Kurdish street gang rocks Nashville

Did you happen to see this one? From AP, July 31:

NASHVILLE — A proud enclave of Kurds has lived in this city for decades, starting businesses and soccer leagues, holding down good jobs and blending into the immigrant neighborhoods south of town. But now the Kurdish immigrant community has been shaken to see its young people joining a street gang that blends old-world customs and new-world thuggery. Police blame the gang for a string of rapes, assaults and home invasions. The gang calls itself Kurdish Pride and is made up of 20 to 30 teenagers and young adults.

"We don't have the phenomenon anywhere else. This is a unique situation in Nashville," said Pary Karadaghi, president and chief executive of Kurdish Human Rights Watch, based in Fairfax, Va.

The gang members borrow from California gangster culture by adopting rap slang, scrawling "KP" graffiti on street signs, wearing gang colors and flashing hand signs in photos posted online. They also put Kurdish flags on their cars, and use yellow from the Kurdish Democratic Party banner as their gang color. On their Web sites, they talk about Kurdish music and culture.

See our last post on the Kurds.

Kurdish Pride

I live in Nashville. These guys are in the local paper fairly regularly. There are indeed alot of Kurds in Nashville. All the ones I have met at school seem to be well adjusted. The details in the Tennessean(local paper) are sketchy, the police know they exist but can't seem to link many crimes to them.

Kurdish Pride

As a Kurdish American it is sad to see that a group of boys who are already jailed have taken the spotlight of the hard working kurdish families currently living in America. They are a disrespect to their families and don't have the right to call themselves Kurdish anymore. I will say that I will not let the propaganda interfere with what is most important and that is freeing Kurdistan!!!!! Don't believe the hype just believe the facts: THE KURDS ARE THE LARGEST MINORITY IN THE WORLD WITHOUT A COUNTRY OR STATE!!!!!!

So you call yourself Kurdish-American

Hello, so you call yourself a Kurdish American, well I myself am a Kurdish American and you have disrespected yourself and many. You should know, if your a Kurd, that "kurdish Pride" is not a gang, I mean come on has the media corrupted you too, you know they mean no harm so they have made mistakes,(and yes many of them pay for their mistakes, believe me Metro makes sure of that, especially if they are kurds) who hasn't. How many murders, rapes, homicides, do you hear about daily in Nashville, but one thing happens and the Kurds are to blame thats shows how much you know about your own people...It's sad enough that Metro Police are trying their hardest to get all the Kurdish guys behind bars, but you a "Kurd", One things certain get to know your facts before you critize your own kind...that is one thing the media in Nashville, Tennessee failed to do before they ruined the Kurds name in general..Many of us are U.S citizens but are Judged because Metro failed to get the facts before they took it to New York Times..come on you try to pick up the pieces of the puzzel and figure out for your own self instead of listening to a whole bunch a people making money for making you a "KURDISH AMERICAN" look down on. I hope you have realized something, is that you know The Kurds have no friends but the Mountains, and yet you believe that Metro is gonna help our kids...Roj Besh.

kurdish pride will never die

you may remeber me i am the brother in law of musa and i am currantly in tdc which is the penatentary in texas for something that had nothing to do whith me right now in dallas thousands are getting descrimenated aginst becuse ther kurdish that is the reason why i am in jail right now becuse i have k.p tattoed on my chest and for any one to say that it is our fault for that discremination than they know nothing about us my dad is a well respected kurdish man among both the kurdish community and the american comunity but still sence me and my brothers are young kurdish men than they still have this aspect of us being crimanls which were not

Who said have a KP

That's your own ignorance! Who said get a tatoo with KP, couldn't you get something else to show your "pride" or for that matter do you even need something to show the world that you have kurdish pride? If you know your dad is well respected and known in the Kurdish community then why would you even put your family and self in the position it is in? What's the need for KP tatoo? You could've shown your KP in so many ways but you chose to get a mark instead of doing something, putting awareness out there about your culture, your people, etc. Don't blame law enforcements/people etc for discriminating or assuming your part of a gang member or a criminal.

