Two weeks ago, the ongoing discussion of Iraq took on new life at Rose Hill. Qubad Talabany, the Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government to the United States, came all the way from Washington D.C. to speak with Fordham students. Talabany is a member of the KRG, an administrative government for the entire Kurdistan region in Iraq.
"This organization works closely with the United States government, with academic institutes and the press. We work with the Embassy of Iraq, but not necessarily for the Embassy of Iraq," Talabany said.
The event, entitled "Emergence and Threat of Radical Islam," included a speech by Talabany and a follow-up Q&A. The discussion was organized by The Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, which helps give Talabany and his colleagues opportunities to speak to Americans across the country about issues related to defending democracy, particularly in the Middle East. Alexander Field, a senior and fellow for The Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, was the first to address the packed crowd in Keating third auditorium. Then Professor Raish, a Fulbright scholar currently teaching a class on Islam in Europe, introduced Talabany.
Qubad Talabany is no stranger to politics: his father, Jalal Talabani, is the President of the Republic of Iraq and Secretary General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Talabany, however, was not initially drawn to the family business.
"I never really ever had any ideas of getting involved in politics," he said. "My family was involved in politics forever. I was growing up in London as far away from politics as possible." Instead, Talabany studied engineering and earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
Eventually, politics did become a large part of Talabany's life. Until his recent appointment in October 2006, Talabany represented the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of the two major political parties in Iraqi Kurdistan. He has also worked closely with the U.S - led Coalition Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA), and he was a key negotiator during the drafting of Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), Iraq's first post-Saddam constitution.
2008 Woodie Awards
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