(CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent you... more (CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent youth mobilization and the recruitment efforts of armed groups in Ninewa Governorate. The primary goals of this research were the following: to understand how conflict has affected communities, including the current tensions; to understand and help mitigate "push and pull factors" of mobilization into armed groups; and to discern best practices for stabilization and resilience programming by the aid community. The four locations are a mix of urban and rural environments in Ninewa Governorate that collectively host IDPs from Mosul and displaced Shebak, Yezidi, and Christian communities. The study used qualitative research interviews with host community members, IDPs, community leaders, and armed group members in each location, followed by focus groups with community members and IDPs. The study found that motivations for armed group recruitment are complex, interconnected, and relate both to economic concerns (a need for livelihood) and grievances related to previous experiences of marginalization and/or discrimination. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IOM.
This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence a... more This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence around gender violence for a Kurdish woman endeavouring to resist oppression and destroy forced negative images and identities. It examines the ways in which she struggles to break imposed silences through resisting gender discrimination and telling stories of violence and exploitation, as represented in the Kurdish novelistic discourse in Bahdinan. Studying Sabri Silevani’s Mariama: Kiçe-Jinek ji Zemanek Di (Mariama: A Woman from Another Time, 2007), the article examines the various forms and layers of violence imposed on Kurdish women by the tribal and patriarchal norms and the social and political structures within the post-conflict Kurdish society in Iraqi Kurdistan. The three-fold typological model of violence developed by the political scientist Johan Galtung is adopted in the article to explore the ways in which the personal characteristics of individuals and the political, economic, and cultural structures of society are viewed as factors affecting the generation of gendered aggression. Most importantly, for the purpose of this article, is the significant utilisation of the association of Galtung’s typology with feminist studies of violence in the exploration of Kurdish women’s attempt to resist marginalisation and their struggle for recognition. Moreover, Rita Felski’s description and study of modern writing by women as a medium through which female political identities and collective consciousness are constructed and represented are adopted to discuss the structural and thematic properties of the text.ABSTRACT IN KURMANJITemsîla şideta cinsî ya piştî şerî di gotara edebî ya kurdên Iraqê de li herêma BehdînanEv meqale berê xwe dide merheleyên peydakirina dengî, fêrbûna axiftinê û daşikandina bêdengiya li dor şideta cinsî li cem jineke kurd a hewl dide li hember zextan ber xwe bide û wêne û huwiyetên menfî yên dasepandî ji nav bibe. Meqale lê hûr dibe ka çawa jin têdikoşe ku bi rêya berxwedana li hember cudakariya cinsî û bi gotina hikayêtên şidet û bikaranînê, wek ku di gotara romana kurdî ya li Behdînan tê temsîlkirin, bêdengiyên dasepandî bişikîne. Ev meqale li ser romana Sebrî Silêvanî ya bi navê Meryema: Kiçe Jinek Ji Zemanek Dî (2007) hûr dibe û dikeve dû destnîşankirina wan awa û tebeqeyên cihêreng ên şideta li ser jina kurd yên bi destê dab û nerîtên eşîrî û babsalarî û herwiha bi destê dezgehên civakî û siyasî yên di nav civaka kurd a li Kurdistana Iraqê ya piştî şerî têne dasepandin. Di meqelayê de modêla tîpolojîk û sê-tebeqeyî ya şidetê, ku Johan Galtungê zanyarê siyasetê dahînaye, hatiye bikaranîn ji bo veçirandina awayên ku taybetiyên şexsî yên ferdan û binyadên civakê yên siyasî, aborî û çandî wek fakterên kartêker ên peydabûna êrîşkariya cinsî têne dîtin. Ji bo armancên vê gotarê, ev tîpolojiya Galtung ligel xebatên fêmînîst ên li ser şidetê têne bikaranîn da ku hewla jinên kurd a berxwedana li hember perawêzxistinê û venasînê berçavtir bibe. Herwiha, pênase û lêkolîna Rita Felski ya li ser nivîsînên hevçerx ên jinan wek amrazek ji bo avakirin û temsîlkirina huwiyetên siyasî û şiûra cemawerî hatine bikaranîn ji bo vedîtina xasyetên metnê yên binyadî û têmayî.ABSTRACT IN SORANIWênekirdinî tundûtîjîy cenderî le gutarî novêlîstîkî kurdîy 'Êraq le BadînanEm meqaleye degerrêt be dway ew prosaney dozînewey deng, fêrbûnî peyivîn û şkandinî ew bêdengîye ke ballî be ser tundûtîjî cenderî da kêşawe, le xebatî ew jine kurde da ke deyewêt rûberrûwî stemkarî bibêtewe û wêne û şunase nerênîye be zor dasepênrawekan têk bişkênêt. Ew rêgayane be taqî dekatewe ke ew jine le xebatî da be kariyan dehênêt bo şkandinî bêdengiye be zor beserî da sepêndrawe le rêgay rûberrûbûnewey ciyakarî cenderî û gêrranewey dastangelî tundûtîjî û pawankirdin, herweku le gutarî novêlîstîkî da be kar hênrawin le nawçey Badînan. Le rêgay xwêndinewey "Meryeme Kiçejinek Ji Zemanek Dî" nûsraw le layen Sebrî Slêvanîyewe, em meqaleye ew şêwaz û rehendaney tundûtîjî be taqî dekatewe ke le rêga bawe hozgerayî û bawsalarîyekan û bunyade siyasiyekanî komellgay kurdî dway şerr le Kurdistanî 'Êraq da xirawnete ser jinanî kurdewe. Lem meqaleye da modêlî sê çînî taypolojîy tundûtîjî bekarhênrawe ke le layen zanay siyasî Johan Galtungewe dirust kirawe, be mebestî dozînewey ew rêgayaney ke pêyan karakterîstîke kesiyekanî takekan û bunyade siyasî û abûrî kelepurîyekanî komellga weku fakterî karîger nîşan drawin be ser qehrî cenderîyewe. Giringtirîn layenî mebestî em meqaleye nîşandanî ew sudbexşîye giringeye ke peywendîdarkrdinî taypolojî Galtung legell lêkollînewey fêmînîstî le gerran da be dway hewllî jinanî kurd bo rûberrûbenewe le hember perawêzxistin û xebatyan bo ewey ke danyan pêda binirêt. Herweha wesf û lêkollînewey Rîta Felski le nusînî hawçerxî jinan weku geyenerêk ke le rêgayiyewe şunasgelî siyasî û agayîy giştîy mê bunyad denirêt û nîşan dedirêt, be mebestî…
Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's litera... more Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can." Hamilton's saying appropriately applies on Qasham Ali Balata's novel Runaway to Nowhere. This research study aims at the exploration of the closer considerations to the cultural and political references in the novel, which are found in every single page of the book. The observations will be documented through quotations from the novel. The study starts with an introduction to the novel intending to familiarize the reader with the story and the characters. The first section (cultural references) deals with regional considerations; including the regional demography, language, cuisine, and the national costumes of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish folklore, with some of its tales and legends are also discussed. This section ends with the discussion of social themes; containing critical issues like the role of the Kurdish woman in society and socialization in the Kurdish community. The second section describes the political references, which are ordered logically. Starting from the geopolitical importance of Kurdistan, that moves Kurdistan into the focus of their imperialistic neighbors. The novel limits itself to Iraqi-Kurdistan; thus, only the oppressions of the regime in Baghdad are discussed. The Iraqi Kurdish resistance is explained as well as the sanctions of the occupiers of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi regimes in Baghdad, in particular the Ba'ath-party. The focus lies on the latter mentioned party, who is responsible for the sequence of wars and mass murders against other nations or their own citizens, in particular the Iraqi Kurds.
This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence a... more This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence around gender violence for a Kurdish woman endeavouring to resist oppression and destroy forced negative images and identities. It examines the ways in which she struggles to break imposed silences through resisting gender discrimination and telling stories of violence and exploitation, as represented in the Kurdish novelistic discourse in Bahdinan. Studying Sabri Silevani’s Mariama: Kice-Jinek ji Zemanek Di (Mariama: A Woman from Another Time, 2007), the article examines the various forms and layers of violence imposed on Kurdish women by the tribal and patriarchal norms and the social and political structures within the post-conflict Kurdish society in Iraqi Kurdistan. The three-fold typological model of violence developed by the political scientist Johan Galtung is adopted in the article to explore the ways in which the personal characteristics of individuals and the political, economic, and cultural structures of society are viewed as factors affecting the generation of gendered aggression. Most importantly, for the purpose of this article, is the significant utilisation of the association of Galtung’s typology with feminist studies of violence in the exploration of Kurdish women’s attempt to resist marginalisation and their struggle for recognition. Moreover, Rita Felski’s description and study of modern writing by women as a medium through which female political identities and collective consciousness are constructed and represented are adopted to discuss the structural and thematic properties of the text.
(CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent you... more (CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent youth mobilization and the recruitment efforts of armed groups in Ninewa Governorate. The primary goals of this research were the following: to understand how conflict has affected communities, including the current tensions; to understand and help mitigate "push and pull factors" of mobilization into armed groups; and to discern best practices for stabilization and resilience programming by the aid community. The four locations are a mix of urban and rural environments in Ninewa Governorate that collectively host IDPs from Mosul and displaced Shebak, Yezidi, and Christian communities. The study used qualitative research interviews with host community members, IDPs, community leaders, and armed group members in each location, followed by focus groups with community members and IDPs. The study found that motivations for armed group recruitment are complex, interconnected, and relate both to economic concerns (a need for livelihood) and grievances related to previous experiences of marginalization and/or discrimination. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IOM.
