>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE RECENT WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA HAS LEFT TROOPS
THERE FEELING BETRAYED AND
FRIGHTENED.
FRIGHTENED. IT IS AN ESTIMATED MORE THAN
QUARTER MILLION KURDS
WHO HAVE ALREADY FLED FROM
THEIR HOMES, MANY OF
THOSE CHILDREN, AND HUNDREDS
HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE
FIGHTING.
FIGHTING.
FIGHTING. THERE'S MUCH WE AS AMERICANS DO
NOT KNOW ABOUT THE
KURDISH PEOPLE FROM THEIR
HISTORY TO THEIR
CONTRIBUTIONS FIGHTING
CONTRIBUTIONS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE U.S. ALONG
ISIS, AND EVERYONE ABOUT THE
KURDISH COMMUNITY HERE
IN THE SEATTLE AREA, AND ACROSS
THE U.S. KURDISH AMERICAN
ACTIVIST RAVON SHWANI, WHO HAS
WORKED WITH THE UNITED NATIONS
AND THE AGENCY FOR
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS
HERE TO HELP US BETTER
UNDERSTAND.
UNDERSTAND. HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU COPING?
TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE LOCAL
KURDISH COMMUNITY AND
HOW PEOPLE ARE FEELING ABOUT
THE NEWS THAT'S GOING
ON.
ON.
ON. >>
ON. >> PEOPLE AREN'T FEELING WELL
AT ALL.
AT ALL.
AT ALL. THEY'RE SADDENED BY PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S DECISION TO
WITHDRAW FROM SYRIA, AND
LEAVING THE PEOPLE AT THE
MERCY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCISH
MILITARY ATTACKS, AND
ALL THE MILITIA GROUP RELATED
WITH ISIS, WHICH SO
FAR POSED THE KILLING OF MORE
THAN 300 PEOPLE,
THOUSANDS OF INJURED PEOPLE,
AND THEN CLOSE TO
300,000 DISPLACED.
300,000 DISPLACED. >> WHERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE
GOING?
GOING?
GOING? >>
GOING? >> SOME OF THEM ARE PASSING,
YOU KNOW, THE BORDER
AND GOING TO THE IRAQI REGION,
THE KURDISTAN REGION
OF IRAQ.
OF IRAQ.
OF IRAQ. THEY ARE CORNERED ON ALL SIDES.
SOME OF THEM PROFESSOR TO SAY,
BECAUSE THERE'S NO
WAY OUT.
WAY OUT.
WAY OUT. >> WE HAVE A MAP UP HERE.
I WANT YOU TO HELP US
UNDERSTAND.
UNDERSTAND. THERE ARE KURDISH PEOPLE WHO
LIVE IN TURKEY, WHO
LIVE IN IRAQ, WHO LIVE IN IRAN,
WHO LIVE IN SYRIA,
AND THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE
AROUND THE WORLD, AND
THIS IS A LARGE GROUP -- THE
LARGEST GROUP OF
STATELESS PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
HOW MANY KURDS ARE THERE?
>> UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE NOT
REALLY ACCURATE
REALLY ACCURATE CENSUS THAT WILL SHOW THE
ACCURATE NUMBER OF THE
KURDISH POPULATION IN THE
WORLD, BUT AS OF THIS MOST
RECENT DIVISION, IT SHOWS THAT
WE ARE A POPULATION
OF CLOSE TO 50 MILLION PEOPLE.
BEING DIVIDE IN 10903, THE
TREATY BY ENGLISH, LET'S
SAY, ENGLISH POWER AT THAT
POINT, AND WE WERE
DISTRIBUTED BY ALONG SYRIA,
IRAQ, IRAN AND TURKEY.
AND SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE
BEEN, YOU KNOW, A
STRUGGLE.
STRUGGLE.
STRUGGLE. THERE HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTIONS.
THEY JUST WANT TO GET THEIR
BASIC RIGHTS.
BASIC RIGHTS. IN TURKEY, PEOPLE ARE NOT
ALLOWED TO UNDERSTAND THE
TURKISH LANGUAGE.
TURKISH LANGUAGE. IN RECENT YEARS THEY HAVE
ALLOWED THAT.
ALLOWED THAT. NO NAMING OF KURDISH NAMES AT
ALL.
ALL.
ALL. SO
ALL. SO COMPLETE HUMILIATION.
THEY HAVE BEEN NEGLECTING THEM,
EVEN CALLING THEM
THE TURKS OF THE MOUNTAINS.
SO THAT'S HOW WE HAVE BEEN
REALLY DEALING.
REALLY DEALING. EVEN IN IRAQ, WE HAVE -- THERE
ARE MANY PERSECUTION
CAMPAIGNS.
CAMPAIGNS. IN IRAN, JUST ASKING FOR OUR
BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS WILL
BE REPLIED WITH EXECUTION.
