KurdishMedia, UK
Dec 10 2004

Authors from Middle East get together in Diyarbakir

09/12/2004 Roj TV
Kurdish and Arabic writers Taha Xelîl, Lokman Dêrikî, Mihemer Ebû
Hamra, Yussef Bazzî and Ferec Beyraqdar came together at the panel
named “Two Languages, A World: Kurdish and Arabic Authors Tell” and
organized in the scope of the 2nd Literature Days.

The panel was arranged by Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality to
strengthen inter-cultural relations. To the panel held in theatre
hall of Metropolitan Municipality and started with the presentation
of Taha Xelîl , Lokman Dêrikî, Mihemer Ebû Hamra, Yussef Bazzî and
Ferec Beyraqdar attended as speaker.

Stating he had a long-past friendship with his Kurdish counterpart
Selim Berekat, Muhammed Ebû Hamra, author living in Beirut, says:
“While in Beirut Selîm Berekat was telling his adventures, we could
understand that Baas regime in Syria was implementing a cruel
dominance over Kurds. Before I have met him, I did not know how much
he is devoted to Kurds and Kurdistan. Mr.Berekat was treating the
Arabic Language in a romantic manner. My character was deeply
influenced by him. I have traced Berekat on his way. His hatred
against Arabic administrations caused me to have similar anger
against Arabic rules. The reason is that why the underdeveloped
countries do not see salvation in Europe? The reason of which, for
me, is that they have not been aware of their deficiencies.”

‘I have grasped we are not Arabic’

Lokman Dêrikî, who lives in Syria and writes in Arabic, by touching
on his childhood spoke as such: “While I was very young , I was happy
and speaking Kurdish but when I started school , I encountered a
language that left an impression on all my life, Arabic. At the
beginning of school, because I did not know Arabic, one of my
teachers, Emel, sometimes was teaching the lessons in Kurdish to me.
That time I would be very happy. As time passed, speaking in Kurdish
lessened day by day but speaking in Arabic increased. I was a kid so,
that is why I could not understand the reason is what? Later I
understood that we are not Arabic but Kurdish, namely, we are
minority.”

“The reality of history will be written by literature”

Yussef Bazzi, who jointed the activity from Beirut, stated that his
mother was Armenian and father Christian. “Because my father and
mother were from different religions, they much difficulty. My father
was killed in the Beirut Inner War and mother immigrated. That is to
say, I was an orphan and war kid. But I am also a man of the peace in
languages, and of dialog and compromise. My adventure shows the
history of the Middle East, which will fluctuate between peace and
war. And the reality of History will written down by literature.”

“Due to violence the Middle East remained back”

The last speaker of the panel, Syrian Author Ferec Beyreqdar said
People’s in the Middle East have deep knowledge but they are not as
learned as Westerners are. “This privilege is seen not only among
Peoples in the Middle East but also among the regimes. The reason of
this is the religious, tribal and sect violence that has been lasting
for a long. That is why Publics in the Middle East remained back. The
salvation is the brotherhood of People’s so we should hold
conferences and panels in many countries” he says

The open session ended with the panelist’s responses to participants’
questions.