BORN A KURD...WILL DIE AS A KURD!!!!!

How dare you just put your own people down like that? How will the Americans help you out? Man they don't give a crap about you...us kurdish people have each others back no matter what happens. And you over here talking about how Metro will HELP YOU!!!!! Are you retarded or something...Most of our people are in jail because of something that was SAID!!!!! Yeah were young and we do things that get us in trouble, but that doesnt mean we are criminals. Why the hell doesnt anyone talk about other races doing other crimes, but you just want to go and ride on the Americans dick...than go ride ahead...I know for a fact that the reason why most of the KURDISH people who are in jail is because of someone else, they were either took the blame or did something for someone else...next time know what you are talking about before you speak...you discraced your whole race, you shouldn't even call yourself a Kurd

Kurdish disgrace

"...THE KURDS ARE THE LARGEST MINORITY IN THE WORLD WITHOUT A COUNTRY OR STATE!!!!!!..."

It will always stay like that!

KURD 4 LIFE

LONG LIVE KURDISTAN!!!!!!!!!!!

half the bullshit yall ppl sayin is jus dumb as hell if u no nothin dnt say nothin if u cant prove anything jus shut the hell up den ...but most important if u have sum shit 2 say about us kurdish ppl u can go stick a dick n yo mouth bc u dnt know us or the shit we been through so SHUT DA FUCK UP KU YA KNOW YO ASS WANNA BE KURDISH I MEAN LOOK AT US WHO WOULDNT ...we look after each other and r alway der 4 one another ....

Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran werent Enough. Now the Media???

Hello im Har. 19 from Kurdistan living in NY. Over the past few decades and through out Kurdistan's History, we Kurds have fought for our rights and freedom, just as the blacks did in the 1800's in America and in many other places and yet all we get is just more hatred and more Kurds to blame thanks to the Nashville Metro police and many others.Kurds never had the chance to know what freedom is and never had the chance to actually experience it. According to the Nashville Media, it is said that there are many of us young Kurds and teenagers that are committing crimes like no others. The Media is comparing a so called "gang" called K.P.G to the behaviors of many Kurds who never even heard of this so called gang ever in their life. Yes, there are many young teens with Kurdish flags in their cars or maybe a shirt with a flag in the front or on the back, but for EX:) what's the difference between a Kurdish flag being posted on a shirt on in cars than An American flag being posted in anywhere you can think of now, or a Puerto Rican flag. This to me, does not sound right and unjust.

How ever, i am begging all the Kurd's in Nashville or in other states in cities to please not cause any more tension. Thank You.

You are not americans.

Americans have pride in their own country, thats why you see AMERICAN flags flying in AMERICA. You immigrants come here and fly your flags from your own countries, you dont deserve to be here. Go back to where you came from and fly your crap there.

That's what...

...the Pequots should have said when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

By the way, "AMERICA" stretches from Tierra del Fuego to the Yukon. Many of the "aliens" coming into the USA, with their indigenous blood, are more "AMERICAN" than you white boys.

As for the Kurds.. Imagine the clueless arrogance of "Americans" complaining about people coming to their country from Iraq... The mind boggles.

indigenous blood?

> By the way, "AMERICA" stretches form Tierra del Fuego to the Yukon. Many of the "aliens" coming into the USA, with their indigenous blood, are more "AMERICAN" than you white boys.

I disagree. How is someone with 'indigenous blood' more 'American' then me? We were both born here / live here. Or does it have to do with percentage of 'indigenous blood'? If someone's ancestors arrived across an ice bridge in ? BC their blood is ... purer(?) ... then the boat people of the last 500+ years (OK, in the case of the Kurds they would be airplane people)?

I refuse to accept that me or mine for some reason of heritage has less claim to NYC USA then someone else. Those Kurdish kids are now as 'American' as an indigenous tribe. Sorry if that's not PC.

