Raber Y. Aziz: Newsagents boycott newspaper for 'blasphemy'

Raber Y. Aziz: Newsagents boycott newspaper for 'blasphemy': "Sulaimaniyah, Feb. 10 (AKnews) – A boycott against a Kurdish newspaper in Erbil imposed by newsagents saying it contains “bla..."

Newsagents boycott newspaper for 'blasphemy'

Sulaimaniyah, Feb. 10 (AKnews) – A boycott against a Kurdish newspaper in Erbil imposed by newsagents saying it contains “blasphemy” has been interpreted as a ”dangerous” beginning to a deepening lack of understanding between intellectuals and clerics in Kurdistan. The Awene newspaper published on Tuesday an article by the Kurdish intellectual, writer and poet Mohammed Mukri defending a poet whose book was banned in the stores last month after clerics rallied against a poem in his book that described God in a way they said was “blasphemous”. The ban on the book had already stirred a lot of tension between intellectuals and clerics in the region. Intellectuals accused clerics of inciting people against their freedom of thought and written expression, and of slander in their Friday sermons, while the clerics accused them in turn of disregarding social and religious norms and values. “Since our community is Muslim by majority, everybody has to respect the religious principles of the community, but neither newsagents nor anybody else can judge what is forbidden and what is not for people,” said Kawa Mahmoud, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s spokesman. “This is not their business, freedom of thought has to be guaranteed for all in Kurdistan with all the different religious and ways of thinking” Mahmoud said. As well as defending Qubadi Jalizada in his article, Mukri included a poem by the poet whose book of poems “Styani Bafr Pra la Rishola” (The Corset of Snow is Full of Starlings) sparked an outcry among clerics who attacked him in their Friday sermons and accused him of blasphemy for his depiction of God in an “improper way”. Jalizada describes God in his poem as sitting with legs outstretched,“tired” and “angry” with mankind. Jalizada’s God is “helpless” in face of the vices and evils of man. Any personification of God or the attribution of physical characteristics to Him is strictly forbidden in Islam. The book was subsequently banned from the stores after the clerics, the ministry of endowment and religious affairs and the committee of religious affairs in parliament mounted pressure. Following the ban on the book, intellectuals pushed on the parliament of Kurdistan for a bill that would curtail the influence of clerics and mosques on written freedom in the future. They submitted a proposal to parliament according to which, in any of the three provinces of the Kurdistan Region there will be three sermons in three major mosques and these sermons will be broadcast on TV and in other mosques live instead of different sermons in the different mosques. The fights between the two parties continued for almost two week before the President of the Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani brought them together to sit and discuss ways to ease the tensions. “All we say is that different views have to be respected in our country, and nobody should watch and judge anybody else” the KRG spokesman, who is also the minister of culture, said. “We have started to feel that the issue between clerics and intellectuals is being used for a political purpose” he says, “therefore, on Saturday, the KRG will hold a dialogue conference between the clerics and intellectuals to find ways to solve the issue”. The clerics are supported by Islamic parties and factions of the Kurdish parliament. Peshawa Sardar, researcher in media and communications at the University of Rome in Italy said, “This is a dangerous beginning, widening the lack of mutual understanding and further deteriorating the social and cultural situation of the Kurdish community because this will allow an individual political actor to easily exploit newsagents to create tensions”. “I believe it is the duty of the municipality or the Erbil provincial council to punish those newsagents” he said, “so that they can no longer impose meaningless censorships on newspapers and journals”. But Sardar also believed that the newspapers also had to respect the sanctities and the faith of the majority of the Kurdish community. Meanwhile, neither the Writers Union nor the Journalists Syndicate has taken a stance condemning or at least begrudging the attitude of the newsagents. Intellectuals have started to doubt the position of the two bodies in such matters.  Idris Abdulqadir Ali, a writer and journalist, says “the Writers Union and Journalists Syndicate are to be blamed for this situation, they must take severe stances” he said, “unfortunately neither of these organizations have expressed a single word of discontent, but…when it comes to supporting the government they are present and ready to issue dozens of statements”. “Clerics have been pounding on writers and journalist in different ways for a while,” Ali continued, “I think this attitude will contribute to an increase in tensions and violence in our community rather than urging coexistence and calm” . Reported by Kamaran Subhan, edited by Raber Y. Aziz   Thursday, February 10th 2011 3:36 PM

