Where do the Kurds live? The Kurds are the descendants of the Aryans, whom the parasites are diligently destroying

NAME: KURDS

AREA: Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany

NUMBER: 5-22 million

LANGUAGE: Kurdish

RELIGION: Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Yarsanism, Yazidism, Alevism and Judaism.

• INTRODUCTION

The Kurds almost never had their own country. “Kurdistan” is a mountainous region where the borders of Iraq, Iran and Turkey intersect. The average altitude is 1,950 meters above sea level and much of the land is inaccessible (or difficult to access) for habitation. For most of their history, Kurds were part of the population of the Persian and Ottoman empires. (The Persian Empire became modern Iran. The Ottoman Empire became modern Türkiye).

From 1920 to 1923 there was an independent Kurdistan. In 1923 it was divided between two countries, modern Iraq and Turkey. Since then, the Kurds have settled in the territories of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. They struggled to create an independent nation. Guerrilla fighters, the so-called peshmerga (those who stare death in the face), are fighting to reclaim territory for Kurdistan. Long years of war and hostility between Iran and Iraq have put the Kurds in a very difficult situation. Both countries have large Kurdish communities who are constantly affected by the fighting between the two countries. In Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is a radical group that campaigns for the independence of Kurdistan. The PKK is a terrorist organization. They sometimes resort to killing civilians to further their cause. Because of this, many Kurds oppose them.

• AREAL

According to various estimates, the Kurdish population ranges from 5 to 22 million. There are more Kurds in Turkey than anywhere else. They are the second largest ethnic group in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, and the third (after Azerbaijanis) in Iran. Kurds also live in Lebanon, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany and other places throughout Europe, the US, Canada and Australia. Although Kurds live in all these countries, they are not ethnically related to Turks, Arabs or Iranians.

Kurdish is similar to Persian (or Farsi) spoken in Iran. Kurdish, like Persian, has also borrowed many words from Arabic. Until 1991, it was illegal to speak Kurdish in Turkey except at home. Kurds highly value good knowledge of their national language. Its skillful use and writing of poems in Kurdish are considered important skills.

Modern Kurdish names are mostly Arabic or Persian. Usually the mother gives the name to the child. Kurds traditionally did not use surnames, so most modern surnames are tribal designations or geographic locations.

• FOLKLORE

Modern Kurds are descendants of ancient Indo-European peoples known as the Medes. They moved to the Middle East 4,000 years ago. The Muslim hero Saladin (Salah al-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub, 1137-93 AD) was a Kurd, as were many of his soldiers. Saladin became sultan (king) of Egypt and Syria in 1174.

The famous tale "Kawe the Blacksmith and Zohak" explains the origins of Nowruz, the Persian New Year celebration. According to this story, Zohak was an evil king who enslaved the Kurds. One day on the first day of spring, the blacksmith Kave inspired the Kurds to revolt against Zohak. They surrounded Zohak's palace, and Kaveh slipped past the king's guards. He grabbed Zohak by the neck with the powerful hand of a blacksmith and hit him on the head with a hammer. The Kurds lit bonfires on the mountaintops to announce their freedom from Zohak. The story is said to have taken place around 700 BC.

• RELIGION

Christianity

Yarsanism

Yazdanism

Zoroastrianism

• MAIN HOLIDAYS

The most important Kurdish holiday is Nowruz or Persian New Year. It is celebrated during the vernal equinox or the first day of spring (March 21). On this day, special dishes are prepared, fireworks are set off and a celebration is held with dancing, singing and poetry reading. They arrange bouquets of spring flowers (such as tulips, hyacinths and willows), put on new clothes, and break pottery for good luck. Families spend the day outside the city, enjoying nature and the freshness of spring weather. For thirteen days after Nowruz, families visit each other, as well as the graves of deceased relatives. Everyone is trying to resolve any conflicts or misunderstandings that may have remained from last year.

Even though most Kurds are no longer nomads, they continue to celebrate important dates associated with this way of life. These include, for example, the “time of lambs,” the celebration before moving the flock to summer pastures, the shearing of sheep and the time of returning to the village in the fall. The importance of Islamic holidays varies among individual Kurds.

