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| Introduction
“Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou, the Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, was born on 20th December 1930 in the city of Ourmiah. He went to university in Paris and later Prague. He obtained a Doctorate in economics and was an associate professor, teaching at Prague University and at the University of Paris”.
Thousand of Kurds left the East [Iranian] Kurdistan into exile in order to flee from Iranian persecution. Those against the tyrannical policy of the state are simply executed or are taken to unknown places. The harsh terrorist policy of this state even crossed the border of Kurdistan to terrorise Kurdish freedom activists. Qassimlou an academic, politician and the leader of Kurdistan Democratic Party of East Kurdistan was brutally assassinated with two of his friends while he was in negotiation with Iranian delegates in Austria. The occupation of East Kurdistan, by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has caused destruction of village’s, cities, devastating Kurdish economy, poverty, and oppression, prohibiting Kurdish language. Killing, assassination and torturing, imprisonment of Kurds in Kurdistan is a daily policy by Iran against the women, men and children in Kurdistan. This state has exported its terrorist policy against Kurdish activists outside Kurdistan and even in exile. Iranian agents have assassinated more than 300 hundreds Kurdish activists. Qassimlou, and Dr. Sharafkandi, the second general secretary after Qassimlou in Berlin in the heard of Europe are examples of this state’s ethnic cleansing and dangerous strategy against the Kurds. Iranian agents assassinated Qassimlou, In Vienna, Austria in 13 July 1989 with two of his friends, Abdullah Ghaderi-Azar and Fadil Rassoul while they were sitting on a negotiation table. The killers did their cowardly crime against humanity, and escaped with the help of the Iranian Embassy in Vienna. Qassimlou had married Helena who was from Czech. Helena studied philosophy and English and later a Master’s degree in 1958, focused on an American writer Jack London. Qaassimlou left behind two daughters, Mina 48 years and Hiwa 46 years old. They are both married and have children of their own. Helena speaks Kurdish and Farsi, and is still very close to the Kurdish question. Below are selective answers from an interview. In it she describes, her Kurdish husband: Interview with Helena Qassimlou Q: What kind of man was Qassimlou? A: Qassimlou was a good and a moderate man, he knew a lot. Q: After Qassimlou was martyred, is there any thing else to keep you close to the Kurdish issues?
Q: Where did the sympathy of Dr Bernard koshner and Madame Denial Mitterand towards the Kurds come from? A: I believe that both Qassimlou and Kandal Nazan have had an effective role on Madame Mitterand and Dr Bernard Kushner to know more about the Kurds. Q: When you went back to Czech, don’t you wish to try to open a centre to promote the Kurdish issue in your country? A: Yes, I did think of that, but in order to have such an organisation, you need money, and energy, I’m about to be 70 years old, there are things that I can do, and there are other things which younger people have to do. I have been living out of my country for the last 25 years. Q: Some aspects connect you with Kurdish women; at the same time separate you from them. The majority of Kurdish Women in Kurdistan are losing their husbands because of war, for you as a non-Kurdish woman, how do you analyse this? A: I don’t think that there is a difference in this regard. I have always kept my problems and sorrows close to my chest since my childhood. Men and women in Kurdistan are crying, when they lose a beloved one, this is much healthier than to keep it inside you. When you cry your pain will be discharged. There should be difference in appearance but in reality we are the same, for me, in here, the matter is the assassination of a human being who was my husband. Q: Who are the closer friends of Qassimlou in Prague A: Dr Karl Yekh, Doctor in Science, Politic and Social Studies, specialist in twentieth century, and professor of University of Politics, which was the biggest university in former Czechoslovakia. Mr Karl was a close university friend of Qassimloo, and a neighbour for many years and he’s retired now. Q: What is your last word in this occasion? A: We have to know that the most important thing is the freedom of Kurdistan, my regards and love to Kurdish nation. An interview with Dr. Karl Yekh, Qassimlou’s close friend Q: Dr Karl Yekh, when did you first meet Qassimlou?
