On the Road

Snow on the mountains outside of Sulaimaniya

           I’ve done a lot of travelling over the last couple of weeks.  We had an international consultant from Bogota, Colombia here to conduct advanced training.   She is a law professor as well as a human rights advocate, particularly for women.  Colombia’s constitution is very similar to Iraq’s and she speaks from first-hand experience about how to handle cases involving deprivations of human rights and constitutional and other challenges.

First, she visited the Legal Help Desk in Sulaimaniya where in addition to meeting with and discussing matters with the lawyers and social workers, we accompanied members of the team who, as I mentioned in my last blog, conducted a Mobile Legal Clinic outreach session in Halabja.  Then on to Erbil where we met the WEO Access to Justice team that runs the Legal Help Desk in the Investigation Courthouse in the capital of the KRG.  I was able to go to a court hearing which was actually held in the judge’s office (with about a dozen or more people lined up outside the door – some with lawyers, most without).   Apparently there are not enough court rooms pending completion of new courthouse being built.

Then on to Duhok where in addition to meeting and speaking with the Access to Justice team, we did several outreach sessions.  Two were held in secondary schools, one for boys (an Arabic school) and one for girls.   At both sessions, the Kurdish “Misuse of Communications” law was discussed.  As in so many other countries, mobile phone harassment (e.g., threats, calling at all hours, lewd messages) as well as internet misuse (e.g., sexually explicit photos) is a significant problem.  The difference here is that a woman is often victimized twice – first as the recipient of the harassing calls and then as a target of family members who think she has been in contact with men.  In fact, the local media have published daily reports about women attacked by relatives on suspicion of contacting or being contacted by strangers.

LARGE (poster size) framed photograph hanging in the
Secondary School of Girls in Duhok (as I've mentioned many times before,
the Kurdish people are good friends of the United States).

Also discussed was another topic which is particularly relevant to high school students:  the stiff penalties for driving underage (less than 18) without a license and other traffic offenses.  If caught driving without a license, the defendant (and his or her parents if they allow it) can be jailed for one to six months.  On the other hand, the punishment for yelling at the traffic police (who take the place of stoplights at busy intersections) is one to five years in jail!   Driving without a license must be a relatively frequent occurrence because there were LOTS of questions trying to find loopholes in the law. (“Can I drive if my father is sick, it’s an emergency and I need to drive him to the hospital?” The answer, by the way, is no.)

With members of the Kurdistan Handicap Union

           We also met with the Kurdistan Handicap Union of Duhok and as in Sulaimaniya talked about the proposed legislation the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament is considering. This new law would take steps in protecting the rights of disabled citizens who, as one article states, “historically have been underserved, underrepresented and too often subjected to institutional neglect.”  Fittingly, just a days before this outreach session, Iraq ratified the UN Conventionon the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Tower of Babel

            Following these meetings with all three UNDP Access to Justice teams individually, we held a three-day retreat in Erbil with all teams conducted by the Project Coordinator, the international consultant and me. I describe it as being a bit like the Tower of Babel (which, by the way, is supposed to have been in Mesopotamia, now Iraq).   The consultant speaks only Spanish so she had a Spanish-to-Kurdish and Arabic interpreter.  I speak only English so I had a Kurdish and Arabic-to-English interpreter.  The Sulaimaniya and Erbil teams speak the Sorani dialect of Kurdish and the Duhok team speaks the Bedini dialect of Kurdish.  Both teams speak Arabic.  It was a mini-UN session.

Dancing in traditional Kurdish dress.

           While in Duhok, our administrator there invited us to a pre-wedding party.   Of course I jumped at the invitation. The party was held in a big hall and everyone was dancing to VERY loud music – it was so loud that it was impossible to have a conversation so I did the only logical thing which was to join in the dancing.  I felt a little out of place – not only was I the only Westerner there (and as is so often the case, the only blonde) but I was also the only woman who wasn’t dressed to the nines in traditional Kurdish outfits with lots of gold jewelry (when I was in Dubai recently, I was told that brides insist on receiving a gold belt as a wedding present from the groom; that way, if there is a divorce later, she can sell the belt, which you can see from the picture is quite large a heavy, and live off the proceeds--I'm not sure if that's also the case here).

