​​​​​​​July 19 Revolution.. Syrian components enrich their culture

 The 19th of July 2012 is considered a new beginning for the components of the Syrian people in the north and east of Syria. It is the first day of the launch of a popular revolution that changed the reality of the situation in a region where several components, sectss and religions live.

 The revolution started from the city of Kobani to spread to the north and east of Syria, and its fruits were building military forces that protect the regions of northern and eastern Syria, and building autonomous administrations.  They  coexisted together as brothers on the principle of a democratic nation.

 cultural renaissance

 The 19th of July revolution was characterized as a comprehensive revolution in all aspects of life, and it came to change the lived reality in the region in all its aspects. Therefore, the cultural and artistic renaissance was one of the achievements of this revolution, along with the achievements in other fields.

 This renaissance was not limited to a component in itself, but was a renaissance for all components.  The Kurdish, Arab, Circassian, Syriac, Assyrian, Turkmen and Armenian culture has been revived, after it was in danger of being lost;  As a result of neglect and deliberate obliteration by the authorities of the Damascus government.

 Before the start of the revolution, cultural centers existed in every city in north and east Syria, but they were characterized by the Arab character, with marginalization, neglect and deliberate obliteration of the rest of the components, but after the revolution, the cultural centers that received all components were reopened, and each component worked under the roof of these centers  To revive his culture and art.

The components revive their culture

 Samer Habbak, head of the Circassian Association in Manbij, says that the Circassian component was forgotten, from the beginning of the Syrian crisis until the arrival of ISIS, "Our children do not know anything about the Circassian component."  to which they belong, but after the liberation and the administration’s help for us in forming the Circassian Association, we are currently working on reviving heritage, language, dance and folklore, with the great support we got.”

 He added, "We are now practicing our activity vigorously, and are present in all events in north and east Syria.  Learning the Circassian language in order to revive it. We used to meet one day a week, but the spread of the Corona virus and developments in the political arena affected our program, but we will return again after the situation stabilizes.

  Regarding the revolution's ability to revive the Circassian culture again, Samer Habakk says: "Of course, it helped a lot, and had it not been for its revival of the Circassian culture, it would have perished and was lost, because we were subjected to melting and extermination.  Few here, but the support provided by the Autonomous Administration led to the revival of the Circassian culture."

As for Hami Kobani, an administrator in the Department of Old Kurdish Poetry, Stories and Folkloric Songs at the Baki Khado Center for Culture and Art in Kobani Canton, he says: “Before the July 19 Revolution, Kurdish culture was in the dark. Kurdish culture is rich, but it was obliterated and lost. Many Kurdish teachers composed  They wrote in Persian, Arabic and Turkish, because they could not write anything freely, they were always arrested.”

 Kobani points out that "before the July 19 revolution, the number of Kurdish books was very few, because of the ban on them, but today, there are hundreds of books that have been printed, and hundreds are waiting to be printed.

 He adds, "What we dreamed and imagined has been achieved today, as academies, schools and universities were opened, because if we did not have schools, we would not preserve our language, and we see today in Bakur (Northern Kurdistan) how the Turkish language overlaps a lot with Kurdish because of receiving education in the Turkish langua".

 The Kurdish poet believes that "ten years is not enough, we need more time for young children to grow up, learning their mother tongue and graduate from schools and universities, after receiving education in Kurdish at all educational levels, then the situation will be different."

 He talks about the Kurdish dress, and compares between yesterday and today, saying: “Kurdish women were committed from the beginning. In the past, wearing the traditional Kurdish dress was prohibited, but after the July 19 revolution, we find that a large proportion of the Kurds wear their traditional dress, especially in public events and occasions  .

He added, "The same is the case with the many Kurdish songs that were issued after the revolution. Before the revolution, I had 23 poems, but now I have more than 200 poems."

 And about the state of the Kurdish culture in Rojava had it not been for the revolution, Hamy Kobani says, “If we were not able to practice our culture freely, it would end in demise.  Everything changed, and there were many plays and cinematic shows, along with other artistic and cultural events.”

 He asserts that the Kurds in Rojava need a lot, and continues by saying: "We cannot say that we have accomplished what is required in the ten years since the revolution. We need more time to practice our language in all the details and areas of life. The elapsed period is not long, and we have spent all of it in  War, injustice and immigration, and despite all that, there is a daily development. Kurdish culture, history and art have come to this day orally, but after the July 19 revolution began to write down and turn many things into publications, but it is still the beginning.”

 As for the Arabs and Syriacs of the region, their situation was not different from that of the Kurds and Circassians. The two components also worked on practicing the rituals of their own culture, and the commitment in terms of language, dress and customs was strongly present so that each component appeared in its own color.

 No one from the north and east of Syria fears anything if he wants to learn his language, speak it, practice his cultural rituals, or wear his traditional dress, unlike the years before the revolution.  When the attempt to portray all Syrians in one color, without taking into account privacy and differences, was the prevailing reality.

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 ANHA