Taja's family denies his death

Syrian actor Khalid Taja Damascus – Rajaa Al-Eissamy The family of Syrian actor Khalid Taja has denied he is dead.  A relative wrote on Facebook: “On behalf of my uncle, the star Khalid Taja, and my family members we wish to deny news of his death broadcast by LBC and New TV.” "'We hold all these channels responsible for publication of this rumour which has caused pain to his family and friends.'' Taja is now in hospital now and his health is reportedly improving. On Thursday, news media said Taja had died in the hospital after suffering a stroke a few days ago, for which he was moved to the Al-Shamy Hospital in Damascus. Khalid was under CPR from his first day in the hospital, doctors mentioned that his condition was very dangerous. His case was diagnosed as a severe lack of oxygen which required the ICU. Before his stroke, Taja was filming for "Al-Amimi" with director Tamer Isaac. The actor apparently had a lot of work lined up before his stroke. One of Taja's famous quotes is: “I'm Kurd and I’m proud of it but at the same time I’m proud I grew up in an Arabic atmosphere. Relations between Kurds and Arabs are not new...they go back ages and it is very hard to differentiate between the two people without formally checking their race."   When asked if he meant what he said, he responded: ''Taja has always said the truth and I will never change that. I have paid the price for every true word I said. My past is proof of my honesty.'' Taja was born on September 6 1939 in Damascus's Rukn Al-din neighbourhood. He first played the role of a truck driver in 1966 in a film produced by the Damascus General Cinema Organisation. Besides movies, Taja also established a career in television and the theatre.“London Days”, “Zaman Alaar”, “Ahl Alraia”, “Alzaeaim”, “Al-Dabour” are some of his notable productions. The actor is also a strong supporter of the Syrian revolution. Taja is considered one of the founders of Syrian drama as age proved to be no barrier to his success. He created a signature style in the many diverse roles he played.