ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Norwegian MP Mani Hussaini was only 11 years old when he and his family left northeast Syria (Rojava) in the 1990s. He recently visited Kurdistan - a childhood dream.
Hussaini, 36, has not seen his home city of Qamishli since he and his family left in 1998. He and his family have been living in Norway since then.
The Norwegian lawmaker recently visited the Kurdistan Region, holding meetings with politicians, including Masoud Barzani, leader of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
“When I was a kid, coming to Kurdistan was a big dream for me because we saw photos and videos of Kurdistan and its flag. Now I am here, experiencing freedom for Kurds,” he told Rudaw on Tuesday.
His father, a veteran politician, has supported his son’s aspirations, including in his winning path to the Norwegian legislature in 2021 on the Labour Party ticket.
“My parents helped a lot. They became refugees in Europe because of lack of freedom at home. Now we have freedom in Norway,” he said.
Mani Hussaini was the leader of Norway’s largest political youth organization, the Workers’ Youth League (AUF), from 2014 to 2018.
“I was only 16 when I joined the Labour Party. I always consider myself as a Norwegian parliamentarian, and I work on Norwegian affairs. But I also never forget that I am a Kurd too,” he added.
Hussaini said he encourages Norwegians to support Kurds, including strengthening relations between Norway and the Kurdistan Region.
Norway’s diplomatic affairs are handled by the Norwegian Embassy in Amman.
He said he desperately wants to visit Rojava but is reluctant due to security concerns.
The Syrian civil war that began has raged since 2011 and has been exacerbated by tangential conflicts like the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS).
The Kurdish people, often referred to as the largest group without a state, are separated by borders in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran.
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