The Confederation of Kurdistan Communities in Germany (KON-MED) called for participation in the 31st International Kurdish Cultural Festival in Frankfurt am Main on Saturday, 9 September. The event will take place in Rebstockpark and start at ten o'clock.

The call said: "Preserving culture is synonymous with preserving the heritage and history, traditions and values of a society. Kurdistan, which has been under the rule of occupying powers for decades, has been oppressed not only physically, but also in terms of its cultural identity. Nevertheless, the Kurds have worked tirelessly to keep their unique culture alive. The cultural values of a people are their true richness. Despite the oppression, the Kurds have never given up their cultural resistance. As a result of the decades-long conflict between the occupying states and the Kurdish people, the Kurds have today conquered their place in history."

Kurdish Cultural Festival: tradition since 1992

The statement underlined how the Kurdish community in Europe launched the International Festival of Culture and Art. "The first festival took place in Bochum in 1992 and has continued since then. The 31st International Cultural Festival will take place in Frankfurt on Saturday, 9 September this year. This festival, which celebrates the rich Kurdish culture, is also the largest and longest-running Kurdish event in Europe."

Resistance to oppression

The statement added: "Through the festival, our community in Europe expresses its resolute resistance to the politics of oppression. This festival, which brings together our community from all four parts of Kurdistan, symbolizes our united stance against the occupying forces and their collaborators. Our community in Germany and other European countries plays an active role in the fight against the politics of oppression. Thousands of people will gather in Frankfurt to demand the release of our thought leader Abdullah Öcalan and to protest against cultural oppression.

For a solution to the Kurdish question

Under the slogan 'For a solution to the Kurdish question: freedom for Öcalan, status for Kurdistan' on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, the festival will be a strong sign of the will of our people."