2. • Kurdish people can claim one of the
longest ethnic histories in the Middle
East and their culture remained
distinctly different from all the others
found around it.
• This early separatism would lay the
groundwork for problems in outside
parties ruling the area.
History of the Kurds
2
3. Under the Ottoman Empire
• Starting in 1843, the Kurdish area of the
middle east fell under the Ottoman rule but
there was a massive Kurdish uprising in
1847 that lead to sudden suppression by
Ottoman forces that would continue until
the Empire fell.
• The oppression suffered under this system
led to the first attempt in organizing a
national Kurdish movement as early as
1908. 3
4. • Between 1920 and 1923, there was an uneasy peace in the
former Ottoman Empire. Territories were being created, lines
redrawn, and nationalities divided by the Allied powers, with little
regard to anything but their own interests.
• The Treaty of Sevres which was
drawn up in August of 1920, provided
for the division of Turkey. It was
between allied powers and smaller
ethnic groups that desired an independent
homeland.
• The traditional Kurdish homeland was too valuable for conflicting
parties to give up. Britain wanted to retain control of Northern
Iraq for the oil rich Mosul area. Turkey's new leader, Mustafa
Kemal also refused to give up any lands in the south to Kurds
• Soon after, Turkey passed laws prohibiting the teaching or
speaking of the Kurdish language in public places.
4
5. After World War II
• The Iranian portion of Kurdistan was under Soviet
occupation, and the Soviets allowed Qazi Mohammed, a
respected religious and political leader, to create and
lead the Mahabad Republic of Kurdistan.
• During this time Mohammed also founded the Kurdish
Democratic Party.
• Lasting less than a year, the Mahabad Republic was
never granted full independence or autonomy.
• Soviets withdrew their forces from the area in 1947 and
the Iranian central government, backed by the US and
Great Britain, destroyed the Kurdish republic and
executed the leaders. 5
6. The Problem of Iraq
• During the 1950's and 60's Iraq waged
massive campaigns to rid Iraqi territory of
Kurds. The war went on and off for nearly
twenty years, with widespread massacre
on the Kurdish people.
6
Consequences
of Racism:
Extermination
7. The Iranian Revolution
• When the Shah's authority started to crumble in 1978, Iranian Kurds
moved to take control of their own affairs.
• The Kurds lent their assistance to Ayotollah Khomeini's rise to power,
and he promised them constitutional amendments protecting their
freedoms. Predictably, Khomeini's government did not live up to its
promises and fighting again started in the Kurdish countryside.
• The Kurds could not defend themselves against the superior technology
of the Iranian government, guerrilla tactics and terrorism grew to be their
most powerful weapon.
• Internal disunion
• Split between five countries, each group of Kurds in the middle east had
different ambitions dependent on where they lived. Each had a different
government to deal with and a different set of circumstances.
• Since the early 1970's, Kurdish political parties have been fighting each
other as well as outside governments, weakening their political voice in
7
8. The Gulf War
• Iraqi military violently put down a northern Kurdish uprising.
• The United States encouraged peace accords between
Kurdish parties in Iraq, largely to weaken Saddam's authority
and to get a foothold in the area, but did nothing to help the
Kurdish dilemma in Iran or Turkey.
• More than one million Kurds fled Iraq, and about 600,000
remained in refugee camps in the northern no fly zone
created by Operation Provide Comfort.
• However clashes between rival Kurdish parties made the
government ineffective. Seeing Kurdish elections in Iraq
caused panic over Kurdish elections in Turkey, afterward the
Turkish government to banned The People's Labor Party from
parliament.
8
9. Kurdish Culture: Overview
• The Kurdish population is made up of about
25-30 million people, spread across Turkey,
Iraq, Syria, Armenia, and Iran.
• The Kurdish language is
made from a blend of Persian,
Turkish, and Arabic.
• Agriculture is a main industry
in Kurdish populated areas.
9
10. Kurdish Culture: Clothing
• Women dress
modestly, covering
themselves at least
to elbows and
knees.
• In certain countries,
it is required for
women to wear a
head covering. In
others, it is strictly
forbidden. 10
12. Kurdish Culture: Family Life
• Kurdish families are patriarchal. In
Kurdish areas, jobs do not exist for women
outside of the home.
• Marriages are decided upon by male
family members. In rural areas, the
groom’s family pays a “bride price” for the
bride’s hand in marriage. In urban areas,
payment is only required if a man chooses
to divorce his wife.
