{"id":7603,"date":"2026-11-11T15:54:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T15:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/?p=7603"},"modified":"2026-11-11T15:54:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T15:54:21","slug":"pdki-delegation-attends-barzani-charity-foundation-event-at-u-s-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/pdki-delegation-attends-barzani-charity-foundation-event-at-u-s-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"PDKI Delegation Attends Barzani Charity Foundation Event at U.S. Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>A delegation from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) attended the Barzani Charity Foundation\u2019s \u201cDefenders of Humanity\u201d event at the U.S. Congress. Hejar Berenji, the party\u2019s representative to the United States, delivered a speech emphasizing Kurdish national rights, the Peshmerga\u2019s legacy, and support for families affected by conflict and displacement.<\/div>\n<p>Held on Monday, November 9, 2026, at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, the event was organized by the foundation\u2019s U.S. representation to honor Kurdish Peshmerga and American veterans, promote peaceful coexistence, and recognize supporters of humanitarian work.<\/p>\n<p>In his address, titled \u201cThe Kurdish Peshmerga: A Legacy of Courage, Sacrifice, and Humanity,\u201d Berenji described the Peshmerga as an expression of a nation\u2019s determination to protect its homeland and the future of its children. He stressed that this legacy belongs to all of Kurdistan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur geography may be divided. Our responsibility to one another must not be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Berenji highlighted Iranian Kurdistan, or Rojhelat, and its place in the Kurdish national struggle. He recalled the Republic of Kurdistan in Mahabad in 1946 and the shared struggle of Peshawa Qazi Muhammad and Mustafa Barzani. He also addressed repression in Rojhelat, the assassinations of Abdulrahman Ghassemlou and Sadegh Sharafkandi, and the role of Kurdish women and young people in the \u201cWoman, Life, Freedom\u201d uprising.<\/p>\n<p>While honoring the partnership between Peshmerga and American forces in the fight against ISIS, Berenji stressed that Kurdish rights must not depend on the military needs of others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKurdish rights are not a reward for military service. They belong to our people whether or not the world needs us on a battlefield,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Turning to the humanitarian consequences of conflict, Berenji discussed missile and drone attacks by Iran and Tehran-aligned forces on the Kurdistan Region, including camps and homes sheltering refugees from Iranian Kurdistan. He called for protection for families, treatment for the wounded, safe accommodation, and continued schooling for displaced children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Kurdish child is not collateral. A refugee camp is not a battlefield,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Berenji also expressed solidarity with communities affected by flooding in Erbil and parts of Rojhelat, including Javanrud and Ilam, and praised the Barzani Charity Foundation\u2019s relief efforts. He stressed that suffering in any part of Kurdistan concerns all Kurds, and that political disagreements must never obstruct assistance or protection for people in need.<\/p>\n<p>The PDKI representative underscored the rights and freedoms of all communities in Kurdistan. Addressing American friends of the Kurdish people, he called for a partnership that extends beyond military cooperation to support families facing danger and hardship.<\/p>\n<p>He concluded that the greatest tribute to the Peshmerga\u2019s sacrifices would be a generation able to live, learn, and pursue its aspirations in a free and peaceful Kurdistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A delegation from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) attended the Barzani Charity Foundation\u2019s \u201cDefenders of Humanity\u201d event at the U.S. Congress. Hejar Berenji, the party\u2019s representative to the United States, delivered a speech emphasizing Kurdish national rights, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7605,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/110004_w920.jpg?fit=920%2C518&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p12yuy-1YD","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4634,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/growing-number-of-kurdish-women-join-pdkis-peshmerga-forces\/","url_meta":{"origin":7603,"position":0},"title":"Growing Number of Kurdish Women Join PDKI\u2019s Peshmerga Forces","author":"akamr","date":"June 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A growing number of Kurdish women have joined PDKI\u2019s Peshmerga Forces. They have joined PDKI\u2019s Peshmerga forces to take part in the resistance against the Islamic Republic of Iran and to defend the Kurdish people. Since PDKI\u2019s Peshmerga Forces returned to their former bases in the border area between eastern\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Growing-Number-of-Kurdish-Women-Join-PDKI.jpg?fit=750%2C503&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Growing-Number-of-Kurdish-Women-Join-PDKI.jpg?fit=750%2C503&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Growing-Number-of-Kurdish-Women-Join-PDKI.jpg?fit=750%2C503&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Growing-Number-of-Kurdish-Women-Join-PDKI.jpg?fit=750%2C503&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4628,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/the-70th-anniversary-of-the-republic-of-kurdistan-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":7603,"position":1},"title":"The 70th Anniversary of the Republic of Kurdistan","author":"akamr","date":"January 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Republic of Kurdistan. On January 22, 1946, Qazi Mohammad \u2013 revered as Peshawa (meaning leader in Kurdish) Qazi among the Kurdish nation \u2013 declared the Republic of Kurdistan in the city of Mahabad in eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan. Peshawa Qazi, the first leader of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/The-70th-Anniversary-of-the-Republic-of.jpg?fit=620%2C412&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/The-70th-Anniversary-of-the-Republic-of.jpg?fit=620%2C412&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/The-70th-Anniversary-of-the-Republic-of.jpg?fit=620%2C412&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4629,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/new-clashes-between-pdki-peshmerga-and-irgc\/","url_meta":{"origin":7603,"position":2},"title":"New Clashes between PDKI Peshmerga and IRGC","author":"akamr","date":"June 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Following heavy clashes between PDKI's Peshmerga Forces and Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in several villages in the vicinity of the city of Shno (Oshnaviah) on June 15 and 16, clashes also erupted in the city of Piranshar on June 16. The Operational Command of PDKI's Peshmerga Forces stated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Press Release&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Press Release","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/pressrelease\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5442,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/peshmerga-forces-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":7603,"position":3},"title":"Peshmerga Forces Day","author":"Ali","date":"December 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"On December 17, 1945, the military forces of PDKI overtook the last Iranian military barrack in Mahabad and raised the Kurdish national flag. The Peshmerga Forces of Kurdistan was established on the same day. The word \u201cPeshmerga\u201d, which in Kurdish means those who face death, has for centuries been the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/latest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/48390796_346429982842055_5327439006886002688_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/48390796_346429982842055_5327439006886002688_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/48390796_346429982842055_5327439006886002688_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/48390796_346429982842055_5327439006886002688_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/48390796_346429982842055_5327439006886002688_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5693,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/today-marks-the-peshmerga-forces-day-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":7603,"position":4},"title":"Today marks the Peshmerga Forces Day","author":"Ali","date":"December 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"On December 17, 1945, the military forces of PDKI overtook the last Iranian military barrack in Mahabad and raised the Kurdish national flag. The Peshmerga Forces of Kurdistan was established on the same day. The word \u201cPeshmerga\u201d, which in Kurdish means those who face death, has for centuries been the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/latest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/peshmerga.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/peshmerga.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/peshmerga.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/peshmerga.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/peshmerga.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6828,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/peshmerga-forces-day-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":7603,"position":5},"title":"Peshmerga Forces Day","author":"Ali","date":"December 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"On 17 December 1945, the PDKI military forces overtook the last Iranian military barracks in Mahabad and raised the Kurdish national flag. 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