New York Film Academy Los Angeles; Kurdish Cinema, December 16, 2016

The seven films are:

1- Ants Apartments (Koshki Merulekan) 2014, Short film, Directed by: Tofigh Amani

2- Bad Hunter  (2013) Short film, Comedy, Drama   Directed by Sahim Omar Kalifa

3- 74 (Shingal/ Sinjar) (2015); Short Documentary Directed by Sattar Chamani Gul

4- Misfortunate; Short film; Written & Directed by Khalid Hamalawa

5- White Mountains;(2006) Short film, Directed by Taha Karimi

6- Human Beings (2009) Short animated film by Mashaallah Mohammadi

7- The Abandoned faces (2015) Short film, Directed by Ashkan Ahmadi

These films have been selected to display the wide talents of young Kurdish filmmakers from different part of Kurdistan to the students of the New York Film Academy and the greater community. The organizers hope to create a bridge between cultures through the art of cinema and create a dialogue between fellow creatives. 

Elected Kurdish Representatives Detained in Turkey

By: Herman Gardi

November 7, 2016

ekurd.net

    Turkey arresting close to a dozen Kurdish law-makers has created another reason for Kurds to lose faith in the Turkish government. Kurds have always been oppressed ever since the Turkish Republic was created after World War I in 1923. When the Kurdish population finally began to have some form of representation in the form of the People’s Democratic Party or HDP, it was attacked by the Turkish Republic.

The Kurdish population makes up close to 20 percent of the total population of Turkey, creating tensions intentionally can have further consequences within the country. The PKK or the Kurdistan Workers Party in Turkey will most likely step up their attacks due to these arrests and cause the Turkish government to retaliate because of it, continuing the vicious cycle of conflict between the groups.

Solidarity Message of Kurdish –Armenian Communities in Southern California

Free HDP and Divest From Turkish Fascism:

International Appeal and Message of Solidarity

We the undersigned express our outrage at the arbitrary arrests of Turkey’s opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, and its 10 MPs on November 4, 2016. 

With the charges of treason and association with terrorism, HDP MPs are the latest victims of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) dictatorial purge, following an attempted coup in July.

All 59 HDP MPs have been threatened with prosecution, including Armenian MP Garo Paylan, meaning the number of party members arbitrarily detained is bound to increase.

‘We are living in 1915—Today is April 24,’ said Mr. Paylan in a Tweet shortly after the arrests. For many in the Armenian community, the actions taken by the Turkish government toward the Kurdish population and opposition figures echo the Armenian Genocide. 

Erdogan is waging an unprecedented purge in Turkey firing over 100,000 employees, and imprisoning thousands of HDP members, executives, mayors, and city council members associated directly or indirectly with the HDP. Just last week, a prosecutor accused Mrs. Gultan Kisanak, Diyarbakir's first female mayor and a former parliamentarian, and her co-mayor Mr. Firat Anli, of terrorism. HDP lawmakers have issued a joint statement objecting to Erdogan’s inquisition and its legitimacy. 

Erdogan began singling out HDP leadership after AKP lost its parliamentary majority in the 2015 elections and HDP rejected Erdogan’s desires for a powerful presidential system. The arrests aim to destroy the very foundation of the HDP, as the AKP is afraid of future electoral victories, and ethnic and religious representations of minorities including Kurds and Armenians in Turkey.