoni America.Who helped Turkey caputre apo american cia agents. Who promised the Kurds a country but lied in the 1920s america. Who promised the kurds weapons and support against the Iraq government and once again left the Kurds alone in the early 1990s again america, which caused thousands to die. You see its not only those countries its the whole world that is using us. Its time for us kurds to open our eyes and see the truth. Now people from each country point to their country on a map. Soon the will point to their continents. However some day we will all point to Earth as home.

Submitted by: No Name Needed
Date: April 1, 2000

It is a pity that after Carmen"s letter, letters accusing her as a prostitute appeared in this site. Does it show the mentality clearly ? With regard to another letter :The fact that the site was produced by some one not of Kurdish origin does not mean anything special other than it demonstrates that Kurds have been used by outsiders all the time; History repeats itself. UK used them in 1925 in order to get petrolum of Northern Iraq, Shah of Iran used them in 60 s and 70 s. Syrians against Irak, Irak against Syria etc. Many years Germany, UK etc . Kurds should not let themselves usd by these people. They should think of peace no fight. Who took those photos anyway ? SHOULDNT THE PHOTOGRAPHER HELP TO STOP THE FIRE OR LET HIM BURN AND TAKE PICTURES ?

Submitted by: Kerry White
Date: March 31, 2000
Subject: The photos and Carmen

Some words of wisdom for you to keep in mind:

"Some impose upon the world that they believe that which they do not; others, more in number, make themselves believe that they believe, not being able to penetrate into what it is to believe." Montaigne, "Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes." Voltaire, and last of all for now "Men are most apt to believe what they least understand." Montaigne

Submitted by: brown
Date: March 15, 2000
Subject: manners

You do not know what you are doing. Without examining the realities, you are creating artificial problems but it is useless. Turks and Kurds are all from same origin. We live together quite well.

Submitted by: Mehmet Ozhok
Date: March 14, 2000
Subject: Realities

The map presented in this site is quite a nice one in terms of the petroleum sources and the possibility of accessing the seas. If I were asked to draw a map and control most of the world's resources, mine would be somehow the same. Although some academic people or propaganda talks about the roots being settled there, it is known to healthy minds that people from many different races has chosen Anatolia and the roundabouts as their homeland and somehow could afford to live together. Fights and wars has always been the shaping movements of the history but that does not change the colors of the anatolia itself. I am against any division in anatolia between the cultures and people under whatever flag it is targeted. Anatolia is the birth place of culture and nothing will change it. It will be seen by many people as the explorations progress. Simply what the Kurds are trying to do is that they liberate(!) the region for the other capitalist countries and moreover companies and let them rule the world while they satisfy their egos. I don't think that they would bring any good values to the region but would exterminate the colors in anatolia replacing with the color they would like which is borrowed from the capitalists. Their struggle has got nothing to do with liberty... It is clear.

Submitted by: Tufan KAYNAK
Date: March 14, 2000
E-mail: tkaynak@netscape.com
Subject: What a map

I was extremely pleased to see a site that was informative, and NOT made by someone of kurdish background, this allows people to understand that there is actually an issue going on an a problem desperately needing to be solved, and that it is not something made up by Kurds. I get extremely frustrated when I see comments, referring to Carmen and a certain ebru. It is very easy to say things like "just because you've lived somewhere it doen't mean it's yours forever". This is not a matter of claiming the right of land, this is a matter of forcing 30 million people to call themselves something they're not! How is it possible to take away a people's country. What happens then? Do they all of a sudden siece to exist? What are they called? Who fights for their rights? Well, we have been robbed of our country, that is a fact which no one can deny. But are we still kurds? No, we are mountain-turks. Can you just label us with a different name and say that kurds do not exist. I often hear from turks that the "Kurdish" part of Turkey is nothing, it's just rocks... that "you kurds can take it if you're gonna make such a fuss over it". Well may I remind you that it is right now not a matter of gaining land which we can call Kurdistan, this is first and foremost a matter of the denial of kurds, the way our rights are severly negected, and now they are thinking about admitting Turkey in the European Union, is not that a disgrace to all of Europe, and all of what the Europe Union? All of the members of this world should feel ashamed, that there is more attention payed to the number of Turks killed by PKK. How many times have I on the news, or anywhere else heard how many Kurds that have been killed EVER? Well NEVER! I do not understand what is so hard to understand? The part were we want equal rights, the part were we want our children to speak their own language, and go to Kurdish schools, the part were we can go hone to OUR country. THAT I don't understand. When we see the pictures on the TV-screen where Hitler has sent millions of jews to concentration camps, we are all upset, well don't you understand that the Kurdish people, especially in Turky, are daily living in such a camp, where you are not what you, are. So what are you? If you have any objections to what I have written, you are welcome to mail me. And thank you for an absolutely amazing site!

