Xanim Bayîz: Life as a Communist Mother & Peshmerga

Kurdistan has long maintained its multi-party-political system, each corner of its land has arguably a favoured shade of green, yellow or red. Despite the political differences and conflicts endured in the past, the modern state of Kurdistan’s political parties strives to ultimately coexist peacefully; this, however, has not always been the case. Whilst the role of Kurdish women in political aligned combat has been better documented globally post 2014 with the role that the YPJ (Women’s Protection Unit and member of the Syrian Democratic Forces) played in beating ISIS, Kurdish women have remained affluent in Kurdish political movements whether it be within guerilla warfare, peshmerga ranks or leading public challenges against tyrant regimes.

On the 18th February 2022, The Jiyan Archives received a public submission in the form of a single photograph of a young man’s grandmother with the following excerpt added ‘Studio portrait of Xanim Bayîz, a peshmerga of the communist party in Slemani’. On our venture to discover more about the woman in the photograph, we were given her only ever documented interview with the late Kurdish writer Ruxosh Ali. Through this interview, Xanim Bayîz Rashîd has shared her experience of what it was like to witness and be part of the Kurdistan liberation movement as a long life member of the Kurdish Communist party.

In 1957, a young Kurdish woman by the name of Xanim Bayîz, had married a man by the name of Ali Mustafa Qadir and relocated to the neighbourhood of Sarchnar located in western part of Slemani city. Qadir was a member of the communist party and worked as a laborer in a cement factory, while Bayîz too was a peshmerga in the early communist party based in Slemani; they shared a good income, owned their own home, and were financially secure in comparison to others during that era. On her dedication to her career, Bayîz stated “I worked as much as I could."

“I learned all about this at the party gatherings, there we would be taught how women can prove their strength and work alongside men in politics, how women can labor and also be good and caring mothers to their children at the same time”

In Sarchnar, gatherings of communist party members would be held in various homes, and Bayîz with her friends Shawnam, Yazmine, and Munîr Xan would be there in attendance. There, a known newspaper titled Tariq Shab (which translates to “The path of folk”) was read aloud to them. Bayîz also belonged to a charitable group run by Hepsa Xani Abda-Pishdary that gathered goods for the communist party. Bayîz was a very involved member who used her knowledge of the city and its inhabitants to her advantage. Bayîz knew where to find the most ideal supplies and furniture, which left her comrades in awe of how much she was able to accumulate in such a short space of time.

In the area of Aqarî, a continuous protest calling for the overthrowing of the monarchy rule in Iraq was taking place and it was just before the revolution of the 14th  July that Bayîz became a mother. As an activist, Bayîz encouraged the conduct of protest and would frequently join chants "Let it crumble, let it fall!". Bayîz’s mother and neighbours were often perplexed by her actions, and they would often question why she had such a strong interest in politics. Bayîz shares that to her comrades, the Iraqi dictatorship was made up of narrow-minded individuals and supporters of colonialism. She would go on to add that if the communist party were to rule, she believed equality would spread across the citizenry and there would be no more homelessness and starvation among the mass civilians. When her neighbours questioned her on how she knew so much political knowledge at such a young age she would reply, “I learned all about this at the party gatherings, there we would be taught how women can prove their strength and work alongside men in politics, how women can labor and also be good and caring mothers to their children at the same time”. 

Bayîz was an active member of the political party and had a role of hand delivering the communist party’s mail across Kurdistan and Iraq, and she recalls she was rarely questioned about her secret role by the Arabic generals and soldiers at the checkpoints. This was an extremely dangerous job, but her friends often told her to not worry and nothing would come of it. Even though such a job placed Bayîz and her family in danger, she did her best to deliver the mail to Hawler (Erbil) and other cities. Even though her husband sustained a horrific arm injury after an aerial bombing of Kurdistan, Xanim Bayîz’s husband was supportive and frequently assisted her in her work. Bayîz has visited numerous locations to deliver mail on behalf of her political organisation, at times she travelled there by foot to avoid vacating cars at checkpoints.

Bayîz would only work under the order of her party generals, she at times had to deliver money to others and says, “If I was a dishonest person, I could have easily stolen the money for myself ”, she recalls loyalty being key to her job and she would have never betrayed it.

To preserve the safety of the organization's members during these challenging circumstances, they would gather at various homes. There they would discuss their actions and plans along with their fallen or arrested members; Bayîz’s brother was also a member that had been arrested and was to soon be executed by the Ba’athist regime but was set free before his date.

Bayîz shares her memory of how both her sons ended up in the peshmerga ranks at a young age. Her youngest son had just graduated from high school and was attempting to gain admission to college, but sadly his efforts had been in vain. As a result, Bayîz had no choice but to agree for him to join the peshmerga ranks. When her other son was studying in Baghdad, the followers of the regime demanded that he join the Ba’athist regime led by Saddam Hussein or accept all forms of punishment - he responded, "I will accept all forms of punishment and not join them”. Again, Bayîz feels she had no choice but to send him as well to join the peshmergas who were striving for the survival of the Kurdish people in South Kurdistan.

Bayîz in her interview also recalls the hardship and pain her family faced during internal battles, in particular the skirmishes between Kurdistan’s Workers’ Party (PKK) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of the early 90’s. On attempting to visit one of her sons, Bayîz and her husband were forbidden by peshmergas, denying her access into the city of Hawler; the anguish of not being able to have contact with a child was common for any Kurdish mother whose child joined the ranks.

Bayîz xan today is over 88 years old and battling with Alzheimer, therefor she was not able to interview with us directly and share more details about the memorable life she chose to live. Bayîz xan has put herself and loved ones in danger countless times due to the love and loyalty she felt for her homeland and political beliefs. Her story should be a constant reminder of the hardship she and many alike have had to face on the journey to Kurdish freedom – a journey that is still ongoing. Bayîz says that her only wish remains to see a Kurdistan that is stable and free from war and all miseries.