• RITES

The most important occasion for celebration in the life of a Kurd is a wedding. Kurds marry young, around seventeen or eighteen years old. The bride is wearing gold bracelets, earrings and necklaces, as well as a new dress and shoes. The highlight of the wedding is the public procession from the bride's house to the groom's house.

When they reach the groom's house, the veiled bride enters the house and sits quietly in the corner of the room while the guests celebrate and dance in the street. Horse riding is also traditional in some areas.

Parents and relatives celebrate the birth of a child, especially their first son. Most boys are circumcised within the first week after birth. In some more traditional Kurdish communities, boys are circumcised at the age of ten, a tradition accompanied by a large feast.

• RELATIONSHIP

Family is of great importance to Kurds. Families are patriarchal, the clan is built along the male line. Marriage between first cousins ​​is common. A man often marries the daughter of one of his father's brothers. This practice is common in many cultures.

Kurds have inherited tribal leadership. However, local leaders are elected based on their personal qualities, including integrity, generosity, and skill in dealing with government officials.

• LIFESTYLE

Most Kurds live in small villages in remote mountainous areas. A typical Kurdish house is built of clay bricks with a wooden roof. In summer, Kurds sleep on the roof because it is cooler there. Some houses have basement rooms, which are sometimes used in winter to shelter from the cold. There is almost never any plumbing inside the house. Water is brought into the house in jars and cans from the main village well. There is no central heating.

Some Kurdish nomads live in tents made of skins. Large family clans organize their tents into communities.

There are only a few Kurdish cities: Diyarbakir (a kind of Kurdish capital) and Van in Turkey, Erbil and Kirkuk in Iraq, Mahabad in Iran.

• FAMILY LIFE

Few Kurds marry non-Kurds. Couples may live with one spouse's family after marriage, but they have their own rooms and maintain separate households. Men and women work in the fields, and boys and girls begin to help them at an early age.

Traditionally, Kurdish women do not wear the hijab unless it is part of a marriage ceremony. They attend freely with men at most gatherings. If there is no worthy male heir, a woman can become the tribal leader. Even today, living in countries with conservative Islamic governments, many Kurdish women fight alongside men as peshmerga (guerrilla fighters). More than 1,000 peshmerga are women. The Kurdistan Radical Workers' Party (PKK) promotes women's freedom.

Traditionally, Kurdish women wore colorful skirts and blouses. Men wore baggy, colorful pants with a simple shirt with very large sleeves that were tied at the elbow. Bright vests and belts (often red) were worn over the shirt. The man wore a blue silk turban on his head, and the costume was often complemented by a dagger, which was worn on his belt. Kurdish nomads shaved their heads and wore long mustaches. Women wore bright, colorful clothes with lots of embroidery.

Traditional costumes have become rare. Kurds usually dress the same as other people in the countries where they live. In Iran, women are required to wear a veil covering their hair and clothing. In Turkey, however, the government has banned women from covering their hair in universities and at work in public places. Women should wear Western style clothing. In Iraq, men wear wool coats and vests, checkered scarves on their heads and baggy trousers. Women wear Muslim-style dresses, often with baggy trousers underneath. Traditional Kurdish shoes, klashis, are soft knitted moccasins with flexible soles.

Bulgur (cracked wheat) used to be a staple food for the Kurds. Rice is becoming increasingly popular. The Kurdish diet includes a large amount of fruits and vegetables. Cucumbers are especially common. In the valleys where grapes are grown, raisins and grape jam are common. Meat is eaten only on special occasions. A common drink is tea. A traditional Kurdish dish is a special bread that is eaten for breakfast with any kind of grain cooked with whey.

Bread recipe.

Nane Kasoki

(bulgur bread)

Ingredients:

2 cups bulgur

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 cups boiling water

2 cups unbleached flour

How to cook:

Mix bulgur, salt and onion.

Pour boiling water and leave for 30 minutes.

