Even TV-addicts can’t wait to open the door of Xazalnus, a special bookshop that also serves as a cultural space for authors, artists and book-lovers to attend weekly gatherings.
Founded in 2011 by a young Kurdish sociology student, Rawaz Mohamed Salih,and his colleagues, the independent Xazalnus (in Kurdish “one who writes sonnets”) means more to its regulars than the business of bookselling.
In fact, the shop has become a place to battle violent ideologies and nurture reading culture in the Kurdistan region. Xazalnus aims to do nothing less than to improve Kurdish society.
Salih’s father, a former Peshmerga fighter, was the inspiration to build the cultural center.
“I grew up in a house with a library. My dad and the environment I grew up in are the reasons I ended up here,” he told Rudaw.
Located on the ground floor of Hoshiar Qaftan Center, Xazalnus sells books in Kurdish, English, Arabic and Persian.
A battle against violence that lies in ideologies
The Xazalnus bookstore with its publications is trying to combat extremism. Photo by Sartep Othman (Rudaw)
For decades, the Kurdistan region has been a war zone; from former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical time in power, to the ongoing war against the Islamic State, or ISIS. Salih, 29, believes that war spawned violence deep in Kurdish society. He doubts Xazalnus or even dozens of similar centers would be able to combat the stain of violence.
Salih said serious cultural works under the supervision of the regional government need to be done to avoid the danger that resides in violent ideologies.
“Xazalnus alone cannot change society, but we need to work, we need to improve culture. When we gather, when we hold cultural events, and when we publish good books, it means we are taking steps to fight violence,” Salih said.
He added that his bookstore is following some of the same out-reach strategies used by Islamic groups and movements.
“We face an abundance of books by Islamists, whose works are incomparable with today’s belief system and a developed civil society. Publishing in plenty is their strategy,” he said.
Salih wants to publish more books that restore culture and create a space for public dialogue, something he said doesn’t currently exist in the Kurdistan region.
Another attempt to help the war-scarred Kurdish society is the bookstore’s attempt to restore people’s sense of beauty.
Creation and inspiration of beauty can be seen in the design of books as well as the decorations in their library.
“We fought wars one after another. This situation weakened the sense of beauty among Kurdish civilians,” Salih said.
“Today, it is not only us but other centers who also give special attention to the art of design and decoration to bring back the sense of beauty to Kurdish people.”
‘Kurdistan: A society that lacks reading culture’
The bookstore provides a calm space for readers who want to stay inside the shop and enjoy a cup of coffee while reading. Photo by Sartep Othman (Rudaw)
The lack of a reading culture in the Kurdistan region can be most keenly felt in the many schools that are without libraries. The bookstore is trying to fill a tiny part of this gap, or at least publicize the problem.
“The making of a reading society is a public task. We need almost everyone, including the government, to work on the issue,” Salih said. “Unfortunately, until now, the task is of the least significance for the government. It seems they don’t understand the importance.”
Xazalnus mixes technology with new ideas and strategies to encourage Kurdish people to get involved. The bookshop has a Facebook page, YouTube channel and an official websites to attract more readers and help beginners.
The shop offers frequent discounts for special books and asks its Facebook followers to share pictures of their favorite books or their library.
“If you give someone a chance to listen to music, if you help someone read a book, or let someone discuss art, culture, literature and philosophy, you already made that person take a step away from violence and closer to civilization,” Salih said.
A photo gallery of the Xazalnus book shop can be found below.
