Hero Ibrahim Ahmed () (born 12 June 1948) is the former First Lady of Iraq from 2005 to 2014 and the widow of the

President of Iraq The President of the Republic of Iraq is the head of state of Iraq. Since the mid-2000s, the presidency is primarily a symbolic office, as the position does not possess significant power within the country according to the Constitution of Iraq, ...

Jalal Talabani Jalal Talabani (; ; 1933 – 3 October 2017) was an Iraqi Kurdish politician who served as the sixth president of Iraq from 2005 to 2014, as well as the president of the Governing Council of Iraq. Talabani was the founder and secretary-gene ...

Early life

She was born on 12 June 1948 to an active political family that was struggling against Kurdish oppression in Iraq. Her father,

Ibrahim Ahmad Ibrahim Ahmad (6 March 1914 – 8 April 2000) (alternatively spelt Ibrahim Ahmed or Ibrahîm Ehmed) (, ) was an Iraqi Kurdish writer, novelist, jurist and translator who founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in 1975. He is the father-in-law ...

was imprisoned at Abu Graib in the 1950s which motivated her to follow politics. Her family was exiled to

Kirkuk Kirkuk (; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate. The city is home to a diverse population of Kurds, Iraqi Turkmen, Iraqi Turkmens and Arabs. Kirkuk sits on the ruins of the original Kirkuk Cit ...

in 1954 and placed under house arrest until their return to

Silemani Sulaymaniyah or Slemani (; ), is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is the capital of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is surrounded by the Azmar (Ezmer), Goizha (Goyje) and Qaiwan (Qeywan) Mountains in the northeast, Barana ...

in 1953. Upon returning her father was wounded in an assassination attempt. Her family moved to

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

in 1958, where Hero pursued an education. She couldn't finish her education because of a military coup in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

which forced her family to flee to

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, where she again resumed her education. In 1972, she graduated from

Al-Mustansiriya University Al-Mustansiriyah University () is a public university located in Baghdad, Iraq. It traces its origin back to 1227. The modern form of the university was founded in 1963. History The original Mustansiriya Madrasah was established in 1227 (or 12 ...

in Psychology, and gave birth to her eldest son Bafel then her second child Qubad.

Career

Active in the media, she is the founder of one of the major Kurdish TV Channel - Kurdsat TV. She is a member and the de facto leader of the

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK; ) is a political party active in Kurdistan Region and the Disputed territories of Northern Iraq, disputed territories in Iraq. The PUK describes its goals as self-determination, human rights, democracy a ...

politburo after being elected in the PUK 3rd congress in June 2010. Hero Ibrahim Ahmed actively promotes art and culture and has been instrumental in supporting the younger generation artists. Being a musician herself, Hero has supported several music projects, both for fund raising and for the media, and is committed to continuing her support in the future. Hero is also a women's right activist promoting music and art. She used the

Kurdsat Kurdsat Broadcasting Corporation () is a satellite television station in Kurdistan Region, Iraq, broadcasting since 8 January 2000. It belongs to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and is based in Sulaymaniyah. The channel broadcast programs ...

TV channel to launch multiple women awareness projects. She is the director of the Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC) a charity organisation that aims to provide food, shelter and education for thousands of displaced orphans. She recognised that at that time a grassroots

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 ...

organization was very much needed, as the involvement of local staff would ensure a better understanding of people's needs. On 4 May 2008, while travelling to a cultural festival in Baghdad's National Theatre, a bomb exploded near her motorcade. Four of her bodyguards were injured, however Hero was not. It was unclear if Hero was the target of the bombing. This occurred on the same day as four U.S. marines were killed in Anbar Province by a roadside bomb. Hero Ibrahim Ahmed is the sister of

Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed () (born 1954) is an Iraqi-Kurdish politician and current First Lady of Iraq. Her husband is President Abdul Latif Rashid. She is a daughter of the Kurdish judge, writer, and politician Ibrahim Ahmed, and novelist Galawezh S ...

, wife of Iraqi President

Abdul Latif Rashid Abdul Latif Rashid (; born 10 August 1944), also known as Letif Reshid (), is an Iraqi politician serving as the ninth president of Iraq. He was previously the Ministry of Water Resources (Iraq), Minister of Water Resources under the Government o ...

. Hero Ibrahim Ahmed also founded one of the most known school in Sulaymaniyah Shahid Jamal Tahir Girls Highschool.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Hero Ibrahim 1948 births Living people First ladies of Iraq Iraqi Kurdistani politicians Patriotic Union of Kurdistan politicians 21st-century Iraqi women politicians Al-Mustansiriya University alumni 21st-century Kurdish people 21st-century Kurdish women Kurdish women in politics