Submitted by: Gala Riani
Date: March 11, 2000
E-mail: galariani@hotmail.com,
Subject: To every one.

Carmen's letter indicates the awakening in various European countries about drugs, heroin traders and criminal gangs belonging to the PPKK terror gag. Up to now most German politicians closed their eyes to the criminal activities of Kurds. It is necessary to clean up. Rudolf Muller

Submitted by: Rudolf Mueller
Date: March 11, 2000
Subject: Munchen

Silav heval?n min? delal !! Te bi rast? Homepage a xwe gellek? xwes c? kir?ye ? ji bo v?na te pir p?roz dikim.Min gava Homepage a te d? gellek? keyf xwes b?m ? welat? min hat b?ra min. Ez j? vame va rojana Homepage k? ser gund? xwe c? dikim. Silav

Submitted by: Ap? Rem
Date: March 9, 2000
E-mail: ape_rem@hotmail.com

A Kurdish friend of mine was checking this site out and he told me about this negative energy on it. Ebru...it's people like you that are keeping the Kurds from becoming a country and becoming united. What you said angers me, but is a side of the truth and let me tell you why you said that. I got the impression that you were trying to impress Carmen. You may be living in a good country never worrying about anything, getting help from the government, sitting on your...ass, has never had a job, never fight for Kurdistan, never prayed, and basically having a good life. What about the people in Kurdistan that are bearly alive. Have you forgot about them or are you a Jew? People like you need to be killed just like everybody else who are keeping Kurdistan from its rightful place. I'm only 15 years old but would die for Kurdistan and you maybe older and would never even fight for Kurdistan. ...We Kurds don't need people like you. You see my father was a peshmerga since he was 20 years old and now he is like 60. he was a peshmerga until 1993. There was people like you with them that turned them against each other but here that will never happen because we have learned from our mistakes. If you don't have anything good to say then don't say it because you anger my friends and i and the other Kurds.

Let me tell you "Ms.Carmen" it is clear where you life is not the best place. You don't ever judge a book by its cover. Where your life seems to be a place for thugs, pimps, hoes, and every other thing you can think of. You are also having man problems or how would you know that every night club is possessed by Kurds or that most drug dealers are Kurds. Don't tell me you have drug problem too. It may be you were pimped by a Kurdish thug (in no way does he or she represent even -1 percent of the kurds). My mother has thaught me how to respect everyone not just ladies and everthing else about life, how to treat a lady, and my Kurdish roots. But again where you live there are thugs and you should know what a thug is. You go on about education and there are a thousands of Kurdish lawyers, doctors, teachers, and everything else you can think of. In Kurdistan in the town of Garga (north Iraq) we had there schools and there were only about a thousand people. My family made me go to school at age 3. You talk about support, we don't need your super weapons because we got GOD and if we become united no one will stop us.

There are facts in what you say and i respect your opinon and won't judge you because who am I to judge another person. Where I live there are Mexicans, Whites, Blacks, and other people. I see the gangster Mexican and the doctor Mexican. I see the sick white person who just killed in cold blood ten people and the governor who just may become the next president of America who is white. I see the black person who just Mooged a person and the black person who is this city's Major. You see "Ms. Carmen" there are good people and bad people of all races but you had to meet bad Kurds but don't judge us meet somebody like me or the other million Kurds who are the most wonderful people you meet but don't judge us before you know us just like I don't judge them. Why don't you talk about all the Europeans that are bad or are you one of them? I won't judge you and don't judge us. To tell you the truth a second with a Kurdish lady is better then a billion years with a European lady that looks like Cindy Crawford. Thank you

