Comparing the resistance discourse in contemporary Kurdish and Assyrian poetry 1975-1991

Abstract

Discourse is a system of language and social practices. Within a historical, political, and cultural context, it determines the meaning of topics. Between 1975 and 1991, Kurds and Assyrians were subjected to persecution through political and legal decisions related to the constitution. To understand the negative impact of these decisions and how the poet was able to raise national awareness and sentiment to deconstruct the Ba'ath ideology, the method of critical discourse analysis was used, as it is dialectical and examines the impact of these decisions within texts.

Reading and comparing the Discourse of resistance in Kurdish and Assyrian texts, they are similar in many aspects: they represent one fortress, one destiny, one history, and one geography. However, they differ in their goals, collective memory, tools, political and military power (the Peshmerga), and the international recognition. On the other hand, the Kurdish Discourse directly confronted the Ba'ath, while the Assyrian Discourse avoided direct confrontation with the Ba'ath, instead employing the religious, national and historical symbols.