International Compact with Iraq

Manifestation

Press Relesse: Faylee Kurds Demand Justice and Fairness from the New Iraq

Faylee Kurds are an ancient and sizeable segment of Iraqi society. They are industrious, have been prominent in the economic sector, especially in trade and commerce, and they energetically participated in building Iraq. They have lived in peace and harmony with all other sections of the Iraqi people. They were active in Iraqi and Kurdish political parties opposing the former dictatorial regime.

However, and as a result of emerging extreme nationalism, Faylee Kurds, like other Kurds in Iraq, suffered great injustices and very harsh treatment at the hands of the state of Iraq dominated, as it is, by nationalist and sectarian ideology.

Faylee Kurds have been subjected to waves of large-scale deportation from their homeland Iraq, the largest ones in 1969-1970 and again from the 1980 onward. The latter involved the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Faylee Kurds from Iraq , stripping them of their citizenship, confiscating their property and documents, detaining thousands, especially boys and young men, who subsequently “disappeared” without a trace. These acts were a clear case of ethnic cleansing and mass killing, accompanied by acts of physical, psychological and cultural brutality that come under “crimes against humanity”.

We Faylee Kurds welcomed the new democratic Iraq hoping it would restore our rights, give us information about our “disappeared detainees”, and return our confiscated property and documents.

Our expectations have unfortunately not been fulfilled. We have only heard sweat words and big promises, but no action from the new order. Now after 5 years of being patient and waiting we see no results. This is why we have decided to try to bring our case to the attention of the international community and media hoping that this may help us regain our rights.

 As a step in this direction, we are going to have a peaceful manifestation at the meeting place of the International Compact with Iraq on Thursday 29/05/2008 from 14:00 to15:30 hours.

Faylee Kurd Democratic Union, info@faylee.org

27/05/2008

Attached please find a list of Faylee Kurds demands from the Iraqi authorities.