Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah

On Thursday, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), a leading party in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, held a symposium in Al-Sulaymaniyah to mark the 64th anniversary of the September Revolution.

Launched on September 11, 1961, under Mullah Mustafa Barzani, the revolution arose in response to Baghdad’s refusal to recognize Kurdish national rights and its repressive policies. It also gave rise to the Peshmerga, Kurdish armed forces that became a symbol of resistance and a cornerstone of Kurdish self-defense.

Read more: September Revolution ignited Kurdish “confidence and justice”

The symposium gathered senior party figures, academics, and intellectuals alongside a wide audience. Discussions examined the uprising’s historical course, its imprint on Kurdish identity, and its role in shaping political awareness across generations, while exploring the cultural and intellectual currents that sustained the movement.

Ari Harsin, head of the KDP’s fourth branch in Al-Sulaymaniyah and the event’s organizer, told Shafaq News that “the September Revolution was not a passing episode but a decisive chapter in the struggle of the Kurdish people. Led by Barzani with a clear vision and firm principles, it became a beacon that continues to inspire generations,” underlining that the forum seeks to promote the values of freedom and democracy.

Participants voiced pride in commemorating the anniversary, describing remembrance as a renewed motivation to safeguard national achievements and uphold the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people.

Earlier today, KDP leader Masoud Barzani marked the uprising, describing it as “a golden chapter in the Kurdish liberation movement, and the greatest political, armed, and popular revolution in the Region.”