AND IN SYRIA, YOU KNOW, IN
2011, THE OPPORTUNITY
CAME, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS
POPULATION, YOU KNOW, TO BE
RECOGNIZED, AND THEY HAVE
STARTED THIS REALLY UNIQUE
MODEL OF GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW,
BY ALLOWING ALL THE
ETHNIC GROUPS, YOU KNOW, TO
TAKE IN RUNNING, YOU
KNOW, THEIR ADMINISTRATION, BUT
AT THE SAME TIME,
FOUNDING THIS REALLY UNIQUE
MILITARY MODEL THAT
WOMEN ARE REALLY FIGHTING SIDE
BY SIDE WITH MEN, AND
THEY ARE TOTALLY EQUAL.
>> IT'S SO INTERESTING TO ME.
SO JUST TO SET THE SCENE, ALSO
THIS PREDOMINANTLY
THIS PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM, KURDS ARE.
THEY SPEAK ARABIC AND KURDISH
DIALECTS, AND THE
SOCIETY HAS WOMEN SO INTEGRATED
INTO IT, THAT
THEY'RE A LARGE PART OF THE
ACTUAL FIGHTING FORCES.
HAS THAT BEEN A NOTABLE FEATURE
OF KURDISH SOCIETY
OVER THE DECADES SINCE, YOU
KNOW, 1923 AND
AFTERWARDS AS YOU GUYS HAVE
STRUGGLED TO GET SOME
SORT OF STRUGGLE?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IF YOU GO BACK THROUGH OUR
HISTORY, YOU SEE THAT
KURDISH WOMEN, THEY REALLY HAVE
A GREAT ROLE IN
RULING THEIR COMMUNITIES AND
SOCIETY, BUT BECAUSE OF
THE PERSECUTION AND ALSO SOME
RELIGIOUS THINGS THEY
WERE NOT REALLY PART OF, THAT
ROLE, EVEN THROUGHOUT
HISTORY WAS BUMPED BY NOT
ALLOWING HER TO BE THAT
KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FULL VOICE.
BUT WITH THE RECENT REVELATION
WHICH STARTED IN
TURKEY, AND THEN NOW IN THE
NORTHERN PART OF SYRIA,
THEY HAVE THIS MODEL THAT
WOMEN, YOU KNOW, IS
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO BUILD
REALLY A GOOD,
HEALTHY SOCIETY, FIGHTING ALL
FORMS OF
FORMS OF
FORMS OF CORRUPTIONENINGS WOMEN NEED TO
LEAD SIDE BY SIDE
WITH MEN.
WITH MEN.
WITH MEN. NOT JUST FEELING THAT IN WORDS.
THERE IS ACTUALLY PRACTICAL
PRACTICE OF THAT.
>> THAT'S SO INTERESTING TO
UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY
ITSELF.
ITSELF.
ITSELF. NOW, RECENTLY, YOU WERE PART OF
A RALLY HERE IN
SEATTLE SORT OF TRYING TO HELP
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND --
AND I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT
THE KURDS OVER THE
YEARS, YOU KNOW, YEARS AND
YEARS AGO, FLEEING IRAQ,
THINGS NOW GOING ON, AND YET
PEOPLE STOPPED YOU AT
THIS RALLY TO SAY, "TELL ME
MORE," RIGHT?
MORE," RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT WAS REALLY AN INTERESTING
ONE.
ONE.
ONE. IT
ONE. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE GRALI,
AND WE HAVE MANY
AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO
CAME.
CAME.
CAME. THEY KNOW ABOUT THE COAST, AND
THEY HAVE REALLY THE
FULL SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE
POPULATION AS WELL
AS FOR WHAT THEY CAN DO IN
TERMS OF HELPING PEOPLE
OVERSEAS.
OVERSEAS.
OVERSEAS. YEAH, WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING AND
SAYING, "WHY ARE YOU
DOING THIS?"
DOING THIS?" YOU MENTIONED ERDOGAN, THE
PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT OF TURKEY, TRUMP, YOU KNOW,
WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THERE CAME THE EDUCATION
PART.
PART.
PART. I
PART. I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE TOO
MANY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW,
IN OUR STATE, EVEN OTHER STATES
THAT ARE UTTERLY
COMPLETELY IGNORING ABOUT,
LIKE,, YOU KNOW, WHO WE
ARE, WHAT'S OUR ISSUE, WHAT'S
OUR COAST, AND THEN
WHAT'S THE SITUATION IN
NORTHERN SYRIA.
NORTHERN SYRIA. SO MANY OF THEM ARE JUST SAYING
THAT, "THIS IS YOUR
WAR.
WAR.
WAR. THIS
WAR. THIS IS YOUR FIGHT," YOU KNOW,
"WE NEED OUR TROOPS
BACK," BUT THAT'S NOT THE
REALTY.
