DÜTAP ‘TÜRK DÜNYASI KADIN SORUNLARI » KONFERANSI İLGİYLE İZLENDİ

KADIN VE AİLE : DÜTAP ‘TÜRK DÜNYASI KADIN SORUNLARI » KONFERANSI İLGİYLE İZLENDİ / 14/10/2013 Kısa adı DÜTAP olan 'Dünya Türkleri Avrupa Plaftormu’nun Brüksel parlamento binasında Brüksel Hükümeti Bakanı Brigitte Grouwals ve Brüksel milletvekili Brigitte De Pauw’un, himayelerinde gerçekleştirilen 'TÜRK DÜNYASI KADIN SORUNLARI' konferansı ilgiyle izlendi. Çatı kuruluş olan Dütap’ın Başkanı Kenan Dağgün’ün ev sahipliği yaptığı organizasyona Bakan Brigitte Grouwels, Milletvekili Brigitte de Pauw, Avrupa Türk Platformu Başkanı Nebahat Acar, AIMEE Başkanı Esma Caner, BETÜDER Başkanı Ayla Yaşaryıldız, Hollanda Balkan Türkleri Kültür ve Dayanışma Derneği Başkanı Elise Ayhan ve Başkan Vekili Tülay Demirci, Belçika Azerbaycan Dostluk Cemiyeti Başkanı Ayhan Demirci, Belçika Balkan ve Rumeli Türkleri Derneği Başkanı Turan Türe, Belçika Bulgaristan Kültür Derneği Esin Elmanova, Avrupa Batı Trakya Türk Federasyonu Temsilcisi Seyhan Sarıca, Hollanda Azerbaycan Türk Kültür Derneği Başkanı İlhan Aşkın,  UYGHURBEL Başkanı Abdulmutalip İmirov, Belçika Irak Türkmen Cephesi Başkan Hasan Aydınlı, İran-Irak-Suriye 'de yaşayan Türkmen kadınları temsilcisi Merry Fitzgerald, Belçika Türk Kadınlar Birliği Başkanı Leyla Teker, Kazakistan-Türkmenistan-Özbekistan Temsilcisi Larisa Bitioutskich, Belçika Uygur Türkleri Kadın Temsilcisi Gulnisa Tayipova, Azerbaycan Uğrunda Birlik Derneği Temsilcisi Irada Uluşanlı, Yönetmen Rabia Kaçar, Araştırmacı-Yazar Ayşe Sezgin, Almanya’dan katılan Okul Aile Birliği Başkanı ve Köşe Yazarı Remziye Levent ve kalabalık davetli topluluğu katıldı. Toplantı öncesi Bakan Brigitte Grouwels ve Milletvekili Brigitte De Pauw davetlileri Brüksel parlamento binasını gezdirerek, kendilerini Flamanca ve Fransızca Bilgilendirdiler. Meclis Genel Kurulu, Bakanlar kurulu ve Parti Grup toplantı salonları, binanın mimarisi ve Parlamento duvarlarında asılı olan çeşitli sanatsal tablo hakkında da davetlileri bilgilendirdiler. Meclis salonunda Muhammed Kerim adlı Arap bir Hattat sanatçına ait olan ve Patates kabuklarından yazılmış Esmaül Hüsna ve İslami Şahsiyetlerin isimlerini içeren tablolar ilgiyle izlendi. Davetliler Parlamento binasını gezdikten sonra Konferans salonuna geçtiler. Burada BETÜDER Başkanı Ayla Yaşaryıldız’ın sunumu ile program start aldı. Yaşaryıldız : « Bugün buraya gelmemizin amacı Türk Dünyasında yaşanan kadın sorunları ve kadına yönelik şiddet ve haksızlıkları, bu parlemantoda dile getirerek, dünya kamuoyunun dikkatini çekmektir. Yaşadıkları topraklarda, töre cinayetlerine küçük yaşta aile baskısına maruz kalan kız çocukları, hiçbir savunma hakkı olmadan canlarını veren, hapishane ve sürgünlerde hayatlarını kaybetmiş olan, dünya kadınları için hepiminizi 1 dakikalık saygı duruşuna davet ediyorum » dedi. Saygı duruşunun ardından Belçika’nın ünlü yönetmenlerinden ve program yapımcısı Rabia Kaçar’ın ‘Türk Dünyasından Kadın Portreleri ‘ görsel sinevizyon sunumu ilgiyle izlendi. Konferansa ev sahipliği yapan DÜTAP Başkanı Kenan Dağgün bir selamlama konuşması yaptı. Dağgün : « DÜTAP bir yıla yakın bir zaman öncesi kuruldu. İlk olarak Türk Dünyasından önemli bir bayram olan ve Dünya Uygur Türkleri Lideri Sayın Rabia Kadeer ‘in onur konuğu olarak katıldığı ‘NEVRUZ BAYRAMI’nı DÜTAP’a gönül veren kardeş kuruluşlarla birlikte kutladık. Bu gün ise Türk Dünyasında Kadınlarımızın sorunlarını