By Hamma Mirwaisi and
Alison Buckley
The death of Kurdish journalist Kawa Germyani is a yet another tragic blow for the Kurdish people's bid for freedom of information about their government. After growing up with his father, Ahmed Germyani, I, Hamma Mirwaisi recruited him to join the Kurdish guerrilla Peshmergah forces until we became refugees in Iran, where we lived in the same house in the city of Rudbar-Iran. When I left for the US with my wife and two children, my beloved friend Ahmed Germyani went back to Iraq where he lost his life. I have grieved for him ever since, and now my wife and I are even more sorrowful for Kawa's mother, (1) his wife and his unborn child (2). As a fellow Kurd and author demanding justice for our people I feel the loss deep in my heart.
Interestingly, after the death of my friend, Ahmed Germyani I started to write about the unjust practices of Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Kurdistan. Kawa Germyani chose the same path to help his people, as did his father and me. Why would an evil assassin kill the young journalist for defending the right of the Kurdish people to justice and liberty? It is not a crime to defend oppressed people, but it is a noble and often selfless act.
The cries of his mother and his pregnant wife now disturb me and millions of Kurds. Whose stamp is on the mafia-like cold-blooded killing of Kawa Germyani? Do the Kurds deserve to die for speaking out against such corrupt groups? Why are Kurds committing the same crimes against their own as non-Kurds do against Kurdish intellectuals? These haunting questions must make every Kurd wonder why some of their own are killing others for mafia style leaders.
It is commonly believed that Jalal Talabani, whose PUK party Germyani had been investigating (3), never killed any of his fellow countrymen openly, instead using other Kurds to eliminate his enemies. His son Qubad Talabani and his mother, Hero Ibrahim Ahmed want to blame others for killing Kawa Garmyani, but they are the ones who should be questioned about it. With enough experience to order executions without planning, Jalal Talabani used others to kill Kurds, but Qubad Talabani and his mother lack such "finesse'. On the other hand the Barzani family has never tried to cover up its selective elimination of other Kurds.
While the Kurdish media accusing Nawshirwan Mustafa and Dana Ahmed Majid for orchestrating the deaths of many Kurds in the city of Sulaymaniyah has not implicated Jalal Talabani in such senseless murders, Nawshirwan Mustafa does not leave his home because he is afraid of being killed by other Kurds. Now, with the unwarranted death of Kawa Germyani family members who have lost their love ones will feed the cycle of revenge against disempowered politicians.
It is every Kurd's hope that the killing of the innocent journalist Kawa Germyani will lead to the building of a united front against the lawless mafia style rule of Talabani and Barzani in Kurdistan. The Kurdish people deserve a government, social order and justice system based on laws.
Providing his case isn't discarded like those of Soran Mama Hama and Sardasht Osman, some sadness over the death of Kawa Germyani might be relieved (4). In the interim, the killing must stop and mafia-like groups connected to Barzani and Talabani must be punished by the Kurdish people's court for the robbery and murder of citizens during the last half century.
References
1. Mother of Kurdish Journalist Kawa Germyani, explaining how they killed him , a sking for justice http://knnc.net/Detail-13005-4-True#.UqOapmRDsVm
2. Kurdish journalist Kawa Germyani's family calling for justice https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=480422818739071
3. Anti-corruption Kurdish journalist gunned down in Iraqi Kurdistan http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2013/12/state7550.htm
4. Reporters Without Borders condemns killing of Kurdish Journalist in Iraqi Kurdistan http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2013/12/state7553.htm
