Journalists encourage Kurdish leaders to use Facebook

Koshan Ali Khidhir*

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is making progress in various areas; media and technology have wide popularity, especially during elections or problematic periods. This report considers how Facebook and other social media networks have changed the relations between Kurdish citizens and their leaders. To what extent has Facebook become a campaigning channel for politicians? How far have these networks become a source of information for journalists?

According to chekfacebook, 1,174,300 Iraqis have Facebook accounts (out of a global total of 800 million users). 73.3 % of Iraqi Facebook users are male and 26.7%, or 312,180, are female. This means that Facebook has not become the main media in the region, but it has great popularity among the young: 40.4% of users are aged 18-24 and 31.6% are aged 25-34.

There are different opinions about the use of Facebook and other social media networks. IT student Andam Omer thinks that most Facebook subscribers lack sufficient knowledge about the platform. They are just using it for entertainment, says Andam, even though many of them are concerned about other matters such as politics and governmental issues.

There are still few Kurdish politicians using Facebook. Bilal Saed, journalist, has written a report on the impact of Facebook on Kurdish politics. According to his research, only 22 out of 111 members of the Kurdistan Parliament use Facebook.

Nechirvan Barzani, deputy head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, was the first prominent Kurdish politician to use Facebook, followed by Massoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, Salahaddin Bahaadin, Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Islamic Union, and Masrour Barzani, head of the Parastin intelligence agency – according to Bilal Saed’s report. He said he could find exclusive pictures and videos on the politicians’ Facebook accounts that he couldn’t get anywhere else.

However, journalist Mohammed Eli Zalla believes that social media in the Kurdistan Region has not yet become sufficiently popular and so politicians don’t see it as an essential way to spread their messages. Facebook has not become a way for politicians to interact with the whole of society because it is still restricted to elites or well-educated people. Facebook interaction does not and will not replace more personal interaction, Mohammed adds.

Shwan Medihat, another journalist, uses Facebook as one of his sources for news. Facebook news pages will encourage journalists to research for more information, he says.

Bahra Sediq is one of the female Kurdish journalists using Facebook. She has an optimistic view about relations between politicians and journalists via Facebook and other social media networks. It is easier and practical to contact politicians by Facebook, she says.

Akam Asos, a journalist, has the same perspective. It was always difficult to contact and meet with politicians, even parliamentarians, but Facebook has made this more possible.

In addition, Shwan Mohammed states that Facebook can enable politicians to publish their perspectives, ideas, videos and pictures more easily: it is progress from traditional interaction to the modern one. Facebook and social media could help change the public’s perception of politicians who should therefore open accounts to broaden their impact on society.

Shwan says that there are some high-ranking politicians who avoid talking to the media – so why  would they want to use Facebook? He also mentioned that politicians’ Facebook pages are administrated by others and not themselves.

Andam has a slightly different view, saying there are few politicians on Facebook and so it has not yet become a mainstream way for interaction between politicians and citizens. However, there are some politicians who use Facebook to show their sympathy towards citizens and criticize corruption, he says.

Journalists are encouraging politicians to use Facebook more. Bahra suggests that politicians should be more concerned about using these new technologies and spending more time on Facebook to have more contact and popularity with journalists and society.

*Koshan A. Khidhir is a  journalist, blogger, and undergraduate student in Political Science and International Relations at University of Kurdistan-Hawler (UKH): Koshanali.blogspot.com  

This article has been published on Kurdistan Tribune:

http://kurdistantribune.com/2011/journalists-encourage-kurdish-leaders-use-facebook/

The Kurdish Sun Rises

Koshan Ali Khidhir*

Iraq's Kurdistan Region is going from isolation to front and center in the recent crisis in Iraq.

In the recent political crisis facing Maliki's government in Iraq, it seems the calm hand of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is all that is keeping the tension from escalating into all out conflict. Is this the moment the KRG has been waiting all along for?

Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani hosts Iraqi Vice-President Tariq Al-Hashemi while he evades an arrest warrant issued in Baghdad.

The current turmoil engulfing the government of Iraq has put on full display the political might and critical influence of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq. Frequently shying away from the politics of Baghdad they have in recent days has taken a more proactive, and some would say partisan role, in attempting to resolve and unify the feuding national political blocs while still maintaining autonomy.

The KRG has been pressing for a diplomatic solution to the recent crisis between the D’awa party of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and the al-Iraqiya party of Ayad Allawi, which is currently locked in a boycott of parliament. Since the final days of the United States troop withdrawal, the two major parties have been trading insults and accusations. The tension culminated with an arrest warrant charging the vice-president, and al-Iraqiya party member, Tariq al-Hashemi, with acts of terrorism against political adversaries, and grew more desperate when 16 explosions ripped through Baghdad this week in one of the deadliest and more orchestrated attacks of the year.

While the central government seems to be dissolving, and a rift threatening to inflame sectarian and regional alliances is rearing its head once more in Iraq, the stable hand of the Kurdistan Regional Government seems to be siding with the al-Iraqiya camp and contributing to the national crisis. Al-Hashemi has found political allies and safehaven in the north, where he has fled.

Recent statements by KRG officials are telling in that they refute the directives from the central government in Baghdad and even balk at the institutions of the Maliki government. The Kurdistan Regional President, Massoud Barzani, has refused Maliki’s demands to hand over al-Hashemi and declared, “there is no way we would hand over al-Hashemi to Baghdad. He is our guest.” Fayaq Tofiq, deputy minister of the Interior in the KRG, added more fuel to the political fire when he stated that the KRG would not obey decisions of Iraqi courts unless a specific ruling is affirmed by KRG courts.

