Ferhad Şamî (), also known as Farhad Shami or Farhad al-Shami, is a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...

military figure and the official spokesperson of the

Syrian Democratic Forces The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a Kurds in Syria, Kurdish-led coalition of U.S.-backed Left-wing politics, left-wing ethnic militias and rebel groups, and serves as the official military wing of the Democratic Autonomous Administration ...

(SDF). He is a spokesperson for the

(SDF), a Kurdish-led alliance of forces involved in the fight against the

Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

(

ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

) and regional security challenges. He has represented the SDF in media statements, especially during major operations against the

(ISIS).

Early life and background

Şamî was born in 1986 in

Al-Darbasiyah Al-Dirbasiyah (, ) is a Syrian town on the Syria–Turkey border opposite the Turkish town of Şenyurt. Administratively it is part of the Al-Hasakah Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Dirbasiyah had a po ...

, a town in northeastern Syria. He studied media at

Damascus University Damascus University () is the largest and oldest university in Syria, located in the capital Damascus, with campuses in other Syrian cities. It was founded in 1923 as the Syrian University () through the merger of the Faculty of Medicine of Dama ...

and began his career as a journalist. He worked with several Kurdish-affiliated news agencies including Firat News Agency,

Hawar News Agency '' Hawar News Agency'' (sometimes abbreviated ''ANHA'') (; ) is a news agency. The site started as an Arabic-only news service. Hawar News is linked to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and its armed forces the Sy ...

, and later as a correspondent for

Rudaw Rudaw Media Network () is a media broadcaster in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The network is headquartered in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region. It delivers content in multiple languages, including English, Kurdish, Arabic, and Turki ...

and Ronahi TV. Şamî's professional career began with his involvement in media work. He started as a reporter for outlets close to the Kurdish political movement, including the Firat News Agency and

, both aligned with the

Democratic Union Party (Syria) The Democratic Union Party (, , PYD; ; ) is a Kurdish left-wing political party established on 20 September 2003 in northern Syria. It is a founding member of the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change. Carnegie Middle East Center, 1 ...

(PYD) and the broader Kurdish nationalist cause. His media work extended to being a correspondent for

and Ronahi TV, both significant Kurdish media organizations. His leadership within the Kurdish forces of the

(SDF), and later his appointment as head of the media office for the SDF, brought him into the spotlight. Before his tenure as the SDF spokesperson, Şamî served as the head of the media office in the

Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), also known as Rojava, is a ''de facto'' Autonomous administrative division, autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing Regions of North and E ...

(Rojava), particularly overseeing the

Jazira Region The Jazira Region, formerly Jazira Canton (; ; ), is the largest of the three original regions of the de facto Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). As part of the ongoing Rojava conflict, its democratic autonomy was off ...

between 2015 and 2016. Before becoming the spokesperson of the SDF, Şamî led the media office of the

, particularly in the

Role in the Syrian Democratic Forces

As SDF spokesperson, Şamî has been a central figure in communicating the group's military operations and political positions. He has addressed regional security issues, responses to Turkish military actions in northern Syria, and the challenges of dealing with ISIS detainees. Şamî has consistently called for international cooperation to ensure stability in northeastern Syria and has emphasized the importance of legal accountability for Islamic State fighters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Şamî, Ferhad 1986 births Living people Syrian Kurdish people Syrian Democratic Forces Kurdish military personnel Kurdish activists Kurdish people Kurds in Syria Spokespersons

Early life and background

Role in the Syrian Democratic Forces

See also

References