Kurdish language award given to Syrian-Kurdish writer

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The organization Kurdshop on Sunday awarded the Zara Award for serving the Kurdish Language in Erbil’s Capitol Hotel to Syrian-Kurdish author Amina Omer for her service to Kurdish literature and language.

Also known by her alias Keça Kurd, Omer is a contemporary Kurdish writer, poet, linguist, and translator based in Germany, but born in Syrian-Kurdistan. She earned her bachelor's degree in Qamishlo and studied Kurdish literature at the University of Sulaimani from 1972 to 1974. She has written at least 15 books in Kurdish. 

A significant number of Kurdish intellectuals, writers and activists attended the ceremony. 

Walat Qaderi, the President of Kurdshop, told Kurdistan24 that “language is an important identity of all nations, we found it important to annually reward those who serve the Kurdish language in a special ceremony."

Kurdshop is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Erbil that started its work in 2021 to better serve the Kurdish language and culture for a global audience.

Omer herself was not able to participate in the ceremony due to her deteriorating health, and her award was received by fellow Kurdish author Khalid Jamil Muhammad.

Read More: Renowned Kurdish language activist freed in Iran

The award is named after Zara Mohammadi, a Kurdish language teacher and activist, who was convicted for five years in Iran for teaching the Kurdish language in Jan. 2020, but released in February last year.

Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq