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[[File:Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed.png|thumb|Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed]]{{Short description|Iraqi first lady and politician}}
{{Short description|Iraqi first lady and politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = [[Iraq|First Lady of Iraq]]
| office = [[Iraq|First Lady of Iraq]]
| image = Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed.png
| termstart = 17 October 2022
| termstart = 17 October 2022
| predecessor = Sarbagh Salih
| predecessor = Sarbagh Salih
Line 14: Line 14:
| party = [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]]
| party = [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]]
}}
}}
'''Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed''' (born 1954) is an Iraqi-Kurdish politician and current First Lady of Iraq. Her husband is President [[Abdul Latif Rashid]]. She is a daughter of the Kurdish judge, writer, and politician [[Ibrahim Ahmad|Ibrahim Ahmed]], and a sister of former First Lady of Iraq, [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed]].
'''Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed''' ({{langx|ckb|شاناز ئیبراهیم ئەحمەد}}) (born 1954) is an Iraqi-Kurdish politician and current First Lady of Iraq. Her husband is President [[Abdul Latif Rashid]]. She is a daughter of the Kurdish judge, writer, and politician [[Ibrahim Ahmad|Ibrahim Ahmed]], and novelist Galawezh Salh Fatah. She is also a sister of former First Lady of Iraq, [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/program/women-make-change/2015/10/29/hero-ibrahim-ahmad-the-original-female-peshmerga | title=Hero Ibrahim Ahmad: The Original Female Peshmerga | date=29 October 2015 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/program/women-make-change/2015/10/29/hero-ibrahim-ahmad-the-original-female-peshmerga | title=Hero Ibrahim Ahmad: The Original Female Peshmerga | date=29 October 2015 }}</ref>


⚫
Shanaz is a member of a prominent, politically active family from [[Sulaymaniyah]] and is closely associated with the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]] (PUK) party,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/475791 | title='Dance of the Monkeys' Takes PUK Internal Tensions to Another Level | date=25 November 2018 }}</ref> which is currently headed by her nephew, [[Bafel Talabani]].


⚫
== Early life ==
⚫
Shanaz is a member of a prominent, politically active family from [[Sulaymaniyah]] and is closely associated with the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]] (PUK) party, which is currently headed by her nephew, [[Bafel Talabani]].
⚫
She was born on January 2, 1954, in the neighborhood of Sabonkaran in [[Sulaymaniyah Governorate]] to [[Ibrahim Ahmad]] and Galawezh Salh Fatah. She was the third of eight children.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Goudsouzian |first=Tanya |date=17 April 2024 |title=Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: From refugee to the First Lady of Iraq |url=https://www.newarab.com/features/shanaz-ibrahim-ahmed-refugee-first-lady-iraq |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=newarab}}</ref> As a child, she and her family relocated regularly due to her father's activities and political instability, and her education was routinely interrupted.<ref name=":0" />


Following the 1958 military coup in Iraq, her family relocated to [[Baghdad]] where she attended the Mamounia Elementary School. In 1962, the family returned to [[Sulaymaniyah]] where she continued her studies at Khanzad School. During this period, due to regular political instability, Shanaz and her family were often forced to find refuge in the [[Zagros Mountains]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voice |first=Islamic |date=2024-05-04 |title=Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: A Journey of Resilience from Refugee to First Lady - |url=https://islamicvoice.com/muslim-world/shanaz-ibrahim-ahmed-a-journey-of-resilience-from-refugee-to-first-lady/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1964, as a result of Kurdish factional infighting, the family fled to border villages in [[Iran]] before moving to [[Tehran]]. Two years later, the family moved to [[Baghdad]] where Shanaz completed her secondary studies at a Persian school.<ref name=":0" /> In September 1972, she began science studies at [[Baghdad University]].<ref name=unimed>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-22 |title=Cooperation with Iraqi Universities. The First Lady of the Republic of Iraq, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, visits the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, UNIMED member |url=https://www.uni-med.net/partner-news/cooperation-with-iraqi-universities-the-first-lady-of-the-republic-of-iraq-shanaz-ibrahim-ahmed-visits-the-international-telematic-university-uninettuno-unimed-member/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |language=en-US}}</ref>
⚫
== Early Years ==
⚫
She was born on January 2, 1954, in the neighborhood of Sabonkaran in [[Sulaymaniyah Governorate]] to [[Ibrahim Ahmad]] and Galawezh Salh Fatah. She was the third of eight children. As a child, she and her family relocated regularly due to her father’s activities and political instability, and her education was routinely interrupted.


