Kurdish History Magazine 50

We were only able to prepare the 50th issue of Kurdish History. Let me apologize for the delay and start introducing the content of the issue.

Almost the entire 50th issue consists of a single file, the Rojhelat file. As you know, Iran has been shaken by a large and sustained uprising for months. The protests that started with the murder of Jîna Mahsa Amini from Rojhelat by security forces in Tehran have turned into a women's uprising in Iran. On this occasion, we wanted to devote the file of the 50th issue to Iranian Kurdistan. I believe we have prepared a good file. I would like to thank Alişan Akpınar, who undertook most of the file preparation.

The opening article of the dossier is about the Kurdish school established in the city of Hoy in 1913. Sinan, whom we know for his mastery of archives, wrote the story of the school established under the auspices of Russia with the joint initiative of Hakan Abdürrezzak Bedirhan and the famous Simko Ağa from the Şikak Tribe, and the excitement that the establishment of the school created in the Iranian and Ottoman capitals. The locomotive of the file is the interview with Abbas Vali, conducted in English and translated into Turkish, by Seda Altuğ, one of the editorial board of the magazine. The interview, which provides a very broad picture and detailed analysis of the uprising in Iran and the politics of Iran and Iranian Kurdistan, is one of the best Turkish sources I have read on the subject. I highly recommend it to everyone.

It is impossible to make a Rojhelat file and not mention Qasımlo. We remember Abdurrahman Qasımlo, the talented and colorful leader of the Iranian KDP, who was murdered by the Iranian regime in 1989, with Hamit Bozarslan's beautiful article. There is another article indirectly related to Qasımlo in the file. Vahap Coşkun is introducing the book titled A European Woman in a Kurdish Country, written by his Czechoslovakian wife, Héléne Krulich, who was also his fighting companion with Qasımlo. Another book introduction in the file is about the Republic of Mahabad. Mîr Serhad Elmanî's article, which goes beyond the scope of book promotion, is Yasin Borhaneddin's Imagination or Reality? He discusses the Mahabad Republic, taking as his book Mahabad Kurdish Republic: Kurds in the Politics of the Great Powers (1941-1947).

Kenan Demirel's detailed article, the second part of which we will publish in the next issue, is about the Soviet Union's World War II. About the Kurdish policy he followed in Iran during World War II. Demirel's article is a detailed and meticulous study on the subject. There is also an article on Kurdish literature in the Rojhelat file. Farangis Ghaderi from the University of Exeter wrote an article titled "Kurdish Literature in Rojhilat" for Kurdish History. Metin Yüksel translated the text Ghaderi wrote in English into Turkish. Finally, there is also an article by Sorani. Ferîdun Hekîmzade's article is about Qazi Muhammed.

See you in the 51st issue...

Mesut Yegen