REALTY.
REALTY. THE KURDISH FIGHTERS STAND FOR
THE ENTIRE HUMANITY
AND WORLD BY FIGHTING ISIS AND
DEFEATING ISIS.
DEFEATING ISIS. FOR THAT, THAT CAUSED THEM
15,000 LIVES.
15,000 LIVES. >> WHICH IS JUST AMAZING.
THIRTEEN THOUSAND LIVES TO TAKE
ABOUT A TERRITORY
ABOUT THE SIZE OF PORTUGAL,
WHICH WAS VERY MUCH IN
THE U.S. INTEREST.
YOU JUST CAME BACK FROM A
CONFERENCE IN THE
NETHERLANDS, AND I SHOULD SAY
YOU EMIGRATED TO THE
U.S. IN 2012.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP, AND
HAVING VOTED IN YOUR FIRST
ELECTION AS WELL, AND
RAISING YOUR FAMILY HERE.
AT THE CONFERENCE, WHAT WAS --
WHAT WAS THE THRUST
OF WHAT YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
NOW THAT THE U.S.
TROOPS ARE LARGELY OUT OF
SYRIA?
SYRIA?
SYRIA? >>
SYRIA? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IN TERMS OF POLITICS, WE CANNOT
REALLY CONTROL
REALLY CONTROL ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. YOU KNOW, MANY POLITICIANS --
AS THEY HAVE REALLY
DECLARED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE
KURDISH PEOPLE, BUT
YOU SEE THAT IT IS JUST ONLY ON
THE SOCIAL MEDIA,
YOU KNOW, LIKE TO THE MEDIA,
BUT THERE IS NOT REALLY
ACTUAL STEPS.
ACTUAL STEPS. SOME OF THEM, YES.
THEY HAVE BROUGHT THE -- FOR
NORTHERN SYRIA, LET'S
SAY, ENTITY, TO SPEAK AT THE
CONGRESS, AND TALKING
ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, HOW
THEY HELP WITH THE
U.S. SUPPORT, BECAUSE WHAT THE
U.S. DID ON THE
GROUND WAS, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE
AIR COVER, AND SOME
LOGISTICS.
LOGISTICS. SO THERE WAS NOT REALLY A REAL
FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS.
BUT THEY WERE JUST TELLING
TURKEY NOT TO DRESS PASS.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HARM
THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE. >> AND THAT WAS A VERY
EFFECTIVE --
EFFECTIVE -- >> EXACTLY, EXACTLY, YOU KNOW.
>> AND AS YOU'VE SAID TO ME,
DESPITE WHAT'S
DESPITE WHAT'S HAPPENED, KURDISH PEOPLE STILL
FEEL QUITE AN
ALLEGIANCE TO AMERICA.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. BE DECIDED THAT AT LEAST WE
CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK IN
MANY AREAS IN TERMS OF
PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN AID,
THROUGH DONATING.
THROUGH DONATING. THERE IS THE KURDISH -- KURDISH
RED CROSS.
RED CROSS. THEY HAVE AN OFFICIAL WEB SITE.
THE ONE ON THE GROUND PROVIDING
HELP FOR THE INJURED
PEOPLE, FOR FAMILIES WITH BASIC
NEEDS FOR
NEEDS FOR
NEEDS FOR EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. AND THEN, ALSO TAKING SERIOUS
STEPS TOWARDS
STEPS TOWARDS RECOGNIZING WHAT TURKEY HAS
BEEN DOING TO THE
CIVILIANS AND BOMBING THEM WITH
PROHIBITED WEAPONS
PROHIBITED WEAPONS AS ASIDE.
AS ASIDE.
AS ASIDE. THROUGHOUT HISTORY, MANY THINGS
HAPPENED TO US, BUT
WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT KIND
OF ACTUAL PLAN THAT
WE NEED TO NOTE THE HELP OF THE
BIG INTERNATIONAL
BIG INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, ASKING THEM,
"HEY, WE HAVE ALL THIS
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE WHAT
HAPPENED TO US AS A
GENOCIDE?"
GENOCIDE?" SO WE ARE WORKING ON THE
DIPLOMACY AND THE
HUMANITARIAN, YOU KNOW, PIECE
OF WORK THAT WE CAN
DO.
DO.
DO. >>
DO. >> I
DO. >> I AM SO GLAD.
AND I AM SO GLAD TO KNOW WE
HAVE A KURDISH COMMUNITY
HERE, AND THAT OUR VIEWERS ARE
ABLE TO LEARN MORE
FROM YOU.
FROM YOU.
FROM YOU. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> IT WAS LOVELY TO HAVE YOU
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. FOR
HERE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WAYS TO
HELP KURDISH
HELP KURDISH REFUGEES AND REFUGEES IN