Saturday, November 01, 2014

L.A. Kurds Bring Fight Against ISIL To Southern California

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2014/10/kobane-and-socal-kurds
Nation and World

L.A. Kurds Bring Fight Against ISIL To Southern California


The city of Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq (Jeffrey Beall/Creative Commons)
The city of Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq (Jeffrey Beall/Creative Commons)

“I have family in the besieged town of Kobane. I know people that are fighting, and am worried about them.”
“I had family in Erbil, which was only 20 miles away from ISIS at one point…We were constantly calling them.”
“A few times when I went back to Kurdistan, I saw how it was a small haven. We don’t feel safe anymore.”
These are the voices of Kurds living in Southern California. For many of them, the conflict with ISIL is not merely a question of politics and polemics, but of phone calls, demonstrations, and online petitions. They’re fully invested in the fight, and don’t plan on losing.
As Americans and their allies discuss boots on the ground, Kurds are engaged in street-to-street fighting in the city of Kobane, in northern Syria. The city has been besieged since the 15th of September, driving more than 160,000 Syrians, mainly Kurds, across the border into Turkey. Crowds of Kurds have gathered along the border to watch the battle, and some Turkish Kurds have even broken down sections of the border fence and joined fighters in the city.
SEE ALSO: President Obama Promises To 'Degrade And Destroy' ISIL
Nyma Ardalan, a secretary at the Kurdish Community of Southern California and a board member of the Kurdish National Congress of North America noted that while global attention has turned to the Kurds in the last few weeks, they’ve been fighting for months. “Even before they went into Iraq, the IS was fighting [the Kurds]”.
For Ardalan, the question is not whether he should act, but how he can most effectively bring attention to the crisis. He says the community held demonstrations in front of the Turkish embassy and the Syrian Consulate office, but these are only a first reaction.
“We are lobbying. We have online petitions, getting signatures to persuade governments to help the Kurds. We are in process of getting financial support, of receiving donations to get medical help.” One of his personal projects is soliciting manufacturers and shipping companies to help get supplies to the region at a reduced cost.
Soraya Fallah, a cofounder of the Voice of Kurdish American Radio, notes that it has been difficult for the community to get media attention in the past, largely, she claims, because “Turkish lobbying is powerful in the United States”. She noted that the relatively small number of Kurds in the state was another factor. “We have a lot in San Diego, but here in LA I think we have less than 100 families”.
SEE ALSO: The Islamic State Adds The Pope To Enemies List
Until a recent move to San Jose, another member of the Los Angeles community was Ranj Zuhdi, who helped lead a chapter of the Kurdish Youth of Greater LA County. Though he was born and raised in Saudi Arabia and his immediate family is out of harm’s way, he has played an active role in email awareness campaigns, and mentioned efforts to contact state representatives. “I feel like a lot of Americans have shut their eyes to foreign policy”, Zuhdi said.
Despite the tragedies of the conflict, many Kurds see a silver lining. “Kurds are more or less recognized as a separate people”, noted Ardalan. For a people group that has been dispersed across Iraq, Turkey and Syria, that’s a significant step toward an autonomous nation, their ultimate goal. “Iraq is a dysfunctional country, and short term actions won’t save it, unfortunately”, said Zuhdi.
The result of the current conflict won’t happen in a vacuum. The Kurds of California are fully invested in their people - for better or worse.
Reach Staff Reporter Timothy Vernon here or follow him on twitter

Global Day Of Action For Kobane And For Humanity

چاپارسال به دوست
VOKRadio, Los Angeles, California, USA   


Soraya Fallah



kobane_demo_110114.jpg

 
Global Day Of Action For Kobane And For Humanity
 

Demonstration in Solidarity with Kobani

Demonstration in Los Angeles
In Solidarity with  Kobani and Call for Support
against the Islamic State






Saturday November 1st, 2014
3:00-5:00 PM 
Westwood Federal Building
  Address:




11000 Wilshire Blvd #1000, Los Angeles, CA 90024 



 



















Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Global Rally against ISIS – for Kobanê - for Humanity!


URGENT CALL FOR ACTION

Global Rally against ISIS – for Kobanê - for Humanity!

