Sociologist Beşikçi and Lawyer Şimşek on Trial

Sociologist Beşikçi faces imprisonment because of an article written for the Contemporary Lawyers Association magazine. Magazine official Şimşek is also in the dock. The trial will start on 28 July.

Erol ÖNDEROĞLU

hukuk@bianet.org

Istanbul – BİA News Center

02 July 2010, Friday

The Istanbul Public Chief Prosecutor opened a trial against sociologist İsmail Beşikçi under charges of “spreading propaganda for the PKK”, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. The charges are based on an article Beşikçi wrote for the Contemporary Law and Society magazine, the publication of the Istanbul Branch of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD).

Beşikçi and also the editorial manager of the magazine, Zeycan Balcı Şimşek, are each facing prison sentences of up to 7.5 years because of the article entitled “The right of nations to self determination and the Kurds”.

First hearing on 28 July

The trial against Beşikçi and Şimşek will start on 28 July at the Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court.

Istanbul Public Prosecutor Hakan Karaali pressed charges against Beşikçi on the grounds of the following statement: “The Kurds pay the price for a 200-year struggle for freedom and for a free fatherland. [...] Syria, Iran and Turkey govern the Kurds with oppression and cruelty. [...] The states that jointly kept the Kurds under oppression could always unite politics, ideology, military force and diplomatic power against the Kurds. This joint governance did not render law and justice. To the contrary, it very clearly crushed and offended a sense of law and justice. The resistance against this oppression and cruelty appears to be a legitimate right. [...]” The indictment was prepared on 11 May.

Beşikçi was also prosecuted for his article entitled “We did not talk, we were oppressed” published in the “Popular Culture Dark” magazine in December 2005. He was tried together with magazine owner Ferzende Kaya and editorial manager Mehmet Ali Izmir. The case was dropped by prescription.

İsmail Beşikçi released from prison upon conditional amnesty

In the 1990s, sociologist Beşikçi was facing imprisonment of more than 100 years for articles about the Kurdish question published in the Özgür Gündem newspaper and for books published by Yurt Publishing.

Most of his books were forbidden. Beşikçi was in jail for many years before he was released under the Conditional Amnesty Act no. 4304. According to this law, prosecutions and punishments related to crimes committed before 12 July 1997 shall be suspended if no criminal offences are committed within five years. (EÖ/VK)

Tuesday 15 June, 2-6pm, seminar room 1, IAIS, Centre for Kurdish Studies, University of Exeter

The dominance of orality in the performance and transmission of the Yezidi and Yaresan religions of Kurdistan and Western Iran has been the object of scholarly interest for almost two decades. This workshop will provide the occasion for a detailed discussion of the sacred texts of these religions – how their sacrality isconstructed, performed and conceived, and what marks them out from other elements of spoken discourse. It will bring together specialists on the two religions and their texts, and on Kurdish discourse (in its various dialects) more generally and reflect their research currently in progress.

The workshop will take the form of an informal round-table discussion, centred around the following presentations:

Prof. Christine Allison Centre for Kurdish Studies, University of Exeter

Opening remarks: oral texts and textual authority in Kurdish

Dr. Alexandra Argenti-Pillen Department of Social Anthropology, UCL

The representation of Kurmanci narratives: A dialogue with other genres

Prof. Philip Kreyenbroek Georg-August Universität, Göttingen

Oral and Written Sacred Texts: Zoroastrianism, Yezidism, Yarsanism

Dr. Eszter Spät Central European University, Budapest

Yezidi sacred texts in Iraq: tradition and change

Yiannis Kanakis Centre for Kurdish Studies, University of Exeter

The sound as holy text in Yaresan rituals

For further information contact:  Prof Christine Allison ca239@exeter.ac.uk

Speaker: Dr Hashem Ahmadzadeh, Senior lecturer in Kurdish Studies, Director of Centre for Kurdish Studies of Exeter University

Date/ time: 27th May 2010 @ 5:30pm-7:00pm

Venue:  B104, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London  Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Organised by Kurdish Society at SOAS (KSSOAS) and Kurdish Studies and Students Organisation (KSSO)

Seminar Abstract

Kurdish novel since its rise during the early 1930s has experienced many profound changes both thematically and stylistically. This presentation aims to identify the main changes that have occurred in the Kurdish novel since its rise up to the first decade of the 21st century. Comparing the style and theme of the early Kurdish novels with recently published novels, shows that there are radical changes in both their form and theme. These changes are the result of the destruction of the pre-modern ways of life and the penetration of modernity in the Kurdish societies.
While internal Kurdish cultural and socio-political factors have been at play behind changes in the form and content of the Kurdish novel, the “global culture” has also been effectively influential in shaping the Kurdish novel. Despite the fact that the Kurdish novel has been influenced by the transition of the Western novelistic discourse to the Middle East, it has, thematically, been functioning as a “national allegory” as it has been conceptualised by Jameson as the main feature of “the third world” literature.