As a result of the Iraqi government's crackdown on Kurds in 1973, Shanaz fled to [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] with some of her siblings, including [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed|Hero]] and her husband [[Jalal Talabani]]. Her parents and younger siblings went into hiding in the mountains.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-05-04 |title=Iraqi president's wife narrowly escapes attack |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20080504-iraqi-presidents-wife-narrowly-escapes-attack-iraq |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> As she was not permitted to study in Cairo, she left for [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]] to study engineering. In 1974, Shanaz returned to join her parents and the Kurdish resistance in the [[Zagros Mountains]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1975, following the signing of the Algiers agreement between Iran and Iraq, the entire family was once again forced to seek refuge in [[Urmia]], [[Iran]]. A few months later, they moved to [[Tehran]] where she enrolled in Pahlavi University (later [[Tehran University]]) to study medicine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=موقع رووداو {{!}} |url=https://nabd.com/s/133949757-7ff179/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A5%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B6%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%BA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=موقع نبض}}</ref>
Following the 1958 military coup in Iraq, her family relocated to [[Baghdad]] where she attended the Mamounia Elementary School. In 1962, the family returned to [[Sulaymaniyah]] where she continued her studies at Khanzad School. During this period, due to regular political instability, Shanaz and her family were often forced to find refuge in the [[Zagros Mountains]].
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/13012024 | title=Iraq hands over 172 Anfal remains to Kurdistan Region | date=13 January 2024 }}</ref>


⚫
In 1976, Shanaz was engaged to [[Abdul Latif Rashid]], who was then working as a hydraulic engineer in [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet President Latif Rashid, Iraq's new president |url=https://kurdsatenglish.com/news.aspx?id=636&mapid=2 |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=kurdsatenglish.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=President Speech |url=https://presidency.iq/EN/info.aspx?jimare=1007}}</ref> A few months later, facing the prospect of house arrest under a new agreement between the Shah of Iran and the Iraqi government, Shanaz and part of her family fled to [[Damascus]], [[Syria]] while her parents sought political asylum in the [[United Kingdom]]. In Damascus, Shanaz resumed her medical studies.<ref>{{cite news |title=صاحبة النقد الجريء.. شاناز ابراهيم احمد سيدة العراق الأولى |url=https://shafaq.com/ar/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9/%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%82%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89 |access-date=17 October 2022 |agency=Shafaq News |date=13 October 2022}}</ref>


On 29 November 1977, Shanaz married [[Abdul Latif Rashid]] in [[Damascus]], [[Syria]]. A year later, they moved to [[London]]. They have two sons and one daughter. They have two sons and one daughter.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 October 2022 |title=The first lady of Iraq .. Who is "Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed" &#124; Arab and world |url=https://news.trenddetail.com/middleeast/186329.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016201845/https://news.trenddetail.com/middleeast/186329.html |archive-date=16 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Iraq's President receives King Charles III's written message |url=https://kurdsatenglish.com/news.aspx?id=1025&mapid=2 |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=kurdsatenglish.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=La primera dama iraquí critica el ataque de Turquía contra el PKK en la región del Kurdistán - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012 |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/es/originals/2024/07/la-primera-dama-iraqui-critica-el-ataque-de-turquia-contra-el-pkk-en-la-region |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=www.al-monitor.com |language=es}}</ref> Her daughter Sara Rashid is President of [[Kurdistan Save the Children]] (KSC), a non-governmental humanitarian organization founded by Hero Ibrahim Ahmed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-06 |title=Erbil: KSC and UNHCR Launch Comprehensive Child Protection Training Initiative |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/erbil-ksc-and-unhcr-launch-comprehensive-child-protection-training-initiative-enarku |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-27 |title=Kurdistan Save The Children Protects and Empowers Children |url=https://www.iina.news/kurdistan-save-the-children-protects-and-empowers-children/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Iraq International News Agency |language=en-GB}}</ref> 
In 1964, as a result of Kurdish factional infighting, the family fled to border villages in [[Iran]] before moving to [[Tehran]]. Two years later, the family moved to [[Baghdad]] where Shanaz completed her secondary studies at a Persian school. In September 1972, she began Sciences studies at [[Baghdad University]].

