ROJAVA, SYRIAN KURDS AND THEIR FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.

For those who still do not know, Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds, is a geographical extension of at least 400,000 km2 along mountain ranges that underpin the natural boundaries between the states of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. It has an estimated population of about forty million people. There is not certainty about this number because countries that govern this fragmented territory have made every effort to prevent reliable censuses. Their ancestors date back to prehistoric times. Shanidar cave and the archaeological site of Jarmo in Iraq, Gobelki Tepe in Turkey, etc, are some of its most famous evidence. Moreover, studies conducted by prestigious geneticists qualify Kurds’ ancestors as one of the three oldest indigenous peoples of the Middle East along with Assyrians and Jews.

Artificially divided following other interests than their own, Kurds lost the train of history with the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. Since then we speak of Kurdistan from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey instead of a single Kurdistan. Its strategic location, its deposits of oil under its soil, its rich mining resources, the water gathers in the mountains and crosses its fertile slopes and valleys and its agricultural wealth, made Kurdistan the object of desire of the victorious powers of the First World War and the state governments of the emerging countries after them. The traditional tribal structure and the weak urban infrastructure of the Kurds as well as the strong rivalry among the most notable personalities have facilitated internal dissension which has stopped any united state possibility.

Rebellion after rebellion, war after war, Kurds have shown that they are a people who love their history, their culture - despite speaking four different dialects and having different religious beliefs - and, above all, freedom. Subjected to a brutal genocide by Turkish and Iraqi governments and forced relocation by them and Iran, their fate was known, or rather, recognized after the bombing of Halabja in 1988 and the Anfal campaign of extermination conducted by Saddam Hussein. The uprising of early 1991 after the Gulf War left them in the north and the Shiites in the south, at the mercy of Saddam's revenge. The application of an air exclusion area allowed them to continue living on their land but deprived of food, medicine and all kinds of supplies as an added reprisal by the Baath regime.

In parallel, successive Turkish governments maintained the policy of prohibiting the use of the Kurdish language, teaching and tradition to twenty million people living in its territory while punishing entire villages under the guise of purging PKK guerrillas.

In Syria, the Baath regime of Hafiz al-Assad, simply denied its existence, depriving them even of identification documents.

The invasion of Iraq in 2003, allowed the Kurds of Iraq, or rather South Kurdistan, put in place a regional government, making the three provinces of Erbil, Duhok and Suleimania a haven of peace in the chaotic Iraq. Despite corruption and agreed bipartisanship, the KRG has developed a frenetic activity reconstruction. Its recovery is exemplary in such a difficult surrounding.

Their Kurdish brothers in Syria have not had the same luck. They are now suffering a new episode of cruelty. The Syrian Civil War has allowed the entry of numerous Islamist terrorist groups: Al Qaeda, Isis, Jabhat to Nursa, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, forcing Kurds to organize and turn once again to arms to defend themselves. In Rojava - Kurdish west - the name given to Kurdistan in Syria, the YPG, People's Protection Units have managed to control the Kurdish areas of the country, namely, Afrin, Kobani and Jazira, ensuring the safety of its citizens, both Kurds and other ethnic groups. But its situation, like all non-Islamist resistance has proven to be very precarious. Unable to get serious and strong international support to first destroy the terrorists and then depose Bashar al-Assad - although some would argue that the Kurds are collaborating with the regime - its moral, sometimes falters as in the last weeks.

A Kurd Rojava told me a sometime ago, about the desperation and helplessness in solitude to be found on the one hand, from the fragmented opposition to the regime and, secondly, from the International Community. Up in arms, Kurds constantly monitored the border with Turkey due to the entering of many Islamist terrorists, apparently with the tacit consent of the government of Ankara. Turkey, under no circumstances, is willing to accept an autonomous Kurdish zone, much less independent, and has willing risked preference with criminal ISIS before the Kurds until now.

