More than Refugees, More than Tourist Attractions. People First!

When you think of the Middle East, what comes to mind? You might think about the horrors of violence wrought about by ISIS, or the brutal Assad regime of Syria. Perhaps you may daydream about visiting exotic places such as the ancient alleyways of Istanbul, looking forward to the food you’ll get to eat there! Religious heritage might be another consideration, with many wanting to visit the places sacred to them, be it the city of Jerusalem with its mish-mash of spiritual practices ranging from Christianity to Islam, or the city of Mecca, the unifying call of all in the religion of Islam to gather and worship. In short, if you’re from a first world culture, you’re either filled with dread at the thought of setting foot into the region, or it’s a place for you to fill out a bucket list of places to visit, only to leave it behind as merely a memory to look at fondly in the rearview mirror of your life. For us, the Middle East is a place that provides meaning to something specific to us, some general images of what the place is like, but with little attention paid to the region itself and the inner workings of the thousands of years of history spanning the region. It’s a commodity that is either cherished for a time and then disposed of, or it’s something looked upon like a bomb about to explode in our hands, fearfully placing it back in the place we found it. How could meaning be found in a place like this?

What if I told you that there is a hidden side to this region that stands above all of these notions? A culture with its own history that rivals the glories of the West, but also stands above the woes of its surroundings? A people who, amidst witnessing their identity being tossed aside by world powers and the threat of death, manage to remain tall in stature, meeting head-to-head with both friends and enemies on their own? An ethnicity born from the fires of an urgency to insist on their right to live autonomously at all cost, deaf to the clamoring of forces bent on their destruction?

To raise awareness of these characteristics within the mountain-dwelling Kurds is the ultimate goal of Dengê Çiyayên. On the surface, this project is informative on the subject of the Kurds, aiming to be as balanced and objective in its portrayal of the history of the Kurds as possible. At heart, though, its purpose is to be a spotlight, highlighting not just general facts of history or the problems facing the Kurds, but also the dignity these people deserve to be heard. The dignity of being acknowledged as having their own history and accomplishments, for people among this group to have the chance to share the bleeding heart of their identities that show more than what people will typically look for from people in the Middle East. In essence, the blog is a herald, made to raise the voices of the Kurdish nation to be heard by the world. A chance to matter!

So, when reading this blog, as much appreciated as it is to be treated as a source of information for research, or for fulfilling a certain curiosity about a people group with a name that makes you think of cheese or something, please see this as more than a depository of information about an educational topic. Treat it instead as a door to open for the voice of the Kurds to shine from their home, moving you to not just learn about them, but to understand them. To not just sympathize, but to connect to as if you had lived their lives yourself. To listen, not just hear, the call of…