Hands with henna designs.

The bride and groom, along with the bride’s mother, were sitting on ornate chairs on a platform in the front of the hall.  People would come and pay their respects.  Apparently, the focus of the evening was to decorate the hands of the bride and other women in attendance with ornate henna patterns. I was eager to get my hands done too but regrettably, the volume of the music forced us to leave before that activity began.  I’m told that the really BIG pre-wedding party was going to be the following night.

The bride's mother, the bride, the groom. 
The two men on the right are my friend, Rfa'at (far right)
and his cousin who invited me to the party.

I was reminded once again that although there are significant differences between the Iraqi people and Americans (or in this case, the British), there are many things that unite us.  Sitting in the hotel lobby in Erbil one night working, I looked up to see that a hotel employee had turned on the Chelsea-Manchester United football match which was being broadcast live from London’s Stamford Bridge, Chelsea Football Club’s home, which is just a mile or so from my old flat. Chelsea is my team so I started rooting for them as others who were watching backed Man U.  I scoured the shots of the crowd looking for my friend and former partner, Bruce Buck, who is President of Chelsea Football Club. Thanks to him, I was able to attend a number of matches.  Regrettably, in this match, though Chelsea was ahead 3-2 with just minutes to go, they gave up goal and had to settle for a tie.

Chelsea-Man U match

A New Year

Al Khayat mosque in Erbil is the largest mosque in Iraq and
the main gathering place for the Muslim community in Iraqi Kurdistan.

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Erbil.  After the young bellman brought me my luggage and I tried to tip him, he refused to take my tip.  He said "you are my people."  He told me that he was an interpreter for the US military but now that they have gone he's applied for and expects to get his US visa soon and will be going to Nashville, Tennessee, where there is a large Kurdish population. Many people  have asked me how things are now that the US troops have withdrawn from Iraq.  The answer is, of course, that Iraq is experiencing almost daily incidents of sectarian violence, killing many innocent people.   It is tragic. Kurdistan, however, has not changed.  It is no less safe than it was before the withdrawal.  The young bellman reflects what I have consistently heard in Kurdistan--admiration and support of America.  This is primarily because America brought about the fall of Saddam Hussein, who practiced genocide against Kurds. 

 

Holiday time in Sulaimaniya

I know it has been a long time since my last post.  Christmas and time at home with family intervened, then returning to Sulaimaniya, I've been really busy as we move into the final three months of the Access to Justice Project.  I just finished the December quarterly report and since the Project's inception, the Heartland Alliance A2J teams in Suly and Duhok have provided free legal assistance to more than 3600 people -- people who have attended outreach sessions, received answers to inquiries, had one-on-one legal consultations and been represented by A2J lawyers in their cases.  The outreach sessions are particularly effective in reaching large numbers of people, not only in the cities of Duhok and Sulaimaniya but also in districts throughout the Sulaimaniya and Duhok Governorates.

Monument to those killed in Halabja

Last week I went to an outreach session in Halabja. Halabja is the city near the Iranian border where "Chemical Ali", Saddam Hussein's cousin, used chemical weapons on March 16, 1988 in an act of genocide against the Kurds, killing more than 5000 people and injuring thousands more in one day. We met with about 50 women who met in groups and talked about their problems, including poverty, depression, and being forced to wear a hijab or be labeled a "bad woman." We discussed with them the new Kurdish Law Against Domestic Violence, which includes a provision against female genital mutilation, a practice which is particularly common in areas of Kurdistan (such as Halabja) where tribal influences are especially strong. And we urged them to continue to meet together, to support each other, because there is strength in numbers. As with almost everyone I've met here, the women were warm and friendly and it was a privilege being with them and listening to them share about the challenges faced by women in this country and in others.

With some of the women of Halabja (I'm the only blonde!)

It continues to be cold here and snow is on the mountains outside of Sulaimaniya.  The electricity still goes off and on and therefore so does the heat.  Each day this weekend it was off about five hours (or on low generator so the heaters don't work).  By the time the heat comes back on it's about 13 degrees centigrade in my bedroom (about 56 degrees).  But there are signs of spring.  When it's sunny during the day it gets quite warm.  March will bring the holiday Nawroz, which means "new day" in Kurdish.  It is the first day of  spring  and the first day of the new year.  In Kurdish legend, the holiday celebrates the deliverance of the Kurds from a tyrant, and it is seen as another way of demonstrating support for the Kurdish cause.  Let us hope that there is never another event like the gassing of Halabja and that all of Iraq may find peace.