(This is making the assumption that the Kurds desire the status of 'American'. They may have other ideas.)

> Imagine the clueless arrogance of "Americans" complaining about people coming to their country from Iraq...

You're confusing arrogance with fear (wanted to use 'terror' but the word should be retired for a while except for Hitchcock revivals). Above poster / know nothing is scared of the 'other', doesn't want brown guys coming over the border to work in the fields, and is terrified that in the near future the native USA-ians are going to have to work in those fields to try and pay for their gasoline.

How's your Spanish?

I was riffing off the Tigres del Norte.

Somos Mas Americanos
Ya me gritaron mil veces que me regrese a mi tierra,
Porque aqui no quepo yo
Quiero recordarle al gringo: Yo no cruce la frontera, la frontera me cruzo.
America nacio libre, el hombre la dividio.
Ellos pintaron la raya, para que yo la brincara y me llaman imbasor es un error bien marcado
Nos quitaron ocho estados quien es aqui el imbasor.
Soy extranjero en mi tierra, y no vengo a darles guerra
Soy hombre trabajador.

Y si no miente la historia, aqui se asento en la gloria la poderosa nacion
entre guerreros valientes, indios de dos continentes, mezclados con espanol.
Y si a los siglos nos vamos: somos mas americanos,
somos mas americanos que el hijo del anglo-saxon.

[Spoken:]
Nos compraron sin dinero las aguas del rio bravo. Y nos quitaron a Texas, Nuevo Mexico, Arizona y Colorado. Tambien volo California y Nevada con Utah no se llenaron, el estado de Wyoming, tambien nos lo arrebataron. Yo soy la sangre del indio, soy latino, soy mestizo. Somos de todos colores y de todos los oficios y si contamos los siglos aunque le duela al vecino. Somos mas americanos que todititos los gringos.

Y si no miente la historia, aqui se asento en la gloria la poderosa nacion
entre guerreros valientes, indios de dos continentes, mezclados con espanol.
Y si a los siglos nos vamos: somos mas americanos,
somos mas americanos que el hijo del anglo-saxon.

accordians are not usually to my liking

No hable ... but translation software is free. My tastes run more towards Reggaeton and Mexican speed metal. Though big ups to anyone standing up for theirs. Viva la raza.

However you dodge my question. Does a greater percentage of 'ice bridge' DNA make someone more 'American'? And if so ... (open can of worms)

Los Tigres say "sí"

Here's Weinberg's translation (with only minimal help from Babel Fish):

We Are More American
A thousand times they've screamed at me to go back to my country,
Because I don't belong here
I want to remind the gringo: I didn't cross the border, the border crossed me.
America was born free, men divided it.
They painted the line; to call me an invader because I jump it is a glaring error.
Eight states were taken from us, who here is the invader?
I am a stranger in my land, and I don't come to bring war,
I'm just a working man.

And if history doesn't lie, here began the glory of the powerful nation
Between valiant warriors, Indians of two continents, mixed with Spanish.
And if we look to the centuries: we are more American,
We are more American than the son of the Anglo-Saxon.

[Spoken:]
They bought from us without money the water of the Rio Grande. And they took from us Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. Also California and Nevada with Utah was not enough; the state Wyoming they also snatched from us. I am of Indian blood, I am Latino, I am mestizo. We are of all colors and and all walks of life, and if we count the centuries, even though it causes our neighbor pain--we are more American than every little one of the gringos.

And if history doesn't lie, here began the glory of the powerful nation
Between valiant warriors, Indians of two continents, mixed with Spanish.
And if we look to the centuries: we are more American,
We are more American than the son of the Anglo-Saxon.

but the point was ...

Yeah I got the translation fine.
About the sentence:

"We are more American than the son of the Anglo-Saxon."

