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Is Gandhi Relevant to Kurds?

To be sure, nonviolent resistance is not exempt from deaths, but when it is waged, its disciples are its first casualties and not the defenseless civilians who are often first tortured and then murdered on the flimsiest of charges. As Kurds, to persist on a path that is to our disadvantage is not only wrong, but also reckless.
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Kurdistan Region is a hugely exciting place for architects to work, to show how they can bring inspiration, imagination and effectiveness to improve everyday life. Now is the time to go for quality

To be sure, quality buildings may cost more up front. But remember the suit. I could buy a cheap suit every three months or I could buy a good one that will last years and be better value for money over its lifetime. I know which one makes me feel more comfortable and better in myself. ...
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An Olive Tree in One Hand and a Mobile in the Other

In the Arab Spring, these mobiles and laptops were instrumental in instituting change. It was exactly this fact that was in my mind when I was on stage with the olive tree and the mobile, and that made me say, “I have an olive tree in one hand and a mobile in the other. I hope I do not drop either!” ...
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Maliki’s Game in Kirkuk

In the past, Maliki did challenge the Kurds. In 2008, Maliki supported the Arabs in Kirkuk against the Kurds, created Sunni tribal militias and pushed the Iraqi army into the disputed regions. But in the end, tensions died down and the Kurds supported Maliki again to form the government when they were promised their demands would be met -- though nothing has been implemented....
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Rewarding Violence in Erbil

Such a scenario sounds completely ridiculous, of course, and not just because I imagine the French protesting anything that doesn’t involve salaries, vacation time or retirement benefits. Civilized people do not respond to words, no matter how offensive, with mob violence. Government leaders of modern, democratic states do not reward such violence either, especially not by sacrificing free speech on the altar of public outrage....
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Erbil Demonstrations a Test of the New Government

Security forces showed restraint, even when the intention of the demonstrators became clear to them. That is how security forces are expected to act. In some cases, force was used and a number of demonstrators, journalists and members of the police force were injured, and in one instance a cleric was attacked. But no bullet was fired at anyone and nobody was killed. ...
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Maliki is in Kirkuk, But Where Are the Kurds?

The Kurdish side has been treating the disputed territories -- that make up 43 percent of Kurdish land -- as if they belong to Baghdad. Yet the Iraqi constitution considers those areas “disputed territories.”...
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Window on Westminster

British politics may be in flux. The Conservatives could lose the general election due in 2015 and Labor looks more credible. The Lords may survive but the sordid Murdoch story, declining newspaper sales and the rise of social media is transforming how politics is reported and received. Who knows where it will all end....
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Sneaking Out of Afghanistan

Every year, Mr. Obama seems forced to redefine success in Afghanistan with more and more minimalist language. At this rate, the definition may eventually sound like this: “Osama bin Laden has not returned from the dead, so our mission in Afghanistan was a success.”...
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British Ambassador’s Notebook: A Week in Kurdistan Region

Iraq over the last few decades has been broadly inward looking; Kurdistan which has had more than its fair share of isolation is now determinedly outward looking....
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Featured author
NAMO ABDULLA image Namo Abdulla has been working as a freelance journalist and editor in the Iraqi Kurdistan region since 2006. His writings have appeared in top Kurdish, Iraqi and International media outlets including the New York Times, Reuters and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. He has one year of experience in television reporting. He served as editor-in-chief of the English version of the Rudaw.net for ten months (June 2010-April 2011).