Statue outside of Halabja memorial depicting
a father trying to shield his child from the lethal gas
(he was unsuccessful and they both died).

A photograph of the same event. 

Winter Comes to Kurdistan

Jim and my parents in Paris (Notre Dame Cathedral in the background)

You never know what you'll see in Suly!  Walking to work this morning I encountered two sheep grazing by the side of a very busy road -- a sight I'd not seen in the city (though many times in the countryside).  However, they looked warm in their fluffy coats, which is more than I can say for us.  The reason I haven't posted  a new story for so long is because Jim and I spent a few weeks in Paris for time with family and R&R (though I had lots of work to do while I was there, which has been typical throughout my career) and I had lots of things to catch up on when I came home to Kurdistan.  When we returned, we soon discovered that it was cold!  I mean, in the 30's at night, 40's during the day and it's supposed to get colder still in the coming months.  Who knew when I was moaning about the heat this summer that I would long for it come November?  



 

But Iraq as ever is a country of contrasts -- snow on the mountains and leafless trees on the one hand, orange trees outside my office on the other.

I'm from Chicago so I'm used to the cold (I must confess, however, I probably didn't bring enough cold weather gear with me when I moved here but that can be rectified when I go back to the US for Christmas).  But I'm not used to it being so cold inside.  Just as the electricity went on and off during the summer, the situation is even worse in the winter with all the heaters on throughout the city.  In fact, there are scheduled outages.  On top of that, our friend Ahmed told us that our house has only enough electrical amps to support one heater at a time, so we've been bundled up inside and spending most of our time in the living room where we have the heater on -- eating, sleeping, working and relaxing there.  To keep warm (and because he is hair-challenged, i.e., bald), Jim has been wearing his black hoodie, even while sleeping.  For me, it's been a bit like lying next to the grim reaper.  But as with so many things, this is just part of the experience of living here -- something I wouldn't give up for all the ampage in the world.

Jim bundled up.

We will soon be moving to a different house that hopefully will have better utilities, but it has a much smaller yard.  So a big question is what to do with our five chickens?  I hate to say it but they are like house pets, particularly one -- named Justin -- who was raised from a baby chick; and frankly, that's about all they are good for because as far as we can tell, they haven't laid a single egg. 

Justin outside the kitchen window.

When we wake up in the morning, Justin is standing on the window sill outside the kitchen looking for activity in the house which means breakfast.  The other chickens are gathered on the step squawking until they are fed.  There is divided opinion among the housemates about whether they move with us.  Some believe that they should be given away as pets or a future dinner (horrors!); others want to take them along to the new digs.  None of us are quite sure what they do in the winter to keep warm (and we are not providing them little heaters!).

Is breakfast ready yet?

As I mentioned, I've seen sheep in the Kurdish countryside many times.  Most recently, driving to and from Erbil earlier this week, I noticed that there has been much development in that city even in the relatively short time I've been here (a little more than six months).  However, again reflecting that this is a region that is in the midst of transformation, I saw a shepherd with his flock of sheep on a hillside just below a new development of luxury modern homes.

The reason I was in Erbil was to participate in a two-day UNDP workshop in Erbil reviewing draft chapters written for the Civil Law and Criminal Law Manuals that are part of the Access to Justice Project.  The workshop was attended by representatives of UNDP, the European Union, UNHCR, WEO, other NGOs, legal academicians, the Kurdistan Lawyers Syndicate and other members of the legal profession.  The manuals are intended to be a resource for Iraqi lawyers wishing to do the very important work of representing those who cannot afford counsel.  Long after international NGOs, such as Heartland Alliance, as well as the UN and others are gone, it is critical that the access to justice legal aid work being done be sustained, and in order to do that it is necessary to build capacity among local lawyers, organizations and other nationals. 

