We wish you a great Newroz! 

Best of all outdoors, 

experiencing the dawn of spring 

together with friends!

Dear friends of Jemal Nebez and his foundation, old and new!

Celebrating Newroz is part of the culture of the Kurds and is considered the most important festival of the year in all parts of Kurdistan. There are regional differences in how Newroz is celebrated, and in history there have been other variations of celebrating Newroz.  In this year of 2023, there will be many large-scale commemorative events. In many places and around the world, theater groups have prepared to suddenly appear with a play with a topical reference. Kurds love their traditional costume, they colorful glittering dresses and the differences in the design also of the male costume.  What is not immediately obvious to outsiders, there are always - local or regional or media flaunted - fashion innovations, which not least at Newroz then give cause for mutual admiration.

Kurdish Culture is alive 

Undoubtedly, it is alive In all respects, in all fields, whether it is music, the fine arts or the Kurdish language.

Just in these days comes the good news that now another piece of world literature - James Joyce ! - can now be read by Kurds in Kurdish, which the Institut Kurde se Paris will of course celebrate accordingly in the presence of the translator. Most of those present will have painful moments of remembrance on this occasion, since the translator comes from Bakur, or southeastern Turkey.
Memories of close or distant relatives, friends and neighbors they have lost in the recent mega earthquake and in addition know firsthand the horror that has been cast over their part of the world in recent years like a black cloth.

A cloth of horror

It is known that in Turkey the Islamic-conservative party of President Erdogan AKP - in coalition with the right-wing extremist nationalists MHP - massively attacks, threatens and criminalizes the Kurdish opposition and the liberally religiou Alevis.

It is well known how the earthquake relief of some areas in Northern Kurdistan from Ankara got off to a slow start, although the international aid for Turkey had already started briskly. It is also known that the Rojava Kurds on the other side of the Turkish-Syrian border remained completely cut off from international earthquake aid.

Yet it was precisely this region that had made the greatest sacrifices in the fight against the terrorist entity "Islamic State." Although they were supported by the International Coalition against IS from the air and with light weapons and ammunition, it was they who faced the enemy head-on and fell accordingly in battle.

When the terrorist entity "IS" was declared defeated by the International Coalition, the autonomous Rojava administration asked the allies to confirm its autonomous status, as one of several such parts in the civil war country of Syria. This was important for the Rojava region to be allowed to sit at the table in upcoming - internationally accompanied - negotiations on the future of Syria.

Turkey was against it. Recognition failed to materialize. Had there been international recognition of Rojava as an autonomous region after the victory over IS, the region would probably not have been excluded from international earthquake aid now.

So much for what did not happen at the request of the autonomous Kurdish region.
And this is what happened instead:

The Rojava region in the civil war country of Syria had part of its territory cut off by NATO partner Turkey under the eyes of the world -indem Ankara rallied Islamist mercenary groups around it and established a Turkish-controlled occupation regime in the area near the border with Turkey, which is strategically suitable for this purpose, in violation of international law.

However, the autonomous Rojava, created in 2011, continues to exist and demands the return of the now Turkish-occupied part of its autonomously administered region. since 2018 officially under the name Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria AANES. 

Dear friends of Jemal Nebez and his foundation, old and new!

Holding on to the contents of their culture has certainly helped the Kurds get through the most terrible times.

Additionally, the culture of the Kurds has also enriched the culture of neighboring peoples - in times way back. Just a reminder at this point, Kurdish is older than Persian.

There is no doubt that the culture of the Kurds is characterized by diversity and openness. At the same time, it is true to observe that Kurdish society tends to be closed and is not opening easily to strangers. In addition to diversity and openness, a tendency to keep one's distance could be a third important characteristic of Kurdish culture. The Kurdish language is still another.

In the long period of history, the geographical middle position of Kurdistan certainly also played a role, the exchange with the other peoples of the Orient beginning in the geographically more accessible areas. In any case, Kurds have a long tradition as translators. Their reputation in this field is excellent, and their know-how of the region is considerable.

An exemplary representative of Kurdish culture par excellence was, of course, our namesake. One of his friends once said: Where Jemal Nebez is, there is Kurdistan. Through his knowledge of languages and his linguistic wit, he attracted many colleagues and intellectuals from other peoples of the Orient. Through his liberality and cosmopolitanism, spontaneous and planned meetings quickly and easily created an atmosphere of richness in diversity, from which everyone benefited

Dear friends of Jemal Nebez and his foundation, old and new

Finally and quasi in the last moment at the right time for Newroz we are pleased to announce that the Jemal Nebez Prize can now be awarded for the first time.

The Jemal Nebez Award Commission, which was founded for the purpose of scouting for and then contacting suitable candidates, possibly a group, is internationally active.

In its own selection process and independently of the foundation's management, it then unanimously chose the teacher Zara Mohammadi of Eastern Kurdistan/ Rojhelat as first recipient of the Jemal Nebez Award.

e_jn_award.pdf (799.33KB)

e_jn_award.pdf (799.33KB)

Details of the further procedure have not yet been agreed upon, but will be announced on our Jemal Nebez Award subsite in due course.

Warm Newroz greetings!

 Reez w silav!

Jemal Nebez Foundation,

A legal entity - establishd in  2020 under German law

Fully recognized as non-profit

Here in the gallery below we show some books and writings of our namesake, which are listed on his former website  www.jemalnebez.org.

https//:jemalnebez.org is now administered by the Jemal Nebez Foundation.

Who has a not listed writing of Jemal Nebez in his possession, please let us know, gladly via our contact form. The goal is a comprehensive directory of the works and writings of our namesake. Any help is welcome.