ZEYNEP AKGÜL

Ankara- “The denial of a language is the denial of humanity, not humans. Language is life and human beings themselves. Surely I will write in Kurdish because I am a Kurd, my mother language is Kurdish. Unfortunately, people paid a price for this, and they still pay. But language should not be a tool of oppression, a whip for sovereigns’ political ambitions, their imperial fictions,” said Salomé Cizrawî while we were talking about her painting and writing journey.

·  Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Who is Lou Salomé Cizrawî?

Salomé Cizrawi is a simple person who tries to read, write, paint, travel, and express herself in her own way.

·  You are also interested in philosophy. How did your journey in philosophy begin?

My journey in philosophy began when I asked the question, “Who am I”. As Aristotle noted, “humans naturally want to know”. Philosophy is the dynamics of progress, it is about questioning.

“Surely I write in Kurdish because my mother language is Kurdish”

· The price of writing and interest in Kurdish is very heavy. You also write in Kurdish. How did you decide to write in Kurdish?

The denial of a language is the denial of humanity, not humans. Language is life and human beings themselves. Surely I will write in Kurdish because I am a Kurd, my mother language is Kurdish. Unfortunately, people paid a price for this, and they still pay. But language should not be a tool of oppression, a whip for sovereigns’ political ambitions, their imperial fictions. I have no Kurdish education. I try to learn it and improve myself. Language gives a soul to this territory. Artists, writers, and producers shape this soul in their works. Language carries culture, it is our social memory. I want to keep my language and culture alive. This is a struggle for identity, our language is our existence.

· You are also a painter. How did you decide to paint?

When I was a child, I would immerse tree branches in water and tried to draw pictures on soil under the sun by using the wet tree branches. I would felt sad when the water dried up and my pictures disappeared. People express their dilemmas, their moods, social events, and memories in different artistic ways. While reflecting their emotions and enthusiasm in their works, they also reflect what they have collected in their lives. Painting has been one of the most powerful art branches for ages. I don't have an academic education in drawing as in Kurdish. I have tried to learn painting techniques (self-study). I want to have an academic education in the future.

“I was subjected to ugly forms of criticism”

· Female artists have always been ignored. What kinds of challenges do you face as a woman?

The limited public visibility of female writers, of “producing women” in science, arts, and other fields, and the gender stereotypes are always a problem. I was subjected to hundreds of ugly forms of criticism for writing a comment about a book (Why Is Sex Fun? by Jared Diamond) focused on physiology and the evolution of human sexuality. The surprising thing was that some of the critics were women.

As women, we censor ourselves due to pressures we face sometimes without even realizing it. This is an obstacle for women's collective consciousness opening the door to innovation and to emancipation in art. The common struggle of women that should be waged for the position of women in society and particularly the attitude to be developed against censorship are important.