renj omer kurdi
Nature has played a huge part in his Kurdish childhood, adventure is his favorite pastime, and soon this man hopes to fly his flag proudly at the summit of the tallest mountain in the world!
Where in the world did you spend your childhood, Renj Omer?
I am a Kurd, a West Kurd, from an ethnic group originally concentrated in Asia, north of Mesopotamia and southeast Anatolia. My part of the world exists next to the Zagros Mountains in the Kurdistan region, which is an area that encompasses parts of Turkey, Syria and Iraq. The Kurds are of the Aryan race and we work towards achieving freedom and justice in claiming our lands to this day.
I live in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in the city of Dohuk. It is very beautiful, and the people there love life and also love nature. Dohuk is located between two mountains and enjoys the beauty of all four seasons. Most of the homes have direct access to trees or plants, and the sound of birdsong. It is truly a paradise, and it’s the place I call home.
Did you have a favorite place as a child? If so, can you describe it for us?
In my childhood, I was not diligent in school and, frankly, I was one of the quarrelsome children in the neighborhood. If I was creating a problem, I would hide myself on the roof of the house (and it was very high). It was my favorite place, and I used to see half of the city from my own rooftop. I still miss it.
How did you become so interested in the natural world?
Ever since childhood, I have loved nature. I think that I was almost always late to school, and the reason was that I was lingering in the wilderness to play and eat cranberries. In a general way, The Kurdish people have a special respect for nature and each year they celebrate the Nowruz festival, which begins on March 21, the first day of spring. On that occasion, everyone spends time outside and celebrates nature’s gifts.
Please tell us a little about the life you currently live.
I am now married and I have two children, a son named Shah and a girl named Heiv. My wife’s name is Rejin, and she works in the media industry, on television. We lead a simple life, and Rejin and I are in agreement on what we do now that she knows how much I love to adventure into the mountains a lot. I love nature and it is part of me. Sometimes, when I want to enjoy nature’s special benefits, I love to explore alone until I reach my psychological comfort, my inner peace. Of course, many times I share this experience with my friends and my family; we particularly like to go camping and hiking.
Mountain climbing is one of my favorite activities and this season I will go to the summit of Mount Everest. If I succeed, I will be the first Kurdish climber to do so, and I will be proud to raise the Kurdistan flag there, which was a special gift from the president of Kurdistan. I am proud to carry it in my quest to reach the top.
My love for nature extends to a profound respect for the planet. If we do not respect it, then it will not respect us either. We owe it to our children to take care of our planet, and to leave it in the best possible condition for the next generation.
In this photo you can see Shah proudly displaying the flag of Kurdistan for all to see! All of the photos used in this article are the property of Renj Omer Kurdi, and were accessed from his Instagram account @renj_omer with his kind permission.
We are so grateful to him for taking the time out of his hectic schedule to chat with us, and we wish him luck on his upcoming Everest adventure.
His energy inspires us to get ourselves outdoors, and we hope you feel the same.
You can learn more about Renj Omer Kurdi via his Instagram account @renj_omer and on his YouTube channel Ranj Omar