Turkish military acknowledge mass graves of PKK militants in Bitlis

Erbil, Feb. 8 (AKnews) – The chiefs of staff of the Turkish army said on Tuesday that the human remains found near the southeastern city of Bitlis belong to outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants killed in clashes there in 1999. The clashes took place between Turkish troops and PKK militants in the Ghijit Cuyo, Ala Tobrak and Cohan farm areas on September 8, 9 and 17 in 1999. “The dead were buried in the Mottaki town in the same month after performing autopsies and obtaining the approval for the burial from the prosecution,” said the Turkish army’s Chief of Staff.     "Photos of the terrorists, autopsy reports, burial admission forms, investigation files and documents were presented to the Mottaki mayor," he continued. Arsene Sounmazler, the head of the Free Thought and Educational Rights Assembly in Tatephan told AKnews that the discovery of the mass graves had ignited the hatred of some while offering hope to others that their relatives could now be returned home and buried. “The mass graves found in the town reflect similar crimes to those committed by Serbs against the Bosnians,” he continued, adding that these are not the only graves – pointing to the existence of further mass graves in other parts of the city.   ”There are about 100 mass graves in the city and hundreds of them in Kurdish areas,” he said,  “Anti-terrorism forces in the Turkish army and elements of the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) have committed many crimes not only against the PKK, but also against the elders of those areas, burying them on different sites.” Sounmazler said there was a need to "to expose the perpetrators of these crimes and bring them to justice,” adding that “this would reduce the suffering of the families.” Excavation work began on January 12 in Mottaki town at the request of the parents of the missing persons. The remains of more than 20 people were found.   Approximately 17,500 people, mostly Kurds, were victims of the conflict that started between the Turkish forces and the PKK in the 1990s.   The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), the biggest Kurdish party in Turkey led by Salah al-Din Damirttash has called for the formation of a committee to investigate the circumstances behind the mass graves, shedding light on the crimes that it believes took place. Reported by Arkoln Toprak Rn/Ka/AKnews   Tuesday, February 8th 2011 5:44 PM

Source: Iran presses on Iraq to replace US weapons deal with French

Baghdad, Feb. 8 (AKnews) - An Iraqi MP said Tuesday that Iran is pressing on the Iraqi government to revoke a US F16 fighters purchase deal to replace it with another deal to buy French-made Mirage fighters. The accusation came after an Iraqi satellite TV channel, al-Sahrqiya, reported that the Iraqi government intended to cancel a deal to buy F-15 fighter jets from the United States. According to Iraq's Defense Ministry, Iraq has a weapons deal with the US to purchase 18 F-16 fighting aircrafts  which are expected to be delivered by the end of 2013 in a move to enhance the air force abilities of the new army. MP Iskandar Wattout, deputy head of the security committee in the Iraqi parliament, criticized Tuesday Iranian interventions in the Iraqi affairs saying threatening to launch an investigation with the Iraqi government if it so intended. "The news of the Iraqi government intentions to cancel the purchase deal to replace (the US F-16s) with French-made Mirage came after Iranian pressure." said Mr Wattout. "Iraq has signed agreements with neighboring countries, including Iran, not to interfere in the internal affairs (of Iraq) and respect the sovereignty of the country" The F-16 Fighting Falcon, the first of the US Air Force multi-role fighter aircraft, is the world's most prolific fighter with more than 2,000 in service within the US Air Force and 2,000 operational in 25 other countries. The F-16 and the F-15 Eagle were the world's first aircraft able to withstand higher g-forces than the pilots. The Fighting Falcon entered service in 1979. "The F-16 planes have high qualities if compared to the French Mirage" says Wattout, "and they will be purchased to defend Iraq, and Iran should have no concerns about it" AKnews tried to contact Mohammed al-Askeri, the spokesman for the Iraqi Defense Ministry, but he said he was ill. "I can not confirm or deny the story because of my absence from the ministry since a week due to illness" Reported by Wissam al-Jaff RN/RY/AKnews Tuesday, February 8th 2011 11:43 AM

Germany’s Development Minister in Erbil to boost ties

Erbil, Feb. 3 (AKnews) – Germany's Development Minister Dirk Niebel arrived in Erbil on an official visit on Thursday to boost bilateral economic relations between the two countries.   Following the December visit of Germany's Foreign Minister to Baghdad, Mr Niebel's three-day visit, accompanied by lawmakers and businessmen, underlines the German government's current focus on Iraq.   "Germany has a very serious focus in Iraq" said Mr Peter Mayr, the Managing director of MAN Automotive and a member of the German delegation.   Germany is focusing on three areas in Iraq; Erbil, Baghdad and Basra, where they have German Economy Offices (DWI). "… This is a very serious attempt on Germany's side to develop the existing potential between both countries".   The German minister's visit to Iraq "…Goes deeper into the interest of Iraq… in all aspects of development" Mr Mayr believes.   Germany currently exports about US $1bn worth of goods to Iraq.  But Iraq does not have much to offer in exports to Germany. Perhaps the only products Iraq can export are oil and gas.   Mr Mayr said there are ongoing talks between Germany and the Iraqi authorities for Iraqi oil and gas to be exported to Germany in the future.   Reported by Raber Y. Aziz   Thursday, February 3rd 2011 5:29 PM