Banaz Jawad is a symbol of revolution

By The Kurdistan Tribune:

Banaz Jawad was a young woman from Arbil city who graduated from a Technology College for Law and Management early last year. Then she spent 16 months looking for a job but without any success. She became depressed and felt very disappointed with society and the system. Finally she decided to burn herself to death on 28 August 2011. She was only 22 years old.

Banaz came from a deprived family and she left an audio recording explaining to her family and the whole world the reasons for her suicide. One of her closest friends reported to local Sbeiy.com that Banaz had waited eagerly, but futilely, for her name to come up in the various rounds of recruitment to government posts.

Once more we see how Arbil can be a sad place for the dignity of human beings such as young Banaz who could not get a job for so long and despite much effort. This tragic event follows on the heels of the murders of the journalists Sardasht Osman and Soran Mama Hama and the victimisation of many others by the two ruling parties. It is terribly sad to see a young woman decide to terminate her life in despair, in a country awash with thriving foreign oil companies.

This is reminiscent of the young Tunisian fruit seller, Mohammed Bu Azizi, who burnt himself to death because of injustice. His death sparked the 2011 Tunisian revolution and the Arab Spring. Case workers and researchers have stated in interviews with local newspapers that Banaz Jawad committed suicide because there are not enough job opportunities in the south of Kurdistan. Community researcher Jaza Hama Salih told a local reporter: “The suicide of this young girl was because of injustice and corruption”.

The tragedy could bring more disaster to our community, encouraging others to think of doing the same thing and for the same reasons as Banaz. Following her death the ‘Group of 17th February’, based in Sweden, has correctly urged other woman not to emulate her, saying that people should instead continue to protest against the two ruling parties in peaceful ways. It is most likely that protests by the Kurdish community, inside and outside Kurdistan, will continue.

It is the responsibility of the whole of our community to respect this death and make it a symbol for combating corruption and injustice in Kurdistan. It is the KRG’s responsibility to investigate this case and ensure it does not happen again. It is also the duty of our president and prime minister to find out why the people of the south of Kurdistan cannot enjoy similar living standards to the people of Singapore, given that the two territories have equivalent populations and similar oil wealth.

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One Response to Banaz Jawad is a symbol of revolution
  1. Ron
    September 22, 2011 | 12:01

    This is a lie!

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