Kurdish Press Day is important, historical turning point, journalists' unity to promote media

The journalist and media professional Farhad Shami called on all employees in the media institutions in Kurdistan and abroad, regardless of their political affiliation to unite and work on the basis of the Kurdish cause, and not to use the media for the benefit of the authoritarian forces.

22 April, 2020 06:56

AL-SHAHBA - FIRAS IBRAHIM _ MEDIA HANNAN

April 22nd is considered the Kurdish Press Day, which is the birthday of the first Kurdish newspaper, as the Prince Meqdad Medhat Badrkhan was able to produce the newspaper “Kurdistan” in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on April 22, 1898. In this regard, our agency, Hawar, held a dialogue with the journalist and media professional Farhad Shami, during which he touched on the history and reality of the Kurdish press in Rojava and Syria, what it achieved during the revolution process that has been going on for more than 9 years, and what is required of the Kurdish media at the present time.

The dialogue was as follows:

What have the Kurdish press accomplished since the publication of the first issue of Kurdistan newspaper in 1898 until now?

In the beginning, we congratulate all Kurdish journalists in the world on the Kurdish Press Day, and we commemorate all the martyrs of the free media. In the history of the Kurdish people, there were important days, during which the Kurdish people were exposed to many genocides from all cultural and social aspects and escaped through the popular revolutions that were held at that time, and one of these revolutions was the press revolution.

We can say that the day of producing the first Kurdish newspaper in the name of Kurdistan in 1898 in Cairo was a festivity for the Kurdish journalists, and a qualitative and motivational step achieved by the Kurdish media since its inception. The publication of such a newspaper in remote countries was considered a festival for the Kurdish journalists in light of the circumstances witnessed in Kurdistan; attempts of elimination at various national and cultural levels, and the prohibition of the Kurdish language.

Initially, the Kurdish journalists did not show any interest in declaring it as the International Day of the Kurdish Press. Till 1970, and after producing issues from the newspaper, it was decided that it would be a festivity for the Kurdish press, so that the Kurdish media was able to play its role and register itself in the pages of history.

How do you evaluate the media situation in Rojava?

If we wanted to evaluate the Kurdish press from that time until now, we can talk about it through stages or steps that at the beginning of its inception, we can call it the era of Badrakhan family that laid the basics of the Kurdish language, the Kurdish media, and Kurdistan newspaper which was published in Cairo ceased over years in the result of the chauvinistic pressures on it, as if the path of the Kurdish media is similar to the path of the Kurdish people, a path full of oppression, injustice and persecution, but it managed to branch into the four parts of Kurdistan and continued its progress.

The second stage was in 1919, when the Ottoman Sultanate was vanishing, and it began to multiply repress the intellectuals and writers. Every intellectual, whatever his sect, was subjected to violence, execution, and displacement by the Ottoman Sultanate, and despite that, the Kurdish people did not abandon their cause. If we wanted to evaluate since that year until 1925, more than 15 Kurdish newspapers were published in the four parts of Kurdistan, Egypt and Europe. Due to the policy of repression and prohibition at the time, the Kurdish media was limited to literature only away from politics.

The other stage was when Hawar Magazine was published in 1932, followed by the publication of Ronahi Magazine in 1943, which is considered one of the important stages for the Kurdish press.

Besides, the Kurdish media went through several stages after the Ottoman state vanished and the Syrian state was formed. In Syria, many Kurdish journalists emerged and played a pioneering role in the Syrian press between 1920 and 1943, such as Nazik al-Abed who was originally Kurdish from Damascus, and published a newspaper specialized to women in the name of Nour al-Fayhaa in 1920, and the likes of Khalil al-Ayyubi, Ahmed Kurd Ali, Muhiddin Shamdin and others who have achieved developments in the Syrian media, as well as publishing magazines and newspapers in other parts of Kurdistan, such as Azadia Walat in Bakur Kurdistan and Başûr Kurdistan as well, but they were confined to a small scale. After announcing the political parties in 1975, newspapers for parties were issued as party publications only.

How was the situation of the Kurdish press or free media in the pre-Rojava Revolution?

