Humanities Journal of University of Zakho

THE EXTRAVAGANCE AND LUXURY AMONG THE SELJUK SULTANS OF RUM AS DEPICTED IN THE CONCISE BOOK "SELJUKNAMA" AUTHORED BY AN ANONYMOUS WRITER.

Othman A. Omer, Ahlam A. Hussin — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The Seljuk state of Rum (1) is one of the Islamic states that ruled Asia Minor for nearly two and a half centuries (470-704 AH / 1074-1307 AD), during which the sultans of the Sultanate were characterized by extravagance and luxury, as it generated huge sums of money from the conquests. They showed great generosity in bestowing gifts on the rulers. The parties and their messengers during their visits used to spend huge amounts of money on the leaders and princes during their victories and conquests of the Armenian castles and Byzantine cities. They also held celebrations, amusement, and mirth, in addition to the money and gifts they lavished on wedding occasions, etc. Therefore, this study sheds light on the phenomenon of extravagance and luxury practiced by the sultans of the Seljuks of Rum in Anatolia through the book “Mukhtasar Selcuknameh” by an unknown author, which is originally a summary of the book “Al-Awmār Al-Ala’i fi Al-Mār Al-Ala’ī” by Ibn Bibi.

POSITIVE THINKING, RELATIONSHIP TO RESPECT TOWARD OTHERS AMONG KOYA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS

Shahen R. Awla, Paiz Kh. Saber — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of this study is to investigate the level of positive thinking and respect for others in general among teachers of Koya University, as well as reveal the level of each of these variables according to demographic variables (gender, faculty, academic degree). It also aims at finding a relationship between positive thinking and respect for others in the study sample. The research population consisted of 383 male and 136 female teachers. The sample was randomly selected from 100 male and female teachers. The study included measures of positive thinking and respect for others used, Statistical software (SPSS) was used to present and analyze the data. the most important statistical techniques used (mean, standard deviation, T test for two independent samples, Anova, Normal, and Pearson correlation) The results showed that Koya University teachers have high positive thinking above the average level, there is no statistically significant difference in their level of positive thinking according to the variables (gender, faculty, academic degree). The level of respect for others among teachers of Koya University is high and there is no statistically difference in the level of respect for others according to the variables (gender, faculty, academic degree). In light of the results, several recommendations were made.

MEDIA AS A TOOL FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, THE LANGUAGE OF NEWS FORMULATION AS A MODEL

Abdul Khaleq S. Mahmood — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The research deals with an important linguistic issue, which is the problem of language development and its continuous transformations, examining the linguistic levels at which change takes place, the forms that this change takes, and explaining the role of the media as a tool in this process. The research was initiated out of the hypothesis that the media plays a fundamental role in the process of change that occurs in the body of language. The research adopted the language used in editing press news as a model to demonstrate the aspects of change that occur in the language, It consisted of two theoretical and applied parts, through the analysis of two models of three press stories separated by more than fifty years. The research concluded, after analysis and comparison, that the media has a major role in preserving the continuity of languages, through the changes it makes and on many linguistic levels, most notably the structural levels. and lexico-semantic level.

THE ROLE OF GENDER IN THE USE OF LANGUAGE IN ONLINE INTERACTIONS: KURDISH INTERLOCUTORS AS NON-NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS

Bikhtiyar O. Fattah — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This study examines the influence of gender on the use of English by Kurdish as non-native English speakers in online Interlocutors. It aims at figuring out the contributive role of language to the identification of the interlocutors’ gender, determining the influence of cultural norms on shaping the online communication patterns of Kurdish interlocutors(males and females), and identifying the frequency use of the essential linguistic elements, strategies and styles that distinguishes males’ interactions from females’. This study employs a mixed method, quantitative and qualitative, in the process of data analysis. It is quantitative for administrating a Likert-Scale questionnaire to investigate the perceptions of Kurdish as non-native English speakers according to gender and its influence on the interactions conducted online. It is also qualitative for analyzing one hundred instant messages extracted from males and females’ interactions held in three Telegram public channels. The most two significant concluding points that this study has come up with are: (1) gender diversity affects all the aspects of language including word choice, strategy and style in online interactions, and (2) the frequency of using hedge devices, empty adjectives, euphemistic expressions, apologies, justifications, minimal responses, emoticons, tag-questions, rhetorical questions, intensifiers and exclamatory expressions used by females is far more compared to males. However, males use humor and sarcastic expressions far more compared to females.

