Fire,
Snow and Honey Voices from Kurdistan
By Gina Lennox
02/24/02
A collection of essays, life
stories, poetry, fables and short fiction Edited by Gina Lennox With a foreword
by Madame Danielle Mitterrand
Hardback, 677 pages. 23 black and
white photos and maps, with a cover based on a painting by Kurdish artist,
Rebwar Tahir, Published by Halstead Press, Sydney, 2001.
Fire, Snow and Honey is a landmark
book. For the first time men and women aged between 23 and 103 from all parts
of Kurdistan describe their history, culture and life experiences: their
poetry, music, dancing, literature, religions, legends, fables, food and
cooking, genocide and armed struggles, and what it is like to become a refugee.
Background Kurdistan is the land of
Noah and Abraham, through which the old Silk Road passed. It is a land of giant
mountains and waterfalls, ancient forests and famous rivers, of ritual fire,
winter snows and liquid gold: rich in agriculture, petrol and water. In 1923,
it was carved up by the League of Nations to form the nation-states of Turkey,
Iraq, Iran and Syria. Ever since the Kurdish people, numbering between 30 and
40 million, have been subject to genocide.
The People and the Genocide Fire
Snow and Honey mixes essays and life stories of freedom fighters and soldiers,
mothers and musicians, doctors, teachers and scholars, villagers and city
people, with poetry, fables and short fiction, to lift many veils of secrecy.
Foremost is a genocide that has rendered tens of millions of Kurds homeless.
Since 1975 an estimated 10,000 villages have been destroyed, over half a
million Kurds have 'disappeared', hundreds of thousands have been imprisoned
for their political beliefs, some for just speaking the word
ÔKurdÕ, and over eight million have been deported, their crops and
animals destroyed. Fire, Snow & Honey portrays the humanity behind these
statistics.
Ancient and Modern History Veils
are also lifted on the origins of the three great monotheistic religions, and
the evolution of Indo-European civilisation. By rewriting history from Kurdish
perspectives, both ancient and modern, Fire, Snow & Honey challenges common
interpretations of international events, and shows how these are interwoven
with the Kurdish predicament. Contributors describe how the Iran-Iraqi War was
a direct outcome of stopping the Kurdish revolution in northern Iraq. The
no-fly zone in northern Iraq, where since 1991, Kurds have governed themselves for
the first time in the modern era, is a direct outcome of the battle over
Kuwait. As for the future, Fire, Snow & Honey describes how Kurdistan will
continue to play a vital role in the region, for it is the source of water for
all the nation states now ruling it, and for many of their neighbours.
The Proverbs The poetry and tragedy
of the Kurds are amplified in the Kurdish proverbs used as titles of many
contributions. Thus readers will become acquainted with ÔHe who does not
fight has a sharp swordÕ, ÔGrass does not stay under a
rockÕ, ÔWords are your own until they leave your mouthÕ,
ÔThe eye can see but the hand is shortÕ, ÔSee the mother,
know the girlÕ and ÔBlood cannot be washed with bloodÕ.
The Culture The life stories
portray a time of great revolution and evolution for the Kurdish people. The
culture of loyalty and hospitality, of family and village life; of Newroz
fires, baking bread, and shepherding sheep in the mountains; of the religions
of Ezidism, Alevism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is celebrated, but
counterpointed by descriptions of strict rules of community acceptability and
the effects of decades of political oppression, armed struggle and often
violent death, including that by chemical bombing.
Women Honest accounts by Kurdish
women break another barrier of secrecy, including their strengths and
resourcefulness in the face of war and separation, and their reactions to the
practises of circumcision, virginity tests and Ôhonour
punishmentsÕ.
An Understanding of the Middle East
Fire, Snow & Honey will inform anyone who wants to understand more about
the Middle East. The region is shown to be multicultural, multi-ethnic and
multi-religious, but people of different ethnic, religious or political
persuasions are routinely imprisoned, tortured or killed, as is anyone who
dares talk of democracy, human rights or freedom of the media. The rise of
extremism in the Middle East is thus directly related to the governments being
undemocratic and corrupt, offering no avenues for social justice. In Madame
MitterrandÕs foreword and Gina LennoxÕs introduction, it is
explained why the Kurdish situation should concern us all, particularly in
regards to supporting democracy, wherever it may manifest.
Comments from a contributor and
reader: ÔFire, Snow & Honey - Voices from KurdistanÕ is like
no other book dealing with the subjects of Kurds and Kurdistan. It is therefore
destined to be a seminal work and a reference book for both the beginner and
the experiencedÉThe book aims (and I believe surpasses all reasonable
expectations in achieving its aim) at letting Kurdish voices, long silenced at
home and ignored abroad, be heard. Eziz Bawermend
The Kurdish people have been
isolated from each other for a long time <ETH> ever since the division of
Kurdistan into four states. This book breaks down the borders, bringing them
together, as one body, even if they are living too far away from their mother
country. It is a very exciting book to
read. Seher
Cinar
Congratulations on your book...It has
certainly had a profound effect on me and makes me wonder what our role can be
in either making life a bit easier for Kurds in Australia or giving support to
the struggle for freedom from suppression in
Kurdistan.
Judith
Turley
To order Fire, Snow & Honey is
a handsome hardback of 677 pages, retailing for $75, but it is also available
by direct order at a considerable discount: Per book it is $55 (including GST
and postage) within Australia, or A$70 outside Australia. A box of 10 books
costs $480 within Australia or A$620 outside Australia.
To order please send a cheque or
money order made payable to Fire, Snow and Honey, or fill out your card
details: Mastercard _ Bankcard _ Visacard_ (only) Card number: _ _ _
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required:_______ Total payment by cheque, money order or card:
$_______________________ Signature:
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_______________________________________________________ and post to: Halstead
Press, Level 5, 19A Boundary Rd, Rushcutters Bay, NSW, 2011, Australia
or order by e mail:
kurdconference@optusnet.com.au or fax: (+ 61 2) 9319 7728.