Date for the Global Rally: 1 November 2014, 2pm

ISIS launched a major multi-front military campaign against the Kurdish region of Kobanê in northern Syria. This is the third ISIS onslaught on Kobanê since March 2014. As the ISIS was unsuccessful on the two previous occasions, they are attacking with larger forces and want to take Kobanê.

In January this year, the Kurds in western Kurdistan (Rojava) established local administrations in the form of three cantons. One of the three cantons formed is Kobanê. The Turkish border is to the north of Kobanê and all the other sides are surrounded by ISIS-controlled territories. The ISIS has approached the Kobanê borders, using US made heavy weapons. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are threatened by the most brutal genocide in modern history. The people of Kobanê are trying to resist using basic weapons against the most brutal attacks of ISIS terrorists, with only the assistance of People’s Protection Unit in Western-Kurdistan, the YPG and YPJ, but without any international help.

Therefore a Global Rally against ISIS – for Kobanê - for Humanity is vital.

The so-called international coalition to fight the ISIS, have not helped Kurdish resistance effectively despite witnessing the ongoing genocide committed against Kobanê. They have not fulfilled their real international legal obligations. Some of the countries in the coalition, especially Turkey, are among financial and military supporters of the ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

Therefore a Global Rally against ISIS – for Kobanê - for Humanity is vital.

If the world wants democracy in the Middle East, it should support the Kurdish resistance in Kobanê. Democratic autonomy in Rojava promises a free future for all peoples in Syria. In this regard, the “Rojava Model” - the secular, non-sectarian, democratic position in Rojava is the model which practices unity in diversity.

Act Now

It is high time to give the global players the reason to believe otherwise.

We encourage people all over the world to show their solidarity with Kobanê. Go to the streets and demonstrate.   

 

We urge you to join the Global Rally for Kobanê

Support the Resistance against ISIS – for Kobanê – for Humanity!

Signatories:

 

