Category Archives: Obituaries

Obituary: Professor Kamal Mazhar Ahmed

By Arian Mufid: Professor Kamal Mazhar Ahmed, born on the 14th of February 1937 in the town of Akjalar, which belongs to the city of Kirkuk He was born to a father who was a civil servant and born on Valentine’s day. This is the probable reason for his lifelong love and passion for his…

Kamaran Said Majeed, The Veteran Kurdish Fighter

By Friends of Kamaran: Kamaran Said Majeed, who died of Coronavirus complications on 9th April, was a Kurdish activist, humanist and dedicated family man. He held British citizenship, but he remained at heart a Kurd, through and through. He was born to a large family of 9 in 1959, in Sulemani (officially called Al-Sulaymaniyah) in…

Kurdish Nation Mourns for Reformist and Charismatic Leader Nawshirwan Mustafa

By Arian Mufid: Nawshirwan Mustafa, politician, warrior, writer and historian has died aged 73 after a long battle with chronic illness. He was one of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) six original founders in 1975 and the founder of Gorran in 2009. Born in 1944 in the city of Sulaymani to an intellectual family,…

Kurdish Writer Yaşar Kemal Dies at Age 92

By Dr. Amy L. Beam: On February 28, 2015, Kurdish writer Yaşar Kemal, died in Istanbul at the age of 92.  He was born in Osmaniye Gökçeda in southeast Turkey on October 6, 1923.  One of the most famous writers in Turkey, Kemal was awarded 19 literary prizes during his lifetime and nominated for the Nobel…

Dr Fereydun Hilmi (1942-2014): A Life of Service

By Harem Karem: Having read his writings and watched his TV debates during the Iraq war, I knew a little about Dr Fereydun Hilmi before I met with him in a journalistic capacity in 2008. From then on, we not only became close friends, but he was like a father figure and mentor to me….

A Tribute to Abbas Kamandi (1952-2014), Kurdish Visionary Singer, Song Writer, Author, Poet, Painter

By Dr.Amir Sharifi: Abbas Kamandi, the prominent and prolific Kurdish singer, song writer, poet, film writer, folk art historian, novelist, and painter passed away at dawn in his home town, Sna (Sanandaj), on May 22, 2014, leaving behind a rich legacy of original Kurdish art and traditions which he took great pains and pleasure to…

A Tribute to the Sheikh of the Kurdish Diaspora, Talib Berzenji

By Dr. Amir Sharifi: Talib Berzenji, more intimately known to the Kurds of Southern California as Sheik Talib, the veteran political and cultural activist, died at age 80 after suffering from heart failure in San Diego. He died on May 4th, 2014. Kurds of Southern California are in mourning for they have lost a genuine…

Kurdish literary genius and giant, Shokrollah Baban: An obituary

By Dr Amir Sharifi: On November 18, 2012, Shokrollah Baban, the great Kurdish poet, author, mythologist, radio programmer, and lexicographer passed away. He had been afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease.  Born to an influential Kurdish family in Sanandaj, Baban was heir to a great deal of wealth and land. However, so powerful was his artistic sensibility…

A good friend of the Kurds passes away

KT News and Comment: Mirrella Galeti, one of the best friends of the Kurdish nation, died today. Mirrella was born in the city of Bologna in Italy. In 1974 she graduated from the local university, writing her thesis on Kurdish political structure and culture, and she became a professor of history. Mirrella made several trips…

Danielle Mitterrand, long-term friend of the Kurds, has died

Danielle  Mitterrand, a staunch friend of the Kurdish people, has died at the age of 87. She was a founder of France Liberty and other charity organisations. As the wife of ex-President François Mitterrand she was the First Lady of France between 1981 and 1995. Danielle Mitterrand was taken to Georges Pompidou hospital on the 18th November…

A tribute to an old Austrian Kurd

By Sissy Danninger: All his efforts on behalf of the Kurds over more than half a century had been futile, he complained to his last visitors at the hospital: “My struggle of decades was in vain”. The pain of his mind and soul was clearly recognisable. But he would not accept any objections or comfort until the…