Kardo Bokani
What I want to discuss here is the mass execution of Kurdish civil and political activist in 9th May in the Iranian notorious Evin Prison. On that day five Kurds, four of whom were members of Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) executed with the aim of terrorising the Kurdish nation. What was stunning was the message that the mother of Ferzad Kemangir, one of the executed, sent to both the Kurds as well as the Iranian tyrannical theocratic regime. She said “I offered Ferzad to Kurdistan and the Kurdish cause; don’t forget about him”. This is not a simple message, the mother who witnessed the callous execution of her beloved son, the mother who felt the pain her son went through under the most vicious tortures, the mother who was granted with the execution news of her beloved in the mother day, how strong could she ever be, how firm could she ever stand against the occupying forces of Kurdistan and sending them the message of victory over their tyrannical and ever-diminishing rules.
One of the reasons for the success of the Apoist Movement including the Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK) and the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) is that they have put a strong emphasis on education and training their members. By educating and creating personalities such of the mother of Ferzad, who will not win the battle against the oppressors? Having looked back at the history of Apoist Movement would reveal that it began by six charismatic students and true-believers in Ankara University. But now it has spread all over Kurdistan and organised the Kurds on an unprecedented scale in Diaspora. It has educated people like Ferzad, Shirin, Ali and Ferhad… It has formed characters and personalities such as of the mother of Ferzad and many more! These are the reasons for such unique success of Apoist Movement; the success is due to the emphasis on education and training. By educating thousands or even millions of people like Ferzad, Shirin, Ferhad and Ali who were executed on 9th May, this movement has become ever stronger that nothing could ever hinder it from achieving its objectives which is nothing more than a free and equal life for the Kurds in the Middle East. The execution of 4 PJAK members resulted in an unprecedented and unforeseeable unity among the Kurdish political parties which in turn brought about a historic general strike in Kurdistan on Thursday 13th May.
It should be strongly claimed that it was the execution of PJAK’s members which resulted in the general strike, which according to Washington Post was a unique strike in the history of the Middle East. Previously various numbers of Kurdish and Iranian oppositions called the Iranian different nations to go on general strikes and similar things as such but they all failed and resulted in the escalated pressure of the Iranian government on the people. Knowing all these PJAK neither boasted itself nor in any of its statements or declaration claimed that it was the execution of its member which resulted in the general strike. What was important for PJAK was the general strike in itself, not who has done or organised it. Since the claim such as it was “me” who did that, or the execution of “my” members resulted in the strike, would impede the process toward the creation of a national front. Nonetheless a number of Kurdish and even Iranian political parties imputed the general strike to themselves in order to gain credit and even possible foreign aids fro their organisations. The Kurdish classical organisations which have always opposed to PJAK existence now impute PJAK’s achievements to themselves, they claim that it was “them” who organised the historic general strike. Some of them gone even further and claimed that the executed Kurds were members of their organisations. This is a ridiculous claim and all those who follow the news are well-aware that the executed Kurds were members of PJAK. Ferzad Kemangir in particular by sending letters to the world public opinions about the plight of the Kurdish people gained an international reputation.
Once PJAK was established in 2004 up to date has called on all the Kurdish political parties to unite and form a national front. But the Kurdish classical organisations have always rejected entering a front which includes PJAK. On Friday 21 May the leader of PJAK once again called on the Kurdish classical parties to unite against the common enemy and said that we need a national unity more than we need food, drink and Oxygen. Based on this outlook PJAK once again called on all the Kurdish political organisations to from a national front. Yet the Kurdish classical parties reject PJAK’s efforts and once PJAK do gain a victory, like a dead they do revive and impute PJAK’s victory for themselves. Instead of doing that it’s better for them to act and get out of the refugee camps they have been residing in for the last 2 decades. But why they should be taking such stances and distorting the truth? Who would believe them?? Why they withdrew from Eastern Kurdistan and resided in the refugee camps in the Southern Kurdistan, doing nothing and slamming PJAK for its applied methods in the ground, and once PJAK gains something, they claim that was “them” who did that? Have they really realised that we live in the world of communication technology and people are well-informed about what are happening in the world? People do know about PJAK’s activities and achievement and all efforts to distort the truth are deemed to fail. PJAK is the vanguard of Kurdish resistance movement in the Eastern Kurdistan and day by day it achieves more. If you today impute PJAK’s achievement to yourself, what you will be doing to PJAK’s future achievement?? PJAK will not reside in refugee camps and do gain more and more until the day that Kurdistan if free. There is no “enough” in Apoist ideology until Kurdistan is free.
Kardo Bokani
28/05/2010