Prof Noam CHOMSKY-US; Adolfo Perez ESQUIVEL, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1980-Argentina; Archbishop Emeritus Desmond TUTU, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, South Africa; Hugo BLANCO, leader of the CCP (Campesino Confederation of Peru)-Peru; Prof Bill BOWRING, University of London, Birkbeck College -UK; MICHAEL MANSFIELD QC, President of Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers-UK; Dr Felix PADEL, Sussex University-UK; Lord HYLTON, House of Lords, UK; Margaret OWEN O.B.E, human rights lawyer-UK; Nick HILDYARD, policy adviser-UK;  Prof Kariane WESTRHEIM, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC)-Norway; Prof Michael GUNTER, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC)-US; Dr.ir. JP Joost JONGERDEN, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; Estella SCHMID, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign-UK; Dr. David GRAEBER-anthropologist, author, UK;  Mark THOMAS, writer/comedian-UK; Peter TATCHELL, Director, Peter Tatchell Foundation-UK; Dr Derek WALL, International Coordinator of the Green Party of England and Wales-UK; Stephen SMELLIE, UNISON Lanarkshire, Scotland-UK; FABIO AMATO,  Foreign Representative of the PRC Party and Secretariat of the European Left-Italy; Moni OVADIA, perfomer/musicians/theatrical author–Italy; Michel ROLAND,  President of Médecins du Monde, Belgium; LUDO DE BRABANDER, spokesperson Vrede vzw (Belgian Peace Organisation)- Belgium; WARD KENNES, Mayor of Kasterlee/ MP, Member of the Flemish Parliament-Belgium; Stephen BOUQUIN, Prof of Sociology, Universite d’Evry-Val-d’Essone and Chairman of ROOD-Belgium; Em. Prof. Herman DE LEY, Ghent University-Belgium Dr. Suresh KHAIRNAR, National Convenor, All India Secular Forum-India; Kishore JAGTAP, President, Phule-Ambedkar Intellectual Forum-India; Amaresh MISRA, Editor-in-Chief, Medhaj News-India; Feroze MITHIBORWALA, National President of Bharat Bachao Andolan (Movement to Save India from Imperialism & Zionism)-India; Dr Radha D’SOUZA, Indian Association of People’s Lawyers – India; Manuel MARTORELL, historian and journalist-Spain; Osvaldo BAYER, historian, writer and anarchist-Argentina; Stella CALLONI, journalist, international analyst and writer-Argentina; Fernando SIGNORINI, Coach of the Argentinian Soccer Team-Argentina; Nora CORTINAS, Human rights activist, co-founder of the Mayo's Square Mothers-Argentina; Rosana ALVARADO, First Vice-President of the National Assembly-Ecuador; Maria Augusta CALLE, President of the Commission on Sovereignty and International Relations of the National Assembly-Ecuador; Virgilio HERNANDEZ, Member of the Board of Directors of the National Legislative Assembly- Ecuador; Pedro DE LA CRUZ, President of the Andean Parliament–Ecuador; Francisco VELASCO, Former Minister of Culture, Member of the Administrative Board of “Alliance Country”-Ecuador;  Guillaume LONG, responsible for External Relations of Ecuador Alianza Pais Party-Ecuador; Fernando BOSSI, People's Bolivarian Congress-Argentina; Prof Kamal A.Mitra CHENOY,  Centre for Comparative Politic &  Political Theory, School of International Studies-India; Achin VANIK , Professor of International Relations and Global Politics from the University of Delhi (retired)-India; Amir M. MAASOUMI, Peace Ambassador-India; Sushovan DHAR, Radical Socialist-India; Jatin DESAI, veteran journalist & General secretary of the "PIFPD" (Pakistan India Forum for Peace & Democracy) – India; Wilfred DACOSTA, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), New Delhi- India; Sandhya JAIN, Journalist, New Delhi – India; Asha KACHRU, Writer-India; Dr. Suresh KHAIRNAR, National Convenor, All India Secular Forum-India; Kishore JAGTAP, President, Phule-Ambedkar Intellectual Forum-India; Amaresh MISRA, Editor-in-Chief, Medhaj News-India; Anwar KOMBAI, Documentary Filmmaker, writer & journalist, Chennai, India;  Javed ANAND, Muslims for Secular Democracy, Mumbai-India;  Rohini HENSMAN, Writer and Independent Scholar, Bombay-India; Jawad MOHAMMED,Lawyer from Chennai-South India;  Sukla SEN, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai-India; Sushovan DHAR, Radical Socialist-India; Jatin DESAI, veteran journalist & General secretary of the "PIFPD" - Pakistan India Forum for Peace & Democracy-India; Raghu JAYANTIYA, Engineering Design Manager-UK; Mukta SRIVASTAV, National Alliance of People's Movements, Mumbai-India;  Com. VASUDEVAN, Bluestar Trade Union, Mumbai–India; Com Deepti GOPINATH, Airport Workers Trade Union, Mumbai-India; Akshay KUMAR, Orissa Farmers Struggle, Bhuvaneshwar-India;  Prof. Rakesh RAFIQUE, Yuva Kranti, Founder, Moradabad-India; Ravi KOHAR, Convenor, Yuva Kranti (Revolutionary Youth), New Delhi-India;  Shelley KASLI, Journalist, Bangalore-India; Salim ALWARE, Indian Muslim Intellectual Forum, Convenor-India; Jyoti BADEKAR, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Mumbai-India; Farouk MAPKAR, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Convenor, Mumbai-India; Yusuf PARMAR, President, Indian Muslim Development Council, Rajkot-India; Arif KAPADIA,  Bharat Bachao Andolan, Mumbai-India; Afaque AZAD, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Mumbai –India; Bhupen SINGH, Journalist, New Delhi-India; Shujaat Ali QADRIQ, Convenor, Muslim Students Organization, Lucknow-INDIA;  Ashraf Ali ZAIDI, Bharat Bachao Andolan, New Delhi-India; Sanjay SINGHVI, General Secretary, Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) CPI-ML-India; Luisa MORGANTINI - Former Vice President of EP-Italy;  Prof.Maria Immacolata MACIOTI, Association of  Sociology in Italy (AIS)-Italy; Prof. Annamaria RIVERA, Anthropologist-Italy; Prof. Giorgio FORTI, Emeritus at the Faculty, University of Milan, and Member of the Lincei National Academy-Italy; Claudio TREVES, General Secretary of the Labor Union Nidil-Cgil-Italy; YA BASTA! Bologna-Italy; Social Center of TPO-Italy; SOCIAL CENTER OF S. LABAS, Bologna-Italy; MADIBA NETWORK HOUSE- Rimini-Italy; ASSOCIATIONS  OF THE 'RUMORI SINISTRI' –Rimini-Italy; POLISPORTIV OF THE ANTI-RACISTS, Rimini-Italy; SOCIAL CENTER OF THE AQ16 -Reggio Emilia-Italy; SOCIAL CENTRES GROUPS of the Marche regions-Italy; AMBASCIATORS OF THE RIGHTS OF MARCHE REGIONS-Italy; YA BASTA! OF THE MARCHE -Italy; Antiracist POLISPORTIV OF THE 'ASSATA SHAKUR' Ancona-Italy; POLISPORTIV OF THE ACKAPAWA JESI-Italy; YA BASTA! BOLOGNA-Italy; SICILIA ANARCHIST FEDERATION-Italy; NO MUOS Ragusa-Italy; MAGAZINE OF THE SICILIA LIBERTARIA-Italy; PIPPO GURRIERI, director of the Sicilia libertarian-Italy; FABRIZIO GATTI, alias Bilal Ibrahim el Habib, journalist and author-Italy; Gianni RINALDINI, former General Secretary of the Labour Union Fiom-Cgil and Member of the Cgil National Board; Giorgio CREMASCHI, Former President of the Central Committee of the Labour Union Fiom-Cgil; Luca CASARINI, co-worker; YA BASTA! OF  TRENTO-Italy;  YA BASTA OF TREVISO-Italy;  YA BASTA OF PADOVA-Italy; THE SOCIAL CENTER OF THE NORTH EAST-Italy; Laxman  SINGH, Research Scholar (Jamia Millia Islamia)-India;  Michel ROLAND,  President of Médecins du Monde, Belgium; Georges-Henri BEAUTHIER  Lawyer-Belgium; Hind RIAD, Lawyer-Belgium; Selma BENKHELIFA, Lawyer-Belgium; Olivier STEIN, Lawyer-Belgium; Joke CALLEWAERT, Lawyer-Belgium; DOMINIQUE WILLAERT, Artist- Belgium; Soraya Fallah;LosAngeles,US

