Miss Kurdistan the US owes you an apology
Is she beautiful or what? She should run for Miss Kurdistan.
Apparently, since we all know there are stupid people everywhere, a few stupid FBI US people thought she needed to be taken in for immigration irregularities. Can you imagine?! Anyway, so they knocked on her room at the Dorm where she is attending college because of some computer glitch that caused her papers to expire. They started asking her for her immigration papers. She was in the US going to school in Omaha, Nebraska on a program to establish friendly relationships between our countries (AND WE TAKE HER TO VISIT THE JAIL?? IDIOTS!!).
Then, because this 25 year old Kurdish beauty with brains girl spoke English so well, the FBI was suspicious and they asked her where she learned to speak the language. She said, "I learned from watching movies". Well....since NO American could ever dream of learning another language from movies, cause they would never WANT to learn that bad, they didn't believe her. She explained why she was here....they didn't wait to check it out or anything they just took her to the jail IN HANDCUFFS!!!
She did not go meekly. She was very, very brave. She told them they were being rude. She laughed at them and she told them "You have to know more about us. I'm Kurdish. We are the only ally of the U.S. in the whole region." Good for her!
"She is majoring in international studies, specializing in managing international nonprofit organizations.
She calls her homeland Kurdistan rather than Iraq. She recalls the fear of Saddam Hussein in her hometown before Kurds gained some autonomy after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. She plans to work in a human service organization after graduating from UNO and returning home."
Once again! Good for her!
This all happened in late October, but a really nice guy named Thomas Gouttierre, dean of international studies at UNO came almost immediately, and saved her from the morons...hey...they were just being stupid here, not ALL FBI are stupid, just these guys. So, I wrote to Mr. Gouttierre and asked him if he would put her in touch with us and we could make sure that she has everything she needs and the rest of her trip here in the US is wonderful.
I know that all of us have been concerned about this young lady and so I thought we should let her know that she has FRIENDS!!!! So again, I am calling all Kurds and friends of Kurds USA and everywhere else to please help this future leader of Kurdistan out. Let her know that she is not alone and we will be there for her. If ANYONE knows ANYONE in Omaha...let's make sure she has a friend there to call on if she needs ANYTHING and to ensure this doesn't happen again. It's important that we support one another. It's important that no matter where a Kurd goes...that Kurd never feels alone, and always has friends looking out for her/him.
So let's network here okay? You know the rules of "six degrees of separation" right?
Apparently, since we all know there are stupid people everywhere, a few stupid FBI US people thought she needed to be taken in for immigration irregularities. Can you imagine?! Anyway, so they knocked on her room at the Dorm where she is attending college because of some computer glitch that caused her papers to expire. They started asking her for her immigration papers. She was in the US going to school in Omaha, Nebraska on a program to establish friendly relationships between our countries (AND WE TAKE HER TO VISIT THE JAIL?? IDIOTS!!).
Then, because this 25 year old Kurdish beauty with brains girl spoke English so well, the FBI was suspicious and they asked her where she learned to speak the language. She said, "I learned from watching movies". Well....since NO American could ever dream of learning another language from movies, cause they would never WANT to learn that bad, they didn't believe her. She explained why she was here....they didn't wait to check it out or anything they just took her to the jail IN HANDCUFFS!!!
She did not go meekly. She was very, very brave. She told them they were being rude. She laughed at them and she told them "You have to know more about us. I'm Kurdish. We are the only ally of the U.S. in the whole region." Good for her!
"She is majoring in international studies, specializing in managing international nonprofit organizations.
She calls her homeland Kurdistan rather than Iraq. She recalls the fear of Saddam Hussein in her hometown before Kurds gained some autonomy after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. She plans to work in a human service organization after graduating from UNO and returning home."
Once again! Good for her!
This all happened in late October, but a really nice guy named Thomas Gouttierre, dean of international studies at UNO came almost immediately, and saved her from the morons...hey...they were just being stupid here, not ALL FBI are stupid, just these guys. So, I wrote to Mr. Gouttierre and asked him if he would put her in touch with us and we could make sure that she has everything she needs and the rest of her trip here in the US is wonderful.