I disagree with this as stated above. I'm as American as anyone having nothing to do with my race or DNA. Now we can quote Paine or John Lennon and march towards a glorious pluralistic internationalist future but in the present I refuse to make apologies for my ancestry. Period.

And if the Kurds want to be New Yorkers too let them move here as long as they bring some hot chicks.

being racist to kurds instead of mexicans

first u discremenate every immigrant espetially kurds even tho this is one thing bad about kurds even though mexicans smuggled there way through(some) and have u heard how much gangs they have? ms13 bp sur13 and many more those gangs are one of the most dangerouse in the world and ms13 is! the dangerouse and messed america up and kurds do won thing kurdish pride and u guys go crazy screw america im a kurdish european its way nicer here espetially britain it kiks that shitholes ass big time compare euro chicks to mcdonald eating fat americans(there trash at soccer n hockey) beleive me life in europe is waqy better then lookin at fat chicks and mexican gangs all day and being discriminated by white racist fat shits

Thanks for the good vibes, man

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

kurdish pride

Man forget what half of what yall say is is some bulls**t come to Nashville and you'll see what will go down. And Desosh is my cousin say something about him and you really goin to be sorry.Kurdish people are much more better then any other people. Forget white trash , Black fakestas , and Illegal Mexicans WE ARE THE BEST AND YOU KNOW WHATS UP IF YOU KURDISH. STICK TOGETHER AND OVERCOME THE REST PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF US..........................

Does Kurdish pride...

...necessarily entail dissing Blacks and Mexicans?

Just asking.

if what is on the paper is

if what is on the paper is true about the kurdish pride gang if there is such a thing as the gang I have to ask this gang where were they when arabs were screwing there pple and were are they now? why do they rob insent ppl and kill insent ppl if you are so proud why not go and save your country if you are so proud why are you making kurds look bad. there is so much you can do to make your community proud and do something for our country instead of making ourselves look bad.
as a kurdish american I am proud of been a kurd and proud of being and american as well because were was are ass if we had been back home we probably be as good as all those who were barried alive,raped, sold, and or all the other stuff they did be a community who is appreciative of what america has done for you after all we live her don't we?
kurds we are in all this because we are a selfish culture we don't go after who we need to go after instead we go with the enemy and get who helps us.
I hope I have not offended anyone i love kurds and i wish for once we all helped to be a country and we did to gain only a country back not to be selfish.

KP 11-16 MEMBER

REAL TALK. YALL DONT KNOW A MUTHERFUKKIN THING. KOPS AND THE NEWS IS ALL SETUP BY THE GOVERMENT THEY TELL U WHAT U WANT TO HEAR. THING IS THEY LEAVE OUT THE BLANKS SUCH AS WE ARRESTED THIS MAN BUT THEY LEFT OUT THEY BEAT HIM HALF TO DEATH. I LIVE IN NASHVILLE AND IM PROUD TO SAY IM A MEMBER, WE GET HARRASED BY GANG UNIT ALL THE TIME( WHICH THEY ACT THE SAME WAY AS A GANG) BY BREAKING ARE RIGHTS. WE GOT HARRASED BY A SO KALLED FLEX UNIT WHICH IS A POLICE GROUP WHICH DRIVES THE SILVER IMPALAS FOR A WEEK STRAIGHT. THEY WOULD SOME HOW FIND US( BY FOLLOWING US AROUND) AND WAIT FOR US TO DO SOMETHING WRONG AND JUST POP OUT. THING IS THEY WASTE TIME AND MONEY TO MESS WITH US WHEN THE MOST THEY'LL GET IS PROBABLY A LITTERING OR SOME MINOR CHARGE. YOU NEED TO CHECK WHO U LISTEN TO BKUZ THE WAY THE WORLD AND PEOPLE IN IT ARE SETUP IS THEY'LL TELL U WHAT U WANNA HEAR AND ONCE U TURN AROUND THE'LL STAB U IN UR HEART. THINK ABOUT IT...................