Legal services for all is central to the rule of law, which is itself critical to the democratic and economic development of any country.  The new Iraqi constitution provides that "Every individual has the right to enjoy life, security and liberty.  Deprivation or restriction of  these rights is prohibited ...."  However, without lawyers and organizations willing to provide legal aid services, particularly to the most vulnerable, these constitutional protections will remain hollow guarantees.  The purpose of the manuals developed as part of the Access to Justice Project---and in fact all capacity-building activities being undertaken -- is to provide guidance to those wishing to engage in legal aid activities in order to help meet this essential need.  Fortunately, there are many here who want to do just that.

My son, Christian, and his wife, Daisy, under the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Autumn in Kurdistan

Barista Coffee shop

I was sitting in a coffee shop in Erbil called “Barista” earlier this week.  Erbil is the capital of Kurdistan and so it is the home to many expats who work in consulates, the UN, various NGOs and other places.  As a result, there are many establishments catering to Western sensibilities – no Starbucks yet but Barista is a Starbucks wanna-be.  In addition to espresso drinks, it sells doughnuts, bagel sandwiches and other goodies that look remarkably similar to those in my neighborhood Starbucks back in the US.  The only difference is that many people sitting in the coffee shop spoke Kurdish – though I also heard English and American accents as well – and almost everyone smoked.  That morning, one of my colleagues was attending meetings with UNICEF and a local NGO, another was catching up on her sleep (most people when they travel sleep less well; she sleeps better because when she’s home her two daughters get into bed with her and disrupt her sleep) and I was catching up on emails because Barista has wireless.

Enjoying a latte

I had spent the prior two days in Duhok and Erbil.  In Erbil, my program coordinator and I met with the Dean of the College of Law and Politics of Salahaddin University.  As a general rule, there is no tradition of legal aid services in Iraq even though there is a great need (as there is in almost every country, including the United States).  That is one of the reasons why Heartland Alliance's work is so important.  However, it is critical that capacity be built among Iraqi lawyers and organizations to do this work in order to build and sustain it, and I’ve become convinced that to inculcate lawyers with what is a Western notion, namely that the profession has an ethical responsibility to provide pro bono services, it must start early, i.e., in law school.   Salahaddin College of Law has a new Human Rights Center and recently, a legal clinic, and it was interesting exchanging ideas on the state of human rights in Kurdistan and other issues.  As the dean said, though not at the level of European countries, given the turmoil over the last decades,  particularly under Saddam Hussein, it's  much better than it has been. 

Lake outside of Duhok

In Duhok, the A2J team had its first meeting with our Legal Advisory Committee, which is made up of three judges, four professors and the president of the Duhok Bar Association.  Although most of the members saw the need for legal aid work (in fact, the  President of the Appeals Court urged us to have written materials so others can learn how to do the work, which in fact is part of the Access to Justice Project -- development of a Criminal Law Manual, a Civil Law Manual and a Manual of Procedures), unfortunately some members of the bar do not think pro bono work by lawyers is necessary.  This is discouraging because although our Project has reached over 1200 people in less than five months, there are hundreds more who have little knowledge about their legal rights or ability to access the justice system.  But just when I'm feeling discouraged, I meet someone as I did this week who works in the office next to ours in Duhok.  He told me that the work being done is so important, that free legal services are needed because lawyers charge so much and people can't afford to pay the fees (a problem encountered in many places, including the United States).

Pomegranates

On a juicier note (ok, bad pun), it's pomegranate season here and they are wonderful!  We have several pomegranate trees in our yard but so far they have not yet ripened.  Luckily there are LOTS for sale in the bazaar, at roadside stands and in grocery stores.  And it's autumn here as well.  We're having beautiful cool days and cooler evenings (low to mid 70's at the peak of the day, 50's at night) -- actually sweater weather --and I'm told it will get really cold soon......

Antarctica

............ok, maybe not this cold but who knows?

