ANF News Agency
Kurdish intellectuals write to President Obama about Kurdish question
Kurdish writers, journalists and intellectuals sent a letter to Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America, to inform about Kurdish question and draw his attention on the question. The letter was signed by Medeni Ferho Journalist / Writer; Dr. Bengi Haco, analyst; Derwesh M. Ferho, President Institu Kurd of Bruxel, Tariq Hemo, Journalist; Dr. Xalid Isa, Analyst - historiographer; Nazîf Mayi, Teacher /-writer; Rojan Hazim, Writer; Hosheng Biroka, Analyst – Writer;
Faysal Dagli, Journalist; Rukiye Ozmen, Writer; Faruk Sakik, Journalist; Diyar Bohti, Journalist - writer; Jir Dilovan, Writer; Newaf Xelîl, Poet; Mirhem Yigit, Writer; Hosheng Ose, Poet; Dana Celal, Writer / Journalist; Fevzi Ozmen, Writer / Advisor; Aziz Ogur, Journalist; Fergin Melik Aykoç, Teacher / Writer; Mehmed Drews, Journalist; Kaksar Oramar, Journalist; Semdîn Craftsman, Ejder Sêxo, Journalist; Feqir Ehmed, Poet; Saman Nurî, Journalist; Y. Serhad Bucak, Journalist.
The text of the letter reads as follows:
“Dear Mr President, a great wave of peace and democracy has been surrounding the whole world upon your election to the Presidency of the United States of America. There are people, who wished to benefit from this wave of peace and democracy. One of them, the Kurdish people has been struggling for more than a century for an honorable life in liberty in accordance with their own culture and identity. Kurdish people, whose identity and existence have been denied, even most of whom are obliged to live without an identity in their own land, are still face to face with an enormous genocide in the early 21st century.
Matching the destiny of their land, there have been many attempts to exterminate Kurdish people through the policy of denial of existence and identity, as well as the use of chemical weapons. This severe geographic and social extermination and denial are also prevalent in the areas of faith, culture, language and literature. As well as being the most populous people without a state, Kurdish people are also the most populous people without literature and education in mother tongue. It is unacceptable for a people to be devoid of language, literature and education in mother tongue considering the fact that it has created works that match epic Greek legends, English romanticism, and American and French philosophy.
We believe that, as a representative of all American Presidents of the past, you are utterly aware of the importance of identity, literature and education in mother tongue in such a manner that proves that the world is not a totality of material values and that “the world does not belong to those who cry and laugh separately, but to those who laugh together”. As you know, identity, education in mother tongue and creating value through mother tongue are also important for the culture of the family called the world.
Amongst the mosaic of Mesopotamian people, Kurdish people have always preferred live in peace and mutual respect throughout their history. In this sense, Kurdish people wishes recognition and an honorable life under constitutional reassurance in the countries where they live as part of the democratic world family without making a primary issue out of the issue of land within the global world system of the 21st century.
We, the writers, journalists and intellectuals, who have been exiled and not allowed to exist in our own land, could find no solutions other than informing you of the situation. In fact, our endeavor here is the expression of a scream of Kurdish writers as well as an appeal to the conscience of the world.
We, the undersigned Kurdish writers in exile, as the speakers of Kurdish people, who are subject to suppression and extermination, wish to exist in such a way as to incorporate our language in literature and schools by adding value to the world culture and literature through our identity. This can only be possible through a permanent peace and democratic resolution in Turkey and Kurdistan. Such a peaceful and democratic resolution in Kurdistan would make a positive impact in the whole world not only in the Middle East as well as being a lesson for the powers relying on nuclear weapons and radical beliefs.
We would like to offer our respect in anticipation of being heard for the sake of living in liberty with our identity in our own land, and for our children to be able to read the books written in our mother tongue."
