When Cultures Colide (inshallah): NINITI International Women's Literature Festival - Hiwa Institute of Deaf and Mute

Niniti - International Literature Festival

Today was a full day in Erbil. This morning I attended a Women's conference. Niniti - 3rd Annual International Literature Festival. Featured were several Iraqi women poets. Their poetry was so moving.

Niniti is the Sumerian word that means "Lady of Life"

The conference was held at the ChwarChra Hotel in Erbil and the ambiance was aesthetically Kurdish and lent itself to the event so well.

If you want a real authentic Kurdish experience while you are in Erbil, this is the place to stay.

I gotta get me some of this stuff to take back home. I know where to get the lights, but I need to find the tassels. I love this stuff.

This women in the for front of this picture is Samargand Al-Jabiry. She is an Arab woman from Baghdad and her name means "Spirit of Sugar". She definitely is a sweet spirit sent to this place to be a voice for Middle Eastern Women. She is an amazing beautiful artist in many mediums. This is one of her poems.

I'm the Corpse

being the corpse, I did your shopping

In the cold, I made bread alone

and alone

spent the dawn shivering in the kitchen

neglecting my life

awaiting, your words of scorn

what do you await

I'm the corpse...

I wash your dirty dishes and whispers

and helped this youngster with his homework

I taught that young lady some stitches

and with all this...there are other things

I can simply stretch out my hand under cold running water

and dream of your warmth

having infinite joys,

growing around the washing basin

I smile

and as a corpse also...

sadly stand to iron garments

still...there is much to be

I can wring myself along with clothing I'd spread

imagining a fading age with no complement

then I smile.

The lighting was so terrible. Please excuse the Elphaba look. We spoke to Samarqund for quite awhile and she expressed how hard it is to be a Middle Eastern Women. She explained that married women are basically slaves to their husbands. With tears in her eyes she said all she asks for is a warm kiss on the cheek and a little appreciation. She will never marry.

Three of the women Poets. Samarquand Al-Jabiry, Azhar Ali Hussein and Ruaa Zuhair Shukr.

God's Birth

by Azhar Ali Hussein

(To those children whom fear dwelled, then they dwelled streets.)

God's Birth

I am afraid; I don't possess a language.

in front of your small secret,

and, you farewell you innocence,

and sell chewing gums, in the middle of the mud.

You break in the chaos of the world,

with the morning of the ash,

and pulse never childhood dwelled.

In you, there is a fumed color of flowers,

and a face holds up distraction.

In you, from the earth,

perfume of the calamity,

and the lost read pipe.

In you, and what is all in you,

is a frank confession of a homeland,

that avows its frustration,

and wears the taste of blackness.

And you,

you the little like a cocoon,

discover the light with dried seedlings,

and sing with your green,

the pigmy, gentle, for a bed, for colors never be over-crowded,

a day, with flowers.

The milk has been dried, as a stiff crystal, in you bust, Oh City.

Sir, oh death,

don't dance like a desperate frog,

as you have carved your face,

in the middle of the instant like an ogre,

like a blood storm.

Your face still looks like her jogging hand palm,

as an arrow, in the footers' eyes.

You don't know,

she had smothered the night with an exiled laugh,

and promised the shores,

with fingers sew the runaway waves,

You don't know, the small Yousif,

is her friend, and the well's gift, is a pomegranate,

and the apparel's wolf, is the end of fears.

You don't know, you spilt the whang of a noisy gift,

and declared your birth,

God's birth,

there.

These are great inspiring women in the Middle East.

Hiwa Institute of Deaf and Mute

After the conference we drove over to the school of the deaf here in Erbil. This school for the deaf is the only one in this province and children are bussed in from all the surrounding villages. There are 273 students at this school that range from 3 years old up to 22 years old. They have great needs. It has only been since 2006 that schooling and training has been available for the deaf. Until now, the students did not communicate. Now they have teachers that teach them lip reading and sign.

Peggy Plumb with Dr. Bahar. Dr. Bahar is a psychiatrist and a gynecologist. She has worked hard for women's rights here in Kurdistan. During the conflict she and her family moved to the Netherlands where they stayed for many years until returning to Kurdistan. Dr. Bahar was instrumental in bringing the training and programs for the deaf here to Kurdistan from the Netherlands. Until this time the children had no way to learn. Now they are taught to lip read and sign.

Walter talking to a teacher and the Head Mistress of the school for the deaf. LDS Charities wants to help the school with computers, tables and cords for a computer lab for the children and a computer in each classroom.

This women was the Kindergarten teacher.

In the office of the Head Mistress.

The computer lab as it exists now. There are about 7 computer in this small room and the teachers split their class to have one half come to the computer lab so that 2 to 3 students share a computer and work on a program together, while the other half of the class has P.E. Then they switch. The computers are very old and there is no internet.

A classroom of young men at the school. The class day is split in two. The younger children attend in the morning and the older students attend in the afternoon. So each session only only receives a half day of instruction.

They weren't too keen on having their picture taken, but gave us the Ok.

These where the class materials hanging on the wall of this class. We were told that this is all they have.

Erbil Civilization Museum

The last stop of the day was the Museum of Antiquities. It just happened to be across the street from the ChwarChra Hotel so we ran across the street, literally, and took a few minutes to see what they had.