Submitted by: BIRHAT YUSUF
Date: March 4, 2000
E-mail: birhaty@hotmail.com
Subject: The Hate That Hate Produces

kurdistan - kurdistan

just because you lived one time somewhere it does not mean it will belong now for ever to you. o.k. i understand that in this part of the world which somebody onetime called "kurdistan" lived and at the moment live kurds. but therefore it is kurdish? hey i am not a historian, but my general knowledge says me, there also lived assyrian, arabs, jews, turcomen, turks, long-long time ago once also tirmurlenk (also called tamarlan) with his mongols, or alexander the great (greek or macedonian, how you want). what's with all these people (nationalities)? ach ja, not to forget the armenians. yes the armenians support the pkk, but just because they know, they lost the war, van and kars (cities in turkey) they were once armenian, but they lost the war against the republican-turkish army, so now it is turkish, and they now, they never will get it back. so they use the pkk. that is so clear, i am sorry for the kurdish people that they can not see behind the political curtains.

wasn't the same with the greece. the greece delivered apo ocalan (leader of pkk) to the turks, or what do you believe? but back to kurdistans map, you know to say we lived here for hundreds of years therefore it is our land, in my opinion is so stupid, what about the turks ?

they lived in greece, macedonia, bulgaria, whole ex-jugoslavia, hungary, part of austria, not accounted whole noth-africa and "arabia". if they would make the same claims like you, should we give them all these countries again? but in kurdistan live kurdish people? well i can prove, that maybe no more in all these countries which i listed before, but in macedonia, bulgaria, montenegro, serbia (vojvodina), kosova, romania, iran, irak, egypt, armenia, ucraina, moldovia, etc......... still live successors of the ottoman-turks, which still speak turkish and are proud about their heritage. i met by myself some of them. this is no argument, because then the italians could come with claims: roman imperior, the germans could go more farer back in the history to Charles the great (Karl der grosse) who ruled over all western europe (nearly all what is today the eu). we have to see the facts of today and try to solve the problems with the posibilities of the todays-facts. Not with history or what was hundreds years ago. the kurds have to get realistic.

now after ocalans bottom is in fire, he gets realistic, he speaks about autonomy, no more independence etc...but had at first thousands of people to die before the great leader realized his dreams are impossible to establish? or it is just his own life for what he fears? what about the thousands of young women and men he send in war? what about the thousands of children, old and young women and men kurdish and turkish his killer-gangs killed? we kurds have to learn from the history too, not just the others.

Submitted by: ebru
Date: March 2, 2000
E-mail: ebrud@yahoo.com.de
Subject: kurds have to learn

you all kurds,

i do not understand what you all want? but i know you kurdish men, you look to us european women like you would never have seen a woman? i just ask you why? does it not exist in "kurdistan" women? i can in one way understand your problems, but at first your male population should learn to behave themselves in public !!!!!!! it begins at home, the kurdish mothers should teach their sons to behave. don't blame all the time other nationalities for your life, i got the impression, i lived and still live now for three years between turkish kurds, that your people are uneducated (and with no interest on education)and no behaviour. i really think before you blame others for your life, you should start to work on yourself, to get a better person. i also miss here, why do you never publish the criminal acts of kurds? in my city nearly all heroin-dealer are kurds, the most nightclubs are possessed by kurds, why you don't publish these facts, too, if you really want to make an archive. what so ever, in this way you will be never successful, and in oneway i am happy about it.

carmen

Submitted by: carmen
Date: March 2, 2000
E-mail: carmenaus@yahoo.com.au
Subject: kurdish liberation

First, I would like to thank everyone who wrote to be. This is a great website and when I read some of your comments, it's sick. You Turks say lets live in peace but you outlawed our music,lanuage,culture, and you want to life in peace bullshit. You know what they say, what goes around always comes around. You've been killing from us for years and you've killed thousands of us. There will come a time when we kurds will have the upper hand and there will be hell to pay. I love all people of Islam but why is it that the Turks, Arabs, and everyone else killing us. Is it a crime to be a Kurd and if it is then to hell with all of you. DOSEN'T THE HOLY kORAN SAY THAT EVERY MUSLIUM IS A BROTHER THEN STOP KILLING THE KURDS. GOD I ASK YOU WHY WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO THE KURDS. I KNOW YOU STAND FOR WHAT'S GOOD THEN SOMETHING GOOD MUST COME OUT OF THIS. EVERY MUSLIUM BROTHERS PRAY FOR EACH OTHER.

