KurdistanObserver.com

Prime Minster Nechirvan Barzani
The Kurdistan Regional Government in Hewler

Email: erbil@rp.krg.org

Dear Prime Minster Barzani:

I reviewed the letter submitted to your Honor on behalf of a few unknown students from the University of Salahaddin recently.  I am deeply concerned by the allegations of corruption and the dereliction of students in the University of Salahaddin.  If these claims are true, the Kurdistan Regional Government is in a failing mission to ensure a quality education for the students of Kurdistan.

In a number of cases, the Kurdistan politicians compare the struggle for power between KDP and PUK to cases from the western democracy system.  That is fine, and we can only succeed in following successful examples of western democratic systems.  However, in doing so, we can not discretionary select cases and compare them to the western democratic systems.  I can assure you, Mr. Prime Minster, political party affiliation is not a prerequest in attending any university in the United Sates to pursue a Graduate Degree.  At the same time, I will be able to work in any state, regardless of its ruling system (whether ruled by Democratic or Republican Party), when I receive my Graduate Degree.  Also, had a professor been a member of a brutal party, e.g. the Baath Party, never would the same professor be able teach in the United Sates as official as the old-Baathist professor lecturing in the University of Salahaddin, as it was exactly mentioned in the previous letter submitted to your Honor on behalf of the unknown students.  If my professor lacked the knowledge of a subject, again, never he/she would be given chance to lecture in a university, regardless of what political party he/she is belonging and whoever’s cousin he/she is.  Finally, regardless of a professor’s loyalty to a political party, the same professor’s potential in moving up is bound only to his/her skills.  So, I would like to ask if these issues are ever compared to cases of western democratic countries in Kurdistan. 

Therefore, I add my voice to my fellow students who submitted the letter to you recently and urge you, as Prime Minster, to review their comments in full and ensure that Kurdistan respects education.  Educational institutions must be independent of political parties; otherwise, the status quo will continue, and a corrupted educational system can harm us seriously. 

I am sure your honor is well-informed about the importance of education in our struggle and the level of ignorance among our people.  In fact, Honorable Rewshen Bedirxan pinpointed ignorance as number one enemy of Kurdistan followed by the other enemies of which everyone is aware.  As an expatriate Kurd, I suggest establishing independent committees to ensure a safe and convenient environment for our students in the universities of Kurdistan because I consider Student Peshermges more contributing to Kurdistan’s future than Armed Peshmerges.

Sincerely Yours,

K. Amedi

A Kurdish Student living in the United States

Amedi.k@gmail.com