A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PRESIDENT BIDEN’S REMARKS ON ‘PANDEMIC POLITICS

Emmanuel J. Adegbenro , Oluwakemi T. Olayemi — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The literature is enriched with different linguistic studies on world leaders’ speeches delivered to respond to COVID-19. However, studies that investigated speeches of Presidents on pandemic politics are still in want. This study carried out a critical discourse analysis of the pandemic politics in the remarks of President Biden on fighting COVID-19. The September 9, 2021 speech of the US’s President Biden was purposively selected for this research because of its relevance to the subject matter. After the speech had been downloaded from the White House Official website, it was closely read. Copious extracts which convey hidden meanings and help to illustrate Biden’s discourse themes were noted and analysed qualitatively. The research adopted an adaptation of van Dijk’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theoretical frameworks to espouse meanings in the speech. The interdependence of the two tools for analyzing socio- political discourse makes them suitable for the analysis. Results found that, in a bid to navigate vaccination issues, Biden carefully deployed language to communicate three main discourse themes; negotiating with people, legislating rules and ventilating anger against those peddling pandemic politics. Thus, by appealing, educating and begging, vaccine shots were negotiated, and by condemning, blackmailing and threatening, compulsory vaccination compliance was legislated. Emphasizing those discourse themes served not only to conscript the people into accepting vaccination but also to flatten the curve against COVID-19. The study provides useful insights on the responses of government to the dissenting people’s opinions on the issue of compulsory vaccination during pandemic. It is, however, suggested that other researchers could explore a comparative analysis to investigate how different political leaders globally have framed vaccination policies and pandemic responses through different rhetorical strategies.

THE TURKISH MILITARY OPERATION IN IRAQI KURDISTAN 16 AUGUST 1986

Piroz A. Bashar, Hoger T. Tawfiq — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Turkish policy towards the Kurdish national movement in Iraqi Kurdistan is one of the key subjects of the Kurdish national liberation movement, as the Kurdish national liberation movement in Iraq has influence on the Kurdish movement in other Kurdistan parties. The main significance of this research is the evaluation of the Turkish policy and strategy towards the Kurdish movement. This study concentrates on the reasons behind declaring the military operations in the areas of Iraqi Kurdistan borders as well as its reflection. Hence, Turkey paid a great attention to its economic interests in Iraq and Kurdistan region particularly. Because of this, Turkey and Iraq have had close relationships. Also, the Iraqi role and Iraq-Iran war had been evaluated in this study. This study seeks to answer the following questions: Has Turkish policy influenced the Kurdish movement in Iraq? Has the Kurdish liberation movement in Iraq had an impact on internal affairs in Turkey? Do developments in the Kurdish movement threaten Turkey's interests and unity? What are the outcomes of the military operations in Kurdish border areas? What were the domestic and international responses to Turkish military intervention in Iraqi Kurdistan? Accordingly, this research was selected to provide a historical analysis of the Kurdish situation and to clarify the extent of Turkish policy's influence on them.

THE EMIRATE OF SORAN IN THE ERA OF KHANZADA KHATUN 1617-1661

Nazar A. Hasan — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The 17^th century is considered one of the dark periods in the history of the Kurdish Emirates, because there is no such an inclusive book tackling their history. Unlike the book Sharafnameh written by Prince Sharafkhan Badlisi, which covered the history of Kurdistan throughout the 16^th century, there is little information that can be found among some Ottoman and Safavid sources. The Emirate of Soran is one of those emirates that may have received the lion's share of neglect and lack of attention, especially during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Therefore, the researcher, who writes on the history of the aforementioned emirate, must search through ancient documents, records, and manuscripts in archives, requiring a consuming time and effort. This study examines the history of Soran in one of its most important eras, which was the era of Princess Khanzadeh Khatun, the first woman to hold the position of Sanjakbey in the Ottoman Empire. However, the published and available information about this princess is rare to an extent that some regarded her as a fictional heroine in the Kurdish oral literature. The research paper is divided into two main sections. Section one is devoted to tackle the life of Khanzadeh Khatun and her administrative, political, and military role. Section two examines the four princes of the Sanjaks in Soran, namely: Harir and Dowian, Erbil, Shamamak, and Koya. It is worth noting that most of the information in our study is published for the first time. The study has mainly depended on the Ottoman placement records (also known as the Ruus registers) and the records of directing the timariots (timar), the chieftains (zeamet), and the Sultan orders preserved in the Muhimme Dafteri, the various Ottoman documents, as well as the Safavid and Ottoman sources that dealt with topics from the history of the Emirate of Soran during the reign of the princess Khanzadeh Khatun.