I don't know who created this site but I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart and people stop attacking this site because the map and information on this site is without a shadow of a doubt correct. The KURDS come to the middle east before the Turks, Arabs, or anybody else. So this makes the whole middle east ours. If it hadn't been for the kurds all of you would've been Christens. The great Salah al Din al-Ayyubi who was a KURD and saved Jerusalem form the crusdars for everyone and if he hadn't then boy. Yes maybe the map is a little to big but let us stop and give us some of KURDISTAN and we will be happy. However we can all agree that KURDISTAN is a part of TURKEY, IRAQ, IRAN, SYRIA, NAHICHEVAN, AEMENIA, and this area gos beyond LAKE VAN and even the city of SIVAS. In IRAQ it gos beyond BAGHADA. In IRAN it reaches HAMADAN and in ARMENIA it reaches YEREVAN.

I enjoyed reading from everyone who wrote me and I enjoyed seeing and talking to other KURDS. However I got mad when some of you talked about peace FUCK PEACE. Everyone of them have been killing us for years and you are willing to forget that. NO REVENAGE, OUR BLOOD, AND OUR PRIDE MUST BE SEEN. How can we forget MASTAFA BARZANi. How, tell me? There is not a single one of us who has not lost someone in KURDISTAN and we are willing to let that go. HELL NO LET US FIGHT AND KILL LIKE THEY DID TO US. LET THERE BLOOD BE OUR ENEMY AND LET THE DEAD KURDS KNOW WE WILL NOT FORGET WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR US. LONG LIFE THE DEAD PESHMERAGA AND THE ONES IN THE MOUNTAINS GOING HUNGRY FOR DAYS TRING TO FREE KURDISTAN. LONG LIVE KURDISTAN AND KURDS. BUT THIS IS TALK AND TALK IS CHEAP LET US TAKE ACTION AND SHOW WE ARE FOR REAL. THE MAY TAKE EVERY SINGLE KURDS LIFE BUT THEY WILL NEVER TAKE KURDISTAN OR OUR FREEDOM.

Submitted by: BIRHAT YUSUF
Date: March 2, 2000
E-mail: BIRHATY@HOTMAIL.COM
Subject: How Can There Be Peace

Hello my name is Nezar i have been in this very unpleasent country for 9 years now. i forgot almost everything about my country, but for the past year and half i have learned so much about our beautiful country and great it is and its bad sides. the usa "life" is ok but it just kills me not to be in my rightfull place, my homeland KURDISTAN. but we all must face reality that we can not take down these countries iraq, and turkey there are just to strong we dont have the modern equipment to beat them hopefully one day we will and crush them for all the pain, killing and missery they caused our people. but when i heard about these parties 3 years ago that are called kdp, pkk, puk or whatever it is. it is bullshit that our own brothers are causing pain and measury and killing our own people any kurd that that has been terrorized i fell for you, but u basterds need to stop killing my brothers. we must all come together and from an alligence and fight all the bad in a peacfull way so mabye our pain could come to a halt. i beg of all u kurds out there. i want us to live in a peacefull way. and any kurd that feels this way you are not alone, i am with you. to all kurds peace to all of you, and if you ever want to talk, email me it is na10206@aol.com

Submitted by: Nezar Ahmed
Date: March 1, 2000
E-mail: na10206@aol.com
Subject: for all kurds