I know that all of us have been concerned about this young lady and so I thought we should let her know that she has FRIENDS!!!! So again, I am calling all Kurds and friends of Kurds USA and everywhere else to please help this future leader of Kurdistan out. Let her know that she is not alone and we will be there for her. If ANYONE knows ANYONE in Omaha...let's make sure she has a friend there to call on if she needs ANYTHING and to ensure this doesn't happen again. It's important that we support one another. It's important that no matter where a Kurd goes...that Kurd never feels alone, and always has friends looking out for her/him.
So let's network here okay? You know the rules of "six degrees of separation" right?
posted by Emmunah at 3:54 AM
24 Comments:
The FBI is most impressive--in the movies or on television. In real life it is, well, disappointing. I used to be a reporter and worked more than once with FBI agents on various criminal matters.
My most lasting memory of the bureau is of attending a press conference at the local FBI office. As I waited, I noticed the chairs in the lobby were naugahyde (sp), which is cheap plastic. The big, round FBI seal on the wall of the waiting room--was also made of cheap plastic. Then when someone opened the door to the "inside" of the FBI office, I just saw clumps of old desks around a big open room. They just reminded me of any police department squad room. Totally unimpressive.
By the way, you posted a comment on one of my blogs and I somehow deleted it. It was purely accidental and is probably floating around in cyber space somewhere. Thanks for your comments.
I tried to email you, and that didn't work for some reason.
My regular email address is jmeek40126@aol.com
great post, any luck contacting her? thing is kurds are just plain unlucky.. for any another person a computer glitch could mean u lose grades maybe some money.. u don't end up getting interrogated by the FBI. Though yeah like the previous commentator they definitely look so capable and cool in movies, you don't expect mistakes like that from them
btw i didn't know there were barzani rabbis... probably not the same family but then again they're a huge clan so it could make sense
Not about this article, just a general comment. Nicely done blog - well written, well thought out, interesting reading. Your heart seems to be in it.
Thank you Anonymous...it's definately from the heart:).
eagle, sorry the post was lost. It just said I have always worked all the time no matter what job it was. Not important really.
Dil, yeah...long line of Barzani Rabbis...in fact, the first known female "Rabbi". All of the Kurdish Barzani's came from the Barzan Valley area and it's ancient and been the home of many ancient people.
The name Barzani could even have meant "bar"=son of as in "from". Combined with "Zan" or "Zani", which could mean "Tzadi" which means "wise or "righteous one" So the valley's area would mean valley of the righteous.
The Jewish population there was quite high before Islam, and when Islam came through many converted. You know Kurdistan has almost as many religions as the US:). But, the likely explanation is that the Jews and Muslims along with all the other religions there did intermarry some, and they did get along for a couple thousand years. The ancestry is probably the same, and the DNA shows this. I am sure that M. Barzani is not Jewish himself, and probably hasn't been a Jewish person in his family for at least 7 generations. There are a lot of really evil people out there that want to read bad things into perfectly reasonable history:).
Oh and YES I have contacted her and I am very much hoping to hear from her soon.
What's her name, she is gorgeous!
I don't understand a computer glitch that caused her papers to expire. What does that mean? Were they expired or were they not? Was it a computer error that showed the papers were expired when they were not?
She is beautiful - and I admire her spirit. I am worried that she gave the FBI a hard time. Generally - approaching law enforcement with a cooperative air in the case of innocence helps a person in the short AND long run.
Well, I do know who she is and it did not happen quite the way you think. Nothing had actually happened with her papers. The school did something "irregular". She is here specifically on a special exchange student program to show Iraqis our good will...NOT because she got a "student visa". In other words, we recruited her, we invited her, we took responsibility for her. It was not something that she sought out and asked US FOR. That's the point. I did not want to retell the entire story because I would like her to have a story to tell. Please don't jump to conclusions okay.
KT: let me give you a scenario. You are invited to attend a 10 week conference in France. The UN has invited you. The UN has provided you with all of the forms to fill out and you did everything correctly. The purpose of the trip is to show you how the UN works and to show you the French are really decent people after all. You have a UN representative accompany you and they tell you everything is taken care of, not to worry, you are very welcome. During the 10 weeks the hotel you are staying at has a problem with their accomodation so they move you to another hotel. Now, because you are not in the hotel that was specified, and no one informed the French or the UN, some French police show up in the middle of the night and take you to jail. You tell them all that happened. You tell them exactly who to talk to about it. They refuse and handcuff you and you spend the night in jail. I don't think you would be overly polite, and I think you too would laugh...because YOU would know that this was ridiculous. There are some things that the US does, that do not make any sense. This was TRULY one of those things.
