Arts & Literature: Voices of Kurdish Women Survivors: Healing Through Wounds of Genocide

Authors

Sarwa AzeezFollow

Abstract

The Kurdish genocide tragically stole a generation, yet little attention has been given to the profound anguish endured by women left without husbands, fathers or sons. The poems "Alive," "Waiting," “To Hawa,” and "But Then Their Eyes Retained Everything" venture to unveil novel perspectives on the vast expanse of war, violence, trauma, and healing. They explore the impact of Saddam Hussein’s genocide on women during and after the war, its impact on subsequent generations, and the reflections of women on the implications of the Al-Anfal campaign, which spanned from 1986 to 1989. Similarly, the poem "Her Tongue Refuses to Recall," tells the tale of a resilient Yezidi woman who, like thousands of others, was tragically enslaved by the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, during their invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan from 2014 till 2017. By placing women at the forefront instead of the periphery, these poems attempt to enhance our comprehension of how these atrocities have affected families, intimate relationships, and the unique vulnerabilities faced by women.

First Page

1

Last Page

3

Acknowledgements

I am immensely grateful to Graham Mort, a remarkable writer, editor, and professor from Lancaster University, for his invaluable support and guidance in allowing me to contribute to the transformative Kurdish women's project, "Many Women, Many Words." This project has served as a profound inspiration, motivating me to delve into the collective traumatic experiences of women. I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my dearest friend and mentor, Muli Amaye, writer and professor at The Universitiy of West Indies, for editing my poems and believing in them. Thanks for my supportive professors at the University of Lincoln-Nebraska during my master's program. The invaluable feedback and unwavering encouragement you provided were truly priceless.

Dedication

This work is dedicated to the courageous and resilient Kurdish heroines of war and genocide, whose stories have remained untold and whose strength and resilience continue to inspire.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.17.1.1967

Recommended Citation

Azeez, Sarwa (2023) "Arts & Literature: Voices of Kurdish Women Survivors: Healing Through Wounds of Genocide," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: Vol. 17: Iss. 1: Article 7.
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.17.1.1967

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License