ALBRIDIUWM AND THEIR POLITICAL AND MILITARY ROLE AT THE END OF THE SECOND ABBASID ERA IN THE SOUTHERN IRAQ

Abdulbari A. Asaad, Tawfeeq R. Yousif — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The exact origin of the Albridiuwm family is not known, which appeared on the scene in the last years of the second Abbasid era. First, they did some minor careers in southern Iraq but did not rise to the level of becoming an affected force. However, due to the chaos that the Abbasid state was exposed to at the end of the second era, the emergence of the Albridiyn was a natural result. Because their goal was only to obtain the personal privilege of their princes, they did not have political program, and what they did was only to take power and collect money at a time when there was no power controlling the situation in the Abbasid state. Because the Turkish leaders and ministers contributed to the creation of that chaos, this resulted in the growing ambition of the Baridi family. Their relations were fluctuating, whether with the Turkish leaders and ministers, the Buyids, the Qarmatians, or even with the Abbasid caliphs. The relationships with those personalities and powers that existed at the time were only based on mutual consent and interest. As soon as it ends, their princes will become hostile with those who stand against their aspirations for power and money. As soon as the Buyid forces entered Iraq, their movements shrank and were confined to the southern regions of Iraq. In the end, when the Buyid forces got stronger, they got rid of the Albridiuwm, and things stabilized, as if their end was easy and simple.

NOSTALGIA IN "CHESHTI MAJEUR" BY HEJAR MUKRIYANÎ

Nawzad I. Abdulkareem, Ramadan H. Kader — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Nostalgia is a psychological phenomenon related to the human’s heart and psyche. It represents an attempt to reclaim a selective past and move toward an ideal future, or longing and sadness for a time, place, thing, person that remained in the past. Sometimes, due to a painful reality and challenging life circumstances, individuals or writers long to return to their golden past, cherished memories, and peaceful days or dream of a bright and secure future they can envision in their imagination. In this context, nostalgia becomes the best refuge for the human soul because it is an emotional state of comfort towards longing for the past."Cheshti Majeur" as an autobiographical work, is rich with sorrow, pain, success, losses, and personal experiences, while also portraying an important period in the history of Kurdistan and the life of Hejar Mukriyanî. For this reason, this book was chosen as the subject of study. This research consists of two main parts, in addition to summaries in Kurdish, Arabic, and English, as well as an introduction, conclusion, and references. The first part is theoretical, addressing the following topics: Nostalgia: the term and concept, definitions of nostalgia, the benefits of nostalgia in literary works, and the types of nostalgia in literature. Autobiography: the term and concept, definitions of autobiography, types of autobiography, and autobiography in the context of poetry and prose. The second part is practical, focusing on identifying the types of nostalgia in "Cheshti Majeur". The main research question is: Does nostalgia manifest in "Cheshti Majeur"?

HADITH HEARING AIDS FOR KURDISH SCHOLARS DURING THE HAJJ SEASONS BETWEEN THE TWO CENTURIES (8-9 AH/14-15 AD)

Zemar Kh. Hamid, Zhiyan S. Rasheed — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The Kurdish students and scholars hearing of the Hadith during the Hajj seasons has a great role in the development of scientific life in the Two Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina, because annually large groups of famous scholars and sheikhs in the Islamic world meet in Mecca and Medina during the Hajj seasons and there they hold scientific sessions, especially sessions for hearing the Noble Prophetic Hadith. For this reason, the Hajj seasons were a golden opportunity for students and scholars of Hadith science, and Kurdish students and scholars used to come to the Hajj seasons for religious and scientific purposes, especially between the 8th and 9th centuries AH/14th and 15th centuries AD. We must point out that after the 6th century (AH/12th century AD), students of Hadith in general and the Kurds in particular headed to Egypt and the Hijaz instead of Baghdad and the Levant, due to prevailing political situations. As for the Kurdish scholars, most of them were those who resided in Mecca and Medina. The sessions of listening to the Prophet’s hadith were held continuously in the two holy mosques, especially during the Hajj seasons. The Kurdish scholars did not only participate in these sessions, but some of them held these sessions in the two holy mosques and played a major and effective role. Kurdish women also participated in these sessions.

