By Sherko Bekas*
Our concerns, issues, problems, and hopes, ambitions, and dreams were so many in 2011 that one cannot turn back on them all.
From a political point of view, it proved that in this part of Kurdistan there are many issues that we need to solve by ourselves. The recent escalation in tensions between the political parties in Kurdistan weaken our hopes in future. It proved that democracy here is still very young and therefore fragile which requires a better mutual understanding between all parties. It proved that all political parties care about democracy only as far as it is not about them. But when it comes to concerning them, they turn to some sort of repression and assertion.
This has a reflection on the society as well. Life, freedom, women rights are all in danger and have seen no significant progress as compared to previous years. We are much better, though, as compared to many other regional cares. But we have more ambitions and are expecting what is better, for instance internal unity, in particular between the authorities and the opposition.
In 2011, the cultural and educational activities were not few, but more could have been done if more could be spent on cultural exchanges like strengthening the Translation House so that some of the Kurdish masterpieces could be translated into other languages, among others English and French,
We hope that that at least we benefit from our mistakes by not repeating what has been harmful for us. What is a real threat in terms of religion, thoughts and ruling is extremism and not listening to one another.
Also, in 2011 people were promised dozens of things by the officials, starting from the president of the region to the lowest official. There should not be so many promises or otherwise they have to be kept. When you are the president of the region it means you have to have powers, your orders be implemented or otherwise it means danger.
We cannot be without any differences, therefore what we need is solidarity which ensures the national security of Kurdistan Region Region and whereby we better value ourselves and work to help the helpless people who were promised many things during the electoral campaigns and were shown little action.
*Sherko Bekas is a Kurdish intellectual, poet and writer. He is director of the Sardam Printing and Publishing House based in Sulaimaniyah city.