In the eighties and nineties of the last century and with the emergence of the Kurdish Liberation Movement, many restrictions were broken, as the division of Kurdistan into four parts was discussed for the first time, the independence of the Kurdish people, Kurdistan freedom. In addition, the Kurdish cause was considered as a common issue and one issue, and with the escalation of the political movement, many new Kurdish magazines and bulletins emerged in a different way and with a completely different content from the prevailing party bulletins. The Kurdish media focused on developing itself until it reached the broadcast of MED TV, and at the moment of its launch, it united Kurdistan again, and despite the repeated attempts of the chauvinist states to disturb their frequencies and use methods of repression on the followers, it managed to play a great role in raising awareness and mobilizing the society to fulfill its responsibilities towards the liberation revolution.

To which extent did Rojava Revolution affect the development of the Kurdish press in Rojava?

We can say that after the start of Rojava Revolution, the Kurdish media movement continued, expanded more and established radio stations such as Judy Radio which is considered the first radio in North Kurdistan (Rojava) and was founded in 2013 and Ronahi newspaper that began issuing its numbers in 2012, until it developed and started to be issued daily, in addition to the news agencies such as Hawar agency. After that, the broadcasts of Kurdish television channels expanded to form academies for the media, as all these benefits are a continuation of the Kurdish press.

You had many experiences in the media after Rojava Revolution. In your opinion, how do you think the media can develop and enhance its role in the current situation?

The Kurdish press has reached a high level in all parts of Kurdistan, which is difficult for the dominant regimes to control, and this is a great victory for the Kurdish press in North Syria Revolution.

In Rojava Revolution, a number of young people involved in the media field, and due to their national affiliations and their connection to the Kurdish issue, this delayed their progress because the journalists linked to their national cause are exposed to the occupation schemes more, and policies of repression apply to them more. The Turkish government closing a number of media channels, and its arrest of a number of journalists indicates the fear of the occupation of the Kurdish media professionals.

Besides, the authoritarian regimes allow the broadcasting of some Kurdish media channels, and there are a number of journalists working according to their personal gains, and this hinders the media progress and reaching the level of media advancement.

In Rojava Kurdistan, many newspapers and magazines appeared in all languages; Syriac, Arabic, and Kurdish, and many international media institutions opened branches in northern Syria, some of the workers in these institutions are Kurds and Arabs. Each Kurdish journalist practicing his profession in Rojava Revolution has to show the media ethics regardless of his national affiliation, be aware of what he wants to provide to his people and serve his country, and he must choose his subjects with caution to not serve his enemy, and in North Kurdistan, this aspect appears a lot.

In your opinion, what role must the Kurdish press play for the unity of the Kurdish ranks?

There is a necessary need for a media outlet that is an echo and a voice for the Kurdish people in the four parts of Kurdistan, and we always appeal to unify the Kurdish ranks and the Kurdish forces, and this is a necessary need. If the Kurdish press does not unite in the four parts of Kurdistan, we will face obstacles in unifying the Kurdish class, and as we know, the media has a strong effect in that, and there are media institutions that divide the Kurdish people and unfortunately succeed in that, so the Kurdish people face in the four parts of Kurdistan, especially in North Kurdistan an intense campaign against the Kurdish media because the enemy surrounds the Kurdish people from all sides and tries to exterminate them.

If you speak Kurdish, this does not mean that you are a Kurdish media organization, for example, the Turkish TRT 6 T.V broadcasts in Kurdish, but this does not mean that it is a Kurdish media organization, and there are newspapers, fields and agencies that are issued in Kurdish, but they do not represent the voice of the Kurdish people. They are practicing their profession in the Kurdish press, but they are serving the interest of the media war, and this is practiced in Rojava Revolution; media misleading and some media institutions use of some terms that disperse the Kurdish people and spread strife among other sects. There are other media institutions in Rojava try to give legitimacy to the Turkish occupation's attacks on northern Syria.

To avoid all of this, joint media institutions must be established and a charter that shows the moral principles and laws of the media must be prepared, including clauses to move away from fighting brothers, expose whoever tries to exploit this, regardless of their political and partisan affiliations, not to deal with the enemy and respect the Kurdish slogans, and we must focus on unifying the Kurdish class.

I appeal to all Kurdish journalists, whatever their Kurdish affiliations, to unite their ranks because by this, we will be able to break the enemy's plans, and be the voice of struggle in our revolution.

ANHA