• Large families are common, as birth
control is considered immoral. 12
14. • The majority of Kurds, around 75%,
identify as Sunni Muslims.
• Kurds value hospitality, and are known to
put plans on hold at the arrival of visitors,
even when unexpected.
Kurdish Values
14
15. • Tennessee has the
largest Kurdish
population in the
country. It is also
the only place in
the country where
you can find the
Kurdish Pride gang.
Kurds in America
15
17. • 21st March: Nawroz, Kurdish New Year celebrated on the spring
equinox
• Big deal
• special foods
• fireworks
• dancing
• singing
• poetry recitations
• 5th March 1991: Uprising against Saddam Hussein’s regime
• 14th March 1903: Birthday of Mustafa Barzani
• 16th March 1988: Halabja Day
• 14th April: Commemoration of Anfal genocide campaign against
Important Dates
17
22. Primary Systems
and How They Function
Kurdish Political Organization
• Kurdish Worker’s Party (KKP)
• Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
• Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
• Komeleh
22
23. Political Systems
• Kurdish people have many political
systems
• Systems are used to advocate for:
– Language rights
– Freedom from social chauvinism
– Freedom from violence
– Kurdish independence
– Socialism
23
24. Kurdish Worker’s Party
• Main Kurdish resistance group in Turkey
• Sees the political feuds in Turkey as a
result of oppression and exploitation
• One of 19 political Kurdish political parties
in Turkey
• Has been declared illegal by the central
government of Turkey
24
25. Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
(PUK)
Kurdistan Democratic Party
(KDP)• Two Kurdish political parties in Iraq
• Works with U.S. Occupation
• Rules Iraqi Kurdistan
• Fight of economic independence
• Also advocate for basic needs of proper
water and electricity resources
25
26. Komeleh
• One of five Kurdish political parties in Iran
• Strong advocate of Women’s Rights
• 1st Kurdish organization to integrate
women into their armed forces
• Involved in the uprisings
against the central
government of Iran
26
32. Challenges for Kurdish
Immigrants
• Language
• Stress on Children
• Problems with
Authority
• PTSD, Health
Problems
• Generational
Difficulties
• Maintaining
Culture
32
33. In Nashville:
• Kurdish Cultural Institute
• Kurdish Human Rights Watch
• Nashville Kurdish Forum
• Kurdish American Youth Organization
• Tennessee Kurdish Community Council
33
• Azadi International Marke
• House of Kabob
Pluralism
34. Video Segments
34
NPT: Next Door Neighbors - Little
Kurdistan. (2013, October 4). Retrieved
from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWS
0TqtpVSc
36. Additional Photo Credits
36
Chemical Ali executed for his crimes. (2010, January 25). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Ararat News & Publishing:
www.araratnews.net/nuce.php?aid=409
Documenting the Kurdish Genocide. (2009, January 24). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Gilgamish: www.gilgamish.org/
viewarticle.php?id=English_Articles-20090124-15738
Halabjah. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Kurdistan Democratic Party: http://www.kdp.se/old/chemical.html
Iraqi Kurdistan. (2013, April 15). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization: http://
www.unpo.org/article/15730
Kurdish farmer in Iraq, 2007. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Wikimedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Kurdish_farmer_in_iraq,_2007.jpg
Kurdish Female Fighters. (2013, February). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Roj Women: http://rojwomen.files.wordpress.com/
2012/02/kurdish-female-fighters.jpg
Kurdish Population. (2013, October 4). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish_population
News/Europe. (2013, October 4). Retrieved from Voice of America: http://www.voanews.com/content/erdogan-kurdish-slaying-
stem-from-internal-dispute/1581848.html
NPT: Next Door Neighbors - Little Kurdistan. (2013, October 4). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=rWS0TqtpVSc
The Kurdish Immigrant Experience and a Growing American Community. (2013, October 4). Retrieved from The Kurdish Herald:
http://www.kurdishherald.com/issue/v002/001/article04.php
Turkey in 2030. (2013, October 4). Retrieved from Dimi's Lab on Global Politics: http://rapidis.blogactiv.eu/2012/12/12/turkey-
in-2030/
Understanding the Turkey-Kurd Conflict. (1999, March 2). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from Infoplease: http://infoplease.com/spot/
kurds1.html
