ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Dozens of Kurds are running in local elections taking place in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday, eyeing stronger representation at the municipal level.
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s most populous state - home to 18 million people, including a large Kurdish diaspora. On Sunday, voters will head to polling stations to elect their representatives for municipal councils and other local bodies, including Integration
Councils, advisory boards that non-citizens are able to vote for and that focus on issues of concern for immigrants.
The elections are a test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government, which is facing a surging far-right just months after they came into power.
Kurdish-led list in Bochum
Candidates hailing from multiple nationalities have formed the International List (ILBO) to run in the Integration Council elections in the city of Bochum. Most of them are Kurds.
“There are no official statistics to know the number of Kurds and foreigners in Bochum, but according to estimates, approximately 13,000 to 15,000 Kurds live in this city. So we felt it necessary to create a list that Kurds would lead and that would represent all those who are foreigners living here,” Zakaria Hassan, a Kurdish candidate on the multi-national list, told Rudaw.
Gultekin Arslan, another Kurdish candidate on the list, said she will prioritize women rights.
“I work in the immigration field and most immigrants, especially Kurds, have many problems. Responses to their letters and applications are delayed, sometimes for months or even years. I want to help them more, especially women. Many of our women are in dire conditions and some are divorced. Some others live alone. And culture differences - those who arrived at an early age can integrate but those aged over 40 or 50 struggle because of cultural shifts. Some face psychological and [social] problems,” she said.
Candidates are hoping to attract young voters. One is operating a wheel that hands out prizes. While spinning the wheel, they talk with people to encourage them to participate in the elections and vote for the Kurdish-led list.
Valentin Fotou is an African priest and one of the list's candidates who has lived in Germany since 1990.
“I can't say the majority of the list is Kurdish. We also have people from Arab countries and other different nations. Yes, Kurds are also a majority, but the list is international,” he noted.
Global List in Munster
One of the candidate lists taking part in the local elections in Munster is called Global. It consists of 31 candidates of 24 different ethnicities. One of them is Dler Sabir, from the Kurdistan Region.
He is an expert in international relations and has been a member of Munster’s Integration Council since 2004.
“All those who have residence permits in Munster can vote, except for those with Duldung [temporary stay of deportation] type permits. Also, those who have German citizenship, three generations of one family, meaning yourself, your father, and your grandfather, even if they are not German, can vote,” he told Rudaw.
Rodi Ali, who hails from the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwest Syria, is making phone calls as part of the election campaign. She is a journalist and also a candidate on the Global list.
She wants to work on issues important to immigrants, such as racism and women's rights. Ali told Rudaw that the strength of their list lies in its diversity.
“We as Kurds have seven members on the list. We have a large number among those 31 people, each coming from a different ethnicity. Imagine bringing people from 24 ethnicities and telling them that we have one goal and should work for one thing. This requires extensive power to materialize it,” she said.
Kurdish businesswoman Ahlam Ibrahim is looking forward to voting.
“I want there to be a Kurdish voice in it that we can be proud of and for it to be a success for us, at least one Kurdish seat to be there to help their own people and work for Kurds,” she told Rudaw.
In Munster, with a population of 322,000, nearly 60,000 people from 105 countries are eligible to vote. On September 14, they will decide who will represent the immigrant community.
Rojhelati candidate in Cologne
Niusha Arabi was born in Saqqez in western Iran (Rojhelat) and lived with her family in Sanandaj until the age of 10. After migrating to Germany, she became a member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), a liberal political party. She is running for a spot on two councils.
“In this election, I am running for two things. One is the Municipal Council, whose goals are developing culture and improving the city, for example, building schools or other things that can make people's lives easier. The second thing I've nominated myself for is a council that this time is for refugees,” she said.
“This might not exist in most other European countries like it does in Germany, but in Germany this opportunity has been given to refugees to have a place where they can discuss their requests, for example for language courses, or how they can better integrate into this society and how they can better find themselves and create a good life for themselves,” she added.