 

 

Kariane Westrheim, Chair
Prof Dr Michael Gunter, Secretary General

EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC)

 

 

UK contact: Estella Schmid

Peace in Kurdistan -Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish Question

Email: estella24@tiscali.co.uk  Tel: 020 7586 5892 www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.com

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Southern Californians Rally in Solidarity with Kobani; Condemn IS and Turkey

Southern Californians Rally in Solidarity with Kobani; Condemn IS and Turkey

By Dr Amir Sharifi:
LA Solidarity; Pic - Soraya Fallah
LA Solidarity; Pic – Soraya Fallah
Los Angeles: Hundreds of pro-Kobani activists marched on in Westwood, Los Angeles to condemn the Islamic State (IS) and their murderous onslaught against Kurds, saying that they will continue their protest against IS terrorism in Kobani.  Improvised signs were being made by women activists as more protesters joined the demonstration. The statement issued by the Kurdish community, as one of the main organizers of the event, read: “We stand in solidarity with the people of the besieged Kobani and call for prompt action to save the residents and defenders of the city from a massacre. The IS terrorists have captured sizeable portions of the city despite the fierce and heroic resistance of Kurdish freedom fighters. Hundreds of people have died and over 200,000 people have been driven away from their homes, stranded in border areas, their fields ravaged, their belongings plundered, and their children traumatized. Many are mourning the loss of their loved ones, their homes, and their land.

