PERVİN AMARA

Qamishlo- Kurdish literature has a rich tradition. The history of literature is intertwined with the development of humanity when people began to express their feelings through the art of literature. Throughout history, women have played an important role in preserving sacred values in society; they have also played this role in developing literature. The traces, experiences and stories left by women in oral Kurdish literature have survived until today.

‘Literature is like a shield’

In an interview with NuJINHA, Ayfer Yıldıztan, a student of the Department of Kurdish Language and Literature at the University of Rojava, northeastern Syria, talked about the influence of oral literature, epics and stories on Kurdish society.

“Literature and society have a close relationship. The relationship between literature and society is like the relationship between flesh and nail. It is impossible to separate them. Literature is also important for Kurdish society. For the Kurdish people, literature is like a shield that preserves the existence and identity of their society. In Kurdish literature, there are many famous writers like Ehmedê Xanî. There are many oral epics in Kurdish literature.”

‘Children growing up surrounded by books are more social’

Ayfer Yıldız also talked about the role of women in Kurdish literature. “Women have played an important role in both oral and written Kurdish literature. In Kurdish culture, women express their pain and suffering in songs. Children growing up surrounded by books are more social. Children growing up by listening to the stories told by their mothers preserve the culture of their society.”

‘You must have literary knowledge and experience to create a literary work’

Speaking about the challenges faced by women in literature, Ayfer Yıldız said, “Despite all the progress and developments, women face many challenges in literature due to social gender stereotypes. Sexism in literature can negatively affect women in many ways. Economic, political and social problems also prevent women from creating literary works. In order to create a literary work, you must have knowledge and experience on society, history, politics, geography and sciences. You must have literary knowledge and experience to create a literary work.

Sexism in literature

“Families and sexism in society deprive women and girls of education. Sexism that affects all facets of life also appears in literature. There are many writers who portray women as bad in their books.”

‘Language is a key part of human culture’

The Kurdish language has an important place in literature, Ayfer Yıldız stressed, adding, “The independence of Kurdish literature depends on the preservation of the language. There are many Arabic, Turkish and Persian words in the Kurdish language and this has a negative effect on Kurdish literature. We should first develop the Kurdish language to develop Kurdish literature. The development of technology has also had a negative impact on the Kurdish language. Language is a key part of human culture. For this reason, we must first preserve our language.”