Reaching Out

Art in Sulaimaniya

I think I've mentioned before that one aspect of Heartland Alliance's Access to Justice Project is outreach.  There are a number of outreach projects:  Know Your Rights brochures and pamphlets for distribution, radio and TV public service announcements and newspaper coverage.  However, the most important outreach activity are the Mobile Legal Clinic outreach sessions which allow us to reach dozens of people at a time. The Mobile Legal Clinics -- one each in the Governorates of Duhok and Sulaimaniya -- visit organizations, schools, jails, women's shelters, reformatories and other places where there are persons who may be in vulnerable situations.  During these outreach sessions, our lawyers and social workers may make a presentation on a topic of interest, answer questions about legal and other rights, and/or have one-on-one consultations.  In addition to visits in the cities of Sulaimaniya and Duhok, the Mobile Legal Clinics also go into rural and other areas in the governorates where arguably the need is the greatest, because it is in these areas where tribal law or other informal means of "justice" may often operate in ways which deprive vulnerable Iraqis, particularly women, of access to true justice.

In the women's workshop at the Kurdistan Disabled Persons Union

With my gift from the women 

Recently I was able to attend one of the Mobile Legal Clinic outreach visits at the Kurdistan Disabled Persons Union in Sulaimaniya, where I was the recipient of such gracious hospitality.  After spending time with Kak Omer, the Union's president, who is wonderful -- informative and welcoming (which has been my near universal experience with the Kurdish people), I toured the shop where women members are making handicrafts to sell (and I was able to pick up a holiday gift or two).  Kak Omer had asked the lawyers to give a simple-to understand summary of legislation which protects the rights of the disabled.  After their presentation and questions, one-on-one consultations were available.

Outreach at the Kurdistan Disabled Persons Union

Although many members of the Union have congenital disabilities, I was told that the majority of members are physically disabled as a result of mines and bombs.  After I asked what conflict the mines and bombs were from, I realized that the Kurdish people have lived with violence in their lives for decades.  In the 70's it was the Kurdish revolution for independence; in the 80's it was the war with Iran and the Anfal; in the 90's it was the first Gulf War and the Kurdish civil war; and in the 00's it was the US invasion against Saddam Hussein.  One of my Heartland colleagues recently said "we are the generation of war."   In a future blog post I'm going to explore what that means but the impact of decades of violence has had significant effects, both physical and emotional.

With Kak Omer, President of the Kurdistan Disabled Persons Union

On a less somber note, one of the things I've notice about living here is that there are more birds and butterflies than in previous cities I have lived.   Because of pollution, loss of habitat and other modern incursions, I found that butterflies and birds (other than pigeons and crows) are often rare in the US and the UK, even in parks and gardens.  It's lovely waking up to a songbird's trill and catching a glimpse of a brightly colored butterfly in a land that has experienced such tragedy.

Weekends in Kurdistan

With Muhamad and Omer

One of the things that people in Northern Iraq love to do on weekends is to have picnics.  It's a time to be together with family and friends, to enjoy food, dancing, music and the cooler climate outside of the city.  Jim and I were treated to this experience on Friday, and what a lovely and remarkable day it was.  Jim has made friends with two men, Muhamad and Omer, helping them perfect their English skills.  During Ramadan they took their “coach” and me to a lovely “iftar” dinner (the meal that breaks the fast) and this weekend they took us into the Kurdish countryside for a typical weekend picnic. 

Muhamad, Jim and Omer unpacking the picnic

We were picked up in the afternoon and drove about a half hour or so into the mountains outside of Sulaimaniyah to a park where there were hundreds of Kurds, as well as Arabs who drove up from the south to enjoy the cool weather.  Like them, Omer and Muhamad had brought a picnic that was absolutely delicious – chicken, dolma (grape leaves, eggplant, tomatoes, onions and peppers stuffed with a marvelous rice mixture), bread, greens and a plate with cucumbers, diced apple, carrots, etc.  We stopped on the way for fruit and I brought a thermos of iced tea (although Kurds LOVE their hot chai – very sweet – this cold tea was something new to them).  Omer’s mother and sister had put the feast together and it was enough for about 12 people (Jim and I were the grateful recipients of the leftovers which will serve as several great lunches and dinners).  

Enjoying chai

After eating our picnic, we walked around the park gazing at the scenery that was very reminiscent of the American Southwest (spectacular mountains, cliffs, trees and a waterfall), watching people dance in the typical Kurdish style, listened to the accompanying music and enjoying observing families take donkey and horse rides and just relaxing together.   We then left the park, drove a short distance, parked the car near a river and started climbing to the caves which dotted the mountainside.