Mehdi Keshavrz, one of the organizers, commenting on the presence of a large crowd, noted: “This reveals that Kobani people and its defenders are not alone.” Many of the attendees were non-Kurdish. They came from different ethnic backgrounds – Armenians, Iranians, Assyrians, and Americans, to denounce both IS and the Turkish complicity in the relentless onslaught on the city. Joe Smith, an American, wanted to hold a sign that said “IS kills, Turkey supports”, arguing that despite US late support, Turkey still insists on seeing the obliteration of Kurds. “This is a hypocritical position which is more pro IS than even NATO. NATO should kick Turkey out.”  Berry Anderson said: “The Islamic State has singled out Kurds to be obliterated as Hitler did to Jews in Germany. I do not know why the world cannot see this and stands idle.”   Babak insisted that: “…the struggle against IS is symbolic. Its victory will make them more aggressive everywhere else.” Demonstrators chanted: “Long Live Kobani!” “IS kills and Turkey supports!” Sam, a Kurdish American student said: “Unless we take action immediately, the terrifying situation gets worse.” Soraya Fallah, a woman activist, applauded Kurdish women’s units in guiding decisive battles against IS in many fronts.
The demonstrators asked for more military aid and support for the Kurds who are the only force resisting the IS. The protestors denounced Turkey for its complicity in recent developments and its support for IS; the protestors sharply condemned Turkey for its ruthless suppression of pro Kobani demonstrations in Turkey. Murad from Diyarbakir said: “IS is doing the Turkish bidding and ugly mission. In the same way they organized Hezbollah inside Turkey to attack us, they have given it a free reign to get rid of us on the other side of the border”.  A 70 year old Armenian man, deeply moved by the tragedy, held a placard stating: “Shingal and Kobani, the human tragedy” and said “This is what happened to us in the midst of silence and inaction of the world.” Armenians had an active presence on the protest. “What we see now shows that Turkey has not changed a bit,” Alexis said.
The US government was also criticized for its hesitant and belated response to the unfolding crisis in Kobani. The demonstrators walking along the sidewalk chanting: “Long Live Kobani, Save, Save Kobani.”
The demonstration ended with the Kurdish national anthem and a reassertion of commitment to continue the struggle against Islamic State and its supporters. The protesters in admiring the courage of the defenders of the city called for more concerted international action against IS  to  free Kurdistan and the Middle East from  it murderous and monstrous ideology.
Dr Amir Sharifi: President of the Kurdish American Education Society-Los Angeles
 
 

Monday, August 11, 2014

Demonstration against ISIS in LosAngeles

California Kurds Condemn IS, Call for More Western Support
By Joshua Thaisen 15 hours ago
A protester at the LA demonstration. Photo by author.
A protester at the LA demonstration. Photo by author.
LOS ANGELES – American Kurds are publicly condemning the presence of Islamic State (IS/ISIS) forces in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan Region and pleading for more military support and humanitarian relief from the West.

In outrage at the IS treatment of Kurdish Yezidis, the Kurdish Human Rights Advocacy Group (KHRAG) and the Kurdish Community of Southern California organized a joint demonstration of hundreds of people across Los Angeles and San Diego this week.

“Down, down ISIS! Long live Kurdistan!” chanted protestors in LA, gathered before the Federal Bureau of Consular Affairs.

KHRAG issued a statement expressing its own outrage.

“We call on the US government, the United Nations, all relief organizations and Western governments to organize expeditious and efficient emergency humanitarian assistance to Yezidis,” the statement said.

“It is our duty to defend and protect the Yezidis. We cannot let an ancient people and their cultural heritage and religion be vanquished by the dark forces of history,” it added.

The general consensus within the Californian Kurdish community is that IS is a terrorist organization, endorsed by Islamic nations surrounding Kurdistan.

“ISIS is a terrorist organization that is not just threatening Yezidis, Kurds, and Christians, but everybody in the region! They need to be stopped!” said Kurdish American Nyma Ardalan, who attended the LA protest.

IS fighters have reportedly kidnapped hundreds of Yezidi women in recent weeks. It is feared that many have been sexually abused, murdered and reduced to slavery.

“I’m incredibly concerned as a women, but not just because of the IS’s barbaric abuse and viewpoints toward the treatment of women,” said women’s rights activist Clara Moradian, who was also at the demonstration.

