Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, the difficulties that are facing our beloved Kurdistan, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the humanity and American dream – a dream of freedom, equality, and self-determination, a dream deeply rooted in my countrymen hearts and minds, a dream deeply rooted in the memory of tens of thousands of our martyrs, a dream deeply rooted in my people conciseness. I have a dream that one day our nation, the Kurdistan nation, will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the land of old Mesopotamia, Babylon and Assyria, the sons of former oppressors and the sons of former oppressed people will be able to sit down together, as equals, at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Iraq, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice for decades, sweltering with the heat of oppression for one hundred years, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice for all. I have a dream that my little children will one day live in a state where they will not be judged by their religion or ethnicity, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day the free nations of humanity will recognize the great sacrifices of Kurdistan’s people, and Peshmerga, and will support our Kurdistani people to decide their own destiny as a free nation in our ancestral historic lands. I have a dream today! I have a dream that the Free nations of the world will assist, and support our Kurdistan to remain as always the safe haven and an oasis of coexistence and peace for different religions and ethnic groups, Muslims, Shiites, Sunnis , Christians, Yazidis, Sabeans, Kakayis, Jews, and Zardashtiyes. A protected sanctuary for Kurds, Arabs, Turkmans, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syriacs, and Armenians. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our country and nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Safeen. Let freedom ring from Mountains of Hamreen. Let freedom ring from The Marshes of Basra. Let freedom ring from Mountains of Sinjar. Let freedom ring from Mountains of Duhok. Let freedom ring from the square of Tahrir in Baghdad. Let freedom ring from Mountains of Zakho. Let freedom ring from every hill and Mountain of Sulamania. From every mountainside, from the citadel of Erbil, let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every province and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Muslims Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, Jews, Yazidis, Sabeans, Kakayis, and Zardashtiyes. Kurds, Arabs, Turkmans, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syriacs, and Armenians join hands and look proudly at their blessed flag of Kurdistan and sing .. Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! Kurdistan is free at last! Ano Abdoka is a Christian politician and current KRG Minister of Transportation and Communication. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.
