Hawar (magazine)

Hawar (meaning The Cry in English) was a Kurdish literature magazine, which was published in Damascus between 1932 and 1943.[1] The magazine was first issued by Celadet Alî Bedirxan[1] on 15 May 1932. The magazine was the first Kurdish literary magazine in Syria[2] and it was intended to publish it on a monthly basis,[2] but its publication was interrupted several times. The first 23 issues were published between 15 May 1932 and the 27 September 1935.[3] The issues number 24 - 26 appeared between 1 April 1934 and 18 August 1935.[3] The remainder was published between April 1941 and August 1943,[3] and the French, who governed Syria and Lebanon at the time, supported its publication.[4] The 57th and last issue was released on 15 August 1943.[5] The first 23 issues of the magazine were published in both the Latin and the Arabic alphabets, but from the 24th issue onward, only the Latin alphabet was used.[3] The Kurdish alphabet, which was formulated by the publisher Celadet Alî Bedirxan and also referred to as Hawar alphabet or the Bedirxan alphabet, was used to publish Hawar.[6] The texts which were published emphasized the value of the Kurdish folklore for developing the Kurdish language and personal qualities.[7] Hawar had its most subscribers in Syria and Iraq, but also Lebanon, Iran. Some educational institutions and libraries in Europe and the Middle East also subscribed to the Hawar magazine.[8] Since 2006, the 15 May, the date of the first publication of Hawar in 1932, is celebrated as the Kurdish language day.[9][10]

Celadet Alî Bedirxan said of his purpose for the magazine: "Hawar is the voice of knowledge. Knowledge leads to personal reflection. A person who becomes aware of the inner-self desires freedom and happiness. Self-knowledge also leads to self-expression. This magazine will reflect those expressions in the Kurdish language".[2]

  1. ^ a b Ozlem Belcim Galip (30 May 2015). Imagining Kurdistan: Identity, Culture and Society. I.B.Tauris. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-78453-016-7. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Xulam, Kani (12 May 2013). "Jeladet Ali Bedir Xan: The Story of A Kurdish Prince in Exile". Rudaw.
  3. ^ a b c d Gorgas, Jordi Tejel (2007). Le mouvement kurde de Turquie en exil: continuités et discontinuités du nationalisme kurde sous le mandat français en Syrie et au Liban (1925-1946) (in French). Peter Lang. p. 283. ISBN 978-3-03911-209-8.
  4. ^ Winter, Stefan (2006). "The other "Nahdah": The Bedirxand, the Mîllis and the tribal roots of Kurdish Nationalism in Syria". Oriente Moderno. 25 (86) (3): 464. ISSN 0030-5472. JSTOR 25818086.
  5. ^ Gorgas, Jordi Tejel (2007). Le mouvement kurde de Turquie en exil: continuités et discontinuités du nationalisme kurde sous le mandat français en Syrie et au Liban (1925-1946) (in French). Peter Lang. p. 283. ISBN 978-3-03911-209-8.
  6. ^ "Çi yekbûna Kurdan jî bi yekîtiya zimanê Kurdî çêdibe". Aktüel Bakış (in Turkish). 15 May 2007. Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. An article about Hawar magazine
  7. ^ Allison, Christine (2017). Stansfield, Gareth; Shareef, Mohammed (eds.). The Kurdish Question Revisited. Oxford University Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780190687182.
  8. ^ Akturk, Ahmet Serdar. "Imagining Kurdish Identity in Mandatory Syria: Finding a Nation in Exile". University of Arkansas. pp. 108–109. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  9. ^ "The voice of knowledge: Hawar Magazine". ANF News. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  10. ^ "HDP: Happy Kurdish Language Day". Bianet. Retrieved 15 May 2020.