In Kirkuk, elections still follow the map of ethnicity, not policy.
Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen vote apart in a city meant to stand for coexistence.
Renwar Najm reports on Iraq’s most divided ballot.
www.theamargi.com/posts/voters...

Kirkuk in numbers: Arabs up +15 pts since 1957, Kurds down −5, Turkmen −3. Elections mirror demographics, a census disguised as a ballot. Tap the link in comments to read Renwar Najm’s piece on what these numbers reveal.

www.theamargi.com/posts/the-en...

What happens when journalism itself becomes a crime?
Since 2020, each time Sherwan Sherwani neared freedom, new charges came.
Read the full story by Renwar Najm. Link in comments.

Two men left Kurdistan for Britain. Both returned, carrying the weight of exile.
Full documentary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R7g...
Camera and editing: Mohammed Tahir | Producer: @renwar.bsky.social

From Nalî to Sherko Bekas, from Edward Said to Ai Weiwei, exile is often written as rupture and loss.
At The Amargi launch, Bachtyar Ali asked: can exile also be a place of freedom, critique, and new beginnings?
Read his full keynote: www.theamargi.com/posts/the-in...

Kurdish children still lack formal education in their mother tongue in Turkey, and a recent survey found that three out of four Kurdish children no longer speak their mother tongue.

@theamargi.bsky.social

At our launch today, keynote speaker Bachtyar Ali is reflecting on exile, intellectual life, and freedom. Here are some of his most powerful words. 🧵
#TheAmargiLaunches #TheAmargi

Lebanon lost a cultural giant.
Ziad Rahbani chose art over privilege, giving voice to the working class & exposing Lebanon’s contradictions.

In this obituary, Cihad Hammy reflects on his life & legacy.

🧵 @the_amargi launches Sept 20 ⬇️

We’re almost here! 🚀
The Amargi is a new independent media outlet created by journalists, activists, and academics.
Our focus: Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, and the wider Middle East.
Follow us and join us on this journey.

The Guardian view on Turkey and the PKK: an elusive peace is in view once more | Editorial

13 angry teachers in Iraqi Kurdistan, staged a 15-day hunger strike—not for political demands, but for a lasting solution to the decade-long salary crisis. Their frustration targeted the KRG ruling elite, whom they accuse of neglect and broken promises.

Some thoughts on my Substack.

The Kurdish Red Crescent are actively calling for donations. They are currently the only NGO providing aid to the 200,000+ refugees arriving into Tabqa and Minbij, and will inevitably be responsible for building longer-term camps for them. Please donate if you can.

She was immediately expelled from the KJG. This raises the question: which camp convinced her to switch sides— KDP or PUK? Furthermore, if an MP from a highly disciplined party like the KJG can be swayed, what does this imply for the stability of other, newer parties?

Thousends of Afrin refugees who fled to Tal Refaat 5 years ago are stranded and lie in the fields, waiting for chance to escape turkish sponsored terrorists.

Yesterday videos emerged how they beat hospital personal, one of the terrorist wispered, wait until camera is off.

Turkish air strikes in drought-struck north-east Syria (Rojava) have cut off access to electricity and water for more than a million people.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

As @renwar.bsky.social said elsewhere: giving money to the authorities in the Kurdistan Region is unlikely to work. The issue of migration is “a structural problem that requires deeper solutions.”

I know the consulate has been told this, hopefully London listens.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...