"Ey Reqîb" (Kurdish: ئەی ڕەقیب, romanized: Ey Řeqîb, pronounced [ɛj rɛˈqiːb]) is the Kurdish national anthem and the official anthem of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The poem was written in 1938 by Dildar in Sorani.
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History
It was written by the Kurdish poet and political activist, Dildar in 1938, while in jail. "Ey Reqîb" meaning "O Enemy!" refers to the jail guards in the prison where Dildar was held and tortured but also the broader oppression of Kurds.
In 1946, the poem was adopted as the national anthem of the Kurdistan Republic of Mahabad, a short-lived Kurdish republic of the 20th century in Iran that lasted for a year. "Ey Reqîb" has been adopted as the national anthem of Kurdistan Region and is also used by Kurdistan Workers' Party.