This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence a... more This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence around gender violence for a Kurdish woman endeavouring to resist oppression and destroy forced negative images and identities. It examines the ways in which she struggles to break imposed silences through resisting gender discrimination and telling stories of violence and exploitation, as represented in the Kurdish novelistic discourse in Bahdinan. Studying Sabri Silevani’s Mariama: Kiçe-Jinek ji Zemanek Di (Mariama: A Woman from Another Time, 2007), the article examines the various forms and layers of violence imposed on Kurdish women by the tribal and patriarchal norms and the social and political structures within the post-conflict Kurdish society in Iraqi Kurdistan. The three-fold typological model of violence developed by the political scientist Johan Galtung is adopted in the article to explore the ways in which the personal characteristics of individuals and the political, economic, and cultural structures of society are viewed as factors affecting the generation of gendered aggression. Most importantly, for the purpose of this article, is the significant utilisation of the association of Galtung’s typology with feminist studies of violence in the exploration of Kurdish women’s attempt to resist marginalisation and their struggle for recognition. Moreover, Rita Felski’s description and study of modern writing by women as a medium through which female political identities and collective consciousness are constructed and represented are adopted to discuss the structural and thematic properties of the text.ABSTRACT IN KURMANJITemsîla şideta cinsî ya piştî şerî di gotara edebî ya kurdên Iraqê de li herêma BehdînanEv meqale berê xwe dide merheleyên peydakirina dengî, fêrbûna axiftinê û daşikandina bêdengiya li dor şideta cinsî li cem jineke kurd a hewl dide li hember zextan ber xwe bide û wêne û huwiyetên menfî yên dasepandî ji nav bibe. Meqale lê hûr dibe ka çawa jin têdikoşe ku bi rêya berxwedana li hember cudakariya cinsî û bi gotina hikayêtên şidet û bikaranînê, wek ku di gotara romana kurdî ya li Behdînan tê temsîlkirin, bêdengiyên dasepandî bişikîne. Ev meqale li ser romana Sebrî Silêvanî ya bi navê Meryema: Kiçe Jinek Ji Zemanek Dî (2007) hûr dibe û dikeve dû destnîşankirina wan awa û tebeqeyên cihêreng ên şideta li ser jina kurd yên bi destê dab û nerîtên eşîrî û babsalarî û herwiha bi destê dezgehên civakî û siyasî yên di nav civaka kurd a li Kurdistana Iraqê ya piştî şerî têne dasepandin. Di meqelayê de modêla tîpolojîk û sê-tebeqeyî ya şidetê, ku Johan Galtungê zanyarê siyasetê dahînaye, hatiye bikaranîn ji bo veçirandina awayên ku taybetiyên şexsî yên ferdan û binyadên civakê yên siyasî, aborî û çandî wek fakterên kartêker ên peydabûna êrîşkariya cinsî têne dîtin. Ji bo armancên vê gotarê, ev tîpolojiya Galtung ligel xebatên fêmînîst ên li ser şidetê têne bikaranîn da ku hewla jinên kurd a berxwedana li hember perawêzxistinê û venasînê berçavtir bibe. Herwiha, pênase û lêkolîna Rita Felski ya li ser nivîsînên hevçerx ên jinan wek amrazek ji bo avakirin û temsîlkirina huwiyetên siyasî û şiûra cemawerî hatine bikaranîn ji bo vedîtina xasyetên metnê yên binyadî û têmayî.ABSTRACT IN SORANIWênekirdinî tundûtîjîy cenderî le gutarî novêlîstîkî kurdîy 'Êraq le BadînanEm meqaleye degerrêt be dway ew prosaney dozînewey deng, fêrbûnî peyivîn û şkandinî ew bêdengîye ke ballî be ser tundûtîjî cenderî da kêşawe, le xebatî ew jine kurde da ke deyewêt rûberrûwî stemkarî bibêtewe û wêne û şunase nerênîye be zor dasepênrawekan têk bişkênêt. Ew rêgayane be taqî dekatewe ke ew jine le xebatî da be kariyan dehênêt bo şkandinî bêdengiye be zor beserî da sepêndrawe le rêgay rûberrûbûnewey ciyakarî cenderî û gêrranewey dastangelî tundûtîjî û pawankirdin, herweku le gutarî novêlîstîkî da be kar hênrawin le nawçey Badînan. Le rêgay xwêndinewey "Meryeme Kiçejinek Ji Zemanek Dî" nûsraw le layen Sebrî Slêvanîyewe, em meqaleye ew şêwaz û rehendaney tundûtîjî be taqî dekatewe ke le rêga bawe hozgerayî û bawsalarîyekan û bunyade siyasiyekanî komellgay kurdî dway şerr le Kurdistanî 'Êraq da xirawnete ser jinanî kurdewe. Lem meqaleye da modêlî sê çînî taypolojîy tundûtîjî bekarhênrawe ke le layen zanay siyasî Johan Galtungewe dirust kirawe, be mebestî dozînewey ew rêgayaney ke pêyan karakterîstîke kesiyekanî takekan û bunyade siyasî û abûrî kelepurîyekanî komellga weku fakterî karîger nîşan drawin be ser qehrî cenderîyewe. Giringtirîn layenî mebestî em meqaleye nîşandanî ew sudbexşîye giringeye ke peywendîdarkrdinî taypolojî Galtung legell lêkollînewey fêmînîstî le gerran da be dway hewllî jinanî kurd bo rûberrûbenewe le hember perawêzxistin û xebatyan bo ewey ke danyan pêda binirêt. Herweha wesf û lêkollînewey Rîta Felski le nusînî hawçerxî jinan weku geyenerêk ke le rêgayiyewe şunasgelî siyasî û agayîy giştîy mê bunyad denirêt û nîşan dedirêt, be mebestî…
Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's litera... more Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can." Hamilton's saying appropriately applies on Qasham Ali Balata's novel Runaway to Nowhere. This research study aims at the exploration of the closer considerations to the cultural and political references in the novel, which are found in every single page of the book. The observations will be documented through quotations from the novel. The study starts with an introduction to the novel intending to familiarize the reader with the story and the characters. The first section (cultural references) deals with regional considerations; including the regional demography, language, cuisine, and the national costumes of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish folklore, with some of its tales and legends are also discussed. This section ends with the discussion of social themes; containing critical issues like the role of the Kurdish woman in society and socialization in the Kurdish community. The second section describes the political references, which are ordered logically. Starting from the geopolitical importance of Kurdistan, that moves Kurdistan into the focus of their imperialistic neighbors. The novel limits itself to Iraqi-Kurdistan; thus, only the oppressions of the regime in Baghdad are discussed. The Iraqi Kurdish resistance is explained as well as the sanctions of the occupiers of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi regimes in Baghdad, in particular the Ba'ath-party. The focus lies on the latter mentioned party, who is responsible for the sequence of wars and mass murders against other nations or their own citizens, in particular the Iraqi Kurds.
