Duhok to organize a festival celebrating the Roma community

DUHOK, September 5 — The General Directorate of Culture and Arts in Duhok is planning a festival dedicated to the Roma community, scheduled to take place next October. A spokesperson for the Roma community stated that the festival aims to provide a clearer understanding of the Roma people, their customs, and traditions.

Hasan Fatah, spokesperson for the Directorate of Culture and Arts, told 964: “The festival will discuss the stories, culture, and work of the Roma people in Duhok governorate to change people’s perception of them. They share this land like any other individual in this society.”

Yunus Zaher, spokesperson for the Roma community in Kurdistan, stated: “We, as Roma people, especially in Duhok governorate, have requested a festival dedicated to us. Through this festival, we want to showcase our identity, culture, and the reason we are called the Roma.”

“Roma individuals from all across the Kurdistan region are expected to attend, and they want everyone to recognize that they are a distinct segment of society that should not be underestimated,” Zaher said.

“There are more than 6,000 Roma individuals in Duhok, with the majority residing in Semel district in Zakho,” he said.