Ibrahim Ahmad
Encyclopedia
Ibrahim Ahmad (Alternatively spelled Ibrahim Ahmed or Ibrahîm Ehmed (Kurdish
: ئبراهیم هحمهد), was a Kurdish
writer, novelist and translator.
and studied Law
at the University of Baghdad
, graduating in 1937. From 1942 to 1944, he served as a judge in the cities of Irbil and Halabja
. In 1939, he, along with Alaaddin Sajadi
, founded the Kurdish
literary periodical Gelawêj. He acted as the publisher and the Editor in Chief of that journal. Gelawêj was published until 1949. It was during this period that he became involved in politics.
In 1944 he became the head of the local branch of Komeley Jiyanewey Kurd (J.K.) in Sulaimaniya. Subsequently, this branch evolved to serve the entirety of Iraqi Kurdistan. When the J.K. changed its name on the 16th of July 1945, to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (K.D.P.), Ibrahim Ahmad became its chairman in Iraqi Kurdistan. This branch of the K.D.P. published a magazine titled Dengî Rastî with Ibrahim Ahmad as editor.
After 1947, he became an active member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and rose to the role of Secretary General of the party in 1953. In 1949, he was sentenced by a special Iraqi court, established by the royalist regime, to two years of prison in Baghdad
, and two years of local arrest in Kirkuk
. From 1949 to 1956, he served as the editor of the K.D.P's newspaper, Rizgarî. The party's newspaper was renamed to Xebat in 1956 with Ibrahim Ahmed as the editor. In 1964, a political division occurred among the ranks of K.D.P., with Ahmad on one side and Mustafa Barzani
on the other.
This division lead to the formation of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
in 1975. After 1975, Ibrahim Ahmed emigrated to Britain as a political refugee. Ibrahim Ahmed started writing novels in Kurdish in 1933. This was an important milestone in Kurdish literature. His most important novel is Janî Gel. It was written in 1956 and is about the Algeria
n war of independence, with a nod to the Kurdish situation. When selecting this title, Ibrahim Ahmed was playing on the double meaning of the Kurdish phrase which can mean the agony of giving birth to a child as well as the agony of giving birth to a people or a nation. It was translated into Persian
and published in Iran
in 1980, and into Turkish
and French
in 1994.
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
: ئبراهیم هحمهد), was a Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
writer, novelist and translator.
Biography
Ahmad was born in Sulaimaniya in Iraqi KurdistanIraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
and studied Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of Baghdad
University of Baghdad
The University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest Arab university following the University of Cairo.- Nomenclature :Both University of Baghdad and Baghdad University are used interchangeably....
, graduating in 1937. From 1942 to 1944, he served as a judge in the cities of Irbil and Halabja
Halabja
Halabja , is a Kurdish town in Northern Iraq, located about north-east of Baghdad and 8–10 miles from the Iranian border....
. In 1939, he, along with Alaaddin Sajadi
Alaaddin Sajadi
Alaaddin Sajjadi was a Kurdish writer, poet and academic. He was born in Iran Kurdistan. He finished his religious studies and became a cleric in 1938. He began working in the field of journalism in 1939, and became the Editor-in-Chief of the Kurdish journal Gelawêj in 1941. In 1948, he published...
, founded the Kurdish
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
literary periodical Gelawêj. He acted as the publisher and the Editor in Chief of that journal. Gelawêj was published until 1949. It was during this period that he became involved in politics.
In 1944 he became the head of the local branch of Komeley Jiyanewey Kurd (J.K.) in Sulaimaniya. Subsequently, this branch evolved to serve the entirety of Iraqi Kurdistan. When the J.K. changed its name on the 16th of July 1945, to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (K.D.P.), Ibrahim Ahmad became its chairman in Iraqi Kurdistan. This branch of the K.D.P. published a magazine titled Dengî Rastî with Ibrahim Ahmad as editor.
After 1947, he became an active member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and rose to the role of Secretary General of the party in 1953. In 1949, he was sentenced by a special Iraqi court, established by the royalist regime, to two years of prison in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, and two years of local arrest in Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
. From 1949 to 1956, he served as the editor of the K.D.P's newspaper, Rizgarî. The party's newspaper was renamed to Xebat in 1956 with Ibrahim Ahmed as the editor. In 1964, a political division occurred among the ranks of K.D.P., with Ahmad on one side and Mustafa Barzani
Mustafa Barzani
Mustafa Barzani also known as Mullah Mustafa was a Kurdish nationalist leader, and the most prominent political figure in the modern Kurdish politics. In 1946 he was chosen as the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to lead the Kurdish revolution against Iraqi regimes...
on the other.
This division lead to the formation of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a Kurdish political party in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was founded on June 1, 1975, by coordinations between Jalal Talabani and Nawshirwan Mustafa...
in 1975. After 1975, Ibrahim Ahmed emigrated to Britain as a political refugee. Ibrahim Ahmed started writing novels in Kurdish in 1933. This was an important milestone in Kurdish literature. His most important novel is Janî Gel. It was written in 1956 and is about the Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n war of independence, with a nod to the Kurdish situation. When selecting this title, Ibrahim Ahmed was playing on the double meaning of the Kurdish phrase which can mean the agony of giving birth to a child as well as the agony of giving birth to a people or a nation. It was translated into Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and published in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in 1980, and into Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in 1994.
Short stories
Ahmad's short stories, articles and poems were published in three different magazines: Gelawêj, Hawar and Jiyan. He has also published many books.- Yadgarî Lawan (Memories of youth), Collection of poem and stories, Baghdad, 1933.
- Kwêrewerî (Misery), Collection of short stories, Baghdad, 1959.
- Bawik û Kur (Father and son), short story, published in the magazine Çirîkey Kurdistan, England, 1979.
- Pirsey Şehîd (The vigil of martyr), short story, published in the magazine Çirîkey Kurdistan, England, 1980.
Novels
- Janî Gel (The suffering of the people), Novel, 1972, Iraq.
- Dirk û Gul (The thorn and the flower), in two volumes, 1991. (written in 1961)
- Awat û Nahumêdî (Expectations and Desperation), written in 1933, not been published yet.
- Herzekarî û Hejarî (Negligence and Poverty), written in 1972, unpublished.
- Jiyan û Xebat (Life and Struggle), written in 1961, unpublished.
Articles
- Ibrahim Ahmad, The Republic of Kurdistan: A Personal Memoir, in the International Journal of Kurdish StudiesInternational Journal of Kurdish StudiesThe International Journal of Kurdish Studies is an academic journal published by the Kurdish Library, and was edited by Vera Beaudin Saeedpour. It publishes scholarly articles about Kurdish culture, literature, and history. It was founded in 1986 as Kurdish Times before getting its current title...
, Vol.11, Nos.1-2, 1997, p. 19.