tartışacağız. Bu konuda bize değerli desteklerini esirgemeyerek bu parlamento binası çatısı altında bizlere kapılarını açan dostumuz Bakan Sayın Brigitte Grouwels ve Milletvekili Sayın Brigitte de Pauw’a, siz değerli sivil toplum kuruluş temsilcilerimize ve tüm davetlilerimize çok teşekkür ediyoruz. Burada dile getirilecek, olan sorunların tesbiti ve çözümlerini içeren tüm görüşlei bir rapor haline getirerek, ilgili birimlere aktaracağız. Bu organizasyonumuza katkıda bulunan herkese teşşekkür ediyorum» dedi. Brüksel Hükümeti Bakanı Brigitte Grouwals destek verdiği toplantıda DÜTAP Başkanı Kenan Dağgün’ü tebrik ederek başladığı konuşmasında ise, « DÜTAP yakın zamanda kurulmasına rağmen  başarılı çalışmalarda bulunmakta. Kenan Dağgün’ü önemli bir konuyu gündeme taşımasından dolayı, kendisine teşekkür ediyorum. Irkı dini ve yaşadığı yer nere olursa olsun Kadın sorunu aynıdır. Bu sorunların tesbiti ve çözümlerinde herkese görev düşüyor. Biz bu konuda bir çok çalışmalar yaptık. Kadına şiddete karşı birlik içerisinde olunmalı. Halklarımızı elde edebilmek için yaşadığımız ülkelerin dilini öğrenmeliyiz. Bu vesileyle birilerine dil bağımlılığı olmadan hakkımızı savunabiliriz. « Kadınlar Brüksel’i inşa ediyor », « Kadınlar için Brüksel güvenli bir şehir » başlıklı çalışmalarımızla Kadınları toplumda saygın ve güvende kılmak için bu çalışmalarımız etkili oldu. Bugün burada bir çok konu ele alınacak. Benim üzerime düşen konuda her zaman sizlerin yaynındayım » dedi. Brüksel Milletvekili, Brigitte de Pauw ise yaptığı selamlama konuşmasında «Kadına şiddet ve verilmemiş hakları toplumların en önemli sorunlarından birisidir. Bu konuda dünyanın değişik bölgelerinde çalışmalar yapılmakta. Tüm iyi niyetler rağmen Kadın hakları tatmin edici çözümlere daha kavuşturulamamıştır. Farklı coğrafyalardaki bu sorun insanlığın sorunudur. Bu konuda bilimsel çalışmaların siyasilerce değerlendirilmesi gerekiyor. Bu anlamda bizlere büyük görevler düşmekte. Kadın sorunlarını siyasiler toplumun temel dinamikleri olan sivil toplum kuruluşlarıyla birlikte çözebilir » dedi. Daha sonra Sivil Toplum kuruluş temsilcileri ülkelerindeki Kadın sorunlarını dile getirilen konuşmalar yadı. Avrupa Türk Platformu Başkanı Nebahat Acar, Almanya’dan katılan Okul Aile Birliği Başkanı ve Köşe Yazarı Remziye Levent, AIMEE Başkanı Esma Caner, Hollanda Balkan Türkleri Kültür ve Dayanışma Derneği Başkanı Elise Ayhan, İran-Irak-Suriye 'de yaşayan Türkmen kadınları adına Merry Fitgerald konuşarak bu ülkelerde yaşanan kadın sorunlarını istastiki bilgilerle anlattılar. Tüm sunumları daha sonra sitemizden sırasıyla yayınlayacağız. Konferans kokyeyl sunumu ile son buldu. Belçika Haber be olarak, « ‘Türk Dünyası Kadın Sorunları’nı içeren ve çok önemli tesbitlerin yapıldığı bu konferansı düzenleyen DÜTAP yetkililerine ‘Kadın Haklarına gösterdikleri ilgiden dolayı teşekkür ediyoruz. http://www.belcikahaber.be/?act=show&code=page&id=8&id_page=11136&resume=0 Bu haberin diger fotograflari

Kirkuk in limbo as law addressing political balance is scrapped

Photo: Bahar Jassim/Metrography

Kirkuk is home to Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen

KIRKUK, 14 October 2013 (IRIN) – The scrapping of part of a law encouraging political balance in Iraq’s most ethnically divided province has added to growing pessimism among residents of Kirkuk about the resolution of long-standing disputes over power-sharing.

