| 1 |
eh navê mi ******-yi, eh ez mitzewicim sê zarokê mi heni di keçik û lawik. ez biliṣil ji k’obanî-mi ji gunê k’obanî. bavê me eh ji berê di berî gi bizweici hat Reqa eh weżifî û li wir şuẋulî û ca mi nas kir li wir zewicî. ca mi jî ji Serê Kanîyê yi ew jî li Reqa bû |
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My name is ******, I am married and I have three children; two girls and a boy. I originally come from Kobani, from the villages of Kobani. Our father had come to Raqqa before he got married where he was employed and worked; he was introduced to my mother and married her there. My mother is from Sere Kaniye and she was living in Raqqa too. |
| 2 |
eh em li Reqa xwedî bûn, em ḥefṭ bran-i bavê mi carek di zewicî ç’ar zarokê wî jî heni |
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We grew up in Raqqa, we are seven brothers. My father got married for the second time and he has four children (with his second wife). |
| 3 |
eh me xwendina xwe eh li reqa derbas kir ya ibtîdaiî û iʕdadî û sanewî. dora ez çûm ḥimṣê mi camʕa xwend edeb ʕerebî eh t’eqrîben eh pen-şeş ṣala mi xwend li wir mi dîrasat ʕulya ji eh k’emiland û dûri mi macistêr jî qedimand |
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I studied in Raqqa for elementary, preparatory and secondary stages. Afterwards, I went to Homs where I studied Arabic literature at the university for about five to six years. I also studied for my MA degree there. |
| 4 |
dori eḥdas ç’êbûn li sûrî mi nekarîbû macistêra xwe xelaṣ kira, dori ez derketim kiwêt ez şuẋulîm şeşḥefṭ ṣala |
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Afterwards, the events of Syria took place and I couldn’t complete my MA degree. After that I went to Kuwait where I worked for six to seven years. |
| 5 |
eh mi ehlê mi niha hîn li sûrî-ni ca mi bavê mi wan eh birê min ew ji t’eqrîben giş li sûrî-ni, na henek.. yek li t’irkî heyi/rûniştîyi û yek li libnanê-yi, ḥemdila imûr başin. |
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My family are still in Syria; my father, mother and brothers are all in Syria, no, someone lives in Turkey and another in Lebanon. Praise be to Allah that their situations are good. |
| 6 |
eh ê niza ez eh mi bîra zarokê xwe kirîyi ehm t’eqrîben ev ç’arpenc meh mi zarokê xwe nedîtini, lawkê beçûk ʕemrê wî t’eqrîben bûyi ḥeft meh me gelek bêrîya wî kirîyi eh mi bîra ca xwe jî kirîyi es ca mi nexweş-i ez dixwazim we bibînim ez jê têr nabim |
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I miss my children; I have not seen them for about four to five months, the youngest boy is about seven months old and I miss him so much. I miss my mother too, she is ill and I would like to see her so much. |
| 7 |
eh ez zanim biḥacetin û p’ere jî ji wa-r lazimi carna ez ji wa-r yeʕnî ez muḥawele dikim inû ez alî wa bikim elḥemdileh yeʕnî buqaṣî ez karim eh birê mi wan jî yeʕnî texsîr nakin ew jî camêra başin |
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I know that they are in need of money and sometimes I try to help them, I mean as much as I can, and my brothers do their best to help them as well, they are noble and good. |
| 8 |
bavê mi û ca mi ne li cem hevin ḥer yek li bajarekî-yi. eh bavê me eh mi ḥeyatek/me ḥeyatek zeḥmet me pêr derbas kir eh zû zewicî û em ḥefṭ xort bûn, eh ê mezin hîn ʕesk’erî nekirbû, weḍʕê me yeʕnî p’ir zeḥmet bû |
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My father and mother do not live together; each of them lives in a town. We led a very hard life with our father as he married (for the second time) at an early stage and we were seven young sons where the elder son had not yet done the military service. I mean our situation was so difficult. |
| 9 |
ê niha bavê me wexta bi me-r dişteẋili ne wek berê-yi yeʕnî berê ji me-r nedigot meselen inû wele me bîra we kiryi wele ûn ç’i dikin ûn ç’i nakin ê niha wexta yeʕnî bi me-r deng diki/dişteẋili ser telîfonê carna digrî yeʕnî ḥeîyat ẋeyirîyi xaṣeten p’iştî van eḥdasana û em li ser hevdû tirsîyani |