Place everything in a food processor for about 20 seconds.

Add 1 cup flour and turn the processor back on until the mixture has a smooth texture.

(You can also work the flour by hand if you don't have a food processor.)

Place the mixture on a clean, well-floured surface and knead the dough, adding flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking, the dough will cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Cover it and let it sit for 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Place a large baking sheet (or two small ones) on the bottom rack of the oven, leaving about 3 centimeters between the baking sheet and the oven walls. Preheat the oven to 230°C.

After the dough has rested, divide it into 8 equal parts, flatten each of them and place on a floured surface.

Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough to a very thin circle with a diameter of about 20-25 centimeters.

Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 1.5 - 2 minutes. Flip and bake for another minute until the bread is browned around the edges.

Note: For crispier bread, increase baking time until bread is completely brown.

Wrap the baked bread in a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm while you bake the rest of the dough. Serve warm or at room temperature. This amount of ingredients makes 8 servings.

• EDUCATION

Schools are not very widely available. When such an opportunity exists, classes are not taught in Kurdish, so many children find it difficult to study and drop out of school. The literacy rate (ability to read and write) among Kurds is very low. Girls often do not attend school at all. Traditionally, they are expected to do housework.

• CULTURAL HERITAGE

Kurdish culture has a rich oral tradition. The most popular are the epic poems called laws. They often talk about love adventures or battles.

Kurdish literature first appeared in the seventh century. In 1596, Sharaf Khan, the emir of Bitlis, wrote a history of the Kurds in Persian called Sharafnama. Almost a hundred years later, in 1695, the great national epic Memozin was written in Kurdish by Ahmed Hani.

Traditional music is played on the flute, drums and oud (an instrument similar to a guitar). The music of Shivan Perwer, a Kurdish pop artist, was banned in Turkey and Iraq in the 1980s, so he left there to live and work in Sweden.

• JOB

Most Kurds are farmers, sheep and goat herders. They sell products they get from their herd, such as leather, goat cheese and wool. Women weave carpets and cloth to sell at the market. Some Kurds grow tobacco. Turkish Kurds grow cotton. A few mountain Kurds are still nomadic pastoralists.

In cities, Kurds work as shopkeepers, plumbers, teachers, bankers, etc. Kurds work as unskilled laborers in large Turkish cities, as well as in Baghdad and Mosul in Iraq, and Tehran in Iran. Some urban Kurds work as masons, butchers, cattle traders, and petty traders. Oil fields in Turkey and Iraq have recently attracted many Kurdish workers. Those who are able to go abroad find many jobs and send money home.

• SPORT

Popular sports include football, wrestling, hunting and shooting, as well as jirit, a traditional sport that involves throwing a javelin while riding a horse. Horse and camel racing is popular in rural areas.

• RECREATION AND ENTERTAINMENT

Only men can get together in the evening or go somewhere. They often sit in teahouses and cafes, playing backgammon or dominoes. A favorite pastime is listening to cassettes or live singers in cafes. Singers have only recently been allowed to sing publicly in Kurdish.

• HOBBIES AND CRAFTS

Weaving (carpets) is by far the most significant Kurdish folk art. Other crafts: embroidery, leather goods, metal ornaments. The Kurds are especially famous for their copper products.

• SOCIAL PROBLEMS

The biggest problem for the Kurds is the reluctance of the peoples in which they live to give them cultural independence. The Kurds do not currently want an independent state. They only want to be able to maintain their language and culture.

During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), the Iraqi government committed genocide to stop the Kurds from fighting for Iran. Thousands of villages were destroyed and tens of thousands of Kurds were killed and buried in mass graves. The Iraqi government also used nerve gas (purchased from European governments) against Kurdish civilians and Iranian soldiers. As a result, thousands of civilians were killed.

One of the worst killings occurred in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja. The entire population of the city was killed. After the Gulf War (1991), thousands of Kurds were forced to leave refugee camps. Some of these areas are currently protected by the United Nations (UN).

