With Deep Gratitude

Like thousands of Kurdish families, we were uprooted 25 years ago, disconnected from our people, culture, and the only home that we knew. This physical exodus forced us into a society that was completely foreign, but our hearts and souls remained in our homeland. As the years pass and we grow older, our world looks profoundly different from that which we knew, but the fantasy of our homeland remains a fixture in our psyche. From time to time, a particular smell, or sight, or sound may take us back to the place of our upbringing, a place frozen in time in our imaginations. Much like the pilgrimages made by followers of various faiths, when member of the diaspora return from pilgrimage to the motherland, they bear gifts that strike joy and nostalgia in the hearts of those who could not make the trip.

My long-time friend and fellow expatriate, the brilliant Lanya Jamal, recently made such a pilgrimage. As we know, the age of information has made it substantially easier to connect with active and intellectual people from around the world. Social media has enabled me to forge meaningful friendships with many people such as my dear friend Saman Siwaily, a scholar of psychology who resides in Slemani, a historical hub of honorable resistance.

Imagine my jubilation when I received a package from Lanya and her husband, Ayar Yarahmed, that contained a book from Saman’s personal collection. The novel, Dwa Şewî Dabezînî Îsa, was gifted by the author, Sherzad Hassan, who signed it with a personalized message to Saman. On the next page, my dear friend Saman explained that the night before Lanya was to return to America, not having the time to buy a new copy to send me, he decided to gift his own copy of the book. To receive any gift is always a humbling experience, let alone a beautifully written novel, laden with the memories and emotions of one’s place of birth. In this magnificent work of literature, Sherzad Hassan’s eloquent contemplation on the human condition renews and intensifies the reader’s own doubts and fears about destiny, justice, and salvation.

Dearest Saman Siwaily, I struggle to express how deeply I was moved by this gift and gesture of yours. I am extremely thankful that genuine people like you, Sherzad Hassan, and Lanya Jamal exist among our people. You set an example for many others. 

Consciousness is more burdensome and agonizing than the cross of Jesus. The conscious are crucified daily. 

Earnestly,

Isa Bradost