This testimonies are part of Respond’s Kurdish storytelling project. Visit the main project page here.

Kurdish Storytelling Andrea Vargas Kurdish Storytelling Andrea Vargas

An ancient treasure of humanity

“My native dialect was Mukriyanî, a sub-dialect of Central Kurdish, and it held official status in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan due to its rich literary history. After our village was tragically bombed by Turkish fighter jets, we were forced to flee to the city and rebuild our lives. This was essentially a fresh start, albeit under much harsher circumstances. Nostalgia for our previous life began to swell within me, and I couldn't help but reflect on how we survived such a catastrophe, known as the Zargally Massacre. During my teenage years, I started to appreciate my language even more deeply and began to wonder how such an ancient treasure of humanity could be so overlooked by the world.”

- Dewran Mahmud, Sorani, Kurmanji, and Kelhorî speaker living in Bashur

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