Q: As a close friend of Qassimlou and as a European, how do you evaluate Qassimlou’s personality? A: Qassimlou, had a leader personality, he was an attractive young man, and had a capability to make friends. He was very friendly and memorised many poems. Qassimlou was telling us about Kurdish history effectively, he knew many jokes. He even knew about the history of Czechoslovakia. He was telling about Kurdish personalities and compared them with Czech ones. He knew about Czech songs, and even knew better than me about my country’s history, literature in a level that I felt a shame. Q: Is Qassimlou had ever been proud of himself at that time? A: No in contrary, Qassimlou was a leader for foreigner students in Czechoslovakia; we went to a youth student festival in Berlin in 1951. He had contacts with many political personalities, and was very simple. He came to Prague for my 60th birthday with two other men, Qassimlou introduced them to me as friends, but later I found out that they were his bodyguards. Q: Has Qassimlou ever told you about his date of birth? A: He didn’t know even himself, but he was always telling this that, he was told by his mother, that he was born in the first fallen snow. Qassimlou was analysing this and said, “my date of birth might be 22nd of December 1930. I can’t cut one extra day on it, otherwise it does match with Stalin’s date of birth” said Qassimloo with Joke. Q: How was Qasimloo living and what did he mostly like to do? A: He liked to walk, as he was a good walker, going to cinema, concerts, theatre, he liked management, and he didn’t smoke. He was organising student’s affairs as well. Q: Was there any different between Qassimlou’s life style and yours? A: He was living as simple as the rest of us, students were not allowed to work at that time, he had student help from which he had to spend some for his family, except the visitors were coming from Kurdistan and elsewhere to visit him, Qassimlou was very pleased with that. Q:In what level are you familiar with Qassimlou’s revolutionary discipline? A:He was a revolutionary ideologist. In the summer of 1952, when Helena’s marriage registration was due; Qassimlou couldn’t attend, because he had to leave to Kurdistan for political reasons. At that time I Had to attend on his behalf, he told me to look after his family till he’s back, then I witnessed in the court and at the Iranian Embassy. Q: Peace and peaceful solutions, what did they mean for Qassimlou? A: He always believed in this that the Kurdish problem to be resolved by peaceful mean, even he was blamed by other friends that he’s very idealistic. In addition, he insisted that all agreements in these regards must be proved by law and the international bodies should be told about it. Q: When did you last see Qassimlou? A: On 4th January, 1989 Qassimloo came to visit us and stayed for five days, then went back to Vienna by train, he said” I feel safe in Prague” he avoided travelling with cars for security reasons. “I need to be aware”. In 1989 when he went to Sweden to participate in the Socialist International Conference, we spoke to each other by phone; it was in his plan to visit us in Prague in July. Q: When you first hear that he was assassinated? A: On 14 July in 1989, on the Radio, I contacted Mina, Qassimlou’s older daughter straight away. Q: Have you visited his grave? A: Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend as soon as I could, but in his first anniversary, we were invited by the Kurdistan Democratic Party to go to Paris, we attended the anniversary with two other professors who were friends of him, we showed our respects. Qassimlou to me wasn’t just a close friend or a colleague at the university. We were neighbours from 1959-1975 in Prague. Q: After martyr Qassimlou is there any thing left for you to remember him? A: Yes, we opened a club after Qassimlou's assassination in 1991 in Prague, in participation with four professors and four politicians, the president at that time was Mr Havel who signed the certificate of this club, Dr Sharafkandi was one of the participants as well, on that day we had a press conference. Sources: Peyam, London-based Kurdish Paper, Issue Number 25-26, by Harem Jaff Photo: Qassimlou (Courtesy of Dr karl Yeck) Photo: Helena & Dr Karl (courtesy H. Jaff) Thanks to: Mr Peter Kubaluk
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He
had many valuable books written about politics and economics and they
have been translated into a number of different languages. Apart from
his political activities, Qassimlou was a very well known diplomatic
figure outside Kurdistan, especially in Europe. Qasimloo was working
for the Kurdish nation in the occupied East of Kurdistan, where,
Kurdish people have been and are tortured and abused by the
invader’s rule.
A:
You are still young; it’s not easy for someone to give up with a
struggle, which is been on for the whole life. You can’t change your
personality. Kurds and Kurdistan will still be standing even after my
death. I will never see and think that one day I will forget about
Kurds and Kurdistan. I’m still working for the Kurds and Writing on
Kurdish issues.
A:
In 1950, because of the international student organisation, Qassimlou
had an opportunity to come to Prague and study; he used to study in
Paris before. Here we both studied and lived in one room till 1952.
This was when I left to Russia, and Dr Qassimloo into Kurdistan for
secret political activity. In Moscow, I heard from some Kurdish
students that Qassimlou had been killed, as a friend, I was very sad,
but fortunately this news wasn’t true.