Call Them "Kaka"

The large Hispanic population in Harrisonburg is something that is fairly well-known throughout the community. However, many people are surprised to discover that there is also a large group of Kurds living among us.

First, a bit of background: In the mid-1990s, the United States government funded non-governmental organizations in northern Iraq, which was occupied mainly by Kurds. Saddam Hussein threatened to kill anyone working with the U.S., so our government brought many of the Kurds here. One month later, their support was cut off and they were told to find jobs. In the following years, UN sanctions and U.S. interference in Iraq made a mess of the economy. Kurds living here wanted to send money to help their families still living in Iraq, so some of the Kurdish men set up money transfer businesses to facilitate this (it is important to note here that the Kurdish culture requires you to help your family if they need money, regardless of the cost to you personally).

When the Patriot Act was passed, the laws regarding foreign fund transfers changed in such a way that the Kurds illegally transferred the money. The FBI began to investigate, and over the next months several homes were raided by teams of agents. Four men were eventually charged with felonies for illegally transferring funds abroad. The way the law is written gives the FBI the ability to arrest offenders regardless of their intent.

Obviously the Kurds have experienced great mistreatment throughout this whole process. It is time now that we stand up in support of these neighbors who have been living among us for several years now. However, supporting each other must begin with getting to know each other.

The Documentary Production class at EMU is doing their project this semester on what it means to be an Iraqi Kurd living specifically in Harrisonburg and, on a broader scale, in the U.S. Through visits and interviews, the class is meeting some of the more than 80 Kurdish families that live in our community. This is a great start, but our EMU community as a whole can do much more.

There are many opportunities to get to know those around us, opportunities which tend to come through required community service hours for a class. However, we need to start moving beyond what is required and going the extra mile to get involved in our community. The more informed we are of the injustices happening literally right next door, the more we can be involved and help each other. Kakahama Askary, a professor at JMU, and his wife Christi Kramer, an American, spoke at Tuesday night's Common Grounds discussion on the Kurds' situation. Askary emphasized the importance of knowing those around us. If you meet a Kurd, he said, "call them kaka." It means "brother."