Rezan Dilzhan
I write what I want.
"Steve Biko"
Although nowadays, few people know Steve Biko, I remember him with his wild spirit, keen mind, and black pen in every society. I will show some examples- particularly about not about the Northern part of Kurdistan's situation but of course the situation is the same in the other parts- that indicate why I remember "Steve Biko" and why we should not forget him.
It is not important in what society we live in today when the issue of Kurds Turks (oppressor_ oppressed) is discussed, if there is a Turkish person in that meeting, one cannot make them stop talking because they are more sensitive than the others. Undoubtedly, all they have is their words. Now, we must remember Biko who said: "Those who talk a lot are always white people, the black people have to listen only." And of course, the Turks (the white people) always talk, because they consider themselves superior and wiser than us and they cannot accept that they are not as good as they think. "The white liberals who are trying to find a solution for the black people's problems are better leaving them alone, and it is better for them to pay more attention to the fundamental problems of the society which is the white people's racism." (p. 31). After a long discussion, the ruler gives you a feudalism nickname, which scares you and makes you keep your distance. They have been using this nickname for years now: "Kurdism". Here, we need to have self-esteem, we do not need to be afraid of any kind of identity that the rulers have forced us to have, and we also need to act like Biko and make "Kurdish sensitivity" our identity.
1. To be black has nothing to do with the color of your skin, to be black means to shine on the inside.
2. One can only gain liberation when they identify themselves as black people. (p. 59)
For this nation, it is not easy to identify themselves as Kurds. We need to trouble them a little bit. Let's see if they wake up now. "Lack of strength makes a begging race." (p. 75)
In an interview, Biko said:
-In your opinion, a communist white person and a liberal white person are the same?
-No, based on their ideology they are not the same, however, they repeat the same thing in the Black People Revolution. (p. 116)
This is an important issue, whether a left Turk, a religious Turk, or a liberal Turk has the same idea about the Kurdish issue. Before we can liberate our land, we need to liberate our minds. How much are we disappointed of the rulers? Can we live, think, and deal with the world like free people? Or can we do so as much as the law has permitted? Another idea; "when people question their perspective against the dominant regime, a system will form." (p. 108)
Finally, it is your right to say: did Biko say anything about a solution? Of course, the black man mentioned something: "their true thesis is a strong racism for the white people's benefit, or else, the anti-thesis must be ipso-facto, that is, there must be a strong support."
Although we do not know a lot about Biko we remember him all the time.
Source:
Steve Biko, Siyah Bilinci, translated by Onur Eylul Kara, 2021.