The province is home to Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and other ethnic groups, but many argue their representation on the governing Provincial Council does not accurately reflect their percentage of the population. Provincial elections – seen by many as the solution to the perceived power imbalance – have not been held since 2005.

In late August, the federal court of Iraq struck down two paragraphs of Article 23 of the Provincial Election Law, which aimed at consensus among Kirkuk’s ethno-religious groups on when and how to hold the province’s much-needed and long-delayed elections.

The court argued that a multi-ethnic committee established by the article was not an effective way to draft an election law. Instead, the legal committee inside Iraq’s Council of Representatives, the national legislative chamber, has just completed drafting a new special election law for Kirkuk, which now awaits first reading. The committee has three representatives from Kirkuk, one from each of the main ethnic groups.

“We believe the federal court did a good job when it cancelled the paragraphs in Article 23 because it was based on having consensus – and this seems to be impossible in Kirkuk,” said Awat Mohammed Amin, a Kurdish member of Kirkuk’s Provincial Council. “We shouldn’t expect all parties should agree 100 percent. Instead we should work on the basis of majority agreements.”

But the move has been met with despair by Arabs and Turkmen, who argue the law tried to ensure they were properly represented. Without it, they feel decision-making may be taken out of their hands and that any future election might not be fair.

Kirkuk’s population is around 40 percent Arab, 40 percent Kurdish, 19 percent Turkmen and 1 percent Christian, according to an unofficial count of the civil registration, figures from the Ministry of Trade (which distributes food ration stamps to Iraqi families) and the voter register. No official census has been taken.

“Article 23 was a symbol of the consensus of Kirkuk,” said Hasan Toran, leader of the Provincial Council and a member of its Iraqi Turkmen group. All parties agreed to the law when it was put into place in 2008, he said, but not everyone was consulted before it was cancelled.

Decades of disagreement

Kirkuk’s residents have been subjected to political manoeuvring for decades, first under the policies of former president Saddam Hussein, who forcibly removed Kurdish families and brought Arab families to the oil-rich province from the south and centre of Iraq, in an attempt to change its demographics. Now, the territorial dispute remains between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Shia-led government in Baghdad and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the north, both of which are jockeying for power over Kirkuk and other territories along the unofficial dividing line.

Under Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, introduced in 2005, Hussein’s “Arabization” policy was reversed. Arab families were given money to relocate and Kurdish families encouraged to move back. But a referendum due in 2007 on who would take power – Baghdad or Erbil – never took place, leaving Kirkukis in limbo.

“From the perspective of the Iraqi Arabs and Iraqi Turkmen, Article 23 was the countervailing force against Article 140,” said Ahmed Ali, a research analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. “The recent changes to it will make them feel that decisions pertinent to the province are subject to politics rather than an attempt to find a solution.”

The Provincial Council has 26 members representing the Kurdish alliance, nine members representing the Turkmen group; and six members representing the Arab group.

“For Turkmen, Article [23] was imposing some balance to Kirkuk Governorate. It emphasized the participation of all ethnic groups,” said Raad Rushdi Agah, a Turkmen member of the Provincial Council. “After the cancellation, the [Kurdish] majority in the council can get all the key positions, according to voting in the council.”

Photo: IRIN

Old Turkmen market in Kirkuk

The Kurds argue the lack of Arab representation on the council is due to an Arab boycott of the 2005 provincial election.

Article 23 provided for power sharing by aiming to divide the administrative and security powers and public posts equally among the three ethnic groups. It also tried to set out a roadmap for elections in Kirkuk, via the establishment of a multi-ethnic committee required to reach a consensus on the terms for a provincial election, but no agreement was reached.

After the annulment of these provisions, some groups in Kirkuk now feel they are even further from a resolution over the province’s power-sharing problems.

Exploiting differences

Analysts say this political infighting has weakened and destabilized the province, opening the door to increased violence by militant groups operating across the country, largely along Sunni-Shia dividing lines.

“Both [al-Qaeda and Jaysh Rijal al-Tariqa al-Naqshbandia (JRTN)] exploit the ethno-sectarian tensions in the province and the fluctuating Iraqi Arab-Iraqi Kurdish dynamic,” said ISW’s Ali.