Since 1991, the Turkish government has attacked Kurdish civilian centers in UN-protected areas. Thousands of Kurds fled to Iran. The government there is less hostile, but has problems supporting millions of refugees. Worse, there is also fighting between the Kurds. Two Kurdish rebel groups have fought small wars against those who truly represent the Kurdish people. Meanwhile, Kurdish civilians continue to suffer.

The Kurds are a Middle Eastern people primarily living in four countries: Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. There are quite a few of them in the CIS.In total, there are about 35 in the world today- 40 million Kurds.

It is the largest nation in the world that does not have its own national state. Today, Kurds are forced to settle for minority status in their countries.

Religion among the Kurds

The religious palette of the Kurdish population of the Middle East is quite diverse. Despite the fact that the majority profess Sunni Islam, Shiism, Christianity, and other beliefs are quite popular among Kurds. However, the most unique and original beliefs of the Kurds are considered to be Yazidism and Bahaism.

Yezidism

Yezidism (translated from Old Iranian “yazd” - “God”)- a religion that has absorbed some elements of all Abrahamic faiths in combination with Zoroastrianism. The basis of the creed is the belief in the existence of God and his seven angels, who serve as objects of worship. In addition, the Yazidis revere the sun as a heavenly body, and therefore they are often called “sun worshippers.”

The Yazidis believe that the creator of all things was God, who has no time boundaries, and his 7 angels helped him in this. According to their teaching, God has several names that characterize His attributes and qualities.

Yezidism is a rather ancient form of belief, and therefore the old prayers that they offer to their God have been preserved in it. According to one of them, in the world 90 thousand years before the creation of Adam (a.s.) there was a person who professed the “true religion”. According to another prayer, the whole world is divided into 73 nations, for each of which the Yezidis ask grace from their Lord.

Due to the constant persecution of the Yazidis in the Middle Ages, many books were lost. By the middle of the 11th century, the Yezidis were content only with the knowledge that they passed on from generation to generation orally, since all written sources were destroyed. The situation changed when one of the most famous preachers of that time, Sheikh Adi ibn Musaffir, took up the reformation of religion, who significantly complemented Yezidism and outlined its postulates in his two main works - “Kitebe Jelve” (“Book of Revelation”) and “Meshafe Rash” ( "Black Scroll")

According to these texts, Adi is God's prophet who existed before the creation of mankind and was sent down by God to guide the Yazidis on the path of truth. At the same time, the Yezidis are recognized as God’s chosen people, who must memorize all texts and hide them from non-believers.

Some Yazidis believe that they all descended from the Umayyad caliph Yazid, son of Mu'awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan. A similar account is contained in the “Black Scroll,” which tells the story of how Muawiyah was next to the Prophet Muhammad (s.w.w.), and that it was he who was destined to become the father of the god Yazid. However, this legend contradicts ancient Yazidi sources, and therefore this opinion is not shared by all Yazidis.

Most modern Yazidis generally follow the model proposed by Adi ibn Musaffir, who incorporated many tenets of other religions into Yezidism. In particular, from Judaism he borrowed the belief in God's chosen people, from Christianity - the ritual of communion with wine and water baptism, but most of all Adi borrowed from Islam. Apparently, the reason for this was the sheikh’s residence among Muslims.

Baha'ism

Baha'ism is a doctrine that arose on the basis of the tenets of Islam in the 19th century. Its founder is considered to be the Iranian cleric Hussein Ali Nuri, better known as Baha'u'llah. He himself, although he was a follower of another false prophet - the Bab (an Iranian preacher who lived in the first half of the 19th century, the founder of Babism), nevertheless created his own teaching, which today is followed by more than 5 million people around the world.

The basis of Baha'ism is the belief in the existence of one God, who appeared in the earthly world in human form 9 times. Baha'is consider the manifestations of God to be: the prophets Ibrahim (a.s.) and Musa (a.s.), Buddha, Zarathustra, Krishna, the prophets Isa (a.s.) and Muhammad (s.g.w.), the Bab and himself Bahá'u'lláh. But at the same time, the Bab appears as