SHATTERING THE FALLACY OF THE “DREAM LAND” BRITAIN IN WINSOME PINNOCK’S” LEAVE TAKING”

Adar T. Bahri, Amel A. Mahmoud — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The current article deals with Winsome Pinnock’s Leave Taking (1987), a play that comes fertile with diverse themes relevant to immigration, racism, poverty, and identity crisis. However, the analysis lays more focus on the bitter disappointment of Jamaican immigrant Enid and her family in the UK. This cruel reality radically altered the former dreams about the UK being the land of dreams where all one’s misery and poverty come to an end. The discussion in this article seeks to clarify Pinnock’s depiction of the complex and multifaceted challenges experienced by Enid and her family members. Enid and her daughters face financial challenges, racial discrimination, and identity crises living for many years in what they perceive as a new homeland, the UK. Enid immigrates to the UK in search of better living conditions, but the harsh reality of immigration seen in low-wage work, expensive life demands, and racial discrimination gradually destroys her idealized expectations of the UK as a dreamland. This disillusionment with the UK, alongside economic hardship, accentuates the immigrants’ emotional and cultural isolation, as their dreams clash with the harsh reality of their everyday challenging experiences. The methodological framework utilized in this article is the postcolonial theory. The study utilizes concepts and notions from the postcolonial discipline in order to probe through vital thematic elements in this play. Among the key figures in the postcolonial literary discipline are Edward Said (1935-2003), Franz Fanon (1925-1961), and Homi Bhabha (1949- ). The analysis of the play incorporates specific notions Said addresses in his well-reputed book Orientalism (1978). Among the vital ideas are the superiority of the white colonizers and the cruel exploitation of the wealth and richness of the colonies leaving the natives in debilitating conditions. Furthermore, this methodological framework permits an inspection of the feeling of inferiority endured by the black immigrants owing to the color of their skin. This significant idea is thoroughly and expansively discussed by Fanon in many of his books, such as Black Skin, White Masks (1952) and The Wretched Earth (1961). In The Location of Culture (1994), the hybrid identity is another key aspect that is explored by the postcolonial critic Homi Bhabha. The article cultivates Bhabha’s discussion on identity problems while scrutinizing the feeling of alienation and estrangement the characters in this play constantly struggle with. Such feelings compel them to view themselves as foreigners in what they mistakenly thought to be their new homeland.

THE REFLECTION OF PANTHEISM’S PRINCIPLES OF IBN ARAB IN AHMED KHANI'S WORKS"

Waheed N. Ramadhan, Shvan Q. Hassan — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The concept of pantheism is among the most profound and influential intellectual theories in Islamic mysticism, particularly within Sufism. The idea of pantheism, which reached its pinnacle in the works of the Andalusian Mystic Ibn Arab (1164–1240 CE), the purpose of pantheism: it posits that God manifests within all aspects of existence, and humanity reflects this divine essence. Within this framework, spiritual unity with God is achieved through the annihilation of the self in the divine presence (fana). This study investigates the influence of Ibn Arabi’s pantheism on the Kurdish poet Ahmadi Khani/ Ehmedê Xanî (1651–1707) and explores how this Sufi philosophy is interwoven into his poetry, particularly in his seminal works. To date, no research has specifically examined Khani's engagement with this mystical concept. The findings reveal that Ahmadi Khani embraced Ibn Arabi’s ideas, integrating them into his poetry through a thematic journey from worldly love to divine love. This progression mirrors the Sufi path, wherein metaphorical love (ishq majazi) serves as a bridge to the ultimate truth of divine love (ishq haqiqi). Khani portrays God as the central and absolute existence, with all other beings reflecting this divine light. His poetic vision depicts God as the source of all existence, illuminating creation, which derives its essence and gifts from this divine radiance.

