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"Some letters of Simaeel Agha and Sheikh Mahmoud for one another"

Simko Shikak discussed the British betrayal to Sheikh Mahmoud's revolution when he had a meeting with the British. He also talked about the reason why Sheikh Mahmoud had inclined to the Kemalist Turks. He thought that Sheikh Mahmoud was not assured of the British honesty. Edmonds said that we offered "Simko" money and help but he refused it and said not only I do not want your money but I also do not need it because I have received 5oo lira from Sheikh Mahmoud recently. Here, Simko Shikak wanted to tell them that I receive Sheikh Mahmoud's Kurdish state's support and I support them in return. Thus, he says what he needs is the British support for establishing a Kurdish State.

Here, a curious thing happens which shows Simko's sharp mind. When Edmonds or the British delegation find out they cannot make Simko agree to receive their money, they begin to talk to him from another angle; that is, they offer Simko to make his brother Ahmad Agha become Badinan's governor while Seyyed Taha was taking control of Rwandz and Harir. They wanted to bribe him by making his brother the governor of a vast land such as Badinan. However, Edmonds says, Simko was very furious by this offer and said neither me nor Seyyed Taha do not have the right to take control of those regions. We are nomads, and if you were honest instead of offering the authority of a city or two, you would have wanted me to visit Sheikh Mahmoud as your representative to discuss your terms with him and return his request to you. I was expecting you to have a plan for creating and establishing a political structure and accepting Kurdistan's autonomy formally. In the end, the British agent replied that we can neither reject nor accept your demands.

This indicates that "Simaeel Agha Simko" did not begin his revolution for his own benefit, his family's, or even his clan's benefit. There are several letters delivered to Sheikh Mahmoud and his responses to Simko at that time which were published in the weekly magazine of "Kurdistan Day". What is important is that one of "Simaeel Agha Simko's" letters is written in Kurmanji (a Kurdish dialect) with a clear and simple language talking to Sheikh Mahmoud as a powerful leader.

Simko's Message to Sheikh Mahmoud, Kurdistan's Malik:

To the great leader of Kurdistan, Sir Sheikh Mahmoud; today all the power of Kurdistan is in your hands. We do not disobey you for anything. Anything you demand as long as is in the Kurdish nation's interest, we will prepare it for you. I am from the Khoshnaw region from the village of Betwat. I ask you to let me come to Suleimani to give you some news about the Kurdistan of Iran. And ruling Kurdistan needs British cooperation.

Signed:

Sincerely Simaeel Shikak

January 28, 1923

Sheikh Mahmoud's Message to Simaeel Agha Simko:

Kurdistan's hero, "Simaeel Agha Simko"; you agreed on my sacrifices for gaining the freedom of the Kurdish nation before anyone else and you know how much suffering I experienced. I also suffered disasters too. Today, along with such a patriotic hero and a man such as yourself who has dedicated his life to our land, we will continue our revolution in order to gain our demands. It is unnecessary to say that I leave everything to your respectful conscience. But can we demand our goals without any power, support, or allies in this battle? In order to gain the Kurds' rights, is it fair to sacrifice them all? There is no official right known for Kurds to make us react to our enemies' movements and actions. Although we have demanded our rights, they have given us excuses only. Three months ago, the British government did not even fulfil one of its promises out of hundreds of them. How can I send the Kurdish nation to welcome them? I prefer to fight to gain our rights, but I do not want an unfair war. I do not want to spill Kurdish Muslims. If they granted us our rights, I would be ready to sacrifice anything. I will fight and defeat all the raiders. But if they only want us to obey the British government unquestionably, I promise to stay tactful and neutral in front of the British state. If more discussions are necessary between us, I ask you humbly to come here.

 In another letter, Simko wrote to Sheikh Mahmoud:

To the great Malik's presence, the King of Kurdistan

There are no other parties to give us our rights apart from the British. In order to help us out, they will expect us to serve them. We can undoubtedly achieve this right. If your honour demands us to remove the British, God willing we will get rid of them without a drop of blood being spilt on any Kurdish Muslims and we will gain our rights in any way possible. I believe that we must get rid of our enemies together and take back our rights from the British and the Arabs.

Sheikh Mahmoud's Message to Simko:

Kurdistan's hero, "Simaeel Agha Simko"; it is truly necessary to thank every form of willing blessing and help that comes from pure friends, but for help that is not willingly offered, it is not necessary to obey unconditionally. All the Kurdish people are surely ready to get rid of the enemies if a government like Britain would promise to establish our nation and national rights and fulfil their promise. However, I do not know who is going to do so for us. Why should we fight? For whose benefit shall we spill our blood? If we agree now to anything, they will not give us our rights in the end. Because if they ask us for which rights, did you fight, we would not have an answer. Thus, instead of fighting an informal enemy and obeying any government, we will sit in our homes because I consider this wiser than fighting for nothing.