KT,
You should develop a talent to see a difference between your friends and your enemies. Lack of such talent was exactly what led to 9/11. Comparing her to Mohammad Atta and other terrorists and saying she could be a terrorist, shows you and FBI have no clue what is going on in the middle east. Terrorists don't wake up in the morning and decide to drive airplanes to buildings; they have reasons and motives and they plan for it. A kuridsh girl, invited to the US, does not have such motives. It's not a matter of being treated equally; it's about being treated wisely. Now I am sure she is cool about the whole situation but FBI has a lot to learn from such cases where they hunt down the innocent and leave the wolves free.
this comment might be too late but sitll write.
yes she is beautiful, and yes it is a shame!
now KT,
I am sure,certain, other words which mean the same that, if she was from Canada,she could even bed the officers if she wanted! it is SIMPLY because she is from Middle east that she was treated that way, and if you still see it as a duty then ask your black-african neighbour, if you have one!
He was stopped by the St****** city police more than 5 times a day and checked his car papers, and he was CLEAN, it was just because Osman was a black person!
now, it was last year when we all saw beating the young black person by the FEDERAL POLICEMEN!
that is what Emmunah is trying to say: YOU SHOULD distinguish your ALLIES from your Enemies!
Sorry to hear about the the student having problems, it must be stressful to go though such an ordeal. It sounds like things worked themselves out.
Because they did work themselves out, I must agree with KT. If blame is to be placed, it should be towards the sponsors (individuals) who failed to keep immigration informed, NOT the FBI (or possible the student, if she failed to do something she was suppose to). It looks like things worked out and everyone is fine. Please stop this distortation "victim" concept.
As for the comment about "Candian bedding someone" or the blackman beating, that is a reflection of the ignorence of the writer and lack of understanding how the police process works here. Additionally, as for the decro of an FBI office, get a clue. What do you expect, leather chairs and Gold plaques on the wall. Is that really were we should be spending our protection money?
Many distortions cloud the true daily acts of kindness that the US Citizens (including FBI agents and their families) provide to all (no matter what ethnic or religous group they belong to).
Arab Americans are thriving in the US especially around Detroit like earlier Italians and other European immigrates did in the previous century. The US has had open arms not swinging arms. To bad the media and websites like to push the negatives. Maybe your blog should expose the acts of kindness by Americans to Kurds, support for Arab women to be free and how we are willing to risk our lives for others (especially in non-miltary ways that you seem to either not know about or do not express). The US is the land of opportunity to all immigrates here.
Again, I am sorry that the student had problems here, but "these guys" may not be stupid. Give them the benefit of doubt. People here are not perfect, but in most case (because we are not perfect) the end result is a protected individual (even in cases when the accused is REALLY Guilty). I am glad you can express yourself and I hope that this student's other experiences are postive ones that she can bring back home and hope that we helped her in her education so she can make the world a better place.
In the end, the US does not owe her an apology. Maybe a little understanding/patience by all with cooperation instead of defience would bring a new point of view in to play.
excuse me kt but dont give me such bullsh** about 9/11........yes it was a bad thing but if the fbi can go around taking innocent kurdish girls to jail then why didnt your stupid government take those threats seriously and find the terrorists THEN? its bias....dont act like your government is perfect, they could have prevented 9/11. second of all, your attitude and that attitude of most other americans towards 9/11 PISSES me off! why does everybody in the world have to know and recognize what happened then when i have yet to meet a SINGLE american who knows what halabja is?why should i sit in silence at school on 9/11 to commemorate that and say the pledge to a flag that isnt mine when none of them even know what happened to MY people? that is, until i inform them ofcourse. well, about 10 minutes after i post this comment the FBI will be knocking on my door taking me to jail under the patriot act. but i dont care because im damn sick of you all ranting about 9/11 when you(maybe not you, personally, but americans in general) are completely ignorant of any other atrocities that go on in the world.