Hiking in the mountains

As we were making our way up the mountain toward the caves, we met three men who also had been climbing, one of whom was a former Peshmerga.  During the time of the Anfal he had lived in similar caves in Qaradakh, another mountainous region outside of Suly.  Peshmerga means “those who face death” in Kurdish and they are the fierce Kurdish guerrilla fighters who, among other things, helped defeat Saddam Hussein’s army in 2003.  Prior to that, they also fought with US and NATO troops during the first Gulf War in 1991. 

Peshmerga in the mountains during the Anfal

The Anfal, which occurred in 1988-89, refers to the period when Hussein launched a mass genocide against Iraqi Kurds.  They were forced to flee their villages, some of which —the most famous being Halabja -- were the targets of chemical warfare; in all, about 4500 villages were destroyed and 182,000 Kurdish killed.  The Peshmerga took to the mountains, living in caves, in an attempt to defend their villages to the extent they could. 

Our Peshmerga guide

Our Peshmerga guide, who had two Peshmerga brothers killed during the Anfal by Hussein’s army, took us inside the caves, the largest of which was occupied by Jallal Talibani (the current Iraqi president, head of the PUK party and Kurdish hero) and his men.  He showed us where weapons were hid, food cooked, etc.  It was a remarkable experience seeing this dark chapter in Iraqi history through his eyes. 



Wedding dance

As it turns out, one of our guides was a relative of Muhamad and after our tour of the caves, we accompanied them to a wedding celebration that was taking place in the valley.  Hundreds of traditionally dressed men in sharwal and women in diaphanous brightly colored gowns covered in sequins and gold were in attendance.  Many were dancing in the typical Kurdish style -- a type of line dance similar to the hora -- and they pulled me into the circle of dancers and welcomed me as if I were a relative or neighbour.  After several pictures, smiles and hugs, we said good bye and went to our final stop – a 6000 year old cave carved by an ancient people into the mountain in the style of Petra.   It was a remarkable place to watch the sun set and the almost full moon rise over the mountains.  

Qezqapan (or Qizkapan) Cave

One of the things I will always remember about my experience here in Iraq is the friendliness, warmth and generosity of the people. Notwithstanding the suffering and hardship they have endured during the Anfal, their own civil war, two gulf wars and the current post-war conflict, they remain resilient as well as resigned to both their tumultuous past and to an uncertain future which may bring positive changes but which may also destroy some of their traditional ways of life.

New friends

On a sadder note, today is the tenth anniversary of 9/11.  There are certain days one never forgets -- the day Kennedy was shot (I know I'm dating myself), the day the spaceship Challenger blew up and more recently, 9/11.  My thoughts are with friends and family in America and my hope is that some day there will be peace around the world so that events like the Anfal, 9/11, the holocaust and all acts of violence which cause people to live in fear and destroy innocent lives cease forever.

Justice

Moonrise over Suly

It's been almost three months since I arrived in Sulaymaniyah and started working with Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights.  Our Legal Help Desks in Suly and in Duhok have seen almost 700 people, conducted more than 200 legal consultations and have served, or are serving, as counsel in more than 50 cases.  It's been fascinating -- and often frustrating -- for me as an American lawyer to see what the laws and legal obstacles are in Iraq as well as what similarities are shared by both countries. 

First, the definition of what constitutes a successful outcome may be different.  I asked our lawyers to tell me about some of their successful cases.  When I read these "success stories,"  a number of them involved divorce cases in which they were able to reunite a wife and husband, even though the marriage may have involved abuse.   I found this definition of success contradictory to what might be thought of as success in a similar situation in the US where the challenge is so often taking a woman out of an abusive situation, giving her a safe place to stay and helping her establish a life that does not include returning to what would almost surely be continued abuse.  When I asked why reunification in such a situation was a good outcome, I was told that even though a marriage might involve abuse, a woman most often was better off remaining married rather than being divorced.  This is because a divorced woman so often does not have the right to keep her children and even though she may not be able to get a job, she is not entitled to sufficient support from her ex-husband.  Under these circumstances, a woman has no choice but to return to her family, which may also be an abusive environment, and her family may simply try very quickly to marry her off again.

