We Rose in the Spilt Blood - Volume 1

“We Rose in the Spilt Blood" is a story of resistance; it recounts how saplings of hope take root even in the darkest cells and under the most brutal torture. Seyfettin Aluş was but one of thousands of such saplings. During the 1980 military coup, he—like countless other Kurds, young and old, men and women—was arrested. After enduring months of blindfolded captivity and the most inhumane treatment in torture chambers, he was transferred to Diyarbakır Military Prison No. 5, where he was subjected to a relentless cycle of torture and attempts to strip him of his dignity. This book tells the stories of people who might appear small yet prove to be giants—individuals who, without a moment’s hesitation, would choose to lose their lives rather than lose their honor. In short, this book is the clearest testament to the unbreakable nature of the human essence, distilled through millennia. Within the walls of Diyarbakır Military Prison No. 5, the history of humanity was relived over the course of a decade—a condensation of four or five thousand years of human experience—ultimately resulting in the reclamation of human dignity. The archetypal figures of Zahhak and Kawa once again locked horns in a fierce struggle, and once again, it was Kawa who emerged victorious. This book is drawn from the author’s own experiences and observations. It was written to stir the human essence that lies within you.