ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Rudaw’s Washington DC bureau chief Diyar Kurda received the prestigious Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA (AFPC-USA) award, as one of the best reporters in the United States for 2024 for professional excellence.
Seven other journalists and reporters from CNBC, Fox News, New York Times, Axios, ZDF, Entravision, and Barron’s also received awards at the ceremony in the US capital.
During his acceptance speech at the ceremony, Kurda spoke of the challenges facing journalists in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and across the Middle East.
“You who have covered Iraq and Middle East, you know being journalists and covering there, it's not an easy job because there is a lot of pressure on you … You have to be so brave. You have to risk your life, and sometimes you lose your beloved ones, just to be a journalist,” Kurda said.
“I want to pass my due regards to them and to all journalists that are covering Middle East and that are doing journalism in Middle East,” he added.
Kurda also remembered Rudaw's late Shifa Gardi who was killed by a road bomb planted by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2017, adding that it pushed him to dedicate his life to journalism.
"I never forget that [Gardi's death], and I have to dedicate myself to fight for journalism, to fight for journalists in the Middle East and everywhere.
In previous years, several accomplished American and international journalists based in the United States have received the award for professional excellence.
Leading figures, who have played a role in protecting and assisting foreign correspondents in North America, have also received awards from the Association, include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the US president. In that category, the recipient this year is Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The Association states that Diyar Kurda is a Kurdish journalist who works for one of the leading media outlets in the Middle East while regularly attending press briefings and asking questions about the Middle East, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Kurdish issues in the region. Diyar Kurda has conducted many interviews during his time as a journalist in Washington with current and former US officials on Middle East and Iraq affairs.
The following is Diyar Kurda’s Acceptance speech
Thank you so much, Zach. Good evening. They told me I have only one and a half minute to say whatever I want to say here, but it took one minute and a half when I reached to here. So I'm trying to cheat, borrow you some extra minutes and to say what I need to say here. It's an honor and pleasure to be here in the room with you and with the very well respected and talented journalists here. I feel so humble and honored to be recognized by Foreign Correspondent Association in USA and you.
When I was discussing with my speechwriter, I'm joking, she was advising me to tell you some funny stories of myself doing journalism here in Washington, DC, but as I said, I have very limited time. I should tell you stories and points that are very touching to my heart.
I'm representing Middle East, and we've seen what happened in Middle East. This year, journalists from Middle East, they risked their lives and they went to the war zones to uncover the truth and telling us untold stories under the debris of destroyed buildings. I'm mentioning this because I have a personal stories, and I'm very touched to it.
Back in the winter of 2017, I was sitting in the evening in my newsroom with my colleague Shifa Gardi and we were talking about covering ISIS, And the day after, Shifa went to Mosul, and she was covering the stories in Mosul, and I was home when I saw the breaking news on Rudaw and said Shifa [got] killed in a roadside bomb that planted by ISIS. I never forget that, and I have to dedicate myself to fight for journalism, to fight for journalists in the Middle East and everywhere.
So I try to use one more minute to thank my friends, my colleagues, some of them come all along from Kurdistan to here, and to my colleagues and table number 23.
It's very back there. And also, I want to thank Alex. He's not here. What he say, he's my brother from another mother, but he got COVID. So I wish him very soon recovery.
And last, I want to thank Kak Ako, my CEO. I'm not flattering, and I don't need him to raise my paycheck. But he's the one who has a real vision to change journalism in the Kurdistan region and in Iraq.
You who have covered Iraq and Middle East, you know being journalists and covering there, it's not an easy job because there is a lot of pressure on you from the government, from the militia groups, and from everyone, and you are not allowed to say anything that you want to say. You have to be so brave. You have to risk your life, and sometimes you lose your beloved ones, just to be a journalist.
So I want to pass my due regards to them and to all journalists that are covering Middle East and that are doing journalism in Middle East. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
