The Egyptian film star and the Arab world’s most famous comedian, Adel Imam, expressed his solidarity with Kurds and said their voices should be heard during his Kurdistan region visit on Wednesday.

The famed comedian and his son, Rami, were invited by an unnamed Kurdish businessman to visit the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

To tackle the Kurdish issue, Imam advised Kurds to spread their culture and arts internationally.

“We know everything about Kurds’ problems and we are aware of the rights they demand, and what you want… We know your right in education and it is your right, but you lack the ability to express yours issues and your voice should be heard,” Iraq-based Shafaq News reported him as saying.

The actor said he was embraced by Kurds and his relation with Kurdish people are growing. “I know that you love Adel Imam, and Adel Imam loves you too,” eKurd website reported.

The actor called for peace and expressed his concern over unrests in the region.

“We are all experiencing difficult situations and it is our right to live well and think well, I am watching foreign channels daily which show their people are happy, we want to be happy too, we do not know how to be happy, this is a big loss.”

Late September, Imam won his appeal against “insulting Islam” charges in a number of his films and plays, local media reported.

The judge at the Misdemeanors Court in Cairo said he had watched the films in question and ruled they did not defame Islam, Al Ahram newspaper said.

In April, a Cairo court upheld a three-month jail sentence for Imam, on charges of insulting Islam.

Imam, who is considered to be one of the Arab world’s biggest film stars, with 40 years of box office hits in and plays under his belt, was sentenced in absentia by a lower court in February.