WEghur Stories

In this episode of WEghur Stories, Mukaddas and John hear stories from two activists in the Uyghur diaspora who, despite different backgrounds, were both driven to become activists after family members in the Uyghur region disappeared. 

Our conversation with Akida Pulat begins at 8:00. For more information about Akida’s mother, Rahile Dawut, and Akida’s work to free her, visit www.freemymom.org. For more information about Campaign for Uyghurs, visit www.campaignforuyghurs.org. You can contact Akida on Twitter @akida_p.

Our conversation with Dr. Halmurat Harri Uyghur begins at 30:00. For more information about Halmurat’s activists, visit www.uyghurthoughts.com. Halmurat is on Twitter @HUyghur.

For more information about this episode, and to hear other stories from the Uyghur diaspora, please visit us at www.weghurstories.com.

Mukaddas and John discuss the Uyghur language, including the ways it evolved over centuries of being used as a language of trade, and the efforts being made across the diaspora to teach it to the youngest members of the Uyghur community. 

This episode features conversations with Dr. Gulnar Eziz and Muyesser Hendan.

The conversation with Dr. Eziz begins at 5:45. For more information about her, please visit her faculty website at Harvard University. We hope you’ll also visit the homepage of the archive of Uyghur manuscripts that she and Mukaddas discuss.

The conversation with Muyesser Hendan begins at 31:30. For more information about the online Uyghur language school, please visit the school’s website and their Instagram.

Perhat Tursun is one of the most famous, beloved, and controversial figures in contemporary Uyghur poetry. This bonus episode includes unreleased content about Perhat from our poetry episode (Ep. 3: Catching Feelings), including Mukaddas's conversation with Dr. Joshua Freeman about him.

The conversation with Josh Freeman begins at 1:40. To read poetry by Perhat Tursun that Josh has translated, visit his website.

Audio from the special event hosted by Mukaddas about the third anniversary of Perhat Tursun's disappearance begins at 8:42. This event features Josh Freeman, Tahir Hamut Izgil, Muyesser Hendan, and Darren Byler.

To watch the video of the event, go to the WEghur Stories YouTube page or to our website.

Illustration of Perhat Tursun by Sulu.artco

On today’s episode, Mukaddas and John discuss the artform of poetry and the important place it holds in Uyghur culture and in the hearts of Uyghur people. 

Our conversation with Joshua Freeman begins at 9:03. You can find some of his translations of Uyghur poetry here: https://scholar.princeton.edu/jfreeman/translations

Our conversation with Merdan Ehet'eli begins at 24:42. Here is a translation and a recording of Merdan reciting one of his best-known works, Common Night: https://www.asymptotejournal.com/poetry/merdan-eheteli-common-night/

Our conversation with Muyesser Hendan begins at 33:46. Hendan recites her poem, “Back Into the Flames” in Uyghur during this interview. Here is a recording of Mukaddas Mijit reciting the English version of the poem, as translated by Joshua Freeman: www.weghurstories.com/episode-3

In the episode, we also hear clips of poems performed by the following singers:

Nurjan Hapiz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7syPNZa6aQ

Ayturghan Hasanova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeEenbO-p1g

Mukaddas and John also discuss the Uyghur poets Perhat Tursun and Tahir Hamut Izgil. Translations of some of their poetry are available on Joshua Freeman’s translation page, here: https://scholar.princeton.edu/jfreeman/translations

For more information about the people featured in this podcast, please visit www.weghurstories.com.

Follow us on Instagram @weghurstories. 

Interview with Hassan Mahmud begins at 4:40.
Interview with Gulnigar Naman begins at 22:33.

Clips used in this episode:
Weghur Global Battle of the Bands performance
Deja Vu by Weghur
铁饭盒 by Dinner for 7
Norske Talenter performance by Gulnigar Naman

Mukaddas and John introduce a new podcast about stories from across the Uyghur diaspora.