Local interethnic tensions add to the instability in Kirkuk.

“After a political development, we find violence in Kirkuk,” said a senior political analyst in the city. “Most of the violations are politically motivated.”

As such, a resolution to the problems of local representation could go some way to reducing attacks in the city, residents and experts said. Arabs and Turkmen argue that better representation within the Kurdish-led security forces would help curb the violence.

But an agreement on local power-sharing will likely have little impact on the wider territorial dispute between Maliki’s government and the Kurds, the senior political analyst in the city said.

Earlier this year, Maliki’s forces engaged in a stand-off with Kurdish security forces over control of territory in the oil-rich province. They avoided outright conflict, but the incident raised fears that the Baghdad-KRG split could turn violent.

Interethnic social ties

While Kirkuk Province is divided into Kurdish, Turkmen and Arab areas, Kirkuk City is a microcosm of all the ethno-sectarian groups. Osama Falah and his friends – a group of twenty-somethings interested in socializing, smoking sheesha and drinking tea in the city’s cafés – are a perfect example.

Falah is an Arab from Baghdad, who came to Kirkuk in 2005 after his cousins were kidnapped by militia in the capital. But his friends cross Kirkuk’s ethnic divides and “this is normal for me,” he said.

Kirkuk’s residents intermingle, intermarry, and speak a variety of tongues. In one Turkmen/Arab household in the guarded neighbourhood of Arafa, Kurdish and Assyrian Christian friends come and go. Rice with currants steams on the stove as family members translate for one another: four languages can be heard between generations.

Yet however strong interethnic ties may be socially, the ethnic balance is still fragile, even for people like Falah.

“It will be wonderful to have an election in Kirkuk because we need a change in the governorate. It is not important who I will elect, but it is important that they will love Iraq.”

“They are not looking out for us in the Kirkuk government; they protect just the Kurdish people,” he said.

Politicians divided along ethnic lines continue to blame each other for the province’s problems, as bombings by al-Qaeda and other militant groups continue with worrying regularity, and residents feel unsafe.

In 2005, Wael Yousif, a general with the Kirkuk police force, was assassinated outside his home after receiving threats because he worked for the police and was a Christian.

His family’s home is now securely guarded by high walls. The living room is full of emblems of church and family life – carvings of Jesus and angels, pictures of Yousif and his daughters. Over slices of cake, his wife Maha describes years of living in fear. She dreams of living in a safe place. His daughter, Rita Wael, thinks elections could be part of the solution, if all groups work together.

“It will be wonderful to have an election in Kirkuk because we need a change in the governorate; we hope that the [politicians] will work for Kirkuk and not for personal goals.” If an election happens, she adds, “it is not important who I will elect, but it is important that they will love Iraq”.

co/ha/rz

http://www.irinnews.org/report/98942/kirkuk-in-limbo-as-law-addressing-political-balance-is-scrapped

Resolution of the European Parliament on recent violence in IRAQ

IRAQ

Resolution of the European Parliament on recent violence

European Parliament resolution of 10 October 2013 on recent violence in Iraq (2013/2874(RSP))

