Event has taken place. Link to YouTube video of presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz_jo7YoN8o
Tuesday, February 20, 2024 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Albany Public Library (161 Washington Ave., Albany, NY)
Upper Hudson Peace Action presents a program offering a rare glimpse into Kurdistan, home of Yassin Aref, by six Capital District people who had supported him during a long and very controversial ordeal involving accusations of association with terrorism and issues of FBI entrapment. After 15 years in US federal prisons, he returned to his home in Kurdistan in 2019. His supporters, now lifelong friends, traveled to visit him and learn about Kurdistan in 2023.
After a brief introduction about the background of the trip, the talk will include: tales of the speakers’ adventures; explanations of the political situation and history and the genocides against the Kurds; personal accounts of Kurdish hospitality; and a presentation of the outstanding geography of the land.
The presentation will include dozens of professional photos from the trip. Yassin Aref was an incredible host who took his visitors to many varied places in Kurdistan, including one of the world’s oldest cities. During the ten day trip, they visited a general, a chief, lunched with the governor, and were well fed and tended by their friend’s extended family.
The public is invited to attend this free program and gain a broader understanding of Kurdistan, a land loosely defined as areas inhabited mainly by Kurds in large parts of eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, western Iran and smaller parts of Syria and Armenia.
Speakers for the event include: Steve Downs, Lynne Jackson, Kathy Manley, Alaa Muhiddin, Diana Morales, and Carl Strock, with Jeanne Finley as the moderator.
Please note that attendees are asked to wear masks for virus prevention.
Co-sponsors for the program include: Peace Action New York State, Upper Hudson Peace Action, Muslim Solidarity Committee, Project SALAM, and Save the Pine Bush