Her campaign posters for the Integration Council include Kurdish.
Niusha believes in the FDP's agenda.
“I chose this party because its beliefs align with the beliefs of a young person like me. For example, this party believes that individuals should shoulder responsibility, and at the same time believes in freedom and wants to provide equal opportunities,” she noted.
In Cologne, which is one of the main cities where Kurds reside in Germany, they have candidates for various councils among all the major parties.
Rojava list in Monchengladbach
Ziyad Goro and Abdullatif Issa are preparing for Sunday’s local elections in Monchengladbach, a city in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia state.
Goro hails from the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwest Syria and Issa is from Qamishili, northeast Syria.
They are campaigning for the Kurdish list Building the Future Together.
“There's a large number of Kurds here, so we wanted to create a Kurdish list,” Goro told Rudaw.
“There are approximately 300 to 400 Kurdish families in this city, so we decided to create the list. This is unprecedented. We wanted our name to be among the lists too. We have four candidates. Unfortunately, all four of us are from Rojava [northeast Syria]. We had hoped candidates from other parts of Kurdistan would join us, but time was limited. Also, this was our first attempt, so we gathered and decided that this time only these four names would be on our list,” he added.
Issa is a university student. His mother, Gulistan, is also running.
“We as the Kurdish diaspora in Monchengladbach want to have a voice on the Integration Council. We believe and expect our project will achieve good success because it's very important to have rights and be able to express our opinions on integration issues,” he said.
Negham Drei’i, a poet and story writer, is also from Rojava. She works daily with foreigners and immigrants. Her heart beats for youth, children, and women's issues. She is now a candidate for the Integration Council in Monchengladbach.
“It's very important for Kurdish children to learn their mother tongue and learn about Kurdish culture. It's also very important to show the youth the way, what to do and study. It would be good for us to have a place so that we can be part of German society. We want to be a bridge between both cultures and nations,” she said.
Kurdish candidates are also running for the local Integration Council on other lists.
Hemn Abdulla, Zinar Shino, and Mey Dost contributed to this article.
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s most populous state - home to 18 million people, including a large Kurdish diaspora. On Sunday, voters will head to polling stations to elect their representatives for municipal councils and other local bodies, including Integration
Councils, advisory boards that non-citizens are able to vote for and that focus on issues of concern for immigrants.
The elections are a test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government, which is facing a surging far-right just months after they came into power.
Kurdish-led list in Bochum
Candidates hailing from multiple nationalities have formed the International List (ILBO) to run in the Integration Council elections in the city of Bochum. Most of them are Kurds.
“There are no official statistics to know the number of Kurds and foreigners in Bochum, but according to estimates, approximately 13,000 to 15,000 Kurds live in this city. So we felt it necessary to create a list that Kurds would lead and that would represent all those who are foreigners living here,” Zakaria Hassan, a Kurdish candidate on the multi-national list, told Rudaw.
Gultekin Arslan, another Kurdish candidate on the list, said she will prioritize women rights.
“I work in the immigration field and most immigrants, especially Kurds, have many problems. Responses to their letters and applications are delayed, sometimes for months or even years. I want to help them more, especially women. Many of our women are in dire conditions and some are divorced. Some others live alone. And culture differences - those who arrived at an early age can integrate but those aged over 40 or 50 struggle because of cultural shifts. Some face psychological and [social] problems,” she said.
Candidates are hoping to attract young voters. One is operating a wheel that hands out prizes. While spinning the wheel, they talk with people to encourage them to participate in the elections and vote for the Kurdish-led list.
Valentin Fotou is an African priest and one of the list's candidates who has lived in Germany since 1990.
“I can't say the majority of the list is Kurdish. We also have people from Arab countries and other different nations. Yes, Kurds are also a majority, but the list is international,” he noted.
Global List in Munster
One of the candidate lists taking part in the local elections in Munster is called Global. It consists of 31 candidates of 24 different ethnicities. One of them is Dler Sabir, from the Kurdistan Region.
