Iraq

Mohammed Al Nasser
Mohammed Al Nasser is an accomplished poet and journalist who has published several collections in Iraq and Syria. He left his native Iraq in 1994, arriving in Canada four years later. As a Shiite, Al Nasser was subject to constant harassment from the state, which was led by Saddam Hussein, a Sunni. His life had been threatened on many occasions because of his work or misinterpretations of his art. From 1994 until his arrival in Canada, Al Nasser worked with Iraqi opposition groups in Jordan, where he organized newspapers and radio stations that were critical of the Hussain regime. However, the stress of that work and the continuing danger that he faced because of his actions and writings compelled Al Nasser to leave the region altogether. Al Nasser lives in Edmonton.

Jalal Barzangi
An ethnic Kurd from Iraq, Jalal Barzangi is a recognized poet and journalist who had a long literary career before he was forced to leave the country in 1998. He was imprisoned from 1986 to 1989 because of his writings. In Iraq, Barzangi edited several magazines and worked at many cultural organizations. He has published hundreds of articles and poems about human, cultural and women’s rights. Barzangi served on the board of the Iraqi Kurdish Writers’ Union and was executive director of the Culture Department of the Culture Ministry in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Since coming to Canada, Barzangi has continued to write and has published several volumes of poetry in Kurdish.

Kaziwa Salih
Kaziwa Salih began writing when she was in her teens and, since then, has become prolific in publishing poetry, journalism and essays. A Kurd from northern Iraq, Salih, was the founder and editor of Nvar, a magazine that focused philosophical and civil society issues. Kurdish authorities later permanently banned Nvar and briefly imprisoned Salih. She later launched another magazine, Nwekar, that touched on the same issues. In 1999, a record was released whose songs were based on her poems. Salih has also been very active in supporting women’s rights and has written extensively on the subject. She travelled to Egypt on a couple of occasions to give talks on women’s issues. Salih has been in Canada since 2001.