An effort is underway to free her from captivity.
Because she spoke for you and me, she lost her liberty. Leyla Zana is a Kurdish woman who wanted to do something for our honor. This is indeed unfortunate worse, it is outright dishonorable. But a quicker glance at what we do as Kurds for the liberation of Kurdistan will reveal that the burning desire to bring equality to our lot and dignity to our lives is secondary to our more immediate desire to enrich ourselves. Many in this audience will be quick to note that we number some 30 to 35 million Kurds. The great Greek poet, Homer, notes that when a people are enslaved, its male members lose half of their manhood. To embrace the cold of exile is a personal decision and rather a heavy one, but keeping the cause of Kurds and Kurdistan at bay is simply unforgivable. She reminds us that to run away from oppression, as you and I have done, is one thing but to run away from Kurds and Kurdistan is another. She serves time to make up for our cowardice. She is a Kurdish woman who now languishes in a Turkish jail cell. The story of Leyla Zana, a profile in resistance, is the topic of my address today. The pounding of Kurdish villages by the enemy forces and their collaborators goes on as I utter these words but there is also resistance, the stuff of legends that keeps the hope of liberation alive and the dream of independence enduring. It is the worst of the times but in a way it is also the best of times, to paraphrase Dickens. So, in a way, it is our misery that brings us together here, despite the fact that our longing is for peace and reconciliation, as the theme of this conference suggests.
I am, of course, referring to the wars that are raging in Kurdistan. It is even more so when you consider the present state of affairs that is the lot of the Kurds. It is refreshing to be among friends and fellow Kurds. Karim and the board of directors of the Kurdish National Congress (KNC) for inviting me to this 10th annual KNC gathering. Dear Friends and fellow Kurds Xusku birayen delal:
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