After 42 years of service
Retired teacher Taher Saeed continues advocacy through poetry and criticism
SULAYMANIYAH — Taher Saeed, a retired teacher with a 42-year career in the education sector and now six years into retirement, remains a prominent figure in teacher-led demonstrations, widely recognized for his critical poetry and slogans.
Born in 1955 in Sulaymaniyah, Saeed’s journey has been one of resilience and commitment to education and activism.
Saeed shared with 964media his experiences of imprisonment during the Ba’ath regime, leading to his relocation from Sulaymaniyah to Nasiriyah. Upon his release, he pursued his passion for teaching at the Teachers’ House in Samawah, completing his education and dedicating his life to the profession.
Throughout his career, Saeed penned nationalistic, critical, religious, and children’s poetry. His works increasingly took on a critical tone, especially as teacher and civil servant protests for salary payments and promotions became more frequent.
Saeed expressed, “Feeling the condition of my colleagues, I was compelled to continuously support them through my critical poetry.”
A family man with five children, three of whom are teachers themselves, Saeed remains actively involved in the educational community. Every Sunday, he can be seen in the KurdSat neighborhood of Sulaymaniyah, making his way to the Western Sulaymaniyah Education Directorate.
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