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Robert Evans
(Member of the European Parliament) speech at Newroz
celebration, London, on 18.March.2006
Can I first of all thank you very warmly for
inviting me. It is the first time I am being invited
to one of your functions; I am very delighted to be
here amongst you and to bring you greetings from the
Labour Party and the members of the European
Parliament which I am very proud to be one of the
members from this part of London. I will speak in
English as I don’t speak any Kurdish and also have
to admit that I have never been to Kurdistan
although I have been to many parts of the world it
is not one I have been to, and to be perfectly
honest I don’t know much about Kurdistan.
But I am here to learn, I am here in solidarity and
I am here in support for your cause because I don’t
know very much about it, Dr Mella has very kindly
given me one bundle to take away and be better
informed and I am delighted with that. I have also
been to the Kurdish centre in Hackney north London
which I think it’s mainly for the Turkish Kurds,
before, but I do know something, about the reasons
that I am here, I do know that the Kurdish people,
Kurdistan is the largest stateless nation in the
world, I know that, 40 million people and that 40
million is a lot more, a lot larger than many
countries in the world. I also know that the Kurdish
people in London are very hard working and they make
really positive contribution to the community and my
office in Feltham where there is a Kurdish café next
door and I am very happy to go in to the Kurdish
café and very delighted to sit there and we talk
about the situation in his home country.
I am also very proud in the European Parliament to
work on behalf of minorities, it is very easy, life
is easy for people in a country where they are a
majority, when you are the government or you are in
the Labour Party or your wife is British. I know it
is easier in this country. If you are a minority in
this country or in the Middle East or in any other
countries where the Kurds are, life is hard, life is
oppressive life is a struggle and I contribute not
to people here but in all the other Kurdish people
in different parts of the world who continue in life
struggle and fight on in the face of adversity and
difficulties, so that is one of the reasons that I
am here, in support of minorities, but I also know
that it is very important for the young children
here most of whom are born in this country and go to
British schools and speak English probably better,
no disrespect, that their parents and grandparents
do, but it is immensely important that they learn
the Kurdish language they learn about their roots,
they learn about their heritage because one of the
things that we are not very good at in the world,
although we are making progress, is not repeating
the errors of the past.
And the errors of the past are not respecting
minorities, suppressing the minorities languages,
not giving rights to the people who deserve rights,
until I think the few who are living in London, and
the children here, it is very very important that
you encourage them to learn the rich Kurdish
language, to learn about their roots, to learn about
Kurdistan and to learn about the struggles that your
parents and grandparents had to make and the
sacrifices that people have made and we learned
about tonight.
So, that is why I want to be here, that is why I
want to be with you. I would like to say also that
in the speech that Dr Mella made in the United
States, one point that I was listening to and caught
my attention, when he said we now in the 21st
century, 2006, and still nobody has asked the
Kurdish people what they want and what are their
problems, and what are their needs.
So, I have been here listening tonight and I am
sorry that I cannot stay very long and I am sorry
that I cannot understand much of what have been
said, or all what have been said, but that does not
mean that I am not here in solidarity and support
and as a member of the European parliament I am
delighted to be here, and I am also very proud to
see that your flag is alongside the UK flag, and I
noticed that one flag few moments ago started to
falter, started to struggle, it wasn’t you flag, not
your flag, it was the UK flag but it has been
restored and I am sure that those two flags can
flutter in peace and harmony and we can move
together forward on a joint agenda. Along that join
agenda again, what has been said a few moments ago,
along that I do urge you to get involved in
politics, I am sure that many of you are in the
local politics and in the communities in this
country, because it is politicians in local level
and council level, and of course, the national
level, that make decisions, they make decisions
affecting the local communities and the rights of
Kurdish people in London.
They make decisions of course the Prime Minister has
referred to several times, they make decisions that
affect the Kurdish people in this country and also
key international decisions and you are right to say
that you need the Prime Minister on board and you
need the support, and I have to say that you need
the support of the Labour Party locally to move
forward for your rights and for your opportunities
in your communities, but whichever party you choose
to support I do urge you to get involved and to make
your point because I know the contribution you have
made and your children will continue to make and you
will be making in the future. I am very proud to be
here amongst you to wish you a very happy Kurdish
new year and to bring you greetings as a member of
the European Parliament. Thank you very much indeed.
Source: KNC- Dr.Jawad Mella
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