Nûredîn Zaza (born February 15, 1919, in Maden, Ottoman Empire; died October 7, 1988, in Lausanne, Switzerland) was a distinguished thinker, writer, and intellectual. He also served as the founder and inaugural leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria. His written works were presented under the pseudonym Çîroknivîs.
Nûredîn Zaza devoted his life and work to the service of the Kurdish people. He grew up in a family known for its patriotism and pro-Kurdish sentiments. His father, Ûsiv Efendî, and his elder brother, Ehmed Nafiz Beg, were allies of Sheikh Said in the 1925 Kurdish revolution, which challenged the nationalist Turkish state. His cousin, Osman Efendî, was martyred during this same uprising.
Following the suppression of Sheikh Said's revolution and the subsequent turmoil in Northern Kurdistan, Turkish authorities placed Dr. Nafiz under surveillance, restricted his activities, and ordered his exile to Izmir. Faced with these circumstances, he was compelled to find a resolution. In 1930, he and his younger brother, Nûredîn, moved to Syria, then under French Mandate. Dr. Ehmed Nafiz was recognized as a knowledgeable, skilled, and courageous individual. His arrival in Syrian Kurdistan provided new impetus for the Xoybûn organization, where he played a crucial role and served as its leader throughout the 1940s. Professionally, Dr. Nafiz conducted significant medical work in the Syrian Jazira region. During that era, diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid, measles, and scabies were prevalent, leading to numerous fatalities among both adults and children. Dr. Nafiz accurately diagnosed various ailments, and his dedicated treatment led to the recovery of thousands of patients. As a result, public confidence in Dr. Nafiz's medical practice increased, and his renown extended beyond the Jazira region to encompass all of Syria.
Nûredîn was raised in Western Kurdistan under the direct guidance and education of Dr. Nafiz, who served not only as his brother but also as a paternal figure, teacher, and mentor. The young Nûredîn also matured within a patriotic community, surrounded by influential Kurdish figures. In the 1930s, numerous Kurdish revolutionaries and intellectuals had fled to Syria, escaping the oppressive and nationalist Atatürk regime. This group included Memdûh Selîm, Mîr Celadet and Kamîran Bedirxan, Qedrî Beg and Ekrem Cemîl Paşa, Hemze Begê Miqsî, Haco Axa, Evdirrehman Axayê Eliyê Ûnis, Nûrî Dêrsimî, and engineer Arif Ebas, among others. The profound influence of these esteemed individuals significantly shaped Nûredîn's nationalist convictions. Consequently, Nûredîn, imbued with a revolutionary ethos, would eventually emulate their path, undertaking the significant responsibility of Kurdish advocacy and championing the rights of his people.
Activities and Works of Nûredîn Zaza
- Nûredîn was profoundly affected by the extensive massacres and killings perpetrated by the Turkish state against Kurds, particularly in Dersim. Consequently, he authored a report detailing these atrocities, which he entrusted to his fellow students at the French school in Damascus and other Kurdish students, who then submitted it to foreign embassies.
- In 1937, Nûredîn again led the establishment of a student association named Hêvî in Damascus. The Hêvî association cultivated a national spirit among Kurdish students and communicated the plight of their people to the League of Nations via foreign embassies located in Damascus.
- By the end of 1937, Nûredîn Zaza and several companions established a football team called Kurdistan in Damascus. The Kurdistan team performed exceptionally well, securing the Syrian championship.
- At the age of twenty, Nûredîn demonstrated significant activity and proficiency in journalism. His writings consistently prioritized the instruction of the Kurdish language, and his contributions appeared in the magazines Hawar and Ronahî. Mir Celadet Bedirxan held his short stories in high regard, referring to him as the "Chekhov of the Kurds."
- The 1942 train incident, during which Nûredîn reportedly jumped from the train, coupled with his courageous defiance of both Turkish teachers and gendarmes, underscored his profound wisdom and bravery.
- Nûredîn consistently demonstrated a readiness to act on behalf of his Kurdish nation. Upon being informed, "We can connect you with Seydayê Barzanî and the Hêwa association," he promptly accepted, abandoning his home and possessions to depart. Regrettably, he and his companions were apprehended at the Syrian-Iraqi border, leading to Nûredîn's year-long incarceration in prisons across Mosul, Amara, and Baghdad.
- In 1945, while studying at the French university in Beirut, Nûredîn Zaza assumed Mir Kamîran Bedirxan's role in the Kurdish section of Radio Lebanon. He undertook substantial efforts to articulate the Kurdish issue and disseminate news and information from all four regions of Kurdistan. Following the Lebanese government's closure of the radio's Kurdish section, Nûredîn established a night school to facilitate Kurdish language instruction for Kurds in Lebanon.
- In 1947, Nûredîn Zaza earned a Bachelor's degree in political science from the French University in Beirut, subsequently relocating to Switzerland to pursue advanced studies.
- Switzerland marked the beginning of a new and significant chapter in Nûredîn Zaza's life. Although he moved there to complete his education, the plight of his Kurdish nation remained a constant preoccupation. He considered it his imperative to render every possible service. Nûredîn was indefatigable. At the University of Lausanne, concurrently with his studies, he educated fellow students about Kurds and Kurdistan. Recognizing the need for an organization to unite Kurdish students and facilitate formal engagement with Swiss officials and international bodies, he established the Association of Kurdish Students in Europe in 1949, assuming its presidency, and launched a magazine titled Dengê Kurdistan.
