Hawar (meaning The Cry in English) was a Kurdish literature magazine, which was published in Damascus between 1932 and 1943. [1] The magazine was first issued by Celadet Alî Bedirxan [1] on 15 May 1932. The magazine was the first Kurdish literary magazine in Syria [2] and it was intended to publish it on a monthly basis, [2] but its publication was interrupted several times. The first 23 issues were published between 15 May 1932 and the 27 September 1935. [3] The issues number 24 - 26 appeared between 1 April 1934 and 18 August 1935. [3] The remainder was published between April 1941 and August 1943, [3] and the French, who governed Syria and Lebanon at the time, supported its publication. [4] The 57th and last issue was released on 15 August 1943. [5] The first 23 issues of the magazine were published in both the Latin and the Arabic alphabets, but from the 24th issue onward, only the Latin alphabet was used. [3] The Kurdish alphabet, which was formulated by the publisher Celadet Alî Bedirxan and also referred to as Hawar alphabet or the Bedirxan alphabet, was used to publish Hawar. [6] The texts which were published emphasized the value of the Kurdish folklore for developing the Kurdish language and personal qualities. [7] Hawar had its most subscribers in Syria and Iraq, but also Lebanon, Iran. Some educational institutions and libraries in Europe and the Middle East also subscribed to the Hawar magazine. [8] Since 2006, the 15 May, the date of the first publication of Hawar in 1932, is celebrated as the Kurdish language day. [9] [10]
Celadet Alî Bedirxan said of his purpose for the magazine: "Hawar is the voice of knowledge. Knowledge leads to personal reflection. A person who becomes aware of the inner-self desires freedom and happiness. Self-knowledge also leads to self-expression. This magazine will reflect those expressions in the Kurdish language". [2]
An article about Hawar magazine