On the passing away of Nazif Kaleli
- KurdishMedia.com - By Welat Lezgin
- 04/05/2005 00:00:00
The Kurdish nation has lost a son, never to be replaced.
On the 25th of April, Kurdistan lost a dedicated son, Nazif Kaleli. His passing is not only an immense loss for his family, but also a great loss for his people.
This devoted patriot, this great intellectual, committed his life to the cause of Kurdistan and suffered unimaginable pains and punishments in its name.
In so many ways, the story of Nazif Kaleli is the story of the Kurds.
Like most of his people, he was exiled, resettled and banished for his struggle for freedom. His body and health were always a reminder and a testament to the harsh reality of Kurds: battered, tortured and scarred.
However, his struggle, patriotism, dedication and strong personality, were also symbolic of the resilient dedication and resistance of the Kurdish people. This ongoing struggle, shaken by the loss of his irreplaceable character yet strengthened by his legacy, will continue and the example set by Nazif Kaleli will always be with us.
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For me personally, Nazif Kaleli was a great source of inspiration, not only for his loyal dedication to the Kurdish cause, but as a daily reminder of how human beings are capable of resisting and defying the most insurmountable oppressions, difficulties and obstacles.
Here was a man who had experienced, with many others, the most savage conditions of the Diyarbakir Military Prison in the 1980s, during what has been termed “the period of barbarity”. At this time, what was attempted was the no less than the systematic elimination of the consciousness of the Kurdish people.
In Nazif Kaleli’s own words:
"Thousands of Kurds passed through the Diyarbakir Prison...What took place in the Diyarbakir Prison were the operations aiming to destroy personalities and subjugate these people. The message given to the common people [and the wider society] was: ’never want freedom, the price will be high, deny your Kurdishness, say ‘I am Turkish, I am right, you cannot fight the state.’"
Having experienced some of the most savage torture this world has ever seen, and paying the heavy price of constant suffering and health problems as a consequence of this torture, Nazif Kaleli survived such barbarity to remind us that the Kurdish people endure many hardships, bear great pain, only to become more dedicated to their struggle and identity.
Although Nazif Kaleli is no longer with us, the legacy of his goodness, dedication and struggle will continue to warm our hearts and sharpen our minds.
So much was achieved in such a short time; a life could not have been better spent. May his soul rest in peace.
- KurdishMedia.com - By Welat Lezgin
- 04/05/2005 00:00:00