As a result of the Iraqi government’s crackdown on Kurds in 1973, Shanaz fled to [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] with some of her siblings, including [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed|Hero]] and her husband [[Jalal Talabani]]. Her parents and younger siblings went into hiding in the mountains.

As she was not permitted to study in Cairo, she left for [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]] to study engineering. In 1974, Shanaz returned to join her parents and the Kurdish resistance in the [[Zagros Mountains]].

In 1975, following the signing of the Algiers agreement between Iran and Iraq, the entire family was once again forced to seek refuge in [[Urmia]], [[Iran]]. A few months later, they moved to [[Tehran]] where she enrolled in [[Pahlavi University]] (later Tehran University) to study medicine.

In 1976, Shanaz was engaged to [[Abdul Latif Rashid]], who was then working as a hydraulic engineer in [[Saudi Arabia]].

⚫
A few months later, facing the prospect of house arrest under a new agreement between the Shah of Iran and the Iraqi government, Shanaz and part of her family fled to [[Damascus]], [[Syria]] while her parents sought political asylum in the [[United Kingdom]]. In Damascus, Shanaz resumed her medical studies.<ref>{{cite news |title=صاحبة النقد الجريء.. شاناز ابراهيم احمد سيدة العراق الأولى |url=https://shafaq.com/ar/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9/%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%82%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89 |access-date=17 October 2022 |agency=Shafaq News |date=13 October 2022}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
On 29 November 1977, Shanaz married [[Abdul Latif Rashid]] in [[Damascus]], [[Syria]]. A year later, they moved to [[London]].

They have two sons and one daughter. Her daughter, Sara Rashid, is President of Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a non-governmental humanitarian organization founded by [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed]].

Shanaz speaks Kurdish, Arabic, Persian, and English.
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newarab.com/features/shanaz-ibrahim-ahmed-refugee-first-lady-iraq?amp | title=Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: From refugee to the First Lady of Iraq | date=17 April 2024 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.trenddetail.com/middleeast/186329.html | title=The first lady of Iraq .. Who is "Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed" &#124; Arab and world | date=14 October 2022 }}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
While Shanaz never took part in the armed resistance against [[Saddam Hussein]] like her sister [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed|Hero]] and brother-in-law [[Jalal Talabani]], she was integral to the efforts from abroad through fundraising, lobbying, raising international awareness, and organizing political rallies. She also took a lead on humanitarian efforts while her husband, [[Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid|Abdul Latif Rashid]], served as one of the leading figures of the Iraqi political opposition in exile.
While Shanaz never took part in the armed resistance against [[Saddam Hussein]] like her sister [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed|Hero]] and brother-in-law [[Jalal Talabani]], she was integral to the efforts from abroad through fundraising, lobbying, raising international awareness, and organizing political rallies. She also took a lead on humanitarian efforts, while her husband was one of the leading figures of the Iraqi political opposition in exile.<ref name=":0" />