The European Parliament , –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Iraq, notably that of 14 March 2013 on ‘Iraq: the plight of minority groups, including the Iraqi Turkmen’(1) , –  having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Iraq, of the other part, and to its resolution of 17 January 2013 on the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement(2) , –    having regard to the Commission's Joint Strategy Paper for Iraq (2011-2013), –    having regard to the ‘Report on Human Rights in Iraq: January to June 2012’, presented jointly by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 19 December 2012, –   having regard to the International Crisis Group's Middle East Report N°144 of 14 August 2013 entitled ‘Make or Break: Iraq's Sunnis and the State’ –   having regard to the UN casualty figures for September, released on 1 October 2013, –   having regard to the statement of 29 July 2013 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, urging leaders to pull Iraq ‘back from the brink’, –  having regard to the statement of 1 September 2013 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the tragic events in Camp Ashraf which killed 52 people, –  having regard to the 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, –  having regard to the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iraq is a party, –   having regard to the statement of 5 September 2013 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on the recent violence in Iraq, –    having regard to Rules 122(5) and 110(4) of its Rules of Procedure, A.    whereas Iraq continues to face serious political, security and socioeconomic challenges, and whereas its political scene is extremely fragmented and plagued by violence and sectarian politics, to the severe detriment of the legitimate aspirations of the Iraqi people for peace, prosperity and a genuine transition to democracy; B.   whereas, according to casualty figures released by the UNAMI, a total of 979 Iraqis were killed, and another 2 133 wounded, in acts of terrorism and violence in September 2013; whereas Baghdad was the worst-affected governorate in September 2013, with 1 429 civilian casualties (418 killed and 1 011 injured), followed by Ninewa, Diyala, Salahuddin and Anbar; whereas Kirkuk, Erbil, Babil, Wasit, Dhi-Qar and Basra also reported casualties; C.   whereas the impact of violence on civilians remains disturbingly high and is still growing, with up to 5 000 civilians having been killed, and up to 10 000 injured, since the beginning of 2013 – the highest figure in the last five years; D.   whereas serious social and economic problems – widespread poverty, high unemployment, economic stagnation, environmental degradation and a lack of basic public services – continue to affect a large proportion of the population; whereas numerous peaceful demonstrations demanding more social, economic and political rights continue to result in very systematic repression by the security forces, carried out with impunity; E.   whereas the Iraqi constitution guarantees equality before the law for all citizens, along with the ‘administrative, political, cultural and educational rights of the various nationalities’; F.   whereas the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, in particular its human rights clause, emphasises that the EU-Iraq political dialogue should focus on human rights and strengthening democratic institutions; 1.  Strongly condemns the recent acts of terrorism and heightened sectarian violence, which carries the danger that the country will fall back into sectarian strife and is generating fears of wider sectarian conflict across the region; points out that although violence occurs along sectarian lines, its causes are political rather than religious; 2.  Extends its condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and injured; 3.  Condemns the recent attacks of: 3 September 2013, in which at least 60 people were killed in mainly Shia districts of Baghdad; 15 September 2013, in which more than 40 people were killed in blasts across Iraq, mostly targeting Shia areas; 21 September 2013, in which at least 60 people were killed at a funeral in Sadr City, Baghdad; 30 September 2013, in which at least 54 people were killed in car bomb blasts in mainly Shia areas of Baghdad; 5 October 2013, in which at least 51 people were killed and more than 70 injured in an attack in Baghdad by a suicide bomber targeting Shia pilgrims in the al-Adhamiya district, while at least 12 people were killed and at least 25 others wounded when another suicide bomber struck a café in Balad, north of Baghdad, on the same day; 6 October 2013, in which at least 12 children aged between 6 and 12 were killed, and many more injured, by a suicide bomber who struck next to a primary school in the Shia Turkmen village of Qabak; 7 October 2013, in which at least 22 people were killed in a fresh wave of explosions in Baghdad; and 8 October 2013, in which at least 9 people were killed by a car bomb in Baghdad and attacks on security forces in the north of the country; 4.  Strongly condemns the attack on Camp Ashraf of 1 September 2013 by Iraqi forces, in which 52 Iranian refugees were killed, and 7 residents abducted, including 6 women who, as stated by Vice-President / High Representative Catherine Ashton, are believed to be held in Baghdad, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release; expresses its support for the work of the UNAMI, which is trying to relocate the 3 000 or so residents outside of Iraq; 5.  Expresses its grave concern over the new surge of instability and calls on all Iraqi political leaders, from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, to work together to put an end to sectarian violence and distrust and to bring the Iraqi people together; 6.  Calls on both the Government of Iraq and the regional governments to condemn the attacks and to facilitate a full and swift independent international investigation into the recent terrorist attacks in the region, and calls on the Iraqi Government to cooperate fully with that investigation in order to bring those responsible to justice; 7.  Is concerned about the spill-over of violence from the conflict in Syria to Iraq, where jihadist rebels linked to the Islamic State of Iraq, a Sunni militant umbrella group that includes al-Qaeda, have risen to prominence; 8.  Calls, as a matter of urgency, on political, religious and civil leaders and the security forces to start to work together to end the bloodshed and ensure that all Iraqi citizens feel equally protected; 9.  Calls on the Iraqi Government and on all political leaders to take the necessary measures to provide security and protection for all people in Iraq, in particular members of vulnerable minorities; calls on the Iraqi Government to ensure that the security forces comply with the rule of law and international standards; 10.  Calls on the international community and the EU to support the Iraqi Government by promoting initiatives for national dialogue, consolidation of the rule of law and the provision of basic services, with the goal of creating a secure, stable, unified, prosperous and democratic Iraq, in which the human and political rights of all people are protected; 11.  Calls on the Iraqi authorities, given that the security situation has exacerbated problems for more vulnerable groups such as women, youth and fundamental rights activists, including trade unionists, to take urgent action to direct more resources towards programmes aimed at improving the situation; 12.  Encourages religious dialogue between Sunni and Shia clerics as a necessary tool for conflict resolution; considers that the recent talks between the US and Iran also afford an opportunity for Iraq to act as a bridge, given that it is one of the few countries to have strong relations with both parties; calls on Iranian leaders to engage constructively in the stabilisation of the region; 13.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Council of Representatives of Iraq, the Regional Government of Kurdistan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the United Nations Human Rights Council. (1) P7_TA(2013)0101. (2) P7_TA(2013)0022.

Anti-Pension Protests Return To Iraq

Thursday, October 10, 2013

POSTED BY JOEL WING - MUSINGS ON IRAQ

Anti-Pension Protests Return To Iraq



October saw hundreds of people across Iraq return to the streets to protest against pensions for the country’s politicians. This was the third major day of demonstrations over this issue, and organizers promised more unless things were changed. After the first round of marches parliament and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki promised to reform the system, but nothing has happened since then. Nothing likely will, as part of the rewards for getting elected to office is all the money that comes along with it.


There were protests in at least 15 of Iraq’s 18 provinces on October 5, 2013. That included Baghdad, Basra, Maysan, Najaf, Babil, Qadisiyah, Anbar, Ninewa, Karbala, Diyala, Tamim, Dhi Qar, Wasit, Muthanna, and Tamim. In the cities of Baghdad and Kirkuk the security forces attempted to stop the protests, and there were confrontations. In the capital for example, the authorities refused to issue permits citing security reasons. As happened during the first protests in August, the police blocked off entry to Tahrir Square in the center of the city, and then beat, and arrested people as they approached the area. Organizers threatened to sue the government for suppressing the assembly. In Samawa in Muthanna governorate activists went to the city center where they were met by the security forces, but there were no incidents. In other places the reception for the protesters was completely different. In Dhi Qar, Governor Yahya Mohammed Baqir al-Nasiri met the demonstrators in Nasiriyah, and accepted their demands. This came after the governor apologized to the public for the treatment protesters faced back in August when SWAT fired into the air to disperse the crowd and ended up wounding ten. Organizers promised even greater marches on October 26 if there was no change to the pension system. Part of the perks of becoming a politician in Iraq is the vast privileges that they acquire. One of those is a robust pension. It’s been reported that lawmakers make $72,000 a year compared to $6,000 for an average person. Politicians earn half of that for life even if they do not finish their term. This became the latest topic for protest in Iraq after previous ones focused upon the lack of services and corruption. On August 29 and 31, hundreds of people came out in various cities across Iraq demanding that the pensions be ended. The next day, Prime Minister Maliki gave a speech where he promised to deal with the issue, and a bill was introduced to change the system, but nothing happened afterward as has become all too common in the country. After that first round organizers in various cities said they would return in September, and they have. They criticized the proposed law saying that it was all for show. They were right, Iraq’s elite are not going to cut their own funds especially because they don’t really have to answer to the public. In Iraq, because of its vast oil wealth the government earns all the revenue through oil and distributes it to the people through jobs and patronage. That’s why the government has ignored previous protests about social spending. There might be added pressure on Baghdad to do something since elections are due next year, but if anything does it is sure to be superficial and may never materialize. That means more protests in the future.



Protesters in Basra On Oct. 5 (Shafaq News)



Anti-pension protesters in Samawa (Radio Free Iraq)




Governor of Dhi Qar meeting with activists in Nasiriyah (Radio Nawa)

The Destruction of Iraq’s intellectuals

IN THE WHIRLWIND OF IRAQ'S VIOLENT HISTORY, THE ONCE-POWERFUL ACADEMIC CLASS HAS DISINTEGRATED

Matthew Schweitzer Last Modified: 01 Oct 2013

Iraqi workers build a private school in Baghdad on April 24, 2012. The Ministry of Education announced in February that Iraq needs 6,000 new schools to absorb the current number of students, but according to the allocated budget building this many public schools will take 20 years. [AFP]

Istanbul, Turkey - Professor Saad Jawad, a 32 year old veteran political scientist from the University of Baghdad who now lives in London, greets five of his former students with a warm smile. These men are now professors at universities across Iraq, and have not seen their former advisor since he was forced to flee Iraq in 2008. They are members of Iraq's embattled intelligentsia, which has endured nearly 30 years of perpetual violence. "We are carved by suffering and gouged by resignation," one says.