“In Nigeria when 250 young women were kidnapped the world was outraged, but I feel like the silence the world is showing towards the women that have been kidnapped now is incredibly disheartening. I want to bring awareness to their plight,” she added.

Many Kurds at the protest believed the United States has a duty toward the Kurdish people because many of the weapons that IS has stolen were supplied to the Iraqi military by the United States.

“A lot of the weapons in the hands of IS are US made,” Moradian noted. “I think the US is responsible and needs to intervene and make sure those weapons aren’t in the hands of terrorists. A lot of Americans don’t realize that they are implicated in this war, as US tax money is going toward destroying Kurdish land.”

Questions have been raised as to whether Peshmerga forces are independently up to the task of defending Kurdistan against the militants.

“Yes they can, but at what cost? They need more international support and arms,” said Ardalan. “My problem is that the Kurds were prevented from getting any significant equipment to battle ISIS; the Iraqi government prevented Kurds form arming themselves.”

Kurdish women’s rights activist Soraya Fallah, who also attended the protest, said: “As a women who is very outspoken against genocide I am really concerned. If any genocides happen on earth I stand with them (the victims) because I’m pro-human rights and I believe we should all feel the same. I believe we should ask for help. We should be united inside Kurdistan. The international community should help us and hear our voice.”

Last week, KHRAG launched a petition addressed to the White House and the UN secretary General. It seeks 500 signatures to raise awareness of the humanitarian aid needed by Kurdish refugees and is half way to achieving its target.http://rudaw.net/english/world/13082014


another great coverage on our protest

KURDISH-AMERICANS DEMONSTRATE, PLEAD FOR U.S. SUPPORT FOR KURDS

LOS ANGELES -- A group of Kurdish demonstrators gathered in front of the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles on Tuesday imploring the United States to assist the Kurdish people with humanitarian relief and military support in order to establish their independence and to help them thwart the impending genocide and violence being wrought upon them by the Islamic State in Iraq.

Dozens of Kurds held up flags and signs calling for an end to ISIS, while showing glimmers of an optimism which has yet to be realized by way of the formation of an independent Kurdistan. 
Chants of "Down, down ISIS! Long live Kurdistan!" filled the atmosphere on the browning lawns of the federal building. Similar rallies were also held elsewhere win Southern California, including San Diego.
San Salih, an American Kurd who is originally from Iraq, expressed his frustrations to Breitbart News as he noted that the Kurdish people "are [one of] the largest ethnic minority [groups]in the world without a country; 15 million plus:"
We really want ISIS out of Iraq. They were in Syria and now they're in Iraq. We need them out. We are the closest allies to the United States. We would like Kurdistan to be independent so we can freely go back and travel and become an ally to the United States and elsewhere in that region; a region of instability and uncertainty.
Soraya Fallah, an Iranian-Kurdish human rights activist and researcher, who has been living in America since 2000, was also present at the demonstration. She spoke to Breitbart News humbly and briefly of her life, noting that she was arrested several times in Iran and underwent tremendous physical and emotional torture for her activism; going so far as suffering the miscarriage of her first child while behind bars.
"For a long time, [the] Kurdish [people] have been persecuted in Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. I had to run, I had to escape the country," Soraya said. She first fled to Russia, then went to Denmark, before arriving in the United States.
A documentary called For Kurdistan provides a brief glimpse into Soraya's life as an activist. 
Both San and Soraya noted the importance of aid from both Israel and the United States, which have proven for years to be allies to the Kurdish people. They also emphasized that Israel was the first nation to put itr weight and support behind the Kurds should they declare independence in the aftermath of the horrors being brought forth by the brutality of the Islamic State militia.
San drew upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent remarks supporting Kurdish independence. "The Israeli government and Israeli forces have always been in support of the Kurds. We have a lot of Kurdish people still in Israel...They have key positions, military positions and so forth. Things are very good there," San said, his eyes shielded from the sun with opaque black sunglasses.
United States Secretary of State John Kerry took on quite the opposite stance during a visit to the Kurdish region of northeastern Iraq, where he urged the Kurds not to break away.
Speaking with Breitbart News Network on Wednesday, Michael Rubin, a foreign policy scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, described Kerry's role with regard to Iran during the Kurdish issue as "being willfully naive. John Kerry is Ayatollah Khamenei's wet dream; a useful idiot with whom Iran can have its way," he said.
Soraya said of the United Nations: "In this moment, I believe they delay [too] much. I think they are not acting very well. This is the time that [the] Kurds need the United Nations...we really need humanitarian help.


















