Many organizations have pointed out that the laws in Iraq institutionalize violence against women.  This arguably includes essentially forcing a woman to remain in an abusive marriage for fear of losing her children, being unable to support herself, returning to an unsympathetic family and/or being forced into a marriage which may be worse.  It is just one area where reform is needed.  And in too many cases involving adultery and similar issues, "virginity tests" -- which are much less reliable than polygraphs -- are found to be persuasive evidence.  However, the US and Iraq do share some things in common: as in so many countries, spousal abuse is far too common and elder abuse is on the rise (one of our clients is an 81-year old man whose son and wife beat him).

Second, there are laws which are foreign to an American practitioner.  One of our cases involves a law that criminalizes behavior that is difficult, if not impossible, to prove.  Of course, this gives the trial judge an inordinate amount of "flexibility" in deciding guilt or innocence.  As an example, we are representing a woman who has been charged with what is essentially encouraging the suicide of another.  She had a minor argument over housework with a sister-in-law who later burned herself to death.   Although Dr. Kevorkian and others have generated a lot of controversy over the issue of "assisted suicide," I don't think it was ever intended to cover this type of situation.

Unfortunately, as I pointed out above with spousal and elder abuse, there are also many similarities with legal situations in the United States.  One of our clients has been charged with stealing from his employer -- an employer who owes him salary.  Arguably, the employer believes that if he accuses the man of theft, he will drop his claim for salary owed to him and in any event, because our client is an illiterate Arab living and working in a Kurdish region, his employer may believe that he is without legal redress -- access to the justice system.  Luckily, one of our A2J lawyers will help change that outcome. 

As in America, in order to try and successfully enforce your rights, you need -- or at least are far better off if you have -- a lawyer.  One example is a situation where a simple phone call from a Heartland Alliance lawyer produced significant results for a young woman from the Philippines who was brought to Sulaymaniyah with the promise of a job.  She had a three-year contract to work for a family who, as often is the case, took her passport.  She ran away from the family after she suffered sexual harassment and other forms of mistreatment.  She came to visit Heartland's Legal Help Desk and after contacting her former employer, we were able to retrieve her passport. She is now happily working for a hotel.

Young neighbors

One of the things I love most about Kurdistan is the children I meet.  By and large, as in every country in which I've traveled, the children are the friendliest of all the people I encounter.  They are almost always ready with a smile, a "hello," a wave and are delighted to have their picture taken.  I should qualify this by the fact that most of the children I run into are boys.  As with women, girls are seen less often than boys, whether it is playing on the street or attending mosque.  (In fact, I'm told women generally attend only on Fridays and then only if the mosque is large enough to have a separate section for women.)

A make-shift game of football down the street from our house

By and large, the activities and interests of children are universal -- hanging out, playing or watching football, or going to the market (mall?) -- whether in America or Iraq which, according to the UN, is transitioning from a conflict to a post-conflict country which still experiences violence too often. 

As I think I've mentioned previously, the Kurdish people are the largest ethnic group without a country of their own and, therefore, have invariably suffered at the hands of the governments of the countries in which they live: Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.  Although Iraqi Kurds are now one of the most well off groups in Iraq since the war, they suffered horribly under Saddam Hussein, including being the victims of genocide. 

Memorial outside of Erbil to victims of Saddam Hussein

Their Turkish and Iranian counterparts are not so lucky right now.  This last week has been filled with news stories about Turkey and Iran crossing their borders into Iraq to kill Turkish Kurds and Iranian Kurds, respectively, who live in the mountainous border regions.  There is a saying that one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter.  These mountain dwellers have been labeled as terrorist groups by many; however, for some, they are seen to be fighting for the freedom of their Kurdish countrymen who have been deprived of basic human rights, tortured and killed in their homelands -- Turkey and Iran -- where they have lived for thousands of years.  And is so often the case, innocent people have been killed in the conflict, including a farmer, his wife, his mother and children -- seven in all -- who were on the way to Erbil in their pick-up truck, having decided that their farm was too close to the area of conflict.  They were targeted and killed by a missile from a Turkish fighter helicopter.  In addition to losing their lives and being injured, these innocent victims are losing their property and their homes.   So even though Kurdistan largely avoided the series of coordinated suicide bombings by Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia from the prior week, the Kurds in Iraq are still the victims of violence as they have been for centuries. 

Hills between Erbil and Sulaymaniyah