As
those of you who read my column know, I have a
special place in my heart for the Kurdish people.
Their struggle for liberty - and for survival -
stirred my emotions from the first moment I began to
learn about it in detail. Today, Kurdistan Iraq,
which many say is situated at the "crossroads of the
world," stands at a crossroads in its own history.
Throughout the ages, the Kurds weathered one foreign
ruler after another, and more recently, they
survived Saddam Hussein's attempt at genocide. Now,
Kurdistan has freedom, and it is wasting no time
using it to better the region. Kurdistan's economy
is booming. It has vast untapped natural resources,
strong agricultural capabilities, and new
construction is present everywhere. Kurdistan is
reaching out to the international community for
economic and political ties. |
Steven Voigt
Steven T. Voigt is a lawyer with a premier law firm
that has offices throughout the United States and
Europe. |
|
Kurdistan is a region of multiple ethnic groups and
faiths. And, with so many sad chapters in its
history, Kurdistan has a strong commitment to human
rights and a unique tolerance for ethnic and
religious diversity that is found in few places in
the world.
I believe that in the years ahead, Kurdistan can
become a leader and a beacon of hope for the
troubled Middle East. I look forward to this special
time in history to see what Kurdistan will do with
its new freedom.
While I have a great passion for the Kurdish story,
I remain frustrated that the western media continues
to ignore this story. It is one of hope and
inspiration and of possibility for the future.
Frankly, I believe the failure to tell this story is
driven at least in part by partisanship and in part
by utter laziness. It is far easier to report about
roadside bombs and the latest celebrity sensation
than to dig deep for more compelling, educational,
and positive stories. The media's willful blindness
for the Kurdish story is nothing less than a
disservice to the collective education of the world.
Perhaps these words seem a little bold, but I simply
call it like I see it.
To learn more about the Kurdish people, aside from
visiting the nearest bookstore (which I also
recommend doing), I suggest visiting
www.theotheriraq.com . On this web-site, you
will be able to download several short educational
documentaries about "The Other Iraq."
Steven T. Voigt is a lawyer with a premier law firm
that has offices throughout the United States and
Europe. After receiving his juris doctorate, Steven
served as a judicial clerk to the Pennsylvania
appellate court for one year before entering private
practice. Steven is the executive director of
Foundations of Law PAC,
www.foundationsoflawpac.org , and the public
policy advisor to
www.AmericanDestiny.com .
Steven has authored numerous academic law
reviews, commentaries, and publications related to
national public policy and law, including the books
Letters to America, TYRANNY The Collapse of
Traditional Law in America, and No Political
Solution No Political Messiah.
To read more of Steven's works, please also visit
www.VoigtonAmerica.us . To receive Steven's free
monthly e-commentary related to policy and law, send
your name and e-mail address to info@voigtonamerica.us
with "subscribe" in the subject line.
www.renewamerica.us
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