Following the 1991 Kurdish uprising, the first Gulf War, and the imposition of sanctions on Iraq, Shanaz co-founded Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a non-governmental humanitarian organization, with her sister [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed|Hero Ibrahim Ahmed]]. Today, KSC is the primary sponsor of a children’s activity centre at the Arbat Camp on the outskirts of [[Sulaymaniyah]], which shelters nearly 10,000 refugees, half of them children, who fled ongoing violence in neighbouring [[Syria]] since 2013.
Following the 1991 Kurdish uprising, the first Gulf War, and the imposition of sanctions on Iraq, Shanaz co-founded Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a non-governmental humanitarian organization, with her sister [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goudsouzian |first=Tanya |title=Hero Ibrahim Ahmad: The original female Peshmerga |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/program/women-make-change/2015/10/29/hero-ibrahim-ahmad-the-original-female-peshmerga |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-04 |title=Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: A Journey of Resilience from Refugee to First Lady - |url=https://islamicvoice.com/muslim-world/shanaz-ibrahim-ahmed-a-journey-of-resilience-from-refugee-to-first-lady/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |language=en-US}}</ref> Today, KSC is the primary sponsor of a children's activity centre at the Arbat Camp on the outskirts of [[Sulaymaniyah]], which shelters nearly 10,000 refugees, half of them children, who fled ongoing violence in neighbouring [[Syria]] since 2013.<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://www.newarab.com/video/iraqs-first-lady-marks-anfal-genocide-memorial-speaking-gaza | title=Iraq's First Lady Marks Anfal Genocide Memorial Speaking in Gaza | date=2024 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newarab.com/video/iraqs-first-lady-marks-anfal-genocide-memorial-speaking-gaza | title=Iraq's First Lady Marks Anfal Genocide Memorial Speaking in Gaza | date=2024 }}</ref>


Shanaz co-founded the Kurdsat Broadcasting Corporation in January 2000. She also established the Ibrahim Ahmed Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Demirtaş: I am honored to receive the Ibrahim Ahmed Award‌ |url=https://pukmedia.com/EN/Details/73512 |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=pukmedia.com |language=en}}</ref>


Along with her husband, she is an collector of Iraqi, Kurdish, and traditional artwork.<ref name=":0" /> Part of their vast collection is on display at the Zamwa Gallery and the Latif Rashid Gallery in [[Sulaymaniyah]].<ref name=":0" /> She also works on preserving heritage and restoring several Ottoman-era sites, particularly in the Kurdish region.<ref name=unimed/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Saya |first=Bapak |date=2024-07-12 |title=Iraq’s First Lady issues desperate appeal over Turkish invasion |url=https://medyanews.net/iraqs-first-lady-issues-desperate-appeal-over-turkish-invasion/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Medya News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Shanaz is noted for her commitment to social justice and has championed the cause of families of victims found in mass graves across Iraq. She has led the campaign to excavate the mass graves, identify the remains, and organize burials.

“I am passionate about justice,” she told The New Arab. “No doubt I get that from my father who risked his life for his convictions. If I am now in a position to cast the spotlight on the suffering of these families and make sure their stories are told to a wider regional and international audience, I will do my utmost to help make it happen.”
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/475791 | title=‘Dance of the Monkeys’ Takes PUK Internal Tensions to Another Level | date=25 November 2018 }}</ref>


She is also passionate about heritage preservation and has spearheaded the campaign to restore several Ottoman-era sites, especially in the Kurdish region.
“When I returned to Baghdad for the first time after the 2003 war, I was deeply upset by the destruction of so many historical sites,” she told The New Arab. “Later, we witnessed further desecration of Iraq’s ancient heritage by Daesh terrorists. We have a responsibility, a duty, to preserve our history regardless of what political ideology governs this country.”

Along with her husband, she is an avid collector of Iraqi, Kurdish, and traditional artwork. Part of their vast collection is on display at the Zamwa Gallery and the Latif Rashid Gallery in [[Sulaymaniyah]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newsweek.com/iraqs-sovereignty-jeopardy-why-nobody-speaking-opinion-1920915 | title=Iraq's Sovereignty in Jeopardy: Why is Nobody Speaking Up? &#124; Opinion | date=22 May 2023 }}</ref>


Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed is seen to be blazing a trail as First Lady in Iraq where the role has never been formally recognized. She regularly expresses her views in op-eds for [[CNN Arabic]].
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newsweek.com/can-iraqs-antiquities-bolster-national-unity-opinion-1810000 | title=Can Iraq's Antiquities Bolster National Unity? &#124; Opinion | date=20 June 2023 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/apr/11/in-iraq-digging-up-past-is-necessary-for-closure/ | title=In Iraq, Digging Up the Past is Necessary for Closure | date=11 April 2024 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://islamicvoice.com/muslim-world/shanaz-ibrahim-ahmed-a-journey-of-resilience-from-refugee-to-first-lady/ | title=Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: A Journey of Resilience from Refugee to First Lady | date=2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://arabic.cnn.com/middle-east/article/2024/06/01/shanaz-ibarhim-ahmed-family-society-oped | title=Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed on Family and Society &#124; Op-ed | date=1 June 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://arabic.cnn.com/middle-east/article/2023/07/17/mosul-retaking-anniversary-oped | title=Op-ed: The Anniversary of Mosul's Retaking | date=17 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://arabic.cnn.com/middle-east/article/2024/05/03/iraq-world-press-freedom-day-shanaz-ibrahim-ahmed-oped | title=Iraq and World Press Freedom Day &#124; Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed &#124; Op-ed | date=3 May 2024 }}</ref>



==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Iraqi Kurdistani politicians]]
[[Category:Iraqi Kurdistani politicians]]
[[Category:Patriotic Union of Kurdistan politicians]]
[[Category:Patriotic Union of Kurdistan politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Iraqi women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Iraqi women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Iraqi politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Iraqi politicians]]
[[Category:Kurdish women in politics]]
[[Category:Kurdish women in politics]]
[[Category:21st-century Kurdish writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Kurdish writers]]


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Latest revision as of 22:46, 30 October 2024

Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed
First Lady of Iraq
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 October 2022
PresidentAbdul Latif Rashid
Preceded bySarbagh Salih
Personal details
Born1954 (age 69–70)
Sabonkaran, Sulaymaniyah, Kingdom of Iraq
Political partyPatriotic Union of Kurdistan
SpouseAbdul Latif Rashid
RelationsHero Ibrahim Ahmed (sister)
Jalal Talabani (brother-in-law)
Children3
ParentIbrahim Ahmad (father)

Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed (Sorani Kurdish: شاناز ئیبراهیم ئەحمەد) (born 1954) is an Iraqi-Kurdish politician and current First Lady of Iraq. Her husband is President Abdul Latif Rashid. She is a daughter of the Kurdish judge, writer, and politician Ibrahim Ahmed, and novelist Galawezh Salh Fatah. She is also a sister of former First Lady of Iraq, Hero Ibrahim Ahmed.[1]

Shanaz is a member of a prominent, politically active family from Sulaymaniyah and is closely associated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party,[2] which is currently headed by her nephew, Bafel Talabani.

Early life

[edit]

She was born on January 2, 1954, in the neighborhood of Sabonkaran in Sulaymaniyah Governorate to Ibrahim Ahmad and Galawezh Salh Fatah. She was the third of eight children.[3] As a child, she and her family relocated regularly due to her father's activities and political instability, and her education was routinely interrupted.[3]

Following the 1958 military coup in Iraq, her family relocated to Baghdad where she attended the Mamounia Elementary School. In 1962, the family returned to Sulaymaniyah where she continued her studies at Khanzad School. During this period, due to regular political instability, Shanaz and her family were often forced to find refuge in the Zagros Mountains.[4] In 1964, as a result of Kurdish factional infighting, the family fled to border villages in Iran before moving to Tehran. Two years later, the family moved to Baghdad where Shanaz completed her secondary studies at a Persian school.[3] In September 1972, she began science studies at Baghdad University.[5]

As a result of the Iraqi government's crackdown on Kurds in 1973, Shanaz fled to Cairo, Egypt with some of her siblings, including Hero and her husband Jalal Talabani. Her parents and younger siblings went into hiding in the mountains.[6][3] As she was not permitted to study in Cairo, she left for Beirut, Lebanon to study engineering. In 1974, Shanaz returned to join her parents and the Kurdish resistance in the Zagros Mountains.[3] In 1975, following the signing of the Algiers agreement between Iran and Iraq, the entire family was once again forced to seek refuge in Urmia, Iran. A few months later, they moved to Tehran where she enrolled in Pahlavi University (later Tehran University) to study medicine.[7]

