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I was born in 1970, in the Kurdish part in northern Iraq; I live in a small village close to the city of Arbil. Though originally we are from Karkook, All my ancestors were born there, including my father (Azad Ahmed Barzaani) and my mother (Zainab Barazani). My father and mother are cousins (first degree), I also got married 13 years ago, to my cousin Amina. She is my father’s brother’s daughter.
I can still remember our wedding day! All my family was there, my uncles and aunts, my grand Fathers, my cousins and friends. Our entire lineage was present.

My father works in the tobacco factory, but he also works in our land. He enjoys the latter job most. My mother helps my father, in the land at the time of the harvest (at the time of the harvest we all join together); apart form that she looks after my younger brothers and sisters.
We are quite a big family, I have one older sister, and three younger brothers, but that is the average in my society.

My wife was born in Karkook. She is four years younger than me, and I met her for the first time when I was 15 years old when we visited KarkooK. To celebrate our New Year (the Nairuz).When we got married I couldn’t afford to pay a bride price for my wife, however my father in law was so generous that he dropped it as she was my cousin.
The same happened when my sister got married to my cousin, my father decidedto drop the bride price.
In 1991 Amina gave birth to my first child, I called him Azad after my father’s name and since everyone can call me “Father of Azad” instead of Kameran. That’s something that makes me feel proud.

I went to school till I was 14 years old, I am bilingual. I speak Kurdish which is my first language and Arabic which I learned at school. I can understand a few words of Turkish but by no means am I fluent in it.

kurdish girl ....                                                                      traditional kurdish outfit.....

I worked as a farmer for the greatest part of my life (I don’t actually own a land but my father does, so I work in his land), though in the last years, I had to go to the city more often to work as the lands are becoming less fertile year after year. But I might soon be called to join the guerrilla of “PKK” in case of a war (the Kurdistani communist party).I have already spent two years in the army.

Twenty years ago, my older brother died. We had to burry him on the same day complying with our Sunni Muslim tradition; first he was washed, and then, we carried him to the Mosque, where the Imam and all the men in the village prayed for his soul. Then he was buried in our cemetery. My mother and sisters stayed at home, as women are not allowed to participate in this part of the funerals.

Many aspects of our lives are affected directly or indirectly by our religion. I am Sunni Muslim (precisely I follow the Shafii’ doctrine). When I got married I had to register my marriage at the Town Hall to make it official, but I would never-nor to anyone in my society- consider my marriage complete unless it is performed in a religious ceremony in the presence of the Imam. It is the same in funerals. We have to pray for the soul of our deceased people before we can burry them.