Oral history interview with Bamo Nouri, interviewed by Fereshteh Mozaffari.

[STREET SOUNDS CAN BE HEARD ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS INTERVIEW]

00:00 Interviewers introduction.

00:10 Confirms full name, place, date of birth and current job. Father moved from Sulaymaniyah to the UK seeking political asylum in 1992. Family followed 3 years later.

01:24 Describes upbringing. Lived predominantly with grandparents as a child. Father an architect and mother a lawyer. Compares parent’s careers in Kurdistan and UK. Siblings: one brother and one sister born in the UK.

05:00 Interviewer asks about childhood memories, songs and lullabies. Recalls a song about Halabja : ‘Don’t Leave Me On My Own’. Sings Kurdish National song. Can’t recollect any further specific songs.

07:01 Interviewer asks about the effects of the Halabja chemical attack. Describes widespread fear and anxiety. ‘The legacy of it and the fear it could happen remained throughout the year I was born.’ (07:12)

09:20 Motives for moving to Britain. A death warrant was issued against his father, who refused to join the army during Kuwait war . Mother sacrificed her job to join her husband.

10:40 Went to private nursery in Kurdistan. Recalls a memory of when he was 3 years old and took a taxi home on his own.

11:48 Can’t remember nursery rhymes. Remembers one song ‘Six Butterflies’ by Marziyah. and the story behind it. The influence of the song on him emotionally. Mother calls her children Papula.

14:39 Relationship with parents. Mother went to college to study English in the UK; they built a close relationship. Settled in Fallowfield, Manchester.

15:43 Returns to childhood memories, when his Mother was a solicitor in Sulaymaniyah.

17:02 Describes a visit to Kurdistan in 2003 for Norouz . The community assembled at a mansion in the mountains. His uncle influenced him deeply. Spent times with kids, especially when visiting Iraq.

20:30 Memories of leaving Kurdistan. Had problems with eyesight. Describes the long journey to the UK by British Airways.

22:22 First experience of cold weather in the UK. Arrived in London in November. The shock of having to live in a flat, which he hated. Trouble integrating at school; aggressive reaction to fellow pupils. Situation draws him close to his mum - they watched films together or went to MacDonald’s.

24:41 Befriended an Iraqi-British kid called Joseph. The families became close. The sense of adjusting to resettlement only abated 5-6 years ago. ’You don’t settle in anywhere really.’

26:22 Describes difficulties at school. Didn’t understand the systematic education system and its focus on maths, science, and Christianity. Discusses his parents’ expectations and his own sense of guilt at being a slow learner.

32:30 Describes how he built his confidence by playing football. This motivated him to do better at school as well. He made more friends and progressed in maths and science.

34:10 Compares life in Kurdistan with life in the UK. Constant love of Kurdistan. Life in UK brings him closer to his mum.

35:32 Mum cooks Kurdish food. Describes the joy of discovering Mascarpone [double cream soft cheese] by mother. Mother compares everything to back home.

38:35 Describes adolescence: played football and tried to be like everyone else. Hated his name. Dad bought him a computer and educational materials, not games. Confused as to whether he was an adult or a child. His experience when Abdullah Öcalan was arrested by Turkish Government.

42:14 Describes his feelings when Iraq war [US invasion] happened. Mother raised him to love Iraq.

44:14 Describes how the English and Kurdish language influences the way he lives and thinks.

45:48 Visited Kurdistan for the first time in 1997. Describes the long journey through Istanbul to Sulaymaniyah. Troubles at the Turkish border.

48:53 Made hip hop songs at university. Tried to revisit emotions by writing songs in English.

49:45 Did a degree in law in 2011 but hated it. Wanted to be a footballer. Was offered a scholarship from a university in the US but turned it down. Found his passion in Political Science. Got his PHD in Politics.

52:25 Teaches American Foreign Policy at City University, London.

52:35 Moved to London until 2016. Explains why he now choses to live in Manchester.

54:00 Interviewer asks about his engagement with the Kurdish issue. Explains why this question hurts him. His thesis is about Iraq. Explains why lack of ideology that unites Kurds is the main issue, comparing it to the US.

1:00:50 Married an English-Irish woman in 2018. Has a 6-month-old girl. Describes the effect of marriage on himself. Wife is a counsellor and hypnotherapist.

1:03:10 Wife has adopted Kurdish culture and language. Returns to discuss his PhD and strict food diet.

1:07:50 His wife helped him to settle down and overcome the sense of guilt. After doing poorly at GCSCE, a teacher encouraged him to apply for university. This changed his life.

1:11:23 Explains why the question about how his community receives him as a successful academic hurts him. Gives advice to families with children.

1:14:28 His grandfathers in Kurdistan have passed away. Grandmothers are still alive.

1:15:27 Final words.

End of Interview