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An open letter from Hawlati
editor-in-chief to Iraqi President
24.2.2010
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February 24, 2010
SULAIMANIYAH,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq',—
An open letter from Hawlati editor-in-chief Kamal
Rauf to Iraqi President and General Secretary of
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Jalal Talabani
H.E. President of Iraq and General Secretary of
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Jalal Talabani
It is self-evident that an important pillar of the
democratic system is freedom of expression and free
press. That is why the extent of the freedom of any
society is measured by the degree of the freedom of
expression and freedom of journalism it affords. We,
realising this democratic deficit, have tried hard
to fill in the gap of free and independent press in
Kurdistan and have been able to a large extent to
fulfil our responsibility. This achievement has been
construed by our friends abroad that there has been
a considerable progress in [the area of] freedom of
expression in Kurdistan.
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Iraqi president Jalal Talabani (L)
Kamal Rauf, Editor-in-chief Hawlati newspaper
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And this has been a point of pride for our people as
a whole and a bright spot for our experience before
being considered an honour for free and independent
journalists themselves. The valuable work which we
carry out is accomplished with our own toil and
endeavour and we have created no onus for the
political parties or government. We have not
occupied schools to turn them to our headquarters,
neither have we used public purse to finance our
projects, or have employed government-funded staff
or taken part in starting internal fighting. At the
same time, we all witness how the party media has
become money suckers creating a financial bleeding
where the parties pour endless amounts of money to
this bottomless hole of party media. This has no
precedent in the whole world.
Dear President,
We are concerned that all the hills and heights of
this country have been occupied and turned into
party centres and headquarters. Most of the
beautiful gardens and orchards of this country have
been appropriated by party apparatchiks and
officials. We are sad that party business and
politics have replaced careers and professions and
have taught many of our young people to become
parasites and making them bereft of any productive
ability and self-confidence. We are sad to see our
children in three schools share one old derelict
school building three times a day while the party
headquarters and party officials villas are
renovated or built in the most modern style and have
usurped the most prestigious locations of our city.
Dear President and Secretary General
We as free and independent journalists for public
interest and in order to be able to develop our
media like other developed countries, and pull it
out under the weight of parties and power and turn
it into an observer for the protection of our
country, have chosen this path for ourselves to
stand on our own feet and work outside the
profligate privileges of party and government. We
have been content to accept that we are disliked by
you in order to make our experience and people
likable to our friends and foes. We have been
contented to accept poverty and deprivation for
ourselves in order to achieve social justice for our
society. But, alas, despite all what we have
suffered,www.ekurd.netin
the place of appreciation and awards some of the
officials kick us, insult us, describe us as
regional spies. They assault our correspondents and
workers. They confiscate their cameras. This happens
at a time when our friends [abroad] encourage us and
guide us and give us awards. They tell us: “In spite
of all your limited resources, you can convey the
message of beauty and democracy of this country to
the outside world.”
Dear President
In which part of the world the guards of a social
democratic party official kick a journalist with
kicks, the journalists are persistently harassed and
insulted while the power always talks about
democracy and freedom and presents itself as the
example of democracy for the region? While we can
endure all this economic exclusion and financial
constraints and all the plots which are operated
against the private media, while we can survive all
the personal assaults and defamation launched
against us by the party media, but, surely, no one
can accept to be kicked and beaten up in the streets
in front people in the name of security, Kurdish
nationalism and democracy.
Hence, we appeal to you to stop acts of insult and
aggression against the independent journalists, to
disallow acts of aggression against the beautiful
things in this country. It is impossible for us to
believe that Kurdistan can be pushed backwards. It
is impossible for us to believe that we can have a
Kurdistan without independent and free media.
Kamal Rauf
Editor-in-chief Hawlati newspaper
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