Hello from London, UK

[paper-tiger]

Hi everyone.

I am a 26yr old woman from London, of Iraqi Kurdish parents but born in the UK. Throughout my entire life until now I had no interest in my parent's background and my own ethnicity, I was trying so hard to grow up. I am completely 'westernised' and British now. I unlearned Kurdish (Badini) when I started going to school, and was not encouraged to keep speaking Kurdish.

Recently, having some health problems and therefore some time away from work to think, I've been trying to learn more about my background. I've been reading things online, helping or speaking to some Kurdish women's rights charities, and just yesterday went to a Kurdish Film Festival in central London. My next step is to learn Kurdish and one day (distant future) I hope to visit Iraqi Kurdistan and explore the area.

My own personal website is here: Shreen Distracted.com and also I can offer english 'editing' to any Kurdish individuals/organisations/publications that need it, for example when Kurdish (or other language) has been translated into English, but that English needs further work to make it completely understandable to advanced English speakers, I can fix it.

Anyway I hope you are all well and I look forward to the discussions on this forum.

[Kulka]

chony bashy our dear sister,
i only want to tell you that your background is really great and although my parents are not kurdish, my heart is and the same you, i would like to visite beaytiful kurdish land - great kurdistan. and i am learning kurdish language - sorani. i can say - as much as my life is complicated and difficult - i am still alive thankd to kurdistan and all kurdish people, who are present in myn everyday life and who in fact are the only one rerason that keeps me alive. i think and i hope i am a part of their world and i am proud of that.
all my best wishes for you and hope all your dreams come true one day.
kulka

[Barış]

Welcome to RBK!

Where in South Kurdistan were your parents born? Duhok?

Which Kurdish women's rights charities have ya been helping and speaking to?

How was the Kurdish Film Festival? Is this correct link to it? : http://www.lkff.co.uk/

Hope ya feel better soon.

Feel free to ask questions.

[Londoner]

welcome to the site Iron tiger, sorry I mean paper tiger.

[paper-tiger]

chony bashy our dear sister,
i only want to tell you that your background is really great and although my parents are not kurdish, my heart is and the same you, i would like to visite beaytiful kurdish land - great kurdistan.

Greetings.

Welcome to RBK!

Where in South Kurdistan were your parents born? Duhok?

Which Kurdish women's rights charities have ya been helping and speaking to?

How was the Kurdish Film Festival? Is this correct link to it? : http://www.lkff.co.uk/

Hope ya feel better soon.

Feel free to ask questions.

Hi thankyou for the welcome! My parents are from Zakho, and I've been talking to the following:

http://www.ikwro.org.uk/

http://www.kwrw.org/

That link to the film festival is correct yes. It was a mixture of some very good films (Land of Legends was really nice, laid back, funny, and very poigiant at the same time) and some more modern short films which I was not a fan of. They also showed 2 documentaries about women's rights, one about honour violence the other about FGM. I already know about these issues but it was interesting to see a video of people challenging these traditions.

I think there are still some films being shown this weekend if you are interested!

welcome to the site Iron tiger, sorry I mean paper tiger.

Hahah iron tiger, sounds quite good for a wrestling name.

[Barış]

Thanks for the info.