Diri wrote:Yes bira - this is the map which you speak of:
But I do believe people shown spread out as Kurds in this map have been assimilated to various degrees from place to place... Especially around Amasya, Çorum, Yozgat and Tokat - which are areas where the MHP has great support among the people...
It's very sad about Dersîm - and although nobody says is except the Kurds - what the Turks did in Dersîm was a genocide as the one in Şirnex was... If you look up the definition of "Genocide" you'll see that it says - Genocide is the intent of destroying or handicaping in part or whole a group/nation/people... And that is what they did in Dersîm and Şirnex especially - but also generally all over Kurdistan... But the descriptions of what was done in Dersîm and Şirnex stand out in many ways... Burning women and children who were hiding in their caves... Why do that if your intent is not to destroy in whole or part the people of Dersîm...
God knows if those people lived today they would tell you - but those who did survive were silenced in other ways... It's sick realy...
I see brother... But you know, the most important thing is: you are not assimilated as long as you keep hold of your identity - and that is what your words are: "But still I know I am Kurdish, and I will try to learn Kurdish..." That was so beautiful, birayê min - I swear it made me so happy to read that... Because midst all this destruction and erradication of Kurdishness, words like yours make it all worth it...
Bless you...
We have a Kurdish section here - which you can use as a starting point for learning Kurdish...
Bijî bira...
Yes I know that map, it belongs to Mehrdad R. Izady. I've got his book, it's excellent. But the map have some minor errors, and so do his book. For instance, the Corum-Yozgat-Tokat-Amasya area do not house so large a Kurdish area as shown on the map. It's true that there a many Kurds there, but not THAT many..
Assimilation in these provinces are massive. For instance: In some Kurdish villages, besides few very old people, nobody speak Kurdish! The most sad thing is, that many do not even know they are Kurds!
As for Dersim, yes it was a genocide, I am sure about that. Some of the elders from my own village have been forced to take part in the genocide. They either had to kill, or be killed.
I will try to learn Kurdish through the net / books, but I really don't think it will be helpful enough.. I wish I could have Kurdish lessons
