(Welatê me) website honors Hajj Arif Ramadan on the 20th anniversary of its founding

  On the 20th anniversary of the founding of the welatê me  website, the website's management honored Hajj Arif Ramadan, director of the Sama Foundation for Culture and Arts, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in serving Kurdish culture and promoting cultural dialogue.

The honoring ceremony was held at the Arizona Cafeteria in the city of Hawler, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The website's director, Shafiq Jankir, presented Hajj Arif with an honorary shield, along with the website's official logo. The ceremony was attended by writer and researcher Rustam Mahmoud and Mr. Mohammed Sharif Mohammed, head of the Hetma Organization for Culture and Development.

A Career Full of Giving

Hajj Arif Ramadan was born in 1964 in the city of Amuda in western Kurdistan. In 1989, he moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he began his cultural and social career.

In 2005, he and a group of Kurdish intellectuals founded the Sama Kurd Foundation for Culture and Arts in Dubai, one of the first Kurdish institutions in an Arab country. The foundation aims to spread and develop Kurdish culture, support creative individuals, and promote Kurdish language, history, art, and folklore. It also aims to build bridges of communication with Arab intellectuals, regardless of political affiliations.

Prominent Activities and Contributions

The Sama Foundation has launched a series of unique initiatives, most notably organizing the Kurdish-Arab Cultural Forum in the UAE, holding art exhibitions and cultural seminars, and printing and publishing books in both Kurdish and Arabic, with over 40,000 copies distributed free of charge. It also established a library rich in valuable references, celebrated national occasions such as Nowruz, organized Kurdish language courses, and launched a theatrical troupe.

Furthermore, Hajj Arif served as President of the Kurdish Community in the UAE between 2005 and 2010, contributing to the organization of numerous cultural and social activities that brought together the Kurdish and Arab communities.

His Activities in Erbil

Hajj Arif currently resides in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, where he has participated in numerous cultural and humanitarian events. He has opened the Capitol Hotel, which he owns, to cultural activities and events, in addition to sponsoring book signings and artistic activities.

Well-Deserved Recognition

Hajj Arif Ramadan's honoring by the Walati Meh website is the culmination of his long cultural career, confirming his status as one of the most prominent Kurdish cultural figures abroad, and in recognition of his ongoing efforts to serve culture and art, and to strengthen the Kurdish presence on the Arab and international scene.

Special:  welatême

Translation from Arabic  :semakurd