- The sagacious, skilled, and courageous Nûredîn consistently sought to amplify the voice and concerns of his nation, along with the oppression they endured, to international institutions, forums, and congresses convened across Europe. At the 1949 World Youth Festival in Budapest, Hungary, despite significant impediments posed by Middle Eastern communist parties (Syrian, Turkish, and Iranian), he asserted his role as a Kurdish representative. Before an audience of 5,000, he recited a poem honoring Mustafa Barzani, the leader and hero of the Kurdish nation. Days later, at the World Student Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria, he was formally recognized as a representative of Kurdistan. Nûredîn Zaza recounted in his memoirs, "It was a tremendous success. I returned to Switzerland feeling relieved and content."
In France, as the United Nations established its presence in Sera Şapo, Nûredîn served as a member of a delegation tasked with presenting a report on the Kurdish situation. He endeavored to engage with state representatives, urging them to consider and discuss the Kurdish issue during the meetings. Nûredîn's dedication was consistently exceptional. Although he was an individual, his efforts were equivalent to those of a hundred activists.
Nûredîn Zaza and the Union of Kurdish Students in Europe
Nûredîn Zaza completed two significant undertakings in 1956. He first obtained his doctorate in educational sciences from the University of Lausanne. Subsequently, he founded the Kurdish Students' Union in Europe. Following these achievements, he returned to Syria. In his memoirs, Dr. Nûredîn Zaza reflected: "By the end of June 1956, I harbored a strong desire to contribute to the Kurdish cause. I traveled by sea from Italy to Beirut, then continued my journey to Syria. In Beirut, after nine years of expatriation, my elder brother Dr. Nafiz and several devoted companions greeted me. Upon disembarking, I immediately perceived that the Syrian Kurds had long anticipated my return. The question remained whether I could liberate them from tyranny and realize their rights and aspirations in the years ahead."
Nûredîn Zaza and the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria
Upon his return to Syria, Nûredîn Zaza recognized the precarious circumstances of the Kurdish population. The Kurds were imperiled by the racial policies of the Ba'ath Party. Concurrently, the Syrian Communist Party, despite its purported internationalist stance, asserted itself as the guardian of the Arab nation, actively opposing Kurdish demands for national rights and labeling them as chauvinistic. Nûredîn Zaza articulated: "Under these conditions, I considered it imperative to establish an organization that could safeguard the identity of the Kurdish people and champion their legitimate rights. In Damascus, both high school and university students pressed me to undertake this initiative. Furthermore, seasoned patriots, religious leaders, local officials, and common farmers lent their support to this endeavor, culminating in the realization of this aspiration by the end of 1957 with the establishment of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (PDKS)."
The PDKS subsequently elected Nûredîn Zaza as its leader, and the party rapidly attracted a substantial Kurdish membership. The PDKS engaged in significant political, intellectual, and social initiatives among the Kurdish community, thereby solidifying its reputation and influence. However, between 1958 and 1961, during the period of the Syrian-Egyptian union, the government was controlled by the dictatorial regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser. Throughout these three years, Syria experienced a severe decline in its political, security, and economic conditions. Nasser's representative in Syria, Abd al-Hamid al-Sarraj, along with security forces, subjected the population to harsh repression, particularly targeting Kurds and, unequivocally, the PDKS, whose existence was perceived as a grave threat to the cohesion of the Arab state. The Nasser regime attributed its political and economic challenges to the Kurdish people and the PDKS. Within days, approximately 5,000 PDKS members, including Nûredîn Zaza, were arrested. While most detainees were eventually released, Nûredîn Zaza and 31 associates remained incarcerated in prisons in Aleppo and Damascus (Mezze). Kurdish prisoners endured severe beatings and torture. Although a significant portion of Nûredîn Zaza's life was dedicated to politics, he was also a distinguished writer and intellectual. He authored hundreds of articles for Kurdish periodicals such as Hawar and Ronahî, as well as for international publications. Furthermore, he reissued the Epic of Memê Alan, providing it with a notable preface. In 1982, he published a book titled Ma vie de Kurde ("My Kurdish Life, or The Cry of the Kurdish Nation"), which chronicled his life and nationalistic efforts concerning the Kurdish question and Kurdistan. Nûredîn Zaza also placed considerable emphasis on the preservation and advancement of the Kurdish language. In a poignant appeal, Nûredîn Zaza urged Kurds: "O Kurds! If you wish to avoid dispersion and disappearance, prioritize learning and teaching your language. But if you aspire to understand yourselves, to be recognized and cherished, to progress through friendship and solidarity with other nations, and to live with honor and dignity, then again, learn and teach your language."
Nûredîn Zaza's Final Years in Switzerland
Dr. Nûredîn Zaza spent his concluding years in Switzerland. In 1972, he married Gilberte Favre, a Swiss national, and in 1973, they had a son, whom they named Chango Valéry (Şêngo Valéry).
Nûredîn Zaza died on November 7, 1988, succumbing to cancer. He was interred in the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery in Lausanne.
His Works
- Destana Memê Alan, Bahoz, Uppsala, Sweden, 1973.
- Memê Alan, Kurdish Scientific Academy Press, Baghdad, 1977.
- Ma vie de Kurde, Pierre-Marcel Fauvre Publi, SA, Lausanne, 1982.
- Keskesor, Nûdem Publications, Stockholm, Sweden, 1995.
- Bîranîn, Avesta, Istanbul-Diyarbakır, 2008.
- Gulê, Lîs Publications, Diyarbakır, 2015.
Sources
Mistefa, Zînar. "On the Life of Dr. Nûredîn Zaza."
"Metîn" Journal, no. 25 (1993).
Mistefa, Zinar. 2019. "The Centenary of Dr. Nûredîn Zaza."