Making symbols of diverse religions, by his craft, he celebrates pluralism

MURADA KANDA /QAMISHLO

Armenian and the Middle East’s peoples. Today, the Turkish state follows the course of its predecessors still continuing to follow the policy of one nationality and one religion and deny the identity, culture, religion of other peoples.

In 1915, the Ottomans committed the Seyfo massacre against the Armenians and Syriacs, resulting in the displacing of thousands of families from Turkey and northern Kurdistan which headed since to live in Rojava and many Syrian areas. One of the families who was then introduced to Rojava is the Hanna family, where it was residing Qamishlo during the massacre. The family went through many hardships and established a new life in Qamishlo.

He traveled from Mardin to Qamishlo

At the time of Seyfo massacre, the Nuhair Hanna family fled from Midiad district belonging to Mardin city in Bakur (north Kurdistan) to Qamishlo city in Rojava. Nuhier Hanna was born in 1980 in Qamishlo, in order to provide for the family's needs, he headed toward Aleppo city at age of 20 to work. There he learned handicrafts, including the manufacture of religious symbols, and after his work he returned to Qamishlo city .Ten years ago, Hanna opened a shop in Qamishlo market, where he manufactures and sells religious symbols.

Nuhair says that he makes symbols that refer to all religions such as "rings, chains, Misbahas, drawings, etc...," and aiming to respond and renounce racism and hatred which was planted by authoritarian and dictatorial regimes like Turkey among the peoples of the region and their sects. Where Hanna draws on the pieces he makes the image of Mary, and writes the name of Allah on another, and symbols referring to the Jewish religion and the Yezidi community, in addition to Zoroastrianism. In addition to the adorning their frame.

They cannot kill pluralism

He spoke of his work and said that all peoples need to carry out actions that encouraged multiculturalism and increased love and interdependence, in order to kill the one-state system and racism.

Hanna added "I am doing what the people want from me and I make everyone whatever they ask for like their religious symbols and others, and I am happy in my work because the Kurds, Arabs and Syriac and all the people come to my shop to make for them what symbolizes their faiths and beliefs, which I highly respect and appreciate."

He said, "Those who do not like all peoples, regardless of their religion, nationality or beliefs, will not be able to work in this profession, ten people worked in this shop. Unfortunately, most of them left work because they could not get rid of the complex of racism that the ruling regimes planted in their minds. I will continue this work and I will develop to respond to the racism and nationalism of the Turkish occupation and other dictatorships, to confirm that they will not be able to kill the multiplicity and co-existence of our peoples.

In his view of the revolution of Rojava, he said, "Our country is proud of all its nationalities, religions and sects. Its revolution is the real revolution of all the oppressed peoples and the demand for freedom, equality, coexistence and fraternity. Therefore, everyone now lives freely and with dignity in Rojava and everyone enjoys freedom of religion and belief. This revolution is the way of salvation from all racist and dictatorial regimes.

(T/S)

ANHA