Kennedy Political Union at American University December 9th, 1998 As is customary in speeches like this, I want to start with the obvious by thanking the Kennedy Political Union (KPU) for inviting me here tonight. I want to especially thank Ken Baitsholts, Sonya Gavankar, Matthew Swibel and Sapna Chhatpar for their kindness and trust. I… Continue reading
Speeches
The Kurdish Question
The Statement of Mehdi Zana On the Occasion of the Washington Kurdish Institute’s KURDISH CONFLICT RESOLUTION FORUM At the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Washington, DC July 28, 1998 First of all, I would like to thank the Washington Kurdish Institute, the organizer of this conference, for bringing us together here today for a solution… Continue reading
What I Witnessed in Diyarbakir Prison
THE STATEMENT BY MEHDI ZANA ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF TORTURE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS Friday, June 26, 1998 My name is Mehdi Zana. I’d like to start by expressing my appreciation to the organizers of the International Day against Torture, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the Torture Abolition and… Continue reading
Dissent in the Lands Administered by the Turkish Government
By Kani Xulam April 20, 1998 [Editor’s note: The speech below was given at the University of Maryland College Park to members of the Amnesty International chapter on campus.] First of all, I want to thank Joe Lewis and Eva Eitzen, two of the Amnesty International representatives on this campus, for inviting me here tonight. … Continue reading
Should the U.S. Be an Arms Merchant?
By Kani Xulam March 31, 1998 [The following speech was made at Kay Center at American University Table Talk Series on March 31, 1998. The topic was, “The International Sale of Weapons: Should the U.S. Be An Arms Merchant?] My short answer is an emphatic no. But just as other campaigns that have taken the… Continue reading
Capital Area Peacemaker Award Acceptance Speech
By Kani Xulam March 31, 1998 [The International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program at American University gave its annual Capital Area Peacemakers Awards on March 31, 1998. Kani Xulam was among those who were honored.] I want to thank the members of the Community Action and Social Justice group for thinking of me as worthy… Continue reading
The Kurds of Turkey and their Prospects
Yasar Kaya President, Kurdistan Parliament in Exile March 21, 1998 [Editor’s note: The Badlisy Center for Kurdish Studies held its Second International Conference on March 20-21, 1998, in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The theme of the conference was “The Regional Dimensions of Kurdish Identity: Prospects for the 21st Century”. The President of Kurdistan Parliament in… Continue reading
Halabja After 10 Years: The Dead and the Living
By Kani Xulam The following speech was delivered in the Rayburn House Office Building on March 18, 1998, on the tenth anniversary of Saddam’s gas attack on the Kurdish city of Halabja. There is a story in Greek mythology, which sheds some light on Saddam’s poison gas attack against the Kurds. It goes something like… Continue reading
All Human Rights for All
The Statement of Kani Xulam at Kay Spiritual Life Center American University December 10, 1997 I want to thank Patrick Pierce of Kay Spiritual Life Center for inviting me to this gathering. I am happy to be here and to offer you a few of my thoughts on the subject of our discussion, the Universal… Continue reading
Dreaming of Beauty While Hungry and Cold
Investing in Peace Through Hunger and Cold By Kani Xulam Friday, November 28, 1997 Dear Friends and fellow Kurds, Forty days ago today, six of us undertook a fast here in Washington to free a Kurdish woman, Leyla Zana, and to spark a discussion on the plight of the Kurds. We had prepared ourselves for… Continue reading