Barzani affirmed that Iraqis and Kurds “must not under estimate or tolerate terrorism,” but he also added, “security forces should not be used for political objectives,” a statement which seems to be directed to the Mailki government and the D’awa party.

The State of Law Coalition in the Iraqi Council of Representatives (COR) and other Sh’ia groups are frustrated by the Kurdish position. Ehsan Awadi, a leader in the coalition, equated the reluctance of the KRG to hand over al-Hashemi to a “crime,” demanding that “al-Hashemi should stand trial in Baghdad.” Overall the political tenor in Iraq seems to have reached a peak, and now that Kurdistan appears to be playing partisan politics, a rift could plunge Iraq into talk of federalism again.

Some Kurdish political analysts are also dissatisfied with the region’s involvement, suggesting that Kurdistan should maintain neutrality in the political conflict. Arif Qurbani, a political analyst in Sulymania, said “we (Kurds) should monitor the situation in Iraq, instead of direct involvement or intervention, and we have to strive to obtain our demands during chaotic situations.”

Shwan Mohammed Taha, Kurdish MP in the COR’s Security and Defense Committee said the premonition of Kurdish leaders has come true and that, “tensions between Iraqis will grow more in the aftermath of American withdrawal.” Taha estimates that “if there were no Kurds, the situation of Iraq would worsen.” Therefore, Kurd should play its role “in balancing the situation,” Taha added.

Some political parties have suggested dissolving the current Iraqi government and forming a new government based on a majority. Barzani in his statement called for “an urgent national conference to avoid a collapse of the political process.” It is expected that the KRG will continue to play a central role in any political reconciliation, which may gain them some leverage in the future when issues like the region’s budget, oil revenue, Kirkuk and disputed areas are contested at the national level.

Koshan Ali Khidhir is a journalist, blogger, and student at the University of Kurdistan-Hawler. He has written articles for Global Politician, American Chronicle, Middle East Online, Mideast Youth and others. His blog can be read at: koshanali.blogspot.com

This article has been published on The Majalla, the leading Arab magazine:

http://www.majalla.com/eng/2011/12/article55228615

Van Catastrophe Reaffirms Turkey-Northern Iraq Relations

Koshan Ali Khidhir

Photo: Today's Zaman

“We are so sorry for what is happening in Van” “Donate a Penny, Safe the life of one person,” these quotations are the words of Kurds from Northern Iraq to show their sympathy to their neighbor city, Van, endangered because of series earthquakes.

In the last few weeks, while I have been travelling from one city, district and village to the other ones in Northern Iraq, when I have been watching and reading Kurdish newspapers, magazines, websites and televisions, the main focus is about Van. There are lots of tents in different districts and cities that call for a donation for Van and supporting its displaced people.

This would be a starting point for another way of looking relations between Turkey and Northern Iraq. The essential dimensions about this relation could be summarized in some points? It is rooted in the society, between different members in Turkey and Northern Iraq. It refutes all perspectives and methods that show relations as critical and problematic.

This would be sufficient evidence to the restricted conflict between a group of so called a supporter of Kurdish issue (PKK) and Turkish state. These events uncovered that the conflict is not rooted in the society and has not been structured within Kurds in Northern Iraq. It was and it is just a political struggle of this group to achieve external and internal goals. While Kurds in Northern Iraq supported Van, they evidently declared their support a method for resolving Kurdish question in Turkey, which is resolving this issue through peaceful means.

I have talked with many scholars in this region, they, mostly interested in resolving Kurdish issue in Turkey through a peaceful process. The Kurdish street in the region also has suffered from conflicts between PKK and Turkish state over borders; therefore, they would rather the political resolution for Kurdish issue than military operations.

Kurds in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Northern Iraq, are mostly benefited from their peaceful and stable region to experience their governance. Therefore, any conflict will endanger their prosperity and the future of this region. Thus, leaders of the region are concerning about improving their relations with Turkish government in different areas of politics, culture and business.

Kurdish leaders, Jalal Talabani, Iraqi President, Massoud Barzani, President of the Region, Barham Salih, current prime minister of the region Nechirvan Barzani, former prime minister of the region’s government, and other high ranked officials are continuously held meetings with Kurdish political parties to convince them on resolution for Kurdish issue in peaceful means. They have also worked to mediate between Kurdish parties, mostly their effective leaders, and Turkish elites. A few days ago Talabani and Salih met some MPs from pro-Kurdish Democratic and Peace Party (BDP), that would be a recent example for their efforts. According to the Kurdish news agencies, the meeting is mostly concerned about resolving Kurdish issue in Turkey through dialogue and peaceful means.

Van has uncovered the roots of the issues. While some Kurdish leaders, who are sincerely striving for Kurdish issue were in meeting with Talabani, but others were involved with hijacking. Real Kurds are those who have donated their money and clothes to other civilians in Turkey, but others are those who thinking about having more attacks and bloodshed. These groups are restricted their goals. Therefore, they will not gain future hearts and political achievements. These are just playing with time and struggling to survive.

I hope, as a Kurd in Northern Iraq, to have a peaceful process of resolving Kurdish issue in Turkey, which has started from AK Party’s reforms and initiatives. Catastrophe like Van would become new page for humanitarian cooperation, if we view these events in a different way.

The author is a Journalist, Blogger, and Undergraduate Student in Political Science and International Relations at University of Kurdistan-Hawler.

This article has been published on

Middle East On line: 

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=49107

Mideast Youth:

http://www.mideastyouth.com/2011/11/17/van-catastrophe-reaffirms-turkey-northern-iraq-relations/

Kurdistan Tribune:

http://kurdistantribune.com/2011/van-catastrophe-reaffirms-turkeynorthern-iraq-relations/

Kurd Net

http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2011/11/state5583.htm