It's not easy to comment about a site such as this. On the one hand, it is fantasy; on the other, it represents an undeniable reality. One indisputable fact is that it is beautifully made. The fantasy is obvious: Kurdistan has never existed as an independent political entity, and it will not for the foreseeable future. The cover map, of course, was drawn up to be propaganda, much like the maps the Italians presented to a gullible Woodrow Wilson showing northern Italy (most German-speaking) with the place-names Italianized. But fantasies have their own life, and they are often sustained by the circumstances of the real world. Which brings us to reality. Kurds exist. They know who they are. They speak real languages (some of which are mutually unintelligible, as M. van Bruinessen has pointed out) and their speakers identify them as a kind of "Kurdish." Before the modern era and the centralizing efforts of the Bourbons and Napoleon, French also was divided into quite different dialects. (And try putting an inner-city black man from Chicago together with a young man from Liverpool, then see how they communicate.) The Kurds, their customs, and their various dialects are not going to go away. On the other hand, the Turkish Republic is also not going to go away. Many--and I think most--Turkish Kurds are happy to be a part of its national mosaic. Time and again I have talked to Kurds in eastern Turkey and have heard how proud they were to have served in the Turkish army and how little they desired to be separated from the rest of the country. I think they want what so many other people want in the T.C.--meaningful work, human decency, an honest government of laws, and a chance to escape from a life governed by blood feuds and aghas. In the meantime, governments like the USA have to deal with the world as it presently exists, and in Turkey right now it is the Turkish Republic that offers the only real chance for gradual democratization, political reform, and economic betterment. The prospects for improvement are not great; the thugs of the right (and left) continue to bring terror. But only in this path can the police violence, the blood feuds, the clannishness, and the fractious nature of "Kurdistan" eventually be overcome. Gordon Taylor Seattle, Washington

Submitted by: GORDEN TAYLOR
Date: February 29, 2000
Subject: The reality behind the fantasy

THIS IS A WONDERFUL SITE. THE KURDISH PEOPLE SHOULD GET THEIR LAND BACK. I'M A STUDENT AT NEW YORK COLLEGE AND OUR TEACHER GAVE US A PROJECT ON THE KURDS. THIS WAS THE BEST WEBSITE I COULD FIND. THANX FOR THIS WEBSITE.

Submitted by: LINDA MOORE
Date: February 29, 2000
Subject: THANX

THIS IS A NICE WEBSITE WITH USEFUL INFORMATION. THANK YOU FOR THIS WEBSITE

Submitted by: KARWON
Date: February 29, 2000

I have been in America for eight years now and have forgot almost everything about Kurdistan. Hopefully someday I will go back. Life in America is great but it kills me not to be in my homeland. Then I heard about Kurds fighting each other and this brother killing shit. Is it enough? Have we not lost so much already. Have we forgot about all the Kurds who have lost their lives. How can we become a country when we are killing one another. KDP, PKK, or what ever, we are all kurds no matter where we come from. There are 26 million Kurds imagine us united. Fuck America, the British, the French, and everybody else. Its only the Kurds for ourselves. We must become united because there is no way anyone will destory a country like Turkey or Iraq for us. Its time we face the truth, we are all alone. Sure there are Kurds in other countries living the good life. How can we forget the mothers that have lost there sons, the kids without fathers living and begging on the streets, and KURDISTAN. MAY ALL KURDS LIVE IN PEACE

Submitted by: Birhat Yusuf, Dallas, Texas, USA
Date: February 29, 2000
E-mail: birhaty@hotmail.com
Subject: Is It A Crime To Be A Kurd

I LOVE, WE LOVE KURDISTAN AND THE KURDISH PEOPLE. I HOPE THAT WE GET OUR COUNTRY BACK..AND OUR FREEDOM

Submitted by: hawri awni
Date: February 29, 2000
E-mail: hg99D03@NHS.DK
Subject: FREEDOM

Greeks have betrayed us. Now, like others they left Kurds on their own. Pangalos was a great statesman helping Kurds and liberation of PKK movement. He wanted to destroy Turkey via Kurds. But his policies are not followed. We have been left all alone. Russia unfortunately busy with its own. Armenia is too small to help. We have to work. But all the powers around have used us all the time and then left us like a squeezeed lemon. We probably never had any lesson to learn from these.

Date: February 26, 2000

I visited the town of Saggez in Iranian Kurdistan in Jan of 2000. To get there I took a bus from Tehran that slowly made its way up to Sanandaj. The night trip to Saggez was mindblowing with snowed countryside and blue moonlight. A beautiful setting for such a difficult political situation. What struck me most, other than the intense cold, was the overriding importance of Kurdishness to the people I met. Nothing was as unshakable as that. I think I concluded that the only way to see things is through the mind of a Kurd, and then begin to take steps backward and see what other inputs need to be plugged in. I got the sense that not only was life hard (economics, hostile terrain, poverty and repression), but also that mutual distrust was everywhere. I am sure many people there would be glad to see this web site.

