Lvin Press08/08/2010
To;
- United Nations in Iraq
- EU
- Amnesty International
- RSF reporters without borders
- Consulates of European countries in Arbil
- Regional Reconstruction Team of USA embassy in Hawler
- Organizations of defending freedom of speech and human rights supporters
- Kurdistan Regional Government
- Kurdistan Parliament
- Iraqi Parliament
- Public
Our lives are at serious risk
On 1st of August 2010 No 134, Lvin has published an interview with the PhD student, Irfan Qani’ Fard, of Harvard University. In his own words, Mr. Fard talks about his thesis, which is on Kurdish modern history, where he elaborated on some of his views. Part of his views is about late Mulla Mustafa Barzani, the father of incumbent Massoud Barzani, president of KRG and one of the Kurdish political leaders.
Lvin Magazine has interviewed Mr. Fard as a journalistic regular work and is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the interview. Reading the interview with a fair eye, one can gather that Lvin has conducted the interview neutrally and professionally. Unfortunately, after publishing the interview, Lvin and its journalists have directly and indirectly been subject to a serious and organised threatening campaign of Kurdistan Democratic Party. We have been attacked in different ways and by different styles.
KDP which led by Massoud Barzani, president of Kurdistan Region, have threatened us with death penalty through different channels. We have been abused by them and KDP have promised to take revenge.
On 4th of August, three days after publishing the interview in Lvin, a statement was published against Lvin Magazine and its journalists. The message was clear: if we don’t repent, they don’t keep their hand off killing us.
This statement was published in Khabat daily newspaper, the main official newspaper of KDP on 5th of August No 3542.
Meanwhile, on 3rd of August in the same style another statement has been published, “warning” us and clearly has stated, if we don’t repent our lives are at risk.
On Friday 5th of August, in Arbil and Duhok province, the two controlled provinces by KDP, many pro-KDP mullahs (religious men), during their Friday preach, abused Lvin magazine and enthused the public against us. In front of thousands of people, the mullahs attacked Lvin Magazine and its journalists. They mislead people by stating that Lvin abused the sacred Islam and its leaders, while our interview has nothing to do with Islam, but it is clear that they want to stir and motivate the public against us. Some of the mullahs directly had told people to attack journalist and do not accept and to make us silent.
Kurdistan Islamic Scholars Organization, which is affiliated to KDP, in a statement, asked Lvin Magazine to apologize. And a group of KDP-affiliated youths announced, “If you don’t apologize, we don’t keep our hands off you.”
While all asking to separate religion from power, KDP use the mosques to political tends and intends to kill the freedom of speech and silence the different opinions through mullahs.
Dear friends,
All these threats are only because of a journalistic interview that has reported some different views regarding Mullah Mustafa Barzani’s history.
Sin of Lvin is only that allowed a PhD student to talk about his views based on his thesis! Should publishing opinions of someone in our magazine make our blood halal? Does in democracy people are threatened by death?
We are truly concerned for our lives while the organs of KDP in Suleimani are distributing and publishing these provocative statements among quarters and streets and the KRG security forces are only looking them instead of investigating and taking actions.
You must become aware of the seriousness of this situation. Under this un-democratic situation that KDP has created, freedom of speech is in worst situation and journalists of Lvin are facing death threat.
We ask all those who are concerned about the freedom of speech and about the lives of Lvin journalists to take action though diplomatic and civil channels to stop KDP from halaling our blood. It is your legal and moral duty to control the KDP. If you don’t raise your voice now the KDP will achieve its objectives in killing the freedom of speech different voices.
We warn the international community that the KDP is responsible for our safety. The KDP pursue revenge through religious leaders and simple members of the community.
We urge you to take immediate action and interfere in this volatile situation and put an end to this KDP undemocratic campaign against freedom of expression and press.
We are truly concerned about this campaign of KDP against us and we are dealing with this campaign very seriously.
Lvin, as one of the independent media outlets in KRG, has already been attacked. In 2007 one of our journalists, Soran Mama Hama, was brutally murdered in cold blood in front of his home in Kirkuk. The murderers have not found yet.
Lvin Magazine
Suleimani
Kurdistan
August, 8th 2010
Lvin Press08/08/2010 00:00:00
