Kurdish nurse runs in Finnish local elections

Rudaw Net

29-03-2025

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish candidate is running in Finland's municipal elections on a platform to amplify Kurdish voices in governance and improve social services.
'I brought forward the message that we must do something for the Kurdish people, for equality,' Tewar Salari told Rudaw in an interview that aired on Friday.
Salari is a practicing nurse on the verge of completing a master's degree. She is running on the Social Democratic ticket in Finland's April 13 municipal elections.
'If Kurdish people here want their healthcare services to continue, if they don't want their children to be prevented as foreigners from going to school and so on, they should vote for me,' Salari said.
Below is the full transcript of the interview:
Rudaw: Ms. Tewar, who works as a midwife, works as a nurse in Finland, has a stable life, and has decided to enter politics. I want to know why it was important for you to enter politics in Finland?
Tewar Salari: Yes, first I want to thank you for inviting me to your beautiful program and I send my greetings and respect to all viewers. First, I should mention that there may be some shortcomings in my Kurdish, so please forgive me. I have grown up in Finland since I was two years old. Before entering politics, I was in many youth organizations and in refugee and human rights organizations. There, I felt that people like us are needed in politics. Often when decisions are made, for example, people like us are forgotten, and among those decision-makers, our form, voice, or words are not truly represented. That's why I have now strongly started to enter politics. I am also studying, which wasn't mentioned here - I'm about to complete my master's degree in healthcare soon, but I've been thinking about developing this in this country and for the new generation, so they have the same opportunities as I had in this country.
Well, you have chosen the Social Democrats, you want to serve people in Finland through them. Why are the Social Democrats more suitable than others for political work, especially for an active woman like yourself?
The Social Democrats have worked a lot for equality from the beginning, they have worked hard to ensure complete justice for everyone. I am also someone who has worked a lot for this outside of politics, so it has made it easier for my voice to join theirs, and their voice makes mine even stronger.
Along with that, you come from a Peshmerga family, were born in the Kurdistan Region and are from Kurdish areas of Iran. What influence has that political background had on your decision to enter politics in Finland?
Certainly, as I grew up here as a foreigner, I have experienced many of the things that foreigners go through here. As a Kurd, I have felt many things. For example, Kurdish rights are often violated in many places, and every Kurd knows this now. Despite that, I have worked a lot for Kurdish people and for the Kurdish voice. For instance, when this movement started in Iranian Kurdistan, "Woman, Life, Freedom," which unfortunately began after Jina (Mahsa Amini)'s death, I went to the European Parliament and spoke with many parliamentarians and even went to the Commission. I brought forward the message that we must do something for the Kurdish people, for equality. That voice that has now started there, we must strongly hold onto it and support it.
You are running in the city of Turku. There are also Kurds there. What do you have for the Kurds there? Why should they vote for you and how can they help you?
Yes, we now have a government in power that is cutting a lot of money from healthcare services and children's education. I will prevent these things in every way through the Social Democrats. If they have issues, if Kurdish people here want their healthcare services to continue, if they don't want their children to be prevented as foreigners from going to school and so on, they should vote for me.
Thank you very much.