情色空间

The Thesis as an Opportunity to Explore Your听Interests

Tucked听away in a small lecture hall on the campus of George Washington听University,听Dr. Najmaldin Karim stood at the podium in front of a large听red, white and green flag听with a yellow sun spread across its colors.听Despite his impressive resume which听included a fellowship in neurology听from George Washington University, multiple听publications in the听Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times听among听others, and an extensive career in Washington D.C., Dr. Karim听introduced听himself in one word: a Kurd.

As I sat in the audience. I was听surprised by his self-proclaimed title. Despite my strong interest in听the Middle East, the Kurdish ethnicity听and people was never a topic听discussed in my academic education. Nor did the Kurds听ever dominate the听headlines of most American media outlets as Iraq, Iran and听Afghanistan听did during the majority of my upbringing. Thus, I was fascinated to听learn听of Dr. Karim and the Kurdish people鈥檚 century long struggle for听independence and听freedom that he described so passionately with the听Kurdish flag draped behind him. The听shocking nature of his claims to a听homeland I had never heard of was only enhanced by听his personal听experiences of violence and repression against the Kurdish people in听hopes听of quelling their ethnic pride. Dr. Karim himself lost his听brother-in-law and nephew in听an Iraqi military attack and witnessed the听public hanging of one of his childhood听friend鈥檚 fathers at the age of听13. Such violence and trauma is a common theme听throughout Kurdish听history and identity, as the Kurds have faced prejudice and听cultural听erasure in most of their host states.

However,听rather than be intimidated by such violence, Dr. Karim became one听of听the most well-known and successful Kurdish activists. Often referred听to as the 鈥渙ne-man lobby鈥� of the Kurds, Dr. Karim devoted nearly all of听his life to bringing the plight听of the Kurdish people to the forefront听of both the U.S. Congress鈥檚 and American听public鈥檚 attention. Dr. Karim鈥檚听passing in 2020 sparked a strong reaction in both myself听and the strong听Kurdish network throughout the United States that he helped听build.听听Remembered by Kurdish nationalist figures like Prime Minister of听the Kurdistan听Region Masrour Barzani as 鈥渁 true nationalist and听faithful patriot of Kurdistan,鈥� his听death helped recenter many Kurdish听and American activists on the plight of his听population and their quest听for a homeland, a topic seldomly discussed compared to听traditional听Middle Eastern groups.听

It was in the aftermath of his death that I was beginning to decide to on a听topic for听my thesis. As an IS major, I have taken classes on places and听topics across the globe听and time. I have learned about war in Latin听America, movements in the Middle East听and even Diplomacy in the Vatican.听I have never forgotten my interaction with Dr.听Najmaldin Karim, though.听His personal story has inspired me through my time at 情色空间听and as an IS听major, and I have always sought to learn more about him and his听people.听The IS thesis was the perfect opportunity to do that. I have听been able to use the听analytical, writing and research skills that I have听learned throughout my classes and听apply them to a topic that I am听deeply passionate about.听听

The听thesis is a daunting project and there are days where it can seem like听more of a听challenge than I signed up for. That being said, if you have a听topic that you are听passionate about, it can be the perfect final听project to finish your time at 情色空间.听听

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Peter Pinto '22
January 2022