Submitted by: Paul (from asturies, the celtic part of NW Spain)
Date: February 26, 2000
Subject: winter trip to Saggez, Iran

Hello; Your site is marvelous. I like it. I am a Kurd in exile. BRAVO to the author. The photos are telling a lot, specially to me because I am from Kurdistan, the so called Iraqi part. I dont have much to say, expept: Good luck for the continuation. This is a good project, as such projects about us are a bit rare. You know, once again, if by chance you could pass by Kurdistan, you can go to the photo shops In Suleimanyah or Erbil or Duhok. I promise you that you can find very interesting photos... This is only a simple proposal, you might have done it already... but anyway, I like to say something. Thanks for your efforts... Bye.

Submitted by: Shwan
Date: February 23, 2000
E-mail: zorbaa@caramail.com
Subject: BRAVO

selam nas?ls?n?z? iyi olman?z? cenabu haktan dilerim!

Translation from Turkish:

Hello, How are you? I wish goodness for you from the God!

Submitted by: Berfo
Date: February 18, 2000
E-mail: kadirsah@hotmail.com
Subject: erkek

I was browsing the net when I found this sit keep up the good work, I make films and video and I have films of Kurdish activty in the UK. I would be greatfull if any one have old films about Kurds to let me know Many thanks

Submitted by: AZAD BARZANJE
Date: February 15, 2000
Subject: Films & Video

EXCITING AND INFORMATIVE

Submitted by: Wuria Karadaghy
Date: February 15, 2000
E-mail: wuria.karadaghy@undp.org
Subject: Salaam

?ok iyi bir site hazyrlamy ynyzdyr herhalde,ama hi?bir ey anlayamadyk ??nk? biz ana dilimizi bile kullanmayy bilmezken kaldy ingilizce.Sizden ricamyz madem b?yle bir sayfa hazyrladynyz ya t?rk?e ya k?rt?e dilindende yayyn vermeniz

Translation from Turkish: I think that you have prepared a very good site, but we do not understand anything because we are not being able even to use our mother tongue. How can we undersand English? Our kind request for you is, since you prepared such a site, please put it also in Turkish or English.

Date: February 15, 2000
Subject: English Only

i am a kurdish from the north kurdistan and i am support all the kurdish leaders and i won to tell all of the site workers this is the best job for kurdish people you have done.

Submitted by: mustafa
Date: February 11, 2000
E-mail: m_bolek@hotmail.com
Subject: all the kurdish people

I am an Armenian. Anybody who accuses Kurds, Greeks and Armenians of hatred is simply ignorant about history of the region. Modern Turkey, as well as whole Turkish history since the first days of the "glorious" Ottoman Empire, is built on blood and tears of many nations, including Turks themselves. I hope, that one day Turks will realize their own cynisism, their own hatred and blindness. I would recommend everybody who is interested to watch a documentary called "Wall of Silence" which pictures the dialogue between an Armenian and a Turkish scholar, who work on Armenian Genocide. The Turkish scholar was courageous enough to break Wall of Silence, which exists in Turkish society around Armenian Genoicide as well Kurdish issue and face the Truth. I hope, there are more people like him yet to come.

Submitted by: Lusine
Date: February 9, 2000
Subject: Wall of Silence

i am dissappointed that your style has suffered an inflation. yannis kontos' story was extremely one sided. a dissappointment is also, that you still consider apo as some kind of a god. the quality of your site has gone all time low.

Submitted by: Musa
Date: February 8, 2000
Subject: dissappointment

SARA DISTRIBUTION is a place where You can find/ order Kurdish monographs, serials, periodicals and audio CD:s, to Your library. Visit Sara at the following address on the net: Goran Cano SARA DISTRIBUTION Dalagatan 42 S-113 24 STOCKHOLM Tel/Fax: +46 8 33 12 29 +6 +70 791 36 06 www.saradistribution.com info@saradistribution.com

Submitted by: Goran
Date: February 5, 2000
E-mail: goran@saradistribution.com
Subject: SARA DSITRIBUTION

This is a great site. I'm doing a school Project on the Kurds if there are any more recent photos of The Kurdish people I would love to see them.