Defining the Nation: Kurdish Historiography in Turkey in the 1990s

Speaker: Dr Konrad Hirschler of School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

Date and Time: 4^th May 2010, @ 5:00pm

Venue: B104, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London  Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Organised by Kurdish Studies and Students Organisation (KSSO) and Kurdish Society at SOAS (KSSOAS)

Seminar abstract

Dr Hirschler will talk on the Kurdish historiography in Turkey in the 1990s and especially the ways in which it constructs, defines and reworks Kurdish national identity.

Biography

Dr  Konrad Hirschler is Senior Lecturer in the History of the Near and Middle East of SOAS, London University. His research interests: Historiography; history of reading; cultural and social history of the pre-modern Middle East; crusades in the Middle East. He is the author of the book “Medieval Arabic Historiography: Authors as Actors” and has published academic articles widely on pre-modern Arabic Historiography and two comprehensive articles on Kurdish Historiography in Turkey in the 1990s.

For more Information click on www.ksso.org.uk or mc@ksso.org.uk

Project – Professional advice and counseling services for Kurdish women facing gender or honor based violence

Roj Women Association provides professional and culturally sensitive advice as well as individual psychological support for Kurdish women who face gender and honor based violence.

The uniqueness of this project resides in the integral nature of the services provided which unite advice and casework as well as psychological counseling while focusing solely on women’s issues. Another singularity is the fact that our adviser and counselors will be fluent speakers in Kurdish dialects -such as Kurmanci, Zazaki and Sorani-, as well as English speakers, which will allow us to break through user’s isolation.

Time commitment – Three hours per week / 6 to 12 months

Description of the post –

We are recruiting four female volunteers to work with us in providing professional and culturally sensitive advice and psychological support for Kurdish women who face violence. Three (3) volunteers will be working on counseling and one (1) will be working on advice and casework.

As an advice worker you will provide free, impartial and confidential advice to our clients on a wide range of issues (debt, housing, employment, welfare, immigration) including violence against women. You will research individual cases, assess problems and identify possible courses of action, guide clients to decide on the best course of action, mediate on their behalf, refer clients to other sources of help and keep up to date with appropriate legislation and policies.

As a counselor you will help users to explore feelings and emotions related to their experiences with violence. You will establish a relationship of trust and respect with clients, helping them towards a deeper understanding of their problems and to make choices regarding possible ways forward.

What you will be gaining from this position –

Volunteer will gain free training and career development with the support of a training analyst, The training, that would comprise three courses for each volunteer and will be delivered by voluntary sector and/or statutory agencies, aims to provide the students with specialized tools and knowledge to work with victims of domestic violence and in particular with victims of honor based violence and forced marriage. A training analyst will follow up on your work and will act as a mentor.

We can provide valuable working experience that will improve your chances of getting a job and you will receive a letter of recommendation on completion of your volunteering. Voluntary work is unpaid, although travel and lunch expenses are provided.

Essential Skills

• Interest and commitment to women’s rights;
• Willing to gain experience in  counseling and advising victims of violence against women;
• Excellent spoken and written Kurdish (any dialect) and fluent English;
• Graduate or student in final year of Counseling / Psychology / Social Work Degree (applicable to Counselor Volunteer Post)
• Graduate or student in final year of Legal / Advice Studies (applicable to Advice Volunteer Post)
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills;
• A caring, sympathetic and sensitive manner and a non judgmental attitude;
• Ability to cope with stress and emotionally-charged issues;
• Tact and diplomacy to deal with sensitive and confidential information;
• Ability to liaise with other professionals and organizations.

The organization

Roj Women is a small charity based in Hackney, London, that works for Kurdish women’s rights both in London and overseas. Our role is to provide ways for Kurdish women to recognize their needs and rights and to empower them.

Closing Date Please submit CV and cover letter by 1^st September 2010

Virginia Lopez Calvo

Projects and Fundraising Coordinator

rojwomen@googlemail.com

Roj Women Association
65 Downham Road, London, N1 5EH

Speaker: Ms. Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman of Kurdistan Regional Government’s High Representative to the UK

Chair: Dr. Konrad Hirschler, Senior Lecturer in the History of the Near and Middle East, SOAS

Date/time: 20^th March 2010 at 5:00pm

Venue: G2, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS) Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Organised by Kurdish Studies and Students Organisation (KSSO) and Kurdish Society at SOAS (KSSOAS)

Seminar Abstract

In the 1980s, the people of Kurdistan in Iraq were under chemical bombardment, thousands of villages were being destroyed and the people were being massacred in their thousands by Saddam Hussein’s regime. Today the people of the Kurdistan Region live in a peaceful and stable environment, the number of universities has increased from one in 1991 to more than 10 today with more on the way, thousands of villages have been rebuilt and infrastructure projects undertaken. As well as having their own regional government, the Kurds hold key positions in the federal government in Baghdad. These achievements cannot be underestimated in the context of Iraq and the Middle East, however, the path has not been smooth and there are uncertainties that lie ahead of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s High Representative to the UK, will discuss the challenges ahead.

Date and Time: Sunday, 7 February 2010, @7:00pm

Venue: The Wheatsheaf, at 129 High St, Oxford, OX1 4DF

Ticket prices are £6 (£4 concs).

The places can be booked either through the following facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=257072437894&ref=mf

or by sending an email to: moonlight_culture@yahoo.com

Kind Regards,

Peyman Heydarian

Seminar: Ge

Speaker: Dr Choman Hardi

Chair:  Dr Umut Erel

Date and time : 21rst January 2010,@7:00 pm

Venue: B111, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

(SOAS) Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Organised by Kurdish Society at SOAS (KSSOAS) and Kurdish Studies and Students Organisation (KSSO)

Seminar Abstract

Al-Anfal (The Spoils) was a series of military attacks launched by the Iraqi state against the Kurdish rural inhabitants in 1988. The offensive took place in 8 stages and it stretched over seven months (Feb- Sep 1988). During the campaign 281 locations were attacked with poison gas, more than 2600 villages were razed to the ground, and 100,000 civilians were disappeared.

This research was conceptualised in the early 2000s when I watched numerous documentaries about Anfal on the Kurdish satellite channels. I found that despite the fact many women were interviewed during these documentaries a large part of their experiences during and after Anfal remained unspoken about. Here I draw on interviews conducted during my research (2005-2008) and some of my work for the Kurdish Museum project (2008- 2009), collecting testimonies as part of a team involving cameraman, director and photographer. My aim was to get a general overview of the women’s experiences who suffered during the different stages of Anfal and in the aftermath.

The sample included 59 women and 22 men for my research and I have also drawn on 16 interviews (13 women and 3 men) conducted for the Museum Project. This means a total of 70 women and 24 men have informed this research. Various others have contributed to this research through conversations and meetings that took place during fieldwork.

In my research I found that there were differences in how women and men remembered the genocide campaign and also they differed in what they remembered. Here I will discuss three factors that influenced Kurdish women’s remembrances of the Anfal campaign, namely the gender expectations of how men and women should feel and behave in Kurdish society; the dominant Anfal narrative; and the social stigma around certain experiences. I will also speak about the consequences of the way women are represented in the official Anfal narrative for the women themselves and the community at large.

Speaker: Parwez Zabihi

Date and Time: 04 December 2009 at 7:00

Venue: B104 School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

(SOAS) Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Following first KSSO seminar on urban regeneration in South Kurdistan in November 2008 at SOAS, Parwez has been continuing his research to document visually the important social and architectural transformation in Arbil, Slemani, Kerkuk,Koya, Dehuk and Sharazoor/Halabja.

He will present his recently conducted visual documentation on the social and architectural transformation in cities of South Kurdistan and talk about the current urbanization policy of the Kurdish local and national government

Biography

Parwez Zabihi is from Kurdistan (East) his family originally from Bookan province of Kurdistan. Parwez have lived and worked in the UK since 1986, studied fine arts at Central St. Martin School of Arts and later finished his postgraduate studies at Central School of Speech and Drama, with particular emphases on European philosophy.

He is currently has a second home and studio in Cologne and teaches in Urban Regeneration as visiting lecturer. He visited Kurdistan in October 2009 to deliver series of lectures on the same topic at the University of Saladin and university of Kurdistan both in Kurdish and in English languages for the Kurdish and non-Kurdish
Kurdish audience in Kurdistan.

His passion is beauty of landscape in particular Kurdistan, he has been researching the development of the Kurdistan region since 1992, his research focuses on processes of National and regional changes both in society and in landscapes, paying particular attention both geographically and historically to the area that have witnessed major changes both politically and socially since the collapse of Iraqi regime.

He is currently writing a Guide for Business Travelers to Kurdistan. The Guide will be published in English by Stacey International publishing in 2010 in the UK. He is also a contributor to a new book on Kurdistan ‘on becoming of age’ due to be printed in spring 2010. He is writing 2 sections of the book, history of music in south Kurdistan and its current dynamics and Kurdish design in textiles and carpets both historically and current.

The sixth Kurdish Film Festival London (KFFL) will start from 20 November. The full programme and lots more information is on the London Kurdish Film Festival website http://www.lkff.co.uk/index.html