From Poet to Vice President

October 22, 2019

The Vice President
Old Executive Office Building
Washington, DC 20501

Dear Mr. Vice President,

I consider it my duty and my honor to serve my people through my writing as a poet and a translator, particularly bringing Walt Whitman into Kurdish.

I have watched as you reacted to President Trump’s unexpected and devastating decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria and leave faithful Kurdish fighters, as well as innocent civilian people to slaughter at the hands of the Turkish Army and ruthless mercenaries. Though Trump acted baselessly, you acted with honor. You remembered that Northern Syria was the only place, where all communities, genders, languages, religions and faiths were living in peace and never acted with military aggression toward Turkey during all its years of existence.

But President Trump wasn’t content to leave his allies he also wanted a business deal. Erdogan was allowed to take land, that has been home to Kurds and to make demographic changes to suit him. Despite the Kurdish nation being large, it has no state. President Trump wrongly assumed that such a nation could be sold and bought, forgetting that Kurds have deep roots, pride and dignity.

Let me agree with you, dear Vice President Biden, the future is for the Kurdish people, who want to live in peace within the boundaries of their historical homelands. So be among us, as you have always been. Stand with us in the darkest days of our relentlessly tragic history. Support the no-fly zone under the international protection. Cut short this emerging genocide and all its attendant tragic migrations and displacement. Be part of our peace.

I have enclosed an advance copy of my forthcoming book in English as a sign of gratitude for all you’ve done for our just cause. The address of my American publisher, included above, can be used for any possible correspondence.

Sincerely,

Abdulla Pashew
Helsinki, Finland