AFK Co-Founder Diliman Abdulkader Speaks on Plight of Kurdish People in Middle East

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) hosted last week a virtual conversation with Diliman Abdulkader, co-founder of the American Friends of Kurdistan (AFK) organization.

Founded in 2019, the AFK — based in Washington, D.C. — advocates for Kurdish-Americans and the Kurdish community in the Middle East. Seeking to safeguard the national security interests of both the Kurdish people and the United States, the AFK works to advance the Kurdish-U.S. partnership domestically and internationally.

“Our mission on Capitol Hill is not only to advocate, but also to educate,” Abdulkader explained. “We are a go-to source for anything Kurdish-related, but also oriented toward [other] ethnic and religious minorities as well. That includes Jews, that includes Christian minorities. We’re not afraid to speak up on any issues that are sensitive.”

The Kurdish people constitute a significant minority population in Middle Eastern countries to which they are native, namely Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Numbering around 30 million, the Kurds have their own customs and language, which has resulted in them facing systematic prejudice and discrimination in these countries.

Given this persecution in their homeland and the denial of their right to self-determination, a large Kurdish diaspora has grown across the globe, including in the United States.

Watch the full webinar here:

For more information on the AFK, visit: americanfriendsofkurdistan.org