Debate is the american gift to a free and diverse world. What is unique to our country is it is made up of all the peoples of the world who had/have that something special, that spark that made/makes them look around at their current situation and want more. More for themselves, more for their children. America provides this opportunity, more so than any other country.
Holding the US accountable for all atroticities is irresponsible. It seems americans, and the system in which they live, are the only accountable body politic in the world. We are accountable for our actions, the terrorists actions, etc...what is great about our country is the teachings to our people about personal responsibility and accountability.
Our soldiers are buried in many a foreign cemetary fighting for the freedoms of others. Europe used to be a fascist stronghold, no more. Do you think the long-term stratigic goal of the democratic west is to democratize the middle east? hmmm...think about it. This goal cannot be realized in a few years it takes generations.
look at fascist europe and imperial Japan to get your answer.
Bitterness over the policies of a country that provides over 80% of world humanitarian Aid, fights others battles for them, and continues to provide a dream where the poorest can rise to the top, will only be a detriment to the possibilities you have before you. rise up, grab hold of the dream, like generations of immigrants did before you. stop feeling sorry for yourself over the past. look to the future and do something with your lives, be productive...live.
CPT Luke
US Army
Irbil, Iraq
first I want to say that my english is terrible, but I will try
I just want you to know that we kurdish people like the americans but what would you feel if you see that american weapons kill your brother or sister.Sometimes I really only feel hate but then I think this is not the right way you have to tell them that what they do is wrong.....We are not against USA we are against the US politics, because you support Turkey, although the Turks hate the Americans
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jou al are pefetic to think she is beutiful
o i forget to say my name my name is hoesam i think sche is ugly
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I would just like to clear up a few things here, mostly for kt. The comment about some Kurds follow Bin Laden, and therefore it is not out of the question that they be subject to interrogation, by the same token, some Americans believe in OBL's ideals and follow him too, like John Walker Lindh, who even lived in the training camps in Afganistan to fight for the Taliban. So should the FBI and other law enforcement agencies arrest and detain ordinary and patriotic Americans because of this one guy? My point is, no country is excluded from having a small number of people that are Muslim fanatics. That is the weakest excuse for justifying the FBI's actions. They had much better reasons to do what they did, not because some Kurds support OBL.
As for Capt. Luke in Irbil, Kurdistan, I don't want to sound like I don't appreciate the sacrifices the coalition forces has made to free Iraq. But these people's blogs are not based on science ficion, rather actual facts. The U.S. was one of the biggest supporters to Saddam during the bloodiest times for the Kurds. Tell me Capt. Luke, wouldn't you feel any animosity towards a country that helped Bin Laden, financially, politically, and by providing intelligence? How would you like it if country X just decided to give Bin Laden billions of dollars AFTER 9/11? Would you give them some blame if they helped finance another attack? President Bush said it better than anyone, "Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists". Kurds do not blame you for everything that has gone wrong in the world, just the things that your government has had a hand in, like it's support for fascist Turkey. I better stop here, that topic will take pages and pages.
Bijit Kurd u Kurdistan!!
I find it funny how people like to speak with authority about things that they do not seem to have even the slightest clue about.
I know Banaz.
How well? Far better than anyone else in the USA. 'Nuff said.
Miss Kurdistan? I'll have to tell her that. That will make her smile for certain!
The first thing I want to point out is that Banaz is grateful for the opportunity to study here and for the support her American friends have given her.
Her papers expired and were not renewed properly, thru no fault of her own.
She informed her sponsors numerous times about it, asked each time that they get her new papers which they were SUPPOSED TO DO!
Each time they said, "Thank you for calling, do not worry about it - we are handling it."
She knew the US law enforcement would eventually come to check up on her and she was not surprised when they came to her dorm.
She was a bit surprised that they insisted on hauling her out of her dorm room in her pajamas and handcuffed behind her back!
She badgered them into at least letting her dress, but they still handcuffed her with her hands behind her back.
Banaz is about 115lbs soaking wet and is just over 5ft tall (barely). On top of that she lived (at the time) on the third floor of the dorms! Three or four big grown men with guns and little Banaz... and they felt the need to handcuff her?
