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Prison Writings #2
Il PKK e la questione Kurda nel XXI secolo
Nel suo secondo libro Abdullah Öcalan applica la filosofia politica e storica che ha sviluppato nel primo volume dei suoi scritti dal carcere alla questione kurda. Il libro affronta questioni politiche concrete al centro della questione kurda. Öcalan chiede un "Rinascimento del Medio Oriente" in cui l'integrazione dei valori democratici occidentali e dei diritti umani universali con i valori profondamente radicati delle società mediorientali, in particolare di quella kurda, formino una nuova sintesi tra civiltà.
394 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
10 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Abdullah Öcalan
96 books337 followersAbdullah Öcalan is the founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). From 1984, under his leadership, the PKK fought for Kurdish liberation. Since his kidnapping and arrest in 1999, he has been in solitary confinement in Imrali Island Prison.
Since his imprisonment, Ocalan has written extensively on Middle Eastern and Kurdish history. With his books he has significantly influenced the course of Kurdish politics in the last two decades.
He argues for the concepts of Democratic Autonomy and Democratic Confederalism that are considered an alternative to a Kurdish nation-state.
From 2009-2015, the Turkish state held negotiations with him about a solution of the Kurdish Question. Since the collapse of the talks in 2015, Öcalan has been under total isolation.
Since his imprisonment, Ocalan has written extensively on Middle Eastern and Kurdish history. With his books he has significantly influenced the course of Kurdish politics in the last two decades.
He argues for the concepts of Democratic Autonomy and Democratic Confederalism that are considered an alternative to a Kurdish nation-state.
From 2009-2015, the Turkish state held negotiations with him about a solution of the Kurdish Question. Since the collapse of the talks in 2015, Öcalan has been under total isolation.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 8, 2021
Ocalan in this book traces the roots and history of the Kurdish ethnic group and lays out a plan that changed the direction of the PKK, emphasising building democratic structures and pushing for peace mediated by the European Union.
August 9, 2011
Prison Writings: The Roots of Civilisation. This is certainly and ambitious title but then one could say that Abdullah Ocalan is a man with time on his hands. One would have hoped that he had used it more profitably especially, as he says, this is a part of his submission to ECHR and the initial observation is that he should get himself a good lawyer. The book answers few questions and explains little about Ocalan’s actions.
So, to answer the question of whether to buy this book: this depends on what the reader is looking for. If you are looking for a book that will teach you about ancient Near Eastern cultures then don’t buy this book. There are far better books out there written by specialists and if you want get an emotional feel for the heft and weave of ancient civilisation in the Near East then read the King James Bible and enjoy a fabulous piece of literature at the same time. If you are looking for a book that will teach you about the history of Islam or the history of the Near East since the middle ages to modern times, don’t buy this book. Buy anything by Bernard Lewis. If you want a history of Anatolia, Turks and Kurds don’t buy this book. If you want an explanation of capitalism, its role in modern history and its relevance in developing countries and regions then don’t buy this book. Buy “The Mystery of Capital” by the Peruvian economist, Hernando DeSoto. In fact, if you want a book written by Abdullah Ocalan this may not even be the book; it looks as if this book was actually put together by a committee cryptically referred to at the back of the book as the “Editorial Committee.” Only in a very few places does it seem that the authentic voice of Ocalan appears. “In former times the Kurdish movement had always seemed to be at the mercy of external powers. Now it has become a guarantee for peace, liberty and fraternity.” Now that actually sounds like a plea to the judge but given the factionalism and tribalism of the various Kurdish movements in the region and the willingness with which they, and Ocalan, indulged in bloodletting amongst themselves, let alone with the Turks and others, it is difficult to see the “Kurds”, as described by Ocalan, being the nexus for a new democratic regional force for peace and democracy.
On the dust jacket of the book Randall H. McGuire of Binghamton University, New York says that this book is a “controversial intellectually stimulating work.” While Ghada Tahlami of Lake Forest College, Illinois says the book is “a tour-de-force.” Elsewhere, Stan Newens the veteran left wing Labour MP in the UK and European Parliament describes the book as a “brilliant theoretical study of the origins and development of civilisation which should be essential reading for all historians interested in a scientific approach to our knowledge of the past.” And always the reference to the Marxist totem “science.” It is none of these things. This book is a pedestrian and shallow analysis of Near Eastern history expressed in the tedious language of socialists the world over and viewed through the flawed lens of Marxism. There is little that is original and much that is simply incorrect and it is the rambling defence of a man with whom justice has finally caught up.
So, to answer the question of whether to buy this book: this depends on what the reader is looking for. If you are looking for a book that will teach you about ancient Near Eastern cultures then don’t buy this book. There are far better books out there written by specialists and if you want get an emotional feel for the heft and weave of ancient civilisation in the Near East then read the King James Bible and enjoy a fabulous piece of literature at the same time. If you are looking for a book that will teach you about the history of Islam or the history of the Near East since the middle ages to modern times, don’t buy this book. Buy anything by Bernard Lewis. If you want a history of Anatolia, Turks and Kurds don’t buy this book. If you want an explanation of capitalism, its role in modern history and its relevance in developing countries and regions then don’t buy this book. Buy “The Mystery of Capital” by the Peruvian economist, Hernando DeSoto. In fact, if you want a book written by Abdullah Ocalan this may not even be the book; it looks as if this book was actually put together by a committee cryptically referred to at the back of the book as the “Editorial Committee.” Only in a very few places does it seem that the authentic voice of Ocalan appears. “In former times the Kurdish movement had always seemed to be at the mercy of external powers. Now it has become a guarantee for peace, liberty and fraternity.” Now that actually sounds like a plea to the judge but given the factionalism and tribalism of the various Kurdish movements in the region and the willingness with which they, and Ocalan, indulged in bloodletting amongst themselves, let alone with the Turks and others, it is difficult to see the “Kurds”, as described by Ocalan, being the nexus for a new democratic regional force for peace and democracy.
On the dust jacket of the book Randall H. McGuire of Binghamton University, New York says that this book is a “controversial intellectually stimulating work.” While Ghada Tahlami of Lake Forest College, Illinois says the book is “a tour-de-force.” Elsewhere, Stan Newens the veteran left wing Labour MP in the UK and European Parliament describes the book as a “brilliant theoretical study of the origins and development of civilisation which should be essential reading for all historians interested in a scientific approach to our knowledge of the past.” And always the reference to the Marxist totem “science.” It is none of these things. This book is a pedestrian and shallow analysis of Near Eastern history expressed in the tedious language of socialists the world over and viewed through the flawed lens of Marxism. There is little that is original and much that is simply incorrect and it is the rambling defence of a man with whom justice has finally caught up.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews