Medya News
Daily Review
Breaking News
Subscribe
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Body in Egypt, but heart and mind in Afrin

10:30 am 07/12/2020
A A
Body in Egypt, but heart and mind in Afrin
Share post

by Hani al-Gamal – Cairo

History runs as quick as a flash inside Seydê Rachid Dîkê’s mind. A native of the northern Syrian city of Afrin in his early sixties, Dîkê remembers the times he spent in Afrin and other parts of Syria before he settled permanently in Egypt.

A grandson of renowned Afrin resistance figure Seydê Dîkê Agha, Dîkê is one of many Kurds who decided to make Egypt his second home. Agha was one of Afrin’s noted chieftains. He led the resistance against the French mandate. He and his comrades once forced a train carrying French troops to stop. They then turned the train over to prevent the troops from advancing.

Agha’s tribe was known for its resistance against foreign control of Afrin. It fought against the Turkish occupation of the city when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk asked his troops to wear the clothes of men of religion to deceive locals. This was, however, quickly discovered by Agha and his children who were fully armed. They forced the Turkish troops out of the northern Syrian city.

All these events are still vivid in Dîkê’s mind. He says he remembers every detail of his family’s history every day. “This history was full of heroism”, Dîkê’s told MedyaNews.

Life in Egypt

Dîkê used to work in farming in Afrin before he moved to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo where he worked for a grain company. Nonetheless, he left everything in his country almost 23 years ago and came to Egypt. In this populous Arab country, Dîkê joined many other Kurds who decided to settle permanently here. He opened a clothes factory in 6 October City, a sprawling new urban community on the desert outskirts of Egyptian capital Cairo.

He then opened a number of clothes workshops, together with his nine children. “Things change quickly here”, Dîkê said. “I had to cope”. He is a grandfather. Dîkê, his children and his grandchildren speak Kurdish only at home. He got married to three women. He and his three wives work on preserving their Kurdish traditions and passing these traditions onto their children and grandchildren. Dîkê, his wives, his children and grandchildren also wear traditional Kurdish clothes all the time, especially at home.

The last time he visited Afrin was two years ago. Unfortunately, it was not easy for him to visit all parts of the northern Syrian city. “There are security restrictions wherever you go in the city”, Dîkê said with pain. One of Dîkê’s daughters is married and continues to live in Afrin. Another is married in Lebanon, whereas two of his sons live in Germany. The rest of his family lives in Egypt.

When the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, tens of thousands of Syrians fled to Egypt. The presence of Syrians in Egypt makes Dîkê and his family members feel not so far away from home. “Nevertheless, my mind and heart continue to be in Afrin”, Dîkê said. “Egypt has been very generous to us, but one’s home is one’s home”.

 


Share post
Tags: Trending

Related Posts

Turkey’s infamous history of closing pro-Kurdish parties

Turkey’s infamous history of closing pro-Kurdish parties

March 25, 2023
Erdoğan throws toys to earthquake survivors, calls elections “a critical juncture”

Erdoğan throws toys to earthquake survivors, calls elections “a critical juncture”

March 25, 2023
Saturday Mothers demand justice for father and son abducted by Hizbullah 29 years ago

Saturday Mothers demand justice for father and son abducted by Hizbullah 29 years ago

March 25, 2023
Delegation from Autonomous Administration in Syria visits French Senate

Delegation from Autonomous Administration in Syria visits French Senate

March 25, 2023
Pollster: HDP voters’ support for Kılıçdaroğlu in Turkey’s elections not unconditional

Pollster: HDP voters’ support for Kılıçdaroğlu in Turkey’s elections not unconditional

March 25, 2023
Son of slain Kurdish intellectual Musa Anter applies to run in Turkey’s elections

Son of slain Kurdish intellectual Musa Anter applies to run in Turkey’s elections

March 25, 2023

Videos

Turkey’s infamous history of closing pro-Kurdish parties
LONG READS

Turkey’s infamous history of closing pro-Kurdish parties

March 25, 2023

All News

Turkey’s infamous history of closing pro-Kurdish parties

Erdoğan throws toys to earthquake survivors, calls elections “a critical juncture”

Saturday Mothers demand justice for father and son abducted by Hizbullah 29 years ago

Delegation from Autonomous Administration in Syria visits French Senate

Pollster: HDP voters’ support for Kılıçdaroğlu in Turkey’s elections not unconditional

Son of slain Kurdish intellectual Musa Anter applies to run in Turkey’s elections

Medya News

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Subscribe
Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • World
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily Review
  • Breaking News
  • Newsletter
  • Authors
  • Podcast

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

Loading
Contact