We have a**h*les like Skilling and Lay who ruin tens of thousands of lives.. and yet they are allowed to put on a nice suit and turn themselves in via their attorney?
Also, OBL is Saudi, yet how many Saudis were allowed to leave the USA right after 9-11 without even allowing the FBI or other Law Enforcement to talk to them? The authorities allowed that to happen. Total b*llsh*t, IMHO.
KT wrote, "Sorry to disagree, but the US really doesn't owe this woman anything."
KT, the US does not owe her anything but the individuals who made first contact with her do owe her an apology for the way they handled it. Completely unnecessary behavior that was, at the very least, over-reactionary. How about a simple, "Hello Ms. Ali, as you are probably well aware your paperwork is expired. Would you please dress and come with us down to our office so that we can straighten this out?" "More flies with honey," people - it works in 99% of the cases.
KT- "In fact, it is the other way around; and every time I pay my kid's college loan bills I will remember this lady who thought she should be treated differently than any other person in the country."
Please do remember Banaz! If you ever were to meet her, you would never forget her! Banaz has never once though she should be given privledge that anyone else was given. You yourself point out that you are paying your kids student loans off - I'd bet my last paycheck shes far more appreciative of what she's been given than your kids likely are. Don't throw rocks KT.
I'd certainly rather see my tax dollars at work paying for more "Banaz's" to come to the USA for their education. The cost for her education here was less than half a dozen 2000lb bombs... and far more effective at promoting long term US policy!
KT- "It is certainly understandable from her prospective that she knows she is not a danger to America, but the authorities do not know that." "We do not know who this woman is."
KT, they didn't just let *anyone* into the US on this program... there were thousands of applicants and the ones that were selected were selected by the a US Govt agency... so essentially the authorities DID know her. If she was some kind of threat she would have never been part of the program she was here on. Keep in mind that the student visa process and rules has changed DRASTICALLY since 9/11.
KT- "Please do not forget that many of the 9/11 terrorists had student visas and had overstayed or had improper papers that slipped by the system."
I think you need to double check your facts. Again, keep in mind that the student visa process and rules has changed DRASTICALLY since 9/11.
KT- "I am glad the FBI is doing their job." "The FBI has a job to do, and many Americans would question why they failed to follow up on immigration irregularities if "something" happened."
My question (and hers and may other peoples as well) is... if her student visa papers were expired or there was a problem with them... why did the FBI and not ICE handle it?
Answer that one.
Basically they are not doing their job... they are doing what other agencies should be doing. I think they are/were getting involved before they were needed. Let ICE do its job and if the problems with the student goes BEYOND paperwork issues, THEN the FBI should be involved. We can not assume every student with a visa is a terrorist - at the least its a huge waste of time, money and manpower.
KT- "I do realize the majority of Kurds look favorably at the US, and I wish they had their own country; but there are Kurds that are affiliated with terrorist and for authorities to simply play the odds isn't responsible or good enough any more."
PDK and PKK (or other groups) are not affiliated with Al Q. or OBL or his agents... and they are not "anti-American". Those groups may be anti-Turkish, but honestly I'm not too concerned with Turkey. (FYI, she does not support ANY terrorism of ANY kind.)
KT- "There are Kurds who worship OBL, and act accordingly and to deny otherwise is stupid." LOL... please cite one instance... if you can... and I highly doubt you can.
Unk- "So while you may view this as silly, I simply see it as an unfortunate but necessary episode that was handled appropriately. The way this was handled was so incredibly far from "appropriate" that it boggles even my mind... which, being in the military for a long time... is used to seeing things FUBAR'ed on a regular basis.
Anyways, Banaz has graduated and is doing great. She also has written several OpEds for the Omaha World Herald and they are (or should be) available online.
Here is one. (Since I do not know which link will work, I'm going to post more than one. Sorry.)
[URL=http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=banazeditorialsmip4.png][IMG]http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/8619/banazeditorialsmip4.th.png[/IMG][/URL]
[url=http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=banazeditorialsmip4.png][img=http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/8619/banazeditorialsmip4.th.png][/url]
[URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/8619/banazeditorialsmip4.png[/IMG][/URL]
http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=banazeditorialsmip4.png
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/8619/banazeditorialsmip4.png
Regards!
götüme benziyor
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