Rafiq Hilmi
Encyclopedia
Rafiq Hilmi was a Kurdish
historian, writer and politician born in Kirkuk
. He was founder of the Kurdish party Hîwa in 1938 and author of many books on the history of Kurdistan and Kurdish language. After attending school in Sulaimania
and Baghdad
, he continued his studies at the Military Academy and Technical School of Istanbul
.
, and Bangî Kurdistan. He became recognized as a talented literary critic after publication of the second volume of his Kurdish Poetry and Literature in 1956. In this work for the first time Goran
's poetry and characteristics of the modernist literary movement which he represented were studied and analyzed in depth. He has also written several others books on Kurdish history and politics.
and then its activities were expanded to north and central Iraq
. It was initially a secret organization and there were Kurdish intellectuals and civil servants among its rank. While the political program of Hîwa was a mainly nationalist one and focused on securing autonomy
for Iraqi Kurdistan
, many members were also leftist-minded.
Rafiq Hilmi, himself was more supportive of a pro-British
line within the party. Hîwa had established links with activists of Komala JK in Mahabad
and it sent two army officers Mustafa Khushnaw and Mir Haj Ahmad to the founding ceremony of Komala JK in September 1942. Hîwa maintained its links with Mahabad movement until the collapse of Republic of Mahabad
in 1947.
Rafiq Himli also served in many posts under various Iraqi administrations, including Director of Education in Sulaimaniya in 1943, Deputy Governor of Baghdad
in 1954 and Iraqi Cultural Attaché in Ankara
in 1959.
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...
historian, writer and politician born 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...
. He was founder of the Kurdish party Hîwa in 1938 and author of many books on the history of Kurdistan and Kurdish language. After attending school in Sulaimania
Sulaimania
Sulaimania may refer to:*Sulaymaniyah, a town in Iraq*Sulaimania , a genus in the mint family of plants*Sulaimania, a spider genus in the Tetrablemmidae family....
and 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...
, he continued his studies at the Military Academy and Technical School of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
Literary Life
Early in his career as a writer, he worked for two Kurdish newspapers: Rojî Kurdistan, the official newspaper of Kingdom of KurdistanKingdom of Kurdistan
The Kingdom of Kurdistan can refer to two short-lived unrecognized states formed in the 1920s in the geo-cultural region of Kurdistan after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, in the territory officially under the jurisdiction of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia.-Northern Iraq:During the collapse...
, and Bangî Kurdistan. He became recognized as a talented literary critic after publication of the second volume of his Kurdish Poetry and Literature in 1956. In this work for the first time Goran
Abdulla Goran
Abdulla Goran was a Kurdish poet. He undoubtedly brought about a revolution in Kurdish poetry, and is also called the father of modern Kurdish literature. At this time Kurdish poetry was loaded with hundreds of years of foreign heritage, especially Arabic...
's poetry and characteristics of the modernist literary movement which he represented were studied and analyzed in depth. He has also written several others books on Kurdish history and politics.
Political life
Rafiq Hilmi is well known in Kurdish politics as the founder of a party called Hîwa (Hope) in 1938. This party was first organized in KirkukKirkuk
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...
and then its activities were expanded to north and central Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It was initially a secret organization and there were Kurdish intellectuals and civil servants among its rank. While the political program of Hîwa was a mainly nationalist one and focused on securing autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
for Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi 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...
, many members were also leftist-minded.
Rafiq Hilmi, himself was more supportive of a pro-British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
line within the party. Hîwa had established links with activists of Komala JK in Mahabad
Mahabad
-Culture:Muhammad Qazi translated more than 70 important literary works into Persian. Other writers and poets have hailed from Mahabad in the 19th and 20th century including Wafaei , Hejar , Hêmin , Abdorrahamn Zabihi and Giw Mukriyani...
and it sent two army officers Mustafa Khushnaw and Mir Haj Ahmad to the founding ceremony of Komala JK in September 1942. Hîwa maintained its links with Mahabad movement until the collapse of Republic of Mahabad
Republic of Mahabad
The Republic of Mahabad , officially known as Republic of Kurdistan and established in Iranian Kurdistan, was a short-lived, Kurdish government that sought Kurdish autonomy within the limits of the Iranian state. The capital was the city of Mahabad in northwestern Iran...
in 1947.
Rafiq Himli also served in many posts under various Iraqi administrations, including Director of Education in Sulaimaniya in 1943, Deputy Governor of 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...
in 1954 and Iraqi Cultural Attaché in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
in 1959.
Books
- Kurd le Seretay Mêjûwewe ta kû 1920, (Kurds from the dawn of history to 1920), Mosul, 1934. (in Kurdish)
- Kurdish Poetry and Literature, Vol. I, 1941.(in Kurdish)
- Kurdish Poetry and Literature, Vol. II, 1956.(in Kurdish)
- The History of Kurdistan
- Kurdistan at the Dawn of the Century, 168 pp., New Hope Publishers, 1998. ISBN 9197335436 (in English)
- The Science of Arithmetic (in Kurdish)
- Yaddasht, Memoirs and the Sheikh Mahmud Revolution, 6 Volumes, Baghdad, 1956-1958. (in Kurdish)
- Summary of the Kurdish Case (The Sévre Treaty)