Apart from these factors, there is a healthy and necessary ideological division among Kurds as in any plural society. There are two parties or factions that bring together most of the Kurds in Syria, the DUP the Democratic Union Party, more belligerent than the second largest group, the Kurdish National Council or KNC trend. Besides there is a strong connection between the PDU and the PKK or Kurdistan Workers Party from Turkey and the KNC with the KDP or Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq. As if this ideological division was not enough, each party supports a different faction of the Syrian resistance. The first has joined the National Coordination Body while the second has joined in August 2013 the Syrian National Coalition.

The international community took no interest in the situation in Syria until a major humanitarian crisis happened. The slow reaction will push the country into a more complex and intractable theatre of war than the one that took place in Lebanon. The Turkish blockade of the Kurdish military aid and volunteers will only increase the loss of lives. And the sole bombardment by the International coalition, though helpful, will not halt the advance of ISIS. The Kurds, once more have been left to their own, a mistake that not only will have dramatic consequences for them but the future of the whole region.

MURDER AT THE JEWISH MUSEUM IN BRUSSELS.

Emanuel and Mira Riva, a couple from Tel Aviv, have orphaned two teenage daughters of 15 and 17 years after being shot at the Jewish Museum in Brussels on 24 May. An official spokesman and a volunteer at the museum have also been killed in this attack. Although the media has not given too much coverage to the event, perhaps due to its coincidence with the European elections, the killings raise enough questions to think very seriously about them. Are they the symptom of a transnational underlying problem that we refuse to see or simply the consequence of a political and security issue which should only be read internally in Israel? Or, what is the same was one or more of the murdered specific and targeted objectives or only the unfortunate victims at the wrong place and time? Did the murderer choose on purpose to commit these murders in such an emblematic place as the Jewish Museum in Brussels, not only the Belgian capital but also the European Union, on the day on which the new parliament was being elected or did it happened just because the target was there? It is clear that there are many possible theories about the reason or reasons for the crime.

Poetry and Prose Enliven Kurdish Literary Night in Madrid

TURKEY AND ITS INTERNET CENSORSHIP.

If anything has characterized the recent history of the Middle East is the lack of freedom of its citizens under the different types of oppression imposed by the governments in the region. This lack of freedom resulted in the restriction if not complete suppression of freedom of speech, opinion, information, movement and political exercise.

Not surprisingly, Iran could take another step against differentiation. Article 5 of the Iranian Constitution states:

The official language and script of Iran, the lingua franca of its people, is Persian. Official documents, correspondence and texts and textbooks, must be in this language and script. However, it also allows the Persian, the use of regional and tribal languages ​​in the press and media as well as for teaching of their literature in schools.

The Academy of Persian Language and Literature has recommended Rohani government not to apply this article since it undermines the unity of the country and the development of the Persian language. Assimilation, and if this is not effective, the elimination of the "others" is what differentiates the totalitarian states from democracies.

The cultural and social richness of a country derives from the diversity of its citizens. In the case of Iran, a transit of Eastern and Western civilizations, this can be seen in the 16% of the population that is of Azeri origin, 10% Kurdish, Baloch 2%, Turkmen and Arabs, and to a lesser measure Pashtuns, Armenians, Georgians, Assyrians and Jews. If this proposal by the Persian Academy was to be implemented a 40% of the population living in Iran would be deprived of the right to speak in their mother tongue in order to unify and rule the Persian culture and language. Another disgusting event to add to the long list of outrages of the Persian regime to which we are already accustomed to.

What it is a matter of surprise - not to those who are aware and have been announcing and denounced the authoritarian drive of Erdogan - is that a country, "theoretically" democratic, like Turkey, is in the process of passing a legislation that restricts the dissemination of information especially online. If this new legislation is finally approved, the Telecommunications Authority of this country could have unrestricted access to the online activities of users and increase its ability to block content without judicial authorization. It also would require providers to collect and retain information about its users for up to two years. Another way to lock up information in a country that has, since 2007, blocked access to 1,112 internet pages[1].

