DILUCAN BOZÎ

Kobanî– Every old person has a history. Especially old Kurdish women protect their values while preventing the Kurdish history from being forgotten. They protect their history through tales and songs. 

Zin Mihemed Mustafa is one of these women. She is 108 years old and a mother of 10.  Living in the Minazê village of Kobanî, Zin Mihemed Mustafa has a strong memory. She has lived alone in her home since her husband died 15 years ago. 

She grew up listening to tales

“My grandparents told us tales. In the past, we had only a radio. The villagers gathered around the radio and carefully listened to it. Every night, we, as the children of the village, came together to listen to tales. Mothers told tales when their children couldn’t sleep. They were good days,” Zin Mihemed Mustafa told us. The tales told by Zin Mihemed Mustafa are very old, “Some of them are based on a true story. We should think about them. Listening to fairy tales in winter is more enjoyable.”

“Preserve your culture”

Zin Mihemed Mustafa has seen three generations, “When I sit in my garden, children gather around me. I tell them tales and comment on the tales. Technology alienates children from their culture and morals. It is a special war method. Parents should preserve their culture.”