Date: January 31, 2000
E-mail: Anotherjoe2@hotmail.com
Subject: Photos

i go to sanandaj every year and i believe that kurds are the most friendly people in the world and since i myself am a kurd thankyou for making this site

Submitted by: dana
Date: January 31, 2000
E-mail: n/a
Subject: thanks

The map which you showed in the web page does not exist and it wont exist until you killed all of us.(Turkish people). We have no intention to attack Kurds,I have lots of Kurd friends in my school. They are against your severe attacks to innocent teachers, children and mothers in the south east of TURKEY...However you still think that you can conquer TURKEY's field. Let me advise you not to think about more to conquer TURKEY, because you wont be able to do it. But I can advise you to come TURKEY and live with us in peace!!!

Submitted by: TURKEY'S YOUTH!!!
Date: January 30, 2000
Subject: You wont be able to...

Hello I'm Panamaian. I'm in the 6th grade and my social studies teacher told us that we need to do a report about Kurds. I really enjoy this site it is very educational and one of the stories the one about Lelia is very sad. And why did those Kurds "dissapear" so suddenly? Why did they execute people? Those damn people who did that!!! Well I really enjoyed this site bye!!

Submitted by: Irene Garcia
Date: January 28, 2000
Subject: Those d*** people!!!

I think that Leila's story was very sad. She traveled very far to become happy and thats why people like her are so succesful. That they all rest in peace those who pass away. "Que dios te bendiga" or that god bless you.

Submitted by: Yevonne Martinez
Date: January 28, 2000
Subject: Lelia is very brave

Submitted by: Gordon Taylor
Date: January 23, 2000
Subject: The reality behind the fantasy

Submitted by: Faidelah Khaznawi
Date: January 15, 2000
E-mail: fedo@infonie.fr
Subject: thanks

The supporters of PKK and Ocalan should feel guilty for the murders of innocent people by the PKK bandits. Udo Steinbachs, Heinz Kramers, Lord so and so s .. BBC journalists and many more. Not to forget all the Greek politicians and soldiers visiting Apo.

Submitted by: Hyanis Rudbeck
Date: January 15, 2000

Very nice site. Good job

Submitted by: Ronald J. Cooper
Date: January 15, 2000

As a Turkish person it makes me so sad to read some of the messages that are filled with hatred written by both Kurds and Turks on this message board. I wish we could live peacefully together, yet seeing that map your have on this site makes me extremely angry as well. What right do people have to claim that huge portion of land from Turkey and other countries such as Iran, Iraq and Syria? We gained every inch of land in Turkey with much struggle and blood of our people. If you look at the history of the Middle-East, Kurds never had a land, so I am wondering what is the argument behind those borders that you claim to be 'Kurdistan'? I am also so sick of hearing biased news about Turks being unfair to Kurds, I mean, let's both be honest here. How about all the bombs and all the deaths of innocent children and women caused by Kurds in Turkey. Both Kurds and Turks made mistakes, there is no point to accuse each other blindy, it just brings more hatred and gets us nowhere. Everyone should also keep the historical facts as a important factor before drawing some ridiculous maps and claiming land that they never owned. I think honesty will bring us closer to the peace and truth.

Date: January 13, 2000
Subject: Kurds and Turks

Roj Bash, I am Proffesor Pakiza Rafiq Hilmi retired Proffesor of Linguistics. I am writing my autobiography in Kurdish, about Kurdistan and Suleimania, my homeland, starting from 1930. I would like to publish it here in the United States. Is there any way that you could help me? I am enclosing my grandaughters email, please do contact her through that account. I thank you for your time and effort. Proffesor Dr. Pakiza Rafiq Hilmi My grandaughters email is the following: zaina99m@hotmail.com Her name is Zainab Munjy and she will be looking forward to hearing from you.

Submitted by: Zainab Munjy
Date: January 11, 2000
E-mail: zaina99m@hotmail.com
Subject: From Dr. Pakiza Rafiq Hilmi

I love this site!

Submitted by: Seth
Date: January 10, 2000
E-mail: seth@whirl-i-gig.com
Subject: My comment

CONGRATULATIONS FOR A SUCH GREAT SITE! INTERNET IS AN EXCELLENT MEAN TO STRUGGLE AGAINST THE FORGET.

Submitted by: BERIVAN
Date: January 6, 2000
E-mail: berivan.adlig@caramail.com

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