Interview With Azad Mohammed (A poet)

November 9, 2019 |The Art Garden Rohingya|

The Art Garden Rohingya is the Rohingya community arts website. We foster the passion and talent of those young Rohingya poets and artists who strive to revive Rohingya arts and culture. We, therefore conduct the interview with our poet and artist in order to learn why he or she chose literature and started writing poetry. ​

The opinions and views in the following interview are solely those of the poet and artist and do not necessarily reflect the Art Garden Rohingya.

AG​: Can you please tell us something about yourself? Your name, age and township you were born in Myanmar?

AM: “I’m Azad Mohammed and 23 years now. I’m originally from Buthidaungtownship and now living in Bangladesh’s refugee camp.”

AG​: What is your best memory in your childhood in Myanmar?

AM: “When I was young, every night my mother heard me stories of the Kings in Arakan, the palace, the Myauk-U dynasties and the British colonisation. I loved the stories of the Kings. Hearing my mom, I felt into sleep on her lap. Soon she took me to my bed. For me, that’s the best memory in my childhood.”

AG​: What is your educational background?

AM: “I passed my matriculation in 2015 in Buthidaung.”

AG​: What inspires you to write poetry? Why do you write it?

AM: “The situation of my people forced me to write poetry. I use to write poetry about my childhood and refugee lives of my people in refugee camps, Cox’s Bazaar. I believe that poetry can bring people’s attention since it has unique reflection.”

AG​: Who is your favorite poet or writer? Why do you prefer him or her?

AM: “My favorite poet is James Wright. I prefer him because I get many ideas through his poetry.”

AG​: How many poems have you published, so far in the Art Garden Rohingya?

AM: “So far, I have published 8 poems.”

AG​: What is your first published poem? How did you feel seeing it published?

AM: “My first published poem is ’I’m Arakani’. When I saw it published in the Art Garden Rohingya, I was so glad and people were enjoying reading it.”

AG​: What do you want to be in your future?

AM: “I want to be a professional photographer to document the suffering of my Rohingya community.”

AG​: Who is your hero?

AM: “My mother is my hero and she is everything for me.”

AG​: What message do you want to send for Rohingya new generation?

AM: “I would like to tell them to hold pens and write their own stories.”

AG: What is your message for your Rohingya community?

AM: “My message for my Rohingya community is to remember themselves who they are, where they are now and do what they can with what they have.”

AG: Thanks you so much for your time, the poet Azad Mohammed.

AM: “Thank you, the Art Garden Rohingya for giving me this opportunity to express out my feelings.”

By Editorial Team #TheArtGardenRohingya #RohingyaInterview #RohingyaHeartbeats #InterviewWithRohingyaPoets/Artists