Not satisfied with the application of a firm hand on the streets to quell protests against his policies of radical Islamization Erdogan wants to "stop" the dissemination of any information or criticism, especially after the disclosure of the extent of the corruption in his government. Turkey is well known for its constant attack on reporters. As a matter of fact Turkey is the country that has imprisoned more journalists worldwide in 2013[2]. Now Erdogan wants to stop the only leakage of information out his control: internet. According to the Turkish research company Konda[3], 77.6 % of those who protested for Taksim Square got information through the network of networks. No wonder Erdogan described the social networks as "the greatest threat to society."

With this law, Turkey would become part of the select club of countries censoring information online, namely Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Iran, Turkmenistan and Vietnam, among others. This step should definitely remove its aspirations to join the European Union.

The news blackout is a common practice in Turkey. It has been doing so since its foundation in 1923 especially regarding the status of Kurdistan and its denial of the Armenian genocide. Moreover it has imprisoned anyone who criticized its repressive policy.

Meanwhile, the Turks, especially young people for whom Internet is a fundamental basis for communication and interaction, have taken to the streets to protest again. Erdogan may turn a deaf ear to this new demand and approve the Internet law, but certainly will pay a heavy price in next elections, though we will probably know nothing about it because of censorship.

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[1] http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/10029075.asp?scr=1

[2] http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/new-media-laws-increasing-internet-censorship-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=449&nID=61212&NewsCatID=396

[3] http://www.konda.com.tr/en/about_us.php

GENEVE II, A SOLUTION FOR THE SYRIAN CONFLICT?

While the blood of Syrians is shed fighting for their freedom against the government loyals in the multiple battlefronts, several meetings are taken place between the various opposition factions to prepare the next Geneva summit of 22 January. If the 9th and 10th of January, the Spanish government acted as host for a first meeting in Cordoba in order to assist in the search for binding agreements for all dissident groups. A few days later the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the "eleven" countries friends of Syria - namely, Germany, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, United States, France, Britain, Italy, Jordan, Qatar and Turkey – met in Paris to establish a common action policy and reaffirm a number of commitments to end  the doubts of the opposition, including the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad .

Finally, the Syrian National Coalition - which brings together various opposition groups – met in Istanbul on January 17 to discuss their participation in the meeting they call "Geneva II". In the previous days, discrepancies, that have weakened the opposition since the start of the conflict, arose again. Prior to its conclusion, there were several resignations of several members. Nevertheless, the decision to come to Geneva II was adopted by a majority of 58 votes in favour to14 against and two abstentions. Both meetings in Córdoba and Istanbul have made clear that the first essential condition for the opposition to end this terrible civil war is that Bashar al-Assad and his acolytes leave office  Something that seems so little feasible now as was at the beginning of the conflict. To this Bashar declared, had I wanted I would have given up from the beginning. We stand on guard for our country.

MODERN SLAVERY.

She approached me with shaky steps. She was holding the tray as if her life depended on it. She struggled to move with the orange juice without tripping. Head down, aware of the inquisitive eyes of her boss and frightened by the number of guests occupying the terrace stumbled a few feet in front of me. Fortunately, the bright orange liquid did not reach me but left a small puddle on the tile floor.

SAUDI ARABIA: DRIVING IS AN OVARIES MATTER.

Driving harms the pelvis and ovaries. 

Of all the sexist comments against women's ability to drive a motor vehicle, this is perhaps the most peregrine and absurd. It should be enough to say that while there are numerous scientific studies that support the link between prostate cancer and staying long hours sitting in certain professions, such as drivers, there are none in the case of women. Imams have outdone themselves with this shameful explanation which focus, once again, on the "crux" of the matter: only women wombs matter and therefore should not move at will outside the control of male relatives, lest they discover that the world is outside the four walls of their prisons, excuse me, homes.

BASHAR AL ASAD’S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.

 Many were critical with the Norwegian Academy decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Barak Obama in October 2009. For them, the brand new President of the United States did not deserve it. The academy justified this award stating that: “Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.”[1]

Egyptian troops crossing the Suez Canal,
October 7, 1973

YOM KIPPUR, FORTY YEARS LATER.

Forty years have passed since the Yom Kippur War when in an unexpected move, Egypt and Syria, decided to attack Israel in one of its holiest days. It was the fourth major confrontation between Arabs and Jews since Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948. The overwhelming Israeli victory of 1967 and its overestimation of border security allowed this country to relax while its enemies’ desire for revenge was mounting. This surprise attack highlighted the vulnerability of Israel to the alliance of two of its strongest enemies. A vulnerability that was surmounted  - despite the initial strategic advantage of Egypt and Syria - due to poor communications between both that allowed Israel to recover and regain territory.

TURKEY OUTRAGED AGAINST ERDOGAN.

I have been asked repeatedly if the camping in Istanbul’s Taksim square and the subsequent demonstrations in other cities of Turkey, are the result of the influence of the Arab awakening or an imitation of the 15 - M movement. Doubts arise from the dual identity that the Republic of Turkey has been playing with since its formation in 1923: a democracy defined as "European" in an oriental surroundings. However, this country has a defined personality that can not be identified with either of these two social movements. The current situation in the Anatolian Peninsula and its adjacent piece of land across the Bosphorus can not be compared with the demonstrations in the Arab countries aimed to get a real democratization of their countries, or the movement of indignation that called for more participation in the governement and less measures imposed by large corporations while denouncing the corrupt behavior of many leaders, businessmen and bankers.

THE SYRIAN ADRIFT WITHOUT ACNUR

It was one of those stories told with a quiet and restrained gesture. The shivering little three year old walked aimlessly in the dark cold night. He was alone, helpless. His sight was heartbreaking. It was not possible not to pick him up and comfort him. He had lost his family in the midst of hundreds of thousands of people walking through the snowy mountains in their quest for a save refuge across the border. Terrified and in shock he could not even remember his name. He was lucky. A young man picked him up and nursed him until he found his family months later. But tens of thousands of children, elderly and sick were left behind, homeless at night with no blankets and no food.

Fortunately, some NGOs, including UNHCR, managed to reach and assist them. They were my, but also your, ultimately, our kind: Iraqi Kurds, Afghans, Bosnians, Guatemalans, Saharans, Sudanese, etc ... people like us who due to natural disasters, armed conflicts or political repression were forced to leave their homes to save their lives.

POLITICS AND THE ABSURD THEATRE

It is inevitable to refer to what happened this week although the events are disheartening and boredom imposes some reluctance to the conversation. So, when my friend said that it was just another theatre’s act, it took me a few seconds to react because my imagination flew over two thousand years ago, at a time when the Athenians (male, free and over 20 years, of course) expressed their opinion in an open forum with the utmost eloquence and, I suppose, with great gestures to convince his listeners. I flew to the republican Rome, where I could see myself sitting on one cold Carrara marble bench listening attentively to the speech of a Senator, one of the representatives of the civilization and culture of his time. I would watch perhaps with skepticism, perhaps with fascination, the expression on his face, the movement of his hands, his walk while he attempted to convince his listeners. My mind flew over the dark times of the Middle Ages to a seat in the mid-nineteenth century British Parliament where I would attend, most likely with tedium, the speech of a "lord" trying to gain support for a government post.

THE NATIONAL FRAUD (I).

Having worked for a decade under the direction of an economist I was finally convinced that to perform a job you just need to have a great imagination. Watching him build up a budget was like witnessing the translation, in a modern excel sheet, of the traditional “milkmaid and pail” tale, the one that warned about the high expectations on dreams still unrealised. You just needed to increase the price of the raw materials purchased to the primary producer with the cost of transportation, labour, bank interest for deferred payment (a death trap for companies sponsored by state law) and, of course , the profit margin, all pending on the potential customer approval.

Viewed on paper, those budgets were really encouraging, however, once confronted with the reality and their uncertainties, such as a reduction of the budget imposed by the buyer, always ended shattered as the pitcher of milk and consequently, the profit margin always is extracted from the weakest flank: wages. Since intermediation is a form of enrichment based on the correct performance of all the links in the production any setback such as weather, accidents, strikes, holidays or the interruption in the provision of supplies knocks the business down as a house of cards.