Attention 
Dear friends and democracy lovers 
A Peaceful Demonstration Will be held in front of the Federal building in Westwood onTuesday, August 12th from 11:30am to 2:30 PM(tomorrow) 
This protest is to show our
Support for Kurdistan and all those affected by the atrocities in Northern Iraq. We are also calling for an immediate action against Daesh (ISIS) for the genocide they are carrying out. We call on the international community to support Kurds and protect Ezidi Kurds in Kurdistan and we urge the US and UN to take immediate action to provide assistance.
Please spread the word and invite friends..

The IS Genocidal War against Ezadis Kurds and the Plea for the US and International Relief and Protection
Press Release August 12, 2014
The immense suffering of the Yazd Kurds has reached such colossal and unprecedented levels of death, destruction, displacement, and despair that is now being appropriately called ethnic and religious cleansing. After the vicious onslaught of the Islamic State terrorists on Shingal ( Arabic Sanjar) and Zumar, and other Kurdish towns and villages, hundreds of Yazidis ( followers of an ancient Kurdish pre-Islamic faith with rich musical and oral traditions) Kurds and other religious minorities were massacred; a mass grave of 500 was just recently found; hundreds had reportedly been buried alive; hundreds of women have been kidnapped as war booties and reduced to slaves; the ensuing terror had caused a mass exodus of over 65000 traumatized women, children, and men who in the intense and unbearable heat of the Nineveh desert fled, many to Duhok, tens of thousands to the nearby mountain of Sanjar Mountain where hundreds of children and elderly have died of
starvation and dehydration, For those who had stayed behind or could not flee in time, it is a doomed fate: either conversion to Islam or decapitation.
The barbaric attack eventually prompted the United States to respond to the grave urgency of this human tragedy to conduct and deliver humanitarian aid and launch airstrikes against IS to protect the displaced people and American citizens in Kurdistan. While 20000 to 30000 have been reportedly taken to safety through dangerous rescue operations, and some relief aid has been transported and dropped on the barren mountain range, there are still thousands trapped in the barren mountains. As reported by CNN, the need for food and water is much greater than so far provided and would require a more concerted and organized relief operation. An all-out international relief effort has to be initiated to save the tens of thousands who are still trapped without any food, water, or shelter.
We as Kurdish Americans in solidarity with the victims of this great tragedy, express our support for the US government’s humanitarian relief operations. We appreciate and support our government’s effort in providing military support to the Kurdish security forces (Peshmergas) to fight the IS and to providing assistance to the tens of thousands of displaced Yazidis who are living under deplorable conditions; however, as President Obama has recently stressed the magnitude of the tragedy calls for a more concerted and sustained effort and commitment to protect both the lives of innocent and defenseless displaced people and American citizens who live in Erbil. Although the Kurdish Regional Government is actively trying to help the displaced population, its resources have been exhausted by the presence of over one million refugees who had previously taken sanctuary in the area. The current needs of the refugees far exceed the ability of Kurdish Regional
Government; as a corollary, global involvement and response is imperative, even for those who have been lucky enough to reach relative safety in overcrowded camps with acute shortages of food and medical supplies.
A state of emergency prevails in Kurdish regions as the Islamic State continues to threaten not only those stranded on the mountains but other Kurdish areas . We call on the US government, the United Nations, all relief organizations, and Western governments to organize expeditious and efficient emergency humanitarian assistance to Yazidis and ensure their protection against a common enemy. Only an increased and a much more needed commitment to international solidarity and collective moral responsibility can save the Yazidi Kurds and other ethnic and religious groups from the monstrosity of Islamic State. It is our duty to defend and protect the Yazidis. We cannot let an ancient people and their cultural heritage and religion be vanquished by the dark forces of history.

Kurdish Human Rights Advocacy Group, Kurdish Community of Southern California