Basa! Enough! Kafi!

To the world's greatest blog follower*

The family is packing, the first thing that came to my mind when I realized we're travelling was to make a blog entry before I leave. I have made an escape to write this blog entry before someone finds me and yells out: "Sazaaaaaaaaan!!"

The best thing that our students in UKH did at the time was put together this HUGE Kurdish flag, it's become our symbol. Where ever you see it, know that this is UKH spirit

This was a random unexpected morning call trip. Jezhn (eid) is around the corner, and while most people like to celebrate in big cities we take the opportunity to go to villages, towns etc… I always return refreshed. I enjoy the company of the simple people over there.

While I celebrate Jezhn I also realize there are people of my greater family who are under attacks, who are being bombarded. Recently little children were massacred as they were with their family leaving a mountain escaping bombardment from one of our neighbouring countries.

No matter how proud I am as a Kurd, there are often times where I sigh and let out a long "Aaaakh" this week I set free many "aaakhs". Iran attacking from their side, Turkey from another and even within Iraq there were attacks on Kurds on areas that are neighbours to my hometown of Mandaly.

We really had enough

I re-read the first line of my diary entrance on the day of the demonstrations in Erbil a few days back against Turkey's recent air attacks on Kurdish soil. In big, bold scribble writing I had written: "for god sakes, enough is enough!"

Indeed, enough.

Thanks to Narin B. Qaradaxi, Bewar Rwandzi , Ashna Shareff, Sara Sinjari and few other girls who helped with posters, organizing protests and making everything run smoothly. The guys did a outstanding job too. So proud of UKH graduates. Their motivation and dedication pushed this a long way

The picture of the little girl with her body parts shredded to pieces remains in front of my eyes and visits my dreams every single night. For the sake of that innocent child, I took on the streets of Erbil to call out "Enough!" for the sake of the soul of that little girl, I write words of anger and resentment. That innocent child is not a stranger to me, she is my sister, my loved one, that innocent young girl could just be a part of me.

These two kids and their parents Kurds from Turkey... I guess they stood against the young girl their age who was killed by the warplanes earlier in the week

We endured the Anfal, we suffered the consequences of Halabja, we've experienced deportations, mass killings and have felt the pain of chemical attacks and genocide. Our grandparents—and parents—fought side by side with the mountains, and we managed to begin a new page in our history books. As Kurds we stood up and built. We never gave up. I am not ashamed to say that we were almost entirely alone on this journey, no one held our hands.

My hand, holding the hand of Ashna Shareff, a dear friend, the nicest blend of colours around her wrist. Thanks Ashna and Narin who took their time early in the morning to create ribbons for demonstrators

As a Kurd I know too well that it was the atrocious mind of enemies that caused the massacres written in our history pages. It is now the year 2011, in the 21^st century. At any cost, the blood of any Kurdish child will not go down the drain. No innocent young girl, on the lap of her mother should be shattered to pieces, with her face burned, her limbs broken, and her brain out from one of her ears.

Close friend and blogger Bewar Rwandizi also in this picture

Enough is enough.

Let a nation live. How hard can it be?

We are educated on the western curriculum that teaches the Westphalia state system; the right to self determination, the right to democracy and the basic right to live.

The "right" repeated over and over again, the "right" which we just don’t have. The pain kills.

The crowd of demonstrators in Erbil

What don't I have that other citizens of states across the world have? I have a rich culture, and a unique language; I have a bloody history and a land where I belong. What does it take for you to recognize me? 

I'm surrounded by the world's most amazing girls-- they inspire me more and more as each day goes by with their passion, love and motivation

 I took out the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I read article after article, to the point that I began to sniff. For me, as a Kurd, as I was reading, that declaration was a checklist, in my head I would make arguments whether or not I could tick—or cross— some of the articles. At the end if it were an exam, I would fail. There were more crosses than ticks.

Peace. That's what we're asking for

But you know what? One day we will have all our rights. The power of walking in a street with the Kurdish flags in both hands swaying in the air and chanting out loud, you feel empowered like you have never felt before. You feel like you are expressing and screaming the words that the innocent children who lost their life would have screamed out if they could leave their graves and protest now.

Young Kurds feeling it's their responsibility to speak up

Another one of those days that I can spend the entire night writing in my diary about, another one of those hours where it will be made history in Mandalawi's life, another one of those instances where I can raise my head up, look into the sky in such a way where the sun's rays will water my eyes—look up and say "I'm a proud Kurd. I will be as strong as my only friends— as strong as the mountains."

Me in the morning of the demonstration (notice it's Ramadan) with a group of friends preparing some posters

Jezhntan Pirozbet in advance- see you when I return.

MUM: "SAZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN" ooooops!! Someone is in trouble.

*Proud to have a new follower to the blog, and a newly arrived member to the Mandalawi family S. M. K. - waxerhati.

A part of this blog entry has made up my "Memoirs" column in the Kurdish Globe this week. Some pictures taken by me, but the really good ones are taken by my great friend Sara S. Sinjari :) I bet your wondering why some of them looked so good.... because I didn't take them!!