This paper explores the tragic experiences of the Kurdish nation during the two brutal events tha... more This paper explores the tragic experiences of the Kurdish nation during the two brutal events that changed life in Kurdistan irrevocably; the Anfal Campaigns that began in 1986 and lasted until 1989, the genocide of the Yazidi Kurds in Sinjar in August 2014 and their aftermaths as represented in the contemporary Iraqi Kurdish novel in Bahdinan. Depicting the notable increase in the number of civilian casualties and addressing various forms of war-related and terrorism-related violence and the physical and psychological effects they inflect on the lives and experiences of the Kurdish people in Iraq, my study aims to answer such intriguing questions as: What is the impact of the atrocities of genocide on the Kurdish novelistic discourse? How has the Kurdish novel expressed the massacres of Anfal and Sinjar? Has genocide become a main theme in the Kurdish novel and hence aided the Kurdish national and political platforms in successfully conveying the extent of these horrific processes of extermination? Emerging during the same decade as the occurrences of Anfal genocide, namely, the late 1980s, the Kurdish novelistic discourse by Bahdini writers increasingly represent the Kurdish genocide and its aftermath in their works within what I prefer to call "a memory wave" in modern Kurdish literature in Iraq. The memory of the genocide (both Anfal and Sinjar) is manifested in the Kurdish novel in Bahdinan through a number of recurring themes and leitmotifs such as bearing witness to acts of historical silencing and marginalization of the Kurdish people and their true history, retelling and rewriting the Kurdish tradition and, evoking a shared sense of collective memory and consciousness. Focusing on Sindis Niheli's first and only novel, (Hizar di Werçerxana Da), Hizar and the Vicissitudes of Life, Part One, 2013 and its second part, published in 2014, with the same title, the study examines the ways in which Kurdish novelists in Bahdinan express their sense of responsibility to record the atrocities exerted against their nation throughout their recent and contemporary history. Furthermore, addressing the growing interconnection between civilian homes and battlefronts, which is one of the most defining characteristics of the genocidal Anfal campaigns and Sinjar massacres, a theoretical approach developed by Wenona Giles and Jennifer Hyndman's is adopted. Giles and Hyndman indicate that, unlike wars fought in the past, when civilian peoples' homes were safe and male soldiers fought enemies on battlefronts, "contemporary conflicts blur such distinctions, rendering civilian women, men, and children its main casualties." 1 My study concludes that the treatment of genocide memory in the Bahdini novels contributes to a genuine confrontation with its painful experiences and eventually establishes wider-scale efforts to formalize Kurdish genocide in the international community. It asserts that these texts provide the international community and the whole world with an understanding of the Kurdish national identity as distinct from the identities of the nation-states in which they live and allows a more critical recognition of their perpetual suppression. As such, these narratives have the potential to enable the Kurdish people to recognize and challenge the role of the superstructure in shaping public discourse about the Kurdish Genocide.
Academic journal of Nawroz University, Dec 4, 2022
This paper explores the attempt of women writers to reconfigure and reformulate established ficti... more This paper explores the attempt of women writers to reconfigure and reformulate established fictional genres to create more responsive genres that better represent the heterogeneity of women's experiences in accordance with the increasing confirmation within feminist literary and cultural studies on women's literature and the rumination of its social function to provide a sympathetic as well as a critical analysis of contemporary feminist fiction. Focusing on the way Audre Lorde incorporates individual and collective memories as well as erotic and traumatic memories in her literary works, I use the literary category of feminist Bildungsroman to examine her biomythography, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name in which she presents an alternative model of female development in terms of forming a distinct identity and subjectivity. The paper traces the strenuous personal development and transformation of Audre as a black woman endeavouring to challenge marginalization and resist the various forms and layers of abuse and subjugation practiced against her in a racialized and sexist society. Taking into consideration that the political implications of women's writing can only be theorized when it is related to the cultural and ideological processes that shape it, I employ Rita Felski's analysis of women's modern writing as an context where female political identities and collective consciousness are depicted.
International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies, 2017
This article explores the experiences of various female characters in the period immediately befo... more This article explores the experiences of various female characters in the period immediately before and during the Persian Gulf War (1990–91), the Kurdish popular Uprising in Iraq, their subsequent mass-exodus to the Turkish and Iranian borders, and the creation of a quasi-independent Kurdish state in the north of Iraq. Studying Qasham Balata’s Runaway to Nowhere in 2010 and Sindis Niheli’s Hizar d Werçerxana da, Bergé Éké (Hizar and the Vicissitudes of Life, Part One) in 2013, the article deals with the lives and experiences of two female characters, focusing on their transformation from voiceless victims to well-informed social and political activists. By incorporating feminist themes of social inequality, domestic abuse, violence against women and women’s social and political activism into broader questions of nationalism and national struggle for liberation, the novels selected here affirm the significant and problematic interplay between feminism and nationalism in the Kurdish ...
Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's litera... more Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can." Hamilton's saying appropriately applies on Qasham Ali Balata's novel Runaway to Nowhere. This research study aims at the exploration of the closer considerations to the cultural and political references in the novel, which are found in every single page of the book. The observations will be documented through quotations from the novel. The study starts with an introduction to the novel intending to familiarize the reader with the story and the characters. The first section (cultural references) deals with regional considerations; including the regional demography, language, cuisine, and the national costumes of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish folklore, with some of its tales and legends are also discussed. This section ends with the discussion of social themes; containing critical issues like the role of the Kurdish woman in society and socialization in the Kurdish community. The second section describes the political references, which are ordered logically. Starting from the geopolitical importance of Kurdistan, that moves Kurdistan into the focus of their imperialistic neighbors. The novel limits itself to Iraqi-Kurdistan; thus, only the oppressions of the regime in Baghdad are discussed. The Iraqi Kurdish resistance is explained as well as the sanctions of the occupiers of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi regimes in Baghdad, in particular the Ba'ath-party. The focus lies on the latter mentioned party, who is responsible for the sequence of wars and mass murders against other nations or their own citizens, in particular the Iraqi Kurds.
(CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent you... more (CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent youth mobilization and the recruitment efforts of armed groups in Ninewa Governorate. The primary goals of this research were the following: to understand how conflict has affected communities, including the current tensions; to understand and help mitigate "push and pull factors" of mobilization into armed groups; and to discern best practices for stabilization and resilience programming by the aid community. The four locations are a mix of urban and rural environments in Ninewa Governorate that collectively host IDPs from Mosul and displaced Shebak, Yezidi, and Christian communities. The study used qualitative research interviews with host community members, IDPs, community leaders, and armed group members in each location, followed by focus groups with community members and IDPs. The study found that motivations for armed group recruitment are complex, interconnected, and relate both to economic concerns (a need for livelihood) and grievances related to previous experiences of marginalization and/or discrimination. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IOM.
This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence a... more This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence around gender violence for a Kurdish woman endeavouring to resist oppression and destroy forced negative images and identities. It examines the ways in which she struggles to break imposed silences through resisting gender discrimination and telling stories of violence and exploitation, as represented in the Kurdish novelistic discourse in Bahdinan. Studying Sabri Silevani’s Mariama: Kiçe-Jinek ji Zemanek Di (Mariama: A Woman from Another Time, 2007), the article examines the various forms and layers of violence imposed on Kurdish women by the tribal and patriarchal norms and the social and political structures within the post-conflict Kurdish society in Iraqi Kurdistan. The three-fold typological model of violence developed by the political scientist Johan Galtung is adopted in the article to explore the ways in which the personal characteristics of individuals and the political, economic, and cultural structures of society are viewed as factors affecting the generation of gendered aggression. Most importantly, for the purpose of this article, is the significant utilisation of the association of Galtung’s typology with feminist studies of violence in the exploration of Kurdish women’s attempt to resist marginalisation and their struggle for recognition. Moreover, Rita Felski’s description and study of modern writing by women as a medium through which female political identities and collective consciousness are constructed and represented are adopted to discuss the structural and thematic properties of the text.ABSTRACT IN KURMANJITemsîla şideta cinsî ya piştî şerî di gotara edebî ya kurdên Iraqê de li herêma BehdînanEv meqale berê xwe dide merheleyên peydakirina dengî, fêrbûna axiftinê û daşikandina bêdengiya li dor şideta cinsî li cem jineke kurd a hewl dide li hember zextan ber xwe bide û wêne û huwiyetên menfî yên dasepandî ji nav bibe. Meqale lê hûr dibe ka çawa jin têdikoşe ku bi rêya berxwedana li hember cudakariya cinsî û bi gotina hikayêtên şidet û bikaranînê, wek ku di gotara romana kurdî ya li Behdînan tê temsîlkirin, bêdengiyên dasepandî bişikîne. Ev meqale li ser romana Sebrî Silêvanî ya bi navê Meryema: Kiçe Jinek Ji Zemanek Dî (2007) hûr dibe û dikeve dû destnîşankirina wan awa û tebeqeyên cihêreng ên şideta li ser jina kurd yên bi destê dab û nerîtên eşîrî û babsalarî û herwiha bi destê dezgehên civakî û siyasî yên di nav civaka kurd a li Kurdistana Iraqê ya piştî şerî têne dasepandin. Di meqelayê de modêla tîpolojîk û sê-tebeqeyî ya şidetê, ku Johan Galtungê zanyarê siyasetê dahînaye, hatiye bikaranîn ji bo veçirandina awayên ku taybetiyên şexsî yên ferdan û binyadên civakê yên siyasî, aborî û çandî wek fakterên kartêker ên peydabûna êrîşkariya cinsî têne dîtin. Ji bo armancên vê gotarê, ev tîpolojiya Galtung ligel xebatên fêmînîst ên li ser şidetê têne bikaranîn da ku hewla jinên kurd a berxwedana li hember perawêzxistinê û venasînê berçavtir bibe. Herwiha, pênase û lêkolîna Rita Felski ya li ser nivîsînên hevçerx ên jinan wek amrazek ji bo avakirin û temsîlkirina huwiyetên siyasî û şiûra cemawerî hatine bikaranîn ji bo vedîtina xasyetên metnê yên binyadî û têmayî.ABSTRACT IN SORANIWênekirdinî tundûtîjîy cenderî le gutarî novêlîstîkî kurdîy 'Êraq le BadînanEm meqaleye degerrêt be dway ew prosaney dozînewey deng, fêrbûnî peyivîn û şkandinî ew bêdengîye ke ballî be ser tundûtîjî cenderî da kêşawe, le xebatî ew jine kurde da ke deyewêt rûberrûwî stemkarî bibêtewe û wêne û şunase nerênîye be zor dasepênrawekan têk bişkênêt. Ew rêgayane be taqî dekatewe ke ew jine le xebatî da be kariyan dehênêt bo şkandinî bêdengiye be zor beserî da sepêndrawe le rêgay rûberrûbûnewey ciyakarî cenderî û gêrranewey dastangelî tundûtîjî û pawankirdin, herweku le gutarî novêlîstîkî da be kar hênrawin le nawçey Badînan. Le rêgay xwêndinewey "Meryeme Kiçejinek Ji Zemanek Dî" nûsraw le layen Sebrî Slêvanîyewe, em meqaleye ew şêwaz û rehendaney tundûtîjî be taqî dekatewe ke le rêga bawe hozgerayî û bawsalarîyekan û bunyade siyasiyekanî komellgay kurdî dway şerr le Kurdistanî 'Êraq da xirawnete ser jinanî kurdewe. Lem meqaleye da modêlî sê çînî taypolojîy tundûtîjî bekarhênrawe ke le layen zanay siyasî Johan Galtungewe dirust kirawe, be mebestî dozînewey ew rêgayaney ke pêyan karakterîstîke kesiyekanî takekan û bunyade siyasî û abûrî kelepurîyekanî komellga weku fakterî karîger nîşan drawin be ser qehrî cenderîyewe. Giringtirîn layenî mebestî em meqaleye nîşandanî ew sudbexşîye giringeye ke peywendîdarkrdinî taypolojî Galtung legell lêkollînewey fêmînîstî le gerran da be dway hewllî jinanî kurd bo rûberrûbenewe le hember perawêzxistin û xebatyan bo ewey ke danyan pêda binirêt. Herweha wesf û lêkollînewey Rîta Felski le nusînî hawçerxî jinan weku geyenerêk ke le rêgayiyewe şunasgelî siyasî û agayîy giştîy mê bunyad denirêt û nîşan dedirêt, be mebestî…
Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's litera... more Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can." Hamilton's saying appropriately applies on Qasham Ali Balata's novel Runaway to Nowhere. This research study aims at the exploration of the closer considerations to the cultural and political references in the novel, which are found in every single page of the book. The observations will be documented through quotations from the novel. The study starts with an introduction to the novel intending to familiarize the reader with the story and the characters. The first section (cultural references) deals with regional considerations; including the regional demography, language, cuisine, and the national costumes of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish folklore, with some of its tales and legends are also discussed. This section ends with the discussion of social themes; containing critical issues like the role of the Kurdish woman in society and socialization in the Kurdish community. The second section describes the political references, which are ordered logically. Starting from the geopolitical importance of Kurdistan, that moves Kurdistan into the focus of their imperialistic neighbors. The novel limits itself to Iraqi-Kurdistan; thus, only the oppressions of the regime in Baghdad are discussed. The Iraqi Kurdish resistance is explained as well as the sanctions of the occupiers of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi regimes in Baghdad, in particular the Ba'ath-party. The focus lies on the latter mentioned party, who is responsible for the sequence of wars and mass murders against other nations or their own citizens, in particular the Iraqi Kurds.
This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence a... more This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence around gender violence for a Kurdish woman endeavouring to resist oppression and destroy forced negative images and identities. It examines the ways in which she struggles to break imposed silences through resisting gender discrimination and telling stories of violence and exploitation, as represented in the Kurdish novelistic discourse in Bahdinan. Studying Sabri Silevani’s Mariama: Kice-Jinek ji Zemanek Di (Mariama: A Woman from Another Time, 2007), the article examines the various forms and layers of violence imposed on Kurdish women by the tribal and patriarchal norms and the social and political structures within the post-conflict Kurdish society in Iraqi Kurdistan. The three-fold typological model of violence developed by the political scientist Johan Galtung is adopted in the article to explore the ways in which the personal characteristics of individuals and the political, economic, and cultural structures of society are viewed as factors affecting the generation of gendered aggression. Most importantly, for the purpose of this article, is the significant utilisation of the association of Galtung’s typology with feminist studies of violence in the exploration of Kurdish women’s attempt to resist marginalisation and their struggle for recognition. Moreover, Rita Felski’s description and study of modern writing by women as a medium through which female political identities and collective consciousness are constructed and represented are adopted to discuss the structural and thematic properties of the text.
(CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent you... more (CPCRS) and International Organization of Migration (IOM) collaborated on research on violent youth mobilization and the recruitment efforts of armed groups in Ninewa Governorate. The primary goals of this research were the following: to understand how conflict has affected communities, including the current tensions; to understand and help mitigate "push and pull factors" of mobilization into armed groups; and to discern best practices for stabilization and resilience programming by the aid community. The four locations are a mix of urban and rural environments in Ninewa Governorate that collectively host IDPs from Mosul and displaced Shebak, Yezidi, and Christian communities. The study used qualitative research interviews with host community members, IDPs, community leaders, and armed group members in each location, followed by focus groups with community members and IDPs. The study found that motivations for armed group recruitment are complex, interconnected, and relate both to economic concerns (a need for livelihood) and grievances related to previous experiences of marginalization and/or discrimination. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IOM.
This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence a... more This article explores the processes of finding a voice, learning to speak, and breaking silence around gender violence for a Kurdish woman endeavouring to resist oppression and destroy forced negative images and identities. It examines the ways in which she struggles to break imposed silences through resisting gender discrimination and telling stories of violence and exploitation, as represented in the Kurdish novelistic discourse in Bahdinan. Studying Sabri Silevani’s Mariama: Kiçe-Jinek ji Zemanek Di (Mariama: A Woman from Another Time, 2007), the article examines the various forms and layers of violence imposed on Kurdish women by the tribal and patriarchal norms and the social and political structures within the post-conflict Kurdish society in Iraqi Kurdistan. The three-fold typological model of violence developed by the political scientist Johan Galtung is adopted in the article to explore the ways in which the personal characteristics of individuals and the political, economic, and cultural structures of society are viewed as factors affecting the generation of gendered aggression. Most importantly, for the purpose of this article, is the significant utilisation of the association of Galtung’s typology with feminist studies of violence in the exploration of Kurdish women’s attempt to resist marginalisation and their struggle for recognition. Moreover, Rita Felski’s description and study of modern writing by women as a medium through which female political identities and collective consciousness are constructed and represented are adopted to discuss the structural and thematic properties of the text.ABSTRACT IN KURMANJITemsîla şideta cinsî ya piştî şerî di gotara edebî ya kurdên Iraqê de li herêma BehdînanEv meqale berê xwe dide merheleyên peydakirina dengî, fêrbûna axiftinê û daşikandina bêdengiya li dor şideta cinsî li cem jineke kurd a hewl dide li hember zextan ber xwe bide û wêne û huwiyetên menfî yên dasepandî ji nav bibe. Meqale lê hûr dibe ka çawa jin têdikoşe ku bi rêya berxwedana li hember cudakariya cinsî û bi gotina hikayêtên şidet û bikaranînê, wek ku di gotara romana kurdî ya li Behdînan tê temsîlkirin, bêdengiyên dasepandî bişikîne. Ev meqale li ser romana Sebrî Silêvanî ya bi navê Meryema: Kiçe Jinek Ji Zemanek Dî (2007) hûr dibe û dikeve dû destnîşankirina wan awa û tebeqeyên cihêreng ên şideta li ser jina kurd yên bi destê dab û nerîtên eşîrî û babsalarî û herwiha bi destê dezgehên civakî û siyasî yên di nav civaka kurd a li Kurdistana Iraqê ya piştî şerî têne dasepandin. Di meqelayê de modêla tîpolojîk û sê-tebeqeyî ya şidetê, ku Johan Galtungê zanyarê siyasetê dahînaye, hatiye bikaranîn ji bo veçirandina awayên ku taybetiyên şexsî yên ferdan û binyadên civakê yên siyasî, aborî û çandî wek fakterên kartêker ên peydabûna êrîşkariya cinsî têne dîtin. Ji bo armancên vê gotarê, ev tîpolojiya Galtung ligel xebatên fêmînîst ên li ser şidetê têne bikaranîn da ku hewla jinên kurd a berxwedana li hember perawêzxistinê û venasînê berçavtir bibe. Herwiha, pênase û lêkolîna Rita Felski ya li ser nivîsînên hevçerx ên jinan wek amrazek ji bo avakirin û temsîlkirina huwiyetên siyasî û şiûra cemawerî hatine bikaranîn ji bo vedîtina xasyetên metnê yên binyadî û têmayî.ABSTRACT IN SORANIWênekirdinî tundûtîjîy cenderî le gutarî novêlîstîkî kurdîy 'Êraq le BadînanEm meqaleye degerrêt be dway ew prosaney dozînewey deng, fêrbûnî peyivîn û şkandinî ew bêdengîye ke ballî be ser tundûtîjî cenderî da kêşawe, le xebatî ew jine kurde da ke deyewêt rûberrûwî stemkarî bibêtewe û wêne û şunase nerênîye be zor dasepênrawekan têk bişkênêt. Ew rêgayane be taqî dekatewe ke ew jine le xebatî da be kariyan dehênêt bo şkandinî bêdengiye be zor beserî da sepêndrawe le rêgay rûberrûbûnewey ciyakarî cenderî û gêrranewey dastangelî tundûtîjî û pawankirdin, herweku le gutarî novêlîstîkî da be kar hênrawin le nawçey Badînan. Le rêgay xwêndinewey "Meryeme Kiçejinek Ji Zemanek Dî" nûsraw le layen Sebrî Slêvanîyewe, em meqaleye ew şêwaz û rehendaney tundûtîjî be taqî dekatewe ke le rêga bawe hozgerayî û bawsalarîyekan û bunyade siyasiyekanî komellgay kurdî dway şerr le Kurdistanî 'Êraq da xirawnete ser jinanî kurdewe. Lem meqaleye da modêlî sê çînî taypolojîy tundûtîjî bekarhênrawe ke le layen zanay siyasî Johan Galtungewe dirust kirawe, be mebestî dozînewey ew rêgayaney ke pêyan karakterîstîke kesiyekanî takekan û bunyade siyasî û abûrî kelepurîyekanî komellga weku fakterî karîger nîşan drawin be ser qehrî cenderîyewe. Giringtirîn layenî mebestî em meqaleye nîşandanî ew sudbexşîye giringeye ke peywendîdarkrdinî taypolojî Galtung legell lêkollînewey fêmînîstî le gerran da be dway hewllî jinanî kurd bo rûberrûbenewe le hember perawêzxistin û xebatyan bo ewey ke danyan pêda binirêt. Herweha wesf û lêkollînewey Rîta Felski le nusînî hawçerxî jinan weku geyenerêk ke le rêgayiyewe şunasgelî siyasî û agayîy giştîy mê bunyad denirêt û nîşan dedirêt, be mebestî…
Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's litera... more Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can." Hamilton's saying appropriately applies on Qasham Ali Balata's novel Runaway to Nowhere. This research study aims at the exploration of the closer considerations to the cultural and political references in the novel, which are found in every single page of the book. The observations will be documented through quotations from the novel. The study starts with an introduction to the novel intending to familiarize the reader with the story and the characters. The first section (cultural references) deals with regional considerations; including the regional demography, language, cuisine, and the national costumes of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish folklore, with some of its tales and legends are also discussed. This section ends with the discussion of social themes; containing critical issues like the role of the Kurdish woman in society and socialization in the Kurdish community. The second section describes the political references, which are ordered logically. Starting from the geopolitical importance of Kurdistan, that moves Kurdistan into the focus of their imperialistic neighbors. The novel limits itself to Iraqi-Kurdistan; thus, only the oppressions of the regime in Baghdad are discussed. The Iraqi Kurdish resistance is explained as well as the sanctions of the occupiers of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi regimes in Baghdad, in particular the Ba'ath-party. The focus lies on the latter mentioned party, who is responsible for the sequence of wars and mass murders against other nations or their own citizens, in particular the Iraqi Kurds.
