From this point, I must emphasize that we, the Kurds, should look at our figures through the lens of our Kurdish identity and national perspective. Our history is replete with great religious personalities, and it is a source of great pride that today, a prominent son of our nation, Professor Dr. Ali Qaradaghi, has become an honor for our people, making us hold our heads high in all Islamic nations.

This pride stems from his correct and profound understanding of the sacred religion of Islam and his ability to convey the voice of the oppressed Kurdish nation. This is a task that, unfortunately, we have not been able to accomplish as needed—to make the voice of our dispossessed and rights-deprived nation heard by the Islamic states.

Despite the fact that Dr. Ali Qaradaghi leads a comfortable personal life, he has never forgotten you or the people of Kurdistan for a single moment. Wherever he has worked, he has always strived to gather aid and financial support to serve the mosques, the orphans, and the families of victims in Kurdistan. We take immense pride in such dedicated figures as Professor Dr. Ali Qaradaghi, who have never forgotten their nation and have continued their struggle for the sake of their people and the religion of Islam.

Therefore, on this occasion, on behalf of you, the veterans and patriots, and on behalf of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), I extend my deepest gratitude to him and reaffirm our appreciation for his struggles and efforts. I wish him a long and fruitful life. We hope he continues his sacred struggle and becomes a true role model for all the people of Kurdistan, regardless of their religious or political beliefs.

We hope that in the heart of the Islamic world, within its organizations, and in the forums and gatherings available to him, he will become the voice for all of us; that he will speak and struggle on behalf of all the people of Kurdistan, with all their diverse political views.