In 1976, Shanaz was engaged to Abdul Latif Rashid, who was then working as a hydraulic engineer in Saudi Arabia.[8][9] A few months later, facing the prospect of house arrest under a new agreement between the Shah of Iran and the Iraqi government, Shanaz and part of her family fled to Damascus, Syria while her parents sought political asylum in the United Kingdom. In Damascus, Shanaz resumed her medical studies.[10]

On 29 November 1977, Shanaz married Abdul Latif Rashid in Damascus, Syria. A year later, they moved to London. They have two sons and one daughter. They have two sons and one daughter.[11][12][13] Her daughter Sara Rashid is President of Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a non-governmental humanitarian organization founded by Hero Ibrahim Ahmed.[14][15] 

Career

[edit]

While Shanaz never took part in the armed resistance against Saddam Hussein like her sister Hero and brother-in-law Jalal Talabani, she was integral to the efforts from abroad through fundraising, lobbying, raising international awareness, and organizing political rallies. She also took a lead on humanitarian efforts, while her husband was one of the leading figures of the Iraqi political opposition in exile.[3]

Following the 1991 Kurdish uprising, the first Gulf War, and the imposition of sanctions on Iraq, Shanaz co-founded Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a non-governmental humanitarian organization, with her sister Hero Ibrahim Ahmed.[16][17] Today, KSC is the primary sponsor of a children's activity centre at the Arbat Camp on the outskirts of Sulaymaniyah, which shelters nearly 10,000 refugees, half of them children, who fled ongoing violence in neighbouring Syria since 2013.[18]

Shanaz co-founded the Kurdsat Broadcasting Corporation in January 2000. She also established the Ibrahim Ahmed Foundation.[19]

Along with her husband, she is an collector of Iraqi, Kurdish, and traditional artwork.[3] Part of their vast collection is on display at the Zamwa Gallery and the Latif Rashid Gallery in Sulaymaniyah.[3] She also works on preserving heritage and restoring several Ottoman-era sites, particularly in the Kurdish region.[5][20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Hero Ibrahim Ahmad: The Original Female Peshmerga". 29 October 2015.
  2. ^ "'Dance of the Monkeys' Takes PUK Internal Tensions to Another Level". 25 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Goudsouzian, Tanya (17 April 2024). "Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: From refugee to the First Lady of Iraq". newarab. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  4. ^ Voice, Islamic (2024-05-04). "Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: A Journey of Resilience from Refugee to First Lady -". Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  5. ^ a b "Cooperation with Iraqi Universities. The First Lady of the Republic of Iraq, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, visits the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, UNIMED member". 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  6. ^ "Iraqi president's wife narrowly escapes attack". France 24. 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  7. ^ "موقع رووداو |". موقع نبض. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  8. ^ "Meet President Latif Rashid, Iraq's new president". kurdsatenglish.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  9. ^ "President Speech".
  10. ^ "صاحبة النقد الجريء.. شاناز ابراهيم احمد سيدة العراق الأولى". Shafaq News. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  11. ^ "The first lady of Iraq .. Who is "Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed" | Arab and world". 14 October 2022. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Iraq's President receives King Charles III's written message". kurdsatenglish.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  13. ^ "La primera dama iraquí critica el ataque de Turquía contra el PKK en la región del Kurdistán - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012". www.al-monitor.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  14. ^ "Erbil: KSC and UNHCR Launch Comprehensive Child Protection Training Initiative". reliefweb.int. 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  15. ^ "Kurdistan Save The Children Protects and Empowers Children". Iraq International News Agency. 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  16. ^ Goudsouzian, Tanya. "Hero Ibrahim Ahmad: The original female Peshmerga". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  17. ^ "Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed: A Journey of Resilience from Refugee to First Lady -". 2024-05-04. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  18. ^ "Iraq's First Lady Marks Anfal Genocide Memorial Speaking in Gaza". 2024.
  19. ^ "Demirtaş: I am honored to receive the Ibrahim Ahmed Award‌". pukmedia.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  20. ^ Saya, Bapak (2024-07-12). "Iraq's First Lady issues desperate appeal over Turkish invasion". Medya News. Retrieved 2024-10-11.


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