Moustafa Rechid
Though
in 30s and 40s of the last century, there have been certain activities of the
Kurdish intellectuals in Europe, it was only 1956 when a first pan-European
Kurdish organisation was founded: A Cultural Union of the Kurdish Students in
Europe. This and other organisations pursued a combination of cultural and
political aspirations of the Kurds living in Europe. The first journal, Kurdistan,
was published in South Kurdish (Sorani) and English and was followed by
“Chiya” (Mountain) in North Kurdish (Kurmandji).
The
situation changed in 1975 with the numerous publications and new organised
groups of the Kurds. Therefore, the year of 1975 is to be viewed as a starting
point of the existence of Kurdish literature in the European exile. The
foundation of the Kurdish PEN Center gave the Kurdish literary circles an
organised frame which enabled us to be heard on the international level. A new
development took place in 1995, when the Kurdish sattelite TV station started to
broadcast. As a result, the literary contacts became independent of territorial
islolation.
1. Patriotism
Despite
their being faraway from Kurdistan, the Kurdish writers in Europe do not stop to
cherish their ancestral homeland and the problems facing their compatriots.
2. The Rich Nature of Kurdistan
The
Kurdish writers and poets describe the beauty of their homeland, its unique
natire of the ancient rivers and mounts.
3. The Influence of European Cultures and
Literatures
The
life in the modern Western societies cannot remain without effect. For instance,
more humanstic social trends can be obeserved in the Kurdish books published in
Europe. However, a vast majority of the writers follow the Kurdish proverbial
imperative: “Give and take, but lose yourself not”.
4.
Surrealism
This
literary form originated in 1921 primarily in France has a certain impact on the
Kurdish literature in Europe. Those understanding its mythohistorical depth use
surrealism with success.
However,
there are Kurdish writers and poets whose works create an impression that of
having been composed somwehere in the caves, surrounded by demons. Their
sentences are incorrect, their vocabulary is rather arm and their usage of
foreign words and expressions is mostly superficial.
5. Aesthetic and Erotic Motifs
Our classics in their Sufi-oriented writings used both motifs on a very
high literary level, taking into consideration the literary reality of the
Middle Ages. Unfortunately, many of our writers cannot incorporate their
achievements. Neither can they follow a European line in describing the beauty
of body and the sad vividness of life.
6.
Kurdsih Poetry in Europe
Recently,
almost all the poets gave up classical forms and turned to verselibre. That
would have been no big story, if the mainstream poets did not regard those who
endeavours to make a full use of classical forms as backward fellows. Apparently,
not all the possibilites of classical poetry have been applied in Kurdish with
the free verse still remaining infantile under the pens of modern Kurdish poets
in Europe. Amongst the reasons one can name an exaggerated expectation of our poets
to be translated. Because of this, they do not write under the music of the
Kurdish language and thus show disrespect of their Kurdish readers who still pay
attention to both form and context. Another grave reason is that some of the
poets do not master their mother tongue and find poems as a way out from the
Kurdish speech. Certainly, it is partly to be explained by virtually absent
Kurdish education, with the exception of the Kurds living in South (Iraqi)
Kurdistan. Another obstacle is non-existent literary critique.