On April 1, Minnesota State University Moorhead welcomed city leaders, government officials, educators, nonprofit representatives, and business owners from Moorhead, Minnesota, to celebrate the profound friendship between the city of Zakho in the Kurdistan Region and Moorhead.

During the event, Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson announced that the city would officially name one of its parks “Kurdistan Friendship Park”, describing it as a symbol of “our commitment to this cherished bond.”

Guhdar Sheekhoo, the head of the Zakho Independent Administration, was unable to attend the event. However, he sent a letter highlighting that signing the Friendship Proclamation between Zakho and Moorhead was an honor and an emblem of their shared commitment to learning from one another. “This proclamation signifies more than just a formality; it embodies the spirit of collaboration, bridging the distance of thousands of miles between our cities,” he added.

Zakho signed an official friendship proclamation with the city of Moorhead in July 2025.

Moorhead is home to approximately 4,000 Kurdish residents, representing the largest Kurdish community in Minnesota. Kurdish residents can now take written driver’s license tests in both the Sorani and Kurmanji dialects of Kurdish. Minnesota State Senator Robert Kupec emphasized the importance of the relationship between Moorhead and Zakho, highlighting how it brings the people of both cities together.

Read more: One Driver’s License at a Time

The event included a screening of a short documentary filmed by a delegation from Moorhead during their recent visit to the Kurdistan Region. Members of the delegation discussed the cuisine and traditions they experienced, along with how the trip changed their perspectives about the Middle East. One of the delegates, Scott Holdman, recently sat down with Kurdistan Chronicle for an exclusive interview. “My initial impressions were of a land that is not only beautiful and modern but also thriving in many ways,” he observed. “The region is famous worldwide for its oil, but oil is not the most valuable resource in Kurdistan – it’s the Kurds themselves.”

Jihan Brifki, a Moorhead resident and advisor to the Kurdistani Diaspora Confederation Bureau, helped organize the friendship agreement between Moorhead and Zakho and led the delegation’s trip to the Kurdistan Region last year. At the event, she presented a brief outline of the history and culture of Kurdistan to the attendees.

“The leaders from various faiths who are with us today exemplify this unity,” Brifki said at the event. “They remind us that, for thousands of years, people in Kurdistan have lived together peacefully, celebrating each other’s differences while finding common ground. Their presence here offers us a glimpse into the beauty of coexistence that defines Kurdistan.”