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Now, when our father speaks to us, he is not the same as he used to be, I mean he didn’t use to say ‘I miss you and what are you doing’. Now when he calls us on the telephone, he sometimes falls apart and cries. I mean life has changed especially after these events (in Syria) and we are really concerned about each other. |
| 10 |
û elḥemdula ez eh ez eh ez niha li vir-im ez li birîṭanîya-mi ez hatimi ji bo ez zarokê xwe jî bibînim ez nema karim herim sûrî şuẋlê mi jî li k’iwêt xelaṣ bû û zarokê mi niha li sûrî-ni û hêvîya minin ḥeta ez eh ez wan bînim. |
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Thanks to Allah that I am now here in Britain. I came here so I can see my children as I cannot go to Syria anymore and my job in Kuwait has finished, my children are now in Syria waiting for me to bring them here. |
| 11 |
û hevalê mi li vir ç’êbûn ez nev.. yeʕnî newʕenma ez wexta ez wan dibînim ez xwe ji bîr dikim eh dafiʕek li cem mi ç’ê dibi wexta ez hevalê xwe dibînim inû vayi naciḥin di ḥeyatê xwe di eh muteʔeqlimin eh di vî bajarî di |
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I made some friends here. When I see them I somewhat forget my situation, and I become motivated when I see my friends being successful in their lives and adapted |
| 12 |
eh me cîni nih nas kir me tişni nih nas kir yeʕnî em ḥebkî ʕelimîn mesen şteẋalîyê inglîzî berê me/yeʕnî me p’ir nizanîbû niha em xwe/yeʕnî em muḥawele dikin em xwe diṭewirînin em heval xwe dibînin ḥebkî yeʕnî dinîyayê ji bîr dikin. |
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I was introduced to new places and things and I learned how speak some English, whereas I didn’t used to know much about the English language, I mean we try to develop ourselves. When I see my friends I forget my situation for a time. |
| 13 |
bi zarokê xwe-r dişteẋilin bi ca xwe-r dişteẋilin bi bavê xwe-r carna dişteẋilin, yeʕnî em ḥeyata xwe derbas dikin elḥemdile em mirtaḥin nefsîen ne p’ir bes yeʕnî elḥemdile û wekî din jî elḥemdile elṣeḥe we elʕafîye wek dibêjin imûr giş temamî û.. |
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I talk (on the phone) to my children, my mother and sometimes my father. I mean we pass our lives and praise for Allah we are comfortable, psychologically not too much, but our health and wellbeing is alright and things are okay. |
| 14 |
li Reqa wexta em li wir bûn eh yeʕnî wexta ʕeyda newrozê ç’edibû eh eẋlebî ʕereb bûn em yeʕnî eqelîyê wek dibêjin Kurmanc bûn |
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When we were in Raqqa and it was Newroz festival time, the majority were Arabs and we, as Kurds, were a minority. |
| 15 |
wexta me ç’êdikir me didît intû istinkarek hebû bes ne bi şeklek yeʕnî mubaşer yeʕnî wek keinû ji me-r digotin inû yeʕnî ji bo ç’i û herin cê xwe newroza xwe ç’êkin |
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When we used to celebrate Newroz we noticed that there was something from the Arabs’ side, but it was not in a direct way, as if they telling us what is it for and go and celebrate Newroz in your own areas. |
| 16 |
yeʕ ḥebkî ʕunṣirîyet hebû inû em ne/em ne ji vî bajarî-ni, ê me ʕeyda xwe ç’êdikir ṭebʕen em di alî bûn di ʕeyd ç’êdikirin li ber hev yeʕnî ḥeseb eḥzaba ma wḥzaba bes xweş bû eh yeʕnî em jî diç’ûn ji bû yeʕnî em ji xelkê ri bêjin va em heni va em li reqa k’urd heni em teqrîben pencî-şest ḥezar insan hebûn li reqa |
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There was a kind of racism as we were not (originally) from that town. So, we used to celebrate our festival, we used to, however, celebrate in two areas depending on the political parties. We would celebrate to ensure our Kurdish identity and tell others that we, as Kurds, exist in Raqqa as we were a population of about five to six thousand in Raqqa |
| 17 |
ṭebʕen niha piştî gi daʕiş k’etê ṭebʕen ew kurmanjana giş/we k’urdana giş derxistin ji Reqa |
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Nowadays, after ISIS controlled Raqqa, they expelled all those Kurmanjis/Kurds from Raqqa. |
