"The Permitted Theft".. A profession that pushes Kurdistan's Mountains' cold and hunger away

Shafaq News/ Firewood-gathering, logging, or the permitted theft -as some call it, are metaphors for collecting dried trees, branches, or shrubs that may harm the agricultural land, in which the logger uses his ax to harvest what he wants from nature.

Ironically, radical Islamists in some areas -including northern Syria, used the logging as an example to initiate a fatwa (a non-binding advisory opinion) to kidnap people and free them in exchange for large sums of money.. and to loot money and animals from people to cover their financial expenses.

As for Duhok's (located in the north of Kurdistan) villagers, it is somewhat different. There is no control of terrorist groups; but there is an enemy of another kind, poverty and cold. Duhok's people are resorting to providing firewood for heating, preparing food, or for sale since fuel provision in the current circumstances is difficult to achieve due to the economic crisis.

Tahir Mustafa, a villager from the Hiror village (located near the Turkish border), told Shafaq News agency that the government provides them with one barrel of oil a year. It is enough for only one month, "We prepare for winter before heavy snow.. we collect firewood and transport it using donkeys. Our area is very cold in winter".

Tahir refuses to harm nature; as he only cuts dry trees to provide firewood -essential for heating and cooking, for his seven-members family.

It seems that the Kurds have always been friendly to nature and respectful of the environment in which they live. For them, nature is the mother on whom they depend and refuse to harm.

Ibrahim Nadir, from another village in the Barwari Bala border area, told Shafaq News agency about the nature of his work, "I became strong because of this labour. I cut wood and collect it near my house so my family can use it easily. It's hard work, but I'm used to it and my sons help me transport firewood from our nearby pastures. If we want to collect firewood from the neighbors' pasture, we must ask for permission first. It is part of the profession's ethics and the residents' commitment to their ancestors' heritage".

Villagers in Duhok are preparing for the harsh winter and its large quantities of snow.. Duhok's winter prevents the people from going out to work -as the roads get closed for many days, and their stocks of fuel, -especially white oil, are only enough for one month. Thus, the residents provide this natural alternative.. It requires them to work in rugged areas and have the considerable physical strength to collect firewood, load it on animals, and walk them long distances.

As an annual tradition, their preparations have become part of their lives and have become an easy process -to which they seem to have become accustomed to managing their lives by selling part of it and using the rest for heating and cooking.. Otherwise, cold and hunger are ruthless.