This paper explores the tragic experiences of the Kurdish nation during the two brutal events tha... more This paper explores the tragic experiences of the Kurdish nation during the two brutal events that changed life in Kurdistan irrevocably; the Anfal Campaigns that began in 1986 and lasted until 1989, the genocide of the Yazidi Kurds in Sinjar in August 2014 and their aftermaths as represented in the contemporary Iraqi Kurdish novel in Bahdinan. Depicting the notable increase in the number of civilian casualties and addressing various forms of war-related and terrorism-related violence and the physical and psychological effects they inflect on the lives and experiences of the Kurdish people in Iraq, my study aims to answer such intriguing questions as: What is the impact of the atrocities of genocide on the Kurdish novelistic discourse? How has the Kurdish novel expressed the massacres of Anfal and Sinjar? Has genocide become a main theme in the Kurdish novel and hence aided the Kurdish national and political platforms in successfully conveying the extent of these horrific processes of extermination? Emerging during the same decade as the occurrences of Anfal genocide, namely, the late 1980s, the Kurdish novelistic discourse by Bahdini writers increasingly represent the Kurdish genocide and its aftermath in their works within what I prefer to call "a memory wave" in modern Kurdish literature in Iraq. The memory of the genocide (both Anfal and Sinjar) is manifested in the Kurdish novel in Bahdinan through a number of recurring themes and leitmotifs such as bearing witness to acts of historical silencing and marginalization of the Kurdish people and their true history, retelling and rewriting the Kurdish tradition and, evoking a shared sense of collective memory and consciousness. Focusing on Sindis Niheli's first and only novel, (Hizar di Werçerxana Da), Hizar and the Vicissitudes of Life, Part One, 2013 and its second part, published in 2014, with the same title, the study examines the ways in which Kurdish novelists in Bahdinan express their sense of responsibility to record the atrocities exerted against their nation throughout their recent and contemporary history. Furthermore, addressing the growing interconnection between civilian homes and battlefronts, which is one of the most defining characteristics of the genocidal Anfal campaigns and Sinjar massacres, a theoretical approach developed by Wenona Giles and Jennifer Hyndman's is adopted. Giles and Hyndman indicate that, unlike wars fought in the past, when civilian peoples' homes were safe and male soldiers fought enemies on battlefronts, "contemporary conflicts blur such distinctions, rendering civilian women, men, and children its main casualties." 1 My study concludes that the treatment of genocide memory in the Bahdini novels contributes to a genuine confrontation with its painful experiences and eventually establishes wider-scale efforts to formalize Kurdish genocide in the international community. It asserts that these texts provide the international community and the whole world with an understanding of the Kurdish national identity as distinct from the identities of the nation-states in which they live and allows a more critical recognition of their perpetual suppression. As such, these narratives have the potential to enable the Kurdish people to recognize and challenge the role of the superstructure in shaping public discourse about the Kurdish Genocide.
Academic journal of Nawroz University, Dec 4, 2022
This paper explores the attempt of women writers to reconfigure and reformulate established ficti... more This paper explores the attempt of women writers to reconfigure and reformulate established fictional genres to create more responsive genres that better represent the heterogeneity of women's experiences in accordance with the increasing confirmation within feminist literary and cultural studies on women's literature and the rumination of its social function to provide a sympathetic as well as a critical analysis of contemporary feminist fiction. Focusing on the way Audre Lorde incorporates individual and collective memories as well as erotic and traumatic memories in her literary works, I use the literary category of feminist Bildungsroman to examine her biomythography, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name in which she presents an alternative model of female development in terms of forming a distinct identity and subjectivity. The paper traces the strenuous personal development and transformation of Audre as a black woman endeavouring to challenge marginalization and resist the various forms and layers of abuse and subjugation practiced against her in a racialized and sexist society. Taking into consideration that the political implications of women's writing can only be theorized when it is related to the cultural and ideological processes that shape it, I employ Rita Felski's analysis of women's modern writing as an context where female political identities and collective consciousness are depicted.
International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies, 2017
This article explores the experiences of various female characters in the period immediately befo... more This article explores the experiences of various female characters in the period immediately before and during the Persian Gulf War (1990–91), the Kurdish popular Uprising in Iraq, their subsequent mass-exodus to the Turkish and Iranian borders, and the creation of a quasi-independent Kurdish state in the north of Iraq. Studying Qasham Balata’s Runaway to Nowhere in 2010 and Sindis Niheli’s Hizar d Werçerxana da, Bergé Éké (Hizar and the Vicissitudes of Life, Part One) in 2013, the article deals with the lives and experiences of two female characters, focusing on their transformation from voiceless victims to well-informed social and political activists. By incorporating feminist themes of social inequality, domestic abuse, violence against women and women’s social and political activism into broader questions of nationalism and national struggle for liberation, the novels selected here affirm the significant and problematic interplay between feminism and nationalism in the Kurdish ...
Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's litera... more Edith Hamilton, the famous German-American educator and author, once said that "A people's literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can." Hamilton's saying appropriately applies on Qasham Ali Balata's novel Runaway to Nowhere. This research study aims at the exploration of the closer considerations to the cultural and political references in the novel, which are found in every single page of the book. The observations will be documented through quotations from the novel. The study starts with an introduction to the novel intending to familiarize the reader with the story and the characters. The first section (cultural references) deals with regional considerations; including the regional demography, language, cuisine, and the national costumes of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish folklore, with some of its tales and legends are also discussed. This section ends with the discussion of social themes; containing critical issues like the role of the Kurdish woman in society and socialization in the Kurdish community. The second section describes the political references, which are ordered logically. Starting from the geopolitical importance of Kurdistan, that moves Kurdistan into the focus of their imperialistic neighbors. The novel limits itself to Iraqi-Kurdistan; thus, only the oppressions of the regime in Baghdad are discussed. The Iraqi Kurdish resistance is explained as well as the sanctions of the occupiers of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi regimes in Baghdad, in particular the Ba'ath-party. The focus lies on the latter mentioned party, who is responsible for the sequence of wars and mass murders against other nations or their own citizens, in particular the Iraqi Kurds.
Uploads
Papers by Lolav Doski