Building brand Kurdistan: Helly Luv, the gender of nationhood, and the War on Terror

In the early 2000s, the Kurdistan Regional Government hired a US-based firm to begin a public relations campaign called “The Other Iraq.” Since that time, it has worked with a number of PR and lobbying firms to build a cultural, political, and financial apparatus that I refer to as Brand Kurdistan. This apparatus aims to prove to Western audiencesthat the Kurds are a liberal exception in an illiberal Middle East, and to build prospects of KRG’s eventual national independence. This article explores the connections between Brand Kurdistan and the gendering of Kurdish nationalism, focusing particularly on Kurdish pop diva Helly Luv. In her music, Luv underscores the trope of the “badass” Kurdish woman in the service of Brand Kurdistan’s political and economic projects. Thus, Brand Kurdistan and Helly Luv mutually reproducethe binary world discourse of the war on terror, a discourse aligned with neoconservative American war making and exertions of US empire . ABSTRACT IN KURMANJI Cekirina Marka Kurdistane: Helly Luv, cinsiyeta netewetiye, u Sere li Diji Terore Sere salen 2000an, Hikumeta Heremi ya Kurdistane (HHK) sirketeke emeriki girt da ku helmeteke danenasina gisti bi nave “Iraqa Din” bi re ve bibe. Ji hinge ve, hikumete ligel cendin sirketen tekiliyen cemaweri u lobiye kar kiriye ku mekanizmeke candi, siyasi u darayi ava bike, ya ku ez wek "Marka Kurdistane" bi nav dikim. Ev mekanizm armanc dike ku li cemaweren Rojavayi bicespine ku Kurd istisnayeke liberal in di Rojhilata Navin a dur ji liberaliye de, u wisa ji derfet u sansen serbixweyiya neteweyi ya HHKye bilindtir bike. Ev meqale li tekiliyen di navbera Marka Kurdistane u bi cinsiyetkirina netewegeriya kurdi dikole, u ji bo ve yeke li ser Helly Luva stranbeja kurd hur dibe. Luv di muzika xwe de bale dikese ser temaya jinen Kurdistane yen “neguhdar/asi” di xizmeta projeyen siyasi u abori yen Marka Kurdistane de. Wisa ji, Marka Kurdistane u Helly Luv bi awayeki muteqabil diskura duseri ya sere li diji terore vesaz dikin, diskurek ku hevterib e ligel serkeriya muhafizekariya nu ya emeriki u hewlen imperetoriya Dewleten Yekbuyi yen Emerikaye. ABSTRACT IN SORANI Dirustkirdini Brand Kurdistan: Helly Luv, cenderi neteweyati w Serri Dij Be Teror Le seretay salani 2000, Hikumeti Heremi Kurdistan serikeyeki emrikiy girt bo berewebirdini hellmeteki pewendiye cemaweriyekan be nawi "Eraqi Dike". Lew katewe, hikumet legell cendin serikeyi pewendiye cemaweriyekan u lobi kari kirduwe bo dirustkirdini amrazeki kulturi, siyasi u darayi, ke min nawi denem "Brand Kurdistan". Em amraze amanciyeti le cemawerekani rojavayi bicespene ke kurd nimuneyeki yektay komelgay libiral in le Rojhellati Nawerasti dur le libirali, u bem seweye beqay Hikumeti Heremi Kurdistan bo bedesthenani serbexoyiy neteweyi ziyatir bikat. Em wutare sebaret pewendiyekani newan Brand Kurdistan u becenderkirdini netewegerriy kurdi ye, be taybetis caw le Helly Luvi divay popi kurd dekat. Le mosiqayekey da Luv temay jini kurdi "yaxi" le xizmet projekani siyasi u aboriy Brand Kurdistan da dexate pes. Bem seweye, Brand Kurdistan u Helly Luv pekewe ew diskuri cihani duberekiy le ser serri dij be terror serlenwe dirust deken, diskurek ke hawteribe legell serrkeriy muhafizekarekani nwey emrika u hewllekani imperetoriy Dewlete Yekgirtuyekani Emrika.