I would like to thank the organizers of the 64th anniversary of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in San Diego for inviting us to this memorable event. It is a pleasure to be among you who have dedicated many years of your life to the Kurdish national aspiration. Through the efforts of various organizations including the KDP we have made significant progress as Kurdish nation. When Peshawa Qazi Muhammad founded the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iran in 1946, General Mustafa Barezani was among the first Kurdish leaders from other parts of Kurdistan who joined him to promote the Kurdish cause under the Republic of Mahabad. Soon the Kurdish intellectuals in Iraqi Kurdistan followed suit and founded the Iraqi faction of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which held its first congress on August 16, 1946, and elected general Barzani as its president in exile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately the Iranian military attacked the first federal Kurdish State in Iran in 1947 and hanged Qazi Muhamad, who sacrificed himself to save his people and did not leave the country. The Kurdish aspiration in Iran was shot down for a while but resurfaced later under a new leader in exile. The aspiration of the Iraqi Kurds grew further under the leadership of general Barzani. Since 1946 KDP has gone through many ups and downs in promoting the Kurdish national rights. Pressure from Baghdad, competition with other Kurdish organizations for survival and influence, and support and betrayal from the neighboring and other powerful countries dominated the life of KDP members and leadership. Despite these challenges, and even in the face of the Anfal campaign by the Iraqi government, the KDP survived and was a major force in the partial liberation of the Iraqi Kurdistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The true dedication of the KDP leadership and members to the Kurdish aspiration became obvious after they decided to work closely with their main competitor, PUK, and together fight for freedom and equality for Kurds and Arabs as two main nations in Iraq. For the past two decades, they have had some shortcomings but overall have been instrumental in making Iraqi Kurdistan a better place than it was under the Ba","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I would like to thank the organizers of the 64th anniversary of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in San Diego for inviting us to this memorable event. It is a pleasure to be among you who have dedicated many years of your life to the Kurdish national aspiration. Through the efforts of various organizations including the …<\/p>\n