Zhiar Ali

Zhiar Ali (Kurdish: ژیار عەلی, Kurdish pronunciation: [ʒiːɑːɾ]; born September 2, 1999) is a Kurdish singer-songwriter, human rights activist, animal rights activist, and journalist based in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, known for his contribution towards LGBT rights in Iraqi Kurdistan. He is a prominent openly gay activist advocating for LGBT rights in the region. He was the former Media and Communications Officer at Rasan, and founder of Yeksani, which is a new initiative focusing on advocating for LGBT rights on a local level, targeting the Kurdistan Region. He had previously independently written for news entities and mainly focused on music journalism as well as political and social issues.

Quotes

 * Gay people should be protected by law and not discriminated against, [homosexuality] is a natural human desire, not an illness.
 * Ali on discrimination against gay people in Iraqi Kurdistan.
 * My biggest challenge was getting used to the new lifestyle. Avoiding food I loved was a bit tough at first but then I learned how to cook vegan versions of my favourite dishes. Aside from that, in my country, the concept is so new that we have little to no vegan products, which made my life very hard.
 * Talking about the biggest challenged he faced when he transitioned to a vegan.
 * Every workplace should be legally forced to be inclusive to LGBT people in job opportunities.
 * Discussing the issue of LGBT+ individuals not getting jobs due to their sexuality.
 * The rules of your religion do not apply to people who do not believe in it so let people live the way they want.
 * Ali on freedom to choose one's religion and lifestyle, via Twitter.
 * I strived to be a better and more successful person. I am proud of the person I have become today, and know that none of my family members could do what I have done. However, I feel that my success did not get enough attention from them for being gay.
 * On his struggle and his fight to be validated by his family.
 * We have to work on normalizing and destigmatizing the LGBT+ community before anything else, and this requires an exceptional and serious effort; this is one of my goals.
 * Ali on the future of LGBT rights in Iraqi Kurdistan.
 * I tried repeatedly to change and undergo a 'curative treatment' to no avail. I got to the conclusion that this is me, accepted myself, and moved on.
 * Ali discussing his joruney to self-acceptence.

Song lyrics

 * I spend countless minutes thinking of you Wondering if you love me too, why am I sure you do? I’m just so sure you do The spark in your eyes took over my mind And there’s nothing I can do, not run nor hide I surrender, surrender to your charm There is nothing that I won’t do for you
 * Addicted To Your Love, 2018
 * Come here, let's not care Whatever's happening out there Just feel me, reach all over Let us blindly discover What we never thought could exist Make up for all the time we missed
 * Euphoria, 2018
 * What you gave me, I've never had No one has fought for me like you have Please forgive all of my mistakes I will fix them with whatever it takes
 * Light in the Dark, 2018