Peacemaking is a complicated and dangerous business

CPTnet [Christian Peacemaker Teams] 1 December 2007 IRAQ UPDATE: 11-24 November 2007 [Turkey, the US who needs them as an ally and a base, and the Kurds in the northern section of Iraq, are enmeshed in one of the tricky conflict places with too little peacemaking going on. This report suggests why that's so, when US peacemakers join with Muslim peacemakers and try to start some new work. --Bob F.] Sunday 11 November Peggy Gish, Michele Naar-Obed and Cliff Kindy met with the Director of Security for Suleimaniya. The meeting focused on the work of CPT in Kurdistan, the situation of internally displaced persons, tension on the Turkish border and the presence of the U.S. in the Kurdish north. When the team asked about traveling outside of the Kurdish region, he recommended that they not travel to the borders. However, he suggested that they go to Kirkuk, saying that "one cannot see the war from the map room." Unless willing to travel with private security, he informed CPT that he could not guarantee their safety. Tuesday, 13 November Anita David attended the morning session of the human rights training for security officers set up by a local human rights group and reported that many of the men appeared to be well engaged in that session's presentation. David and Gish attended a trade fair in Suleimaniya. Many Middle Eastern companies were at the fair as well as a representative from the South African Embassy. Wednesday, 14 November The passport office informed Gish that she was not approved for her residency card. She was told that she could talk with the passport office manager to appeal. After much preparation, the team gave its presentation at the human rights workshop. This training was the first of a series and the team was invited to present at the next one. Thursday, 15 November Gish went to the residency office to talk with the manager. David accompanied her and the two were sent to the security office to meet with a high-ranking officer. After waiting three hours, they were told to return in four days. Friday, 16 November The team had tea with two Iranian students from Suleimaniya University and discussed political tensions in the Middle East. Kindy, Gish and Naar-Obed hiked in the hills surrounding the city of Suleimaniya with two Kurdish families. The group spoke about the genocidal tactics that Saddam used against the Kurds in the "Anfal campaign" during the 1980s. While discussing the team's intention to listen and give voice to the stories of the Kurdish people, one of the friends said that his experiences abroad made him feel that "no one wants to hear us." Saturday, 17 November Naar-Obed, Gish and Kindy looked at an office offered to the team by a member of an independent NGO, Women's Alliance for Democracy in Iraq. Sunday, 18 November David and Gish reported back to the Security Office to deal with the residency issue. A security officer told them that CPT must first register as an NGO in order to get residency. In the meantime, the team can apply for another visa extension. The team met with the coordinator at the International Red Cross and discussed the IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) issue, events at the borders and the team's plans to work on a reconciliation process. Tuesday, 20 November Naar-Obed and David began the process of registering CPT as an NGO. An official told them to return for a meeting with the Minister of Interior. Naar-Obed and David met with a representative from one of the nearly twenty-five women's rights groups in Suleimaniya. This group does advocacy and counseling and hopes to start a women's sewing collective but needs funding for the project. She was glad to hear that CPT would collect the stories of Kurds who had suffered in the Anfal and thought this action would be a good step towards healing and reconciliation. The team attended the birthday party of eight-year-old Rawa who is the youngest child of a woman who had befriended Gish, David and Naar-Obed on the bus. The team arrived at their door singing "Hamu sallee bachushee" ("happy birthday to you.") Thursday, 22 November Kindy spoke with Muslim Peacemaker Team member Sami Rasouli and learned that US forces had raided the house of a sheik who had worked with CPT in Fallujah and that another MPTer had received death threats and will move to the north. The team met with two legal counselors at the Ministry of Interior to discuss registering CPT as an NGO. Both seemed eager to simplify the process in order for the team to work. However, the team learned it must submit more paperwork. Saturday, 24 November The team took its first examination in writing Kurdish. Naar-Obed, Gish and Kindy met with two independent journalists who are trying to challenge new legislation that will make it illegal for journalists to have freedom of expression in Kurdistan. David started the paperwork to get the team's NGO registration transferred from Baghdad to Suleimaniya.