THE ROLE OF THE MARDUK GOD IN THE INCANTATIONS TEXTS AND EXORCISM IN MESOPOTAMIA

Luqman M. Qasim — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The Marduk god is one of the most important main gods in ancient Iraq. His name was mentioned in many Sumerian writings in different forms, and emerged around (2600 BC). Also, he is the protector god of the Babylon city and was given the position of gods king in the Babylon city. The Marduk god played a great role in the Spells texts, as man has imagined himself since ancient times surrounded by all kinds of evil forces that hit him, as a result of committing sins and wrongdoings. Hence, the Mesopotamia inhabitants in their various historical eras believed that the consequences of human illnesses likewise epidemics were the result of the gods' irritation at humans, owing to their committing sins also crimes, and holding humans accountable for the sins and disobediences they commit, and thus evil spirits in addition demons that cause diseases and harm are imposed on them. This is what prompted people to seek the assistance of priests in order to get rid of these diseases and evil spirits through some rituals and religious practices, including spells with the assistance of the concerned gods. The most prominent of these gods specialized in expelling demons and spirits is the Marduk god. The importance of this research comes to show the major role of the Marduk god in spells. In many magical forms, the magician would seek support from the Marduk god in spells to free the sickening person from the grip of evil demons. In addition to his role in healing patients, the role of the Marduk god in fighting evil is evident from the above, as he is the spirit of magic and spells that expels evil represented by jinn and evil spirits from the body of the sickening person. Whereas, others were used to nullify the works of magic and the hazards of demons that triggered harm and diseases to people, including the plague and headaches. Also, this study attempts to explore the most significant diseases that were treated by spells in Mesopotamia, and some of these spells were specific to winds and purification.

INVESTIGATING SEMANTIC PROTOTYPES OF FOOD IN BAHDINI KURDISH

Edwardo Kh. Dinkha, Fakhir O. Mohammed — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Prototype theory is a vital categorization theory in cognitive semantics that Rosch introduced in the 1970s. It serves as a fundamental framework in cognitive semantics for comprehending the formation and organization of categories in the human mind. The current study aims to identify the prototypes of various food categories in Bahdini Kurdish, thereby, it addresses a gap in contemporary research regarding this issue. It examines food semantics by emphasizing categorization, the most typical example in the selected category, and the impact of gender on their perception and categorization. The study investigates the prototypes of a total of nine semantic categories, including Homemade food, Fast Food, Dairy Food, Fruits, Vegetables, etc. The study has adopted descriptive and quantitative approaches by administering a questionnaire consisting of nine food categories to 100 students who speak Bahdini Kurdish based on Rosch’s model (1973, 1975). The participants are selected from English and non-English departments at the University of Zakho and comprised of an even number of 50 males and 50 females. The findings identified nine food categories in Bahdini Kurdish, which feature representative or the best examples such as rice and dolma for Homemade food, pizza for fast food, baklava for sweets, etc. Gender-based disparities arose, as males and females had distinct preferences within these categories.

EXPLORING KURDISH EFL STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Ivan H. Murad , Sanan Sh. Malo — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The current study aims to investigate Kurdish EFL students’ views of the assessment process conducted at EFL departments of public universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Due to the fact that assessment is the core factor for students’ learning, involvement, and evaluation as the only gauge for their progress and development, much attention needs to be given to the assessment process. This study specifically aims at studying the perceptions of the Kurdish EFL students of the criteria including design, administration, purpose, effectiveness and washback, scoring and grading, and feedback of testing and assessment process. Hence, for the purpose of data collection, a questionnaire was administered to 116 students of semesters 3,5, and 7 at the English language departments of some public universities in the KRI during the academic year 2024-2025. Cronbach Alpha was used to analyze the reliability of the items of the questionnaire along with SPSS (version 25) to analyze the mean values of the items and ANOVA was utilized to compare the mean values across the six criteria. Findings indicate significant challenges in the alignment and execution of testing and assessment processes in higher education. While testing and assessment items align with course objectives, they often fail to adequately measure critical thinking and comprehensive language skills. Procedural issues, including unclear instructions, unfair scoring and grading practices, and overemphasis on grading rather than fostering students’ progress and engagement, have badly affected the effectiveness of assessments. Additionally, environmental factors such as cheating, unsupportive classroom dynamics, and poor seating quality negatively impact students' performance. A lack of constructive feedback further hinders the development of students’ overall skills and learning outcomes. The findings further highlight the need for a holistic approach to assessment that emphasizes student growth, fair evaluation, and the integration of diverse language competencies.