Each professor represents a different side of the intelligentsia's new identity. Yusuf, from the North, wears American shirts over Jordanian pants because "he can't buy much clothing in Iraq with his teaching salary." Abdullah, from the South, smokes three packs of cigarettes in a day. Ahmad, a researcher from the capital, proudly describes his frequent commentary on national television news stations. His colleague, Ibrahim, perpetually masks worry about his friend with a half-hearted smile. Hakim, from Iraqi Kurdistan, sighs uneasily - he is relatively safe in Iraq's northern semiautonomous Kurdish region.

The men exchange stories under the ornamental lights strung across the street. "Doctor Saad was a drillmaster, but always cared about his students," Abdullah recalls. "Today many professors don't expect their students to succeed. Some are too afraid to stand up for them."

These professors tell the story of an underreported tragedy - the destruction of Iraq's once proud academia through 30 years of war, sanctions, and occupation. The intelligentsia has been sucked into the whirlwind of Iraq's recent experience. It is still in chaos.

Once the envy of the Middle East, Iraq's academies today are hollow memories of a proud past. Conflict, assassinations, diaspora, and suppressed freedom of speech have handicapped centres of higher education, gutted research facilities, and silenced the academics staffing them.

The toxic combination of destroyed infrastructure and lost faculty has left Iraq reeling, without the means to train those needed for national reconstruction.

Infrastructure in Ruins

Electricity cuts blight not only the capital, but every Iraqi city outside Kurdistan. A typical urban family receives about 10-12 hours of power each day, according to the Brookings Institution's Iraq Index.

At the universities, electrical infrastructure is especially rare. Before sanctions in 1990, Saddam Hussein provided astonishing levels of funding for his country's institutions, attempting to prove that Iraq was an international player. Students from every discipline received full scholarships for study abroad. Medical and computer facilities in the capital's best universities were amongst the most advanced in the region, boasting the latest equipment in laboratories and hospitals. Many doctors, scientists, and technicians trained in Europe, and had the tools in Iraq to put their foreign degrees to good use. University education was free.

When sanctions were imposed in 1990, the effects were devastating. New equipment was banned; foreign journals and magazines were blocked; domestic publications struggled without a steady supply of paper on which to print; when desks or chairs broke, they were not replaced. Some classes were held on the floor. Even sheet music was forbidden.

Computer Science students in 1999, for example, were using machines built in 1988, and most of their classes were theoretical. Some professors who left Iraq privately smuggled new machines back home.

Yet the basic infrastructure remained, and many academics hoped that once sanctions ended their departments, rebuilt, would again be the envy of the Middle East. One of the few Iraqi hopes in the weeks leading up to the 2003 invasion was that US leaders would revitalize the country.

After American tanks rolled through Baghdad in April 2003, looters stripped copper wiring from the walls at universities across the city. Still fighting 36,000 Republican Guards, American marines looked on dejectedly, often with disgust, but rarely acted. Computers, projectors, heart-rate monitors, blood pressure pumps, refrigerators, and entire air conditioning units were stolen. Libraries burned.

Andrew Erdmann was the new American Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education - a position created, he says, "by chance, not by plan." He remembers feeling the impossible weight of his task - restoring "essential services" to institutions across the country - during these early days.

GENERAL ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ON THE 30TH OF APRIL IN IRAQ

09/10/2013

The Iraqi Parliament agreed to hold the general elections on the determined date yesterday. Accordingly, the general elections in Iraq shall be held on the 30th of April 2014.

The Election Law could not be put to the vote in yesterday’s Parliamentary session due to the continuance of the disputes between the political groups. The parliamentary session was postponed to the following Monday.

In the meeting chaired by Head of Parliament Usame El Nüceyfi an agreement to hold the general elections on the 30th of April 2014 was ensured. In order to enable the execution of the elections on the determined date Parliament has requested that the Council of Ministers and the Independent Electoral High Commissioner determine allowances to enable the necessary works.

http://www.kerkuk.net/eng/?p=12112

ITF EU Representative Dr Hassan Aydinli attended the Seminar INVESTMENT and BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN IRAQ

ITF EU Representative Dr Hassan Aydinli attended the Seminar INVESTMENT and BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN IRAQ  

7th October 2013 - BRUSSELS

* The reality of investment in Iraq

* The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Iraq and the EU in light of the political developments inside Iraq and the region

* Investment in Transportation

* Investment in Energy

* Opportunities and Obstacles

H.E. Mohammed Al-Humaimidi, Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq

H.E. Dr. Rowsch Nuri Shaways, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq

H.E. Mr. Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium

Mr. Pieter Jan Provoost, Director Carbon Energy Club - World Petroleum Council BE NC

Mr. Qiasar Hijazin, Secretary General of the Arab - Belgium - Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Ghassan Ejjeh, Vice-President of the Besix and member of the Board of Directors of the ABLCC

H.E. Dr Sami Al-Araji, Head of the National Investment Commission in Iraq

H.E. Dr. Ali Al-Sindi, Minister of Planning in the KRG

H.E. Mr Herish Muharam, Head of the Investment Commission in Kurdistan Region

Mr. Wafy Al-Bahash, Head of Al-Najaf Province Investment Commission

Mr. Christian Berger, Director for the Middle East and North Africa and Arabian Peninsula, EAS in the European Commission

Mrs. Michèle Deneffe, Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brussels

Mr. Khalid Al Khero, Deputy Head of Department of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq

Prof. Dr. Bichara Khader, University Catholique de Louvain

Mr. Henrik Hololei, Head of Cabinet - Transport, European Commission

Mr. Albert Pegg, Senior Advisor at port of Antwerp

Mr. Michael Hager, Head of Cabinet-Energy, European Commission

Mr. Koen Van Peteghem, General Manager EMEA and the responsible for Iraq Projects at CG Holdings Belgium

Mr. Adel Hamid, Advisor of the Ministry of Electricity of Iraq

Mr. Hisan Al-Attar, Expert in the Ministry of Oil

Mr. Hoffmeister, Deputy Chair of Cabinet of Trade

Mr. Willy Gils, Vice-President sales and marketing and sales director of WATERLEAU

Mr. Selim Haddad, Commercial Manager Byblos Bank Europe

Mr. Waleed Eidi, Director General of the Department of Statistics/Central Bank of Iraq

Mr. Amer Farhan Al-Mohammedi, Chairman of Anbar Province Investment Commission

H.E. Mohammed Al-Humaimidi, Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq welcomed the speakers and participants to the Seminar.

In his speech H.E. Dr Rowsch N. Shaways, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq said: " Our efforts continue to convert the nature of Iraq's economy from a unilateral (Reinter) economy to a productive economy. This we intend to achieve through a long term plan that aims at building a multilateral and prosperous economy, with increased focus on education and health sectors, driven and developed by several sectors, such as mineral, industry, energy, agriculture, tourism, and communications sectors, with special focus on education and health sectors. This in addition to giving sufficient attention to the main driver of the Iraqi economy and that is oil sector and associated industries."

Then, H.E. Dr Rowsch N. Shaways updated the participants on actions and steps taken in regards to Iraq's economy during this year.

He mentioned that Iraq launched the 2nd National Development Plan for the period 2013-2017 and he called upon those who are interested in investing in Iraq to familiarize with the plan as it provides essential information, development and investment indicators.

He said that the plan calls for investing some 357 billion US Dollars in various development projects over the coming four years. These projects are in the sectors of industry, energy, housing, services, agriculture, water resources, transportation and communication. According to the plan, 79% of the total projected investment amount will be born by the government and 21% will be through private investment.

H.E. Dr Rowsch N. Shaways said he is optimistic about Iraq's economy, that a general reading of the tentative resources will show that Iraq has about 530 geological installations, out of which only 115 have been drilled and 71 of those proved to contain huge oil reserves. Out of the 71 fields, only 27 have been utilized. In addition, geological information suggests that some province are rich with minerals both in terms of variety and quantities. These enormous potentials by having the third largest oil reserves internationally, ranking the tenth in having confirmed natural gas reserves and huge ability to produce oil derivatives at competitive prices, have enabled Iraq to enjoy a huge wealth, become an effective economic player internationally and a powerful regional competitor. In addition, Iraq possesses large capacities and expertise in the fields of Sulfur and Fertilizers and their associated industries. It also has huge reserves of Moonstone, which is considered to be among the purest in the world.

Telafer, Turkmeneli, Massacre of school children

Türkmenlerin Şehitler Kervanı devam ediyor. Bu defa ilk okul öğrencileri...
شهداء التركمان في تلعفر.. اوﻻد صغار في المرحلة اﻻبتدائية

Turkmens continue to be targeted in Iraq

Rest in peace little angels.

Heart felt condolences to the parents, relatives and friends of the young martyrs.

6 October 2013 Last updated at 15:44 GMT

A suicide bomber has attacked a primary school in northern Iraq, killing at least 12 children and their headteacher, police and medics say.

Another 90 people were injured in the attack near Tal Afar.