Founder of Kurdish House in Belgium Peter Geyrits Passes Away at 95
Peter Geyrits, founder of Kurdish House in Brussels and advocate for Kurdish rights, passes away at 95. He established the cultural hub in 1996, supporting language education and refugee integration. His legacy strengthens Kurdish-Belgian ties.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Peter Geyrits, the Belgian founder of the Kurdish House in Brussels and a well-known advocate of Kurdish rights, passed away at the age of 95, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of friendship and dedication to the Kurdish cause. His funeral will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, in the Belgian capital.
Geyrits distinguished himself in Belgium by openly demonstrating solidarity with the Kurdish people. In 1996, using his own financial resources and personal initiative, he established the Kurdish House in Brussels, a cultural and political hub that has, for decades, hosted intellectual, artistic, and civic activities.
The institution became a vital center for educating Kurdish children in their mother tongue, helping to preserve Kurdish language and culture across generations of the diaspora. Through this work, Geyrits ensured that Kurdish identity would not only survive but also flourish among Kurds in Belgium.
Beyond cultural activities, Peter Geyrits was widely recognized as a supporter of Kurdish refugees in Belgium. Known for his generosity and empathy, he worked side by side with Kurdish families, helping them establish new lives and integrate into Belgian society. His humanitarian spirit earned him a reputation as both a comrade and a compassionate friend to the Kurdish community.
Geyrits was married to Parwin Jamil Pasha, a Kurdish woman who continues to lead the Kurdish House, ensuring that the institution remains a living symbol of his vision and dedication.
His passing is regarded as a profound loss for the tens of thousands of Kurds living in Belgium, many of whom considered him not only an ally but part of their extended family. With a Kurdish population in Belgium estimated between 25,000 and 70,000—most concentrated in Brussels—the community has long been a vibrant force in European Kurdish activism. Demonstrations, cultural festivals, and lobbying campaigns held in the Belgian capital have placed Brussels at the heart of Kurdish advocacy in Europe, a process to which Geyrits contributed enormously.
Belgium has consistently maintained friendly ties with the Kurdistan Region. In 2021, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Jan Jambon, the Minister-President of Flanders, during a visit to Brussels. At the time, Jambon affirmed to Kurdistan24: “We always receive the KRG as friends. Friends are there to help each other.”
The Flemish leader further recalled his own visit to Erbil during his tenure as Belgian Interior Minister, underlining that communication and partnership with the Kurdistan Region would continue. Such gestures mirror the longstanding relationship symbolized by figures like Peter Geyrits, whose efforts embodied this spirit of solidarity.
The death of Peter Geyrits not only closes a chapter in Kurdish cultural activism in Belgium but also highlights the enduring importance of international friendship. By founding the Kurdish House in Brussels, supporting refugees, and nurturing Kurdish identity abroad, he became an inseparable part of the Kurdish story in Europe.
His legacy will endure through the Kurdish House, through the community he strengthened, and through the deep ties of friendship between the Kurdish and Belgian peoples that he helped to cultivate.
