Palestinian girl learns Kurdish, visits Kurdistan Region

Hasna’ Omar, an Arab from Palestine and visually impaired, did not find it difficult to master the Kurdish language through music and television. She always had a “dream” of visiting the Kurdistan Region, a dream her father helped her make a reality, just this week.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Hasna’ Omar, an Arab from Palestine and visually impaired, did not find it difficult to master the Kurdish language through music and television. She always had a “dream” of visiting the Kurdistan Region, a dream her father helped her make a reality, just this week.

Born in the city of Tulkarm in the West Bank, Hasna’ is fluent in the Kurdish language, as seen when speaking with Kurdistan 24 during her visit to the capital of the region, Erbil.

She said that, so far, she has learned the Kurmanci dialect and is working on Sorani as well. She pointed out that all of it has been made possible by paying close attention to Kurdish satellite television channels that she was able to watch in Palestine.

Hasna’ Omar and her father during their recent visit to the Kurdistan Region, Sep. 19, 2018. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)
Hasna’ Omar and her father during their recent visit to the Kurdistan Region, Sep. 19, 2018. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

The energetic, bright young lady said that listening to and memorizing songs also helped her become proficient in the pronunciation of particular words and in learning the language in general.

During her visit, Hasna’ got the chance to go on a tour of Erbil’s historic Citadel and made exchanges with locals who often mistook her for a Kurd.

“It is true that my daughter is blind, but she has made many friends through the use of Facebook,” her father Omar told Kurdistan 24.

Clearly proud of his daughter and her keen interest in and understanding of another culture, he added “Hasna’ just loves the Kurds… and their art.”

Editing by John J. Catherine

(Additional reporting by Blesa Shaways)