Slêmanî, Kurdistan Autonomous Region / July 2007

Just some of the many impressions of Slêmanî / سلێمانی, (or As-Sulaymaniyah in Arabic), Kurdistan (north-west Iraq).

Contrary to popular (western) belief, Sulaymaniya (est. pop. 700,000) is a safe, forward looking and economically growing region that feels like an oasis of peace and calm compared to the madness of war elsewhere in the country. Many people have fled from Baghdad and the south of Iraq to Slêmanî, how the local Sorani-Kurds call their city. Most of the young people (particularly women and girls) wear western-style clothes, and are very open and friendly towards foreigners. Start a conversation with them with "Salam" (Hello), "Tshuni" (How are you), and end it with a friendly "Sorspas" (Thank you) and "Cho-afis") (Bye Bye), and you have made some new friends.
There is not many places for young people to hang out. A very popular meeting place for uni students, business men and some families is the Cafe Papule located near the Sulaymaniah Palace Hotel on Malawli Street. (Time has a different meaning than in Europe so expect to wait when you order your coffee.) Locals will tell you that Sulaymaniyah is a very modern city compared to the more conservative Kurdish capital Halabja (Erbil in Arabic). I met many Kurdish-Germans who have returned here after Saddam's regime ended, and have opened up business, like the Cafe Papule. Another German-Kurdish returner is currently working at openiing up the first night club in Kurdistan, and once opened it surely will attract the masses.
The more traditional places are of course aboundand in Sulai, there are countless tea houses, a very big bazaar, kebab shops and street vendors selling chai.

Despite being a region with some of the world's largest petrol resourses, prices in oil have gone up, and power supplies are unreliable for ordinary people. On a daily basis there a power cuts. Those who can afford it have their own power generators in their homes. In recent years prices have risen as well in many other sectors, like food, daily commodities and housing. Many people survive through the financial help of family members abroad. Many people blame the local authorities for their inability to tackle these problems. Corruption among the elite is also an issue that ordinary people complain about. Even though there are still so many problems to solve, also in regards to civil and human rights, the Kurdish Autonomous Regions seems to be light-years ahead of some of its more conservative neighbour-countries. In fact Kurdistan is making huge progress.

The Kurdish People have a very strong sense of identity, which has massively been boosted due to the well-known ingustices they had to endure during the years. (The obiquitous Kurdish Flag flaunts on every roof). The Anfal-campaign is a dark chapter of Kurdish history that is hauting. There are a couple of museums, the most impressive one being the torture museum Amna Saraca (the red prison), a police station and prison that used to be place of horrific crimes when Saddam Hussain's regime was still ruling of this region until the early 1990s. The holes on the outer walls of the buildings are signs of systematic executions carried out, as well as from the fierce battle that the Peshmerga (the Kurdish partisans) fought against the Iraqi army (the prison was the last stronghold of Saddams's soldiers). Some steps down to the basement and you are surrounded by creepy red light, on the walls are disturbing pictures of the innocent victims of Saddam's regime - pictures that bear testament of the Genocide against the Kurdish people.

Allthough the atrocities of the past are unforgettable, and despite the obstruction by other countries in the region, the people in Kurdistan are working towards a future as an independent sovereign nation. This is seen by the surrounding countries, especially Turkey, as a threat. They fear that a free and democratic Kurdistan will stir their own kurdish minorities. Many people in Northern Iraq believe, that the recent military threats and actions by Turkey aimed at fighting the PKK are just excuses. They think that the real reason is the prevention of Iraqi Kurdistan becoming independent. Nonetheless the Kurdish people's quest will gain momentum. Many Kurdish companies, organisations as well as individuals are getting the attention of the international community, with the means of international cooperations, business investments and the medias. One organisation, the Kurdistan Referendum Movement, has published their website in English.