WHAT IS THE USE OF THE ARAB LEAGUE IN THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR?

One consequence of the end of World War II was the proliferation of international organizations, a phenomenon that also affected the Middle East. So, on March 22, 1945, when the war had not finished yet, Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (later Jordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria, decided to create the Arab League. A foundation three months prior to the approval of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. Since then, this "exclusive" club has been joined by 16 other countries.

According to the second article of the Covenant of the League of Arab States, "The purpose of the League is to establish closer relations between member states and coordinate their political activities in order to conduct a closer collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider, in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries".

What Have I Done to Deserve This?

She walks with her tattered books and recycled notebooks tight against her chest. She advances hastily through the narrow and muddy streets without looking up from the ground. She does not want to stain her socks because there is no water or soap to wash clothes more than once a week. While she covers her usual route, she hears the nasty comments of some guys who have no other fun than harassing girls who dare to leave the precarious shelter of their family’s tent. She hits a rock and is about to fall but regains balance and keeps walking even though she has hurt her foot. She knows she has torn one sock but holds back the tears. Nothing will stop her. Finally, she reaches the tent- school and breathes deeply. She moves the dirty cloth that works as a threshold and sits on the old carpet. She's safe.

Surrounded by children of different ages, she focuses on what the teacher says and writes in the blackboard that covers the narrow side of the tent. A luxury achieved with great effort. Some restless boys nudges but she does not pay attention to them. She has her Bacaloriat exams in a couple of months and can not waste time with useless distractions. She must make the most of what will give her access to the institute of the nearest city. This will involve an hour trip to go and another to return in an old bus. She will have to go with her shabby clothes and no takeaways. But, for her is a great opportunity to get out from the hole she is stuck in. The University despite being miles and years away, seems a more reachable dream now.

Suddenly, a roar shakes the ground beneath their feet. The tent collapses on them. Luckily is only fabric. The children scream scared but they stay hidden under the folds of the tent. They have nowhere to go: they are Iraqis in a Syrian camp. While bombs are falling all around, Dina prays not to loose anymore members of her family. She does not remember because she was just three years old when her parents fled Iraq with her two brothers, but knows that neither her uncles nor her cousins ​​were so lucky. Ten years in a camp, hoping for a miracle to happen and now they are stuck with the civil war in Syria. And Dina keeps asking herself, what have I done to deserve this?

THE BEGINNING.      

I start this adventure through the unknown but also fascinating digital routes with the hope of a new beginning and the anxiety of the current economic and political situation in which we find ourselves. Everyday news submerge us in another chapter of this spiral of defeatism and despair. Obviously, they are not the ideal setting for any release. But as the economy, and everything that revolves around it, has taken over our daily lives, it is impossible to escape its evil influence.

Uncertainty aggravates our perception of the difficulties we face in the immediate future and reinforces our concern about our medium-term target, just when we thought the crisis slope would decrease. But we can not forget that it is in times of crisis and difficulty when man and woman are able to bring out the best that is within them. There is life beyond the crisis. Perhaps with fewer economic resources but certainly with more inventiveness and creativity. It is with this belief, with which I embark myself on this journey.

I would rather fill the first page of this blog with kinder thoughts, but as said these are not good times but, on the contrary, times to denounce and struggle, to criticise and reproach, to reflect and take on responsabilities, not only for and from politicians and other powers, but by every one of us. In short, a fascinating time in history. These lines and those that will follow, will be the vehicle I will use to unleash those issues that disturb me, those issues that friends, acquaintances and strangers asked me to talk about, those injustices I see every day and, of course, those literary snippets that emerge in the most unexpected recesses of my imagination.

To each and everyone who have been curious to read this short introduction, thanks for taking the time to do it and those that are committed to follow, thanks for sharing your time, I hope I will not to disappoint you.