He is an expert in international relations and has been a member of Munster’s Integration Council since 2004.
“All those who have residence permits in Munster can vote, except for those with Duldung [temporary stay of deportation] type permits. Also, those who have German citizenship, three generations of one family, meaning yourself, your father, and your grandfather, even if they are not German, can vote,” he told Rudaw.
Rodi Ali, who hails from the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwest Syria, is making phone calls as part of the election campaign. She is a journalist and also a candidate on the Global list.
She wants to work on issues important to immigrants, such as racism and women's rights. Ali told Rudaw that the strength of their list lies in its diversity.
“We as Kurds have seven members on the list. We have a large number among those 31 people, each coming from a different ethnicity. Imagine bringing people from 24 ethnicities and telling them that we have one goal and should work for one thing. This requires extensive power to materialize it,” she said.
Kurdish businesswoman Ahlam Ibrahim is looking forward to voting.
“I want there to be a Kurdish voice in it that we can be proud of and for it to be a success for us, at least one Kurdish seat to be there to help their own people and work for Kurds,” she told Rudaw.
In Munster, with a population of 322,000, nearly 60,000 people from 105 countries are eligible to vote. On September 14, they will decide who will represent the immigrant community.
Rojhelati candidate in Cologne
Niusha Arabi was born in Saqqez in western Iran (Rojhelat) and lived with her family in Sanandaj until the age of 10. After migrating to Germany, she became a member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), a liberal political party. She is running for a spot on two councils.
“In this election, I am running for two things. One is the Municipal Council, whose goals are developing culture and improving the city, for example, building schools or other things that can make people's lives easier. The second thing I've nominated myself for is a council that this time is for refugees,” she said.
“This might not exist in most other European countries like it does in Germany, but in Germany this opportunity has been given to refugees to have a place where they can discuss their requests, for example for language courses, or how they can better integrate into this society and how they can better find themselves and create a good life for themselves,” she added.
Her campaign posters for the Integration Council include Kurdish.
Niusha believes in the FDP's agenda.
“I chose this party because its beliefs align with the beliefs of a young person like me. For example, this party believes that individuals should shoulder responsibility, and at the same time believes in freedom and wants to provide equal opportunities,” she noted.
In Cologne, which is one of the main cities where Kurds reside in Germany, they have candidates for various councils among all the major parties.
Rojava list in Monchengladbach
Ziyad Goro and Abdullatif Issa are preparing for Sunday’s local elections in Monchengladbach, a city in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia state.
Goro hails from the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwest Syria and Issa is from Qamishili, northeast Syria.
They are campaigning for the Kurdish list Building the Future Together.
“There's a large number of Kurds here, so we wanted to create a Kurdish list,” Goro told Rudaw.
“There are approximately 300 to 400 Kurdish families in this city, so we decided to create the list. This is unprecedented. We wanted our name to be among the lists too. We have four candidates. Unfortunately, all four of us are from Rojava [northeast Syria]. We had hoped candidates from other parts of Kurdistan would join us, but time was limited. Also, this was our first attempt, so we gathered and decided that this time only these four names would be on our list,” he added.
Issa is a university student. His mother, Gulistan, is also running.
“We as the Kurdish diaspora in Monchengladbach want to have a voice on the Integration Council. We believe and expect our project will achieve good success because it's very important to have rights and be able to express our opinions on integration issues,” he said.
Negham Drei’i, a poet and story writer, is also from Rojava. She works daily with foreigners and immigrants. Her heart beats for youth, children, and women's issues. She is now a candidate for the Integration Council in Monchengladbach.
“It's very important for Kurdish children to learn their mother tongue and learn about Kurdish culture. It's also very important to show the youth the way, what to do and study. It would be good for us to have a place so that we can be part of German society. We want to be a bridge between both cultures and nations,” she said.
Kurdish candidates are also running for the local Integration Council on other lists.
Hemn Abdulla, Zinar Shino, and Mey Dost contributed to this article.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment