Omar Sheikhmous

Sheikhmous, Omar – Born in Amouda in the Kurdish areas of Syria (Aldjazira);Studied
International relations, Political Science and International Politics at the Universities of London and Stockholm. Published works on the Kurds, human rights, migration and Islam.
During his student years, he was a member of the executive committee of the “Kurdish Students’ Society in Europe” and editor of it’s English-language magazine, “Kurdistan”.
After graduation, he was a university lecturer in political science at Stockholm University and a lecturer/researcher of International Migration and Ethnic Relations. He also taught special courses on religion, society and politics in the Middle East.
Latest research projects were on social adaptation and popular religiosity among Moslem immigrants in Sweden, A comparative study of Islamic Fundamentalism and Genocidal Campaigns against the Kurds in Iraq and Turkey.
Member of the Board of the University of HTU in Sweden. Member
of Swedish PEN and part of a dialogue group with the Minister of
Immigration on migration and integration issues and the Foreign Ministry of Sweden on ”Euro-Islam”.
In the ’60, ‘70s &´ 80s, he assisted Kurdish resistance movements in Iran and Iraq and was editor of some of their newspapers in Kurdish, Arabic and English. One of the founders of PUK in 1975 a member of its leadership organs, including the political bureau in charge of foreign relations until 1986.
For a number of years, together with his Swedish wife, he joined the
ranks of the Kurdish Pesh Mergas (partisans) who fought the regime of Saddam Hussein for Kurdish self-government in Iraq.
Omar joined the Kurdish Service of VOA as Senior Editor in 2001 and in 2005 became Chief of the Kurdish Service until 2007.
* A founding member of The Swedish Committee for the Human Rights of the Kurds “SKKMR” and its Aid and development organ “Qandil”. 1989- 1995.
* Founding Member of The “Patriotic Union of Kurdistan – PUK” in Iraqi Kurdistan and a member of its leadership and in charge of its “Foreign Relations Committee” 1975- 1986.
• Recent Positions:
• Personal Advisor to President of Iraq, Jelal Talabani, 2007-2012.
• Advisor to the Chairman of the Syrian National Council, 2012.
• Candidate for the “Council of Wisemen” of the Syrian Opposition,
2012.
• Team trainer, organiser and lecturer in Management and Leadership
for Syrian Local Councils, Coordinating Committees and Civil
Society Organisations in association with Coffey International in
Britain, in contract with Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(FCO) and the Department for Foreign International Development
(DFID), since December 2012.
• One of the founders of The Syrian Centre for Communication and
Cooperation for the Kurdish regions – SCCCK- and a member of its
Executive Committee in February 2013.
• Stretegic Advisor to Aktisstrategy in United Kingdom for projects on Peace Building and Governance in Syria since July, 2013.
• Chairman of AVA-SCCCK, NGO for support to the Kurdish Regions in Syria, August 2014.
*Since 2018, engaged in a non-declared diplomatic effort in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria within the Syrian Independent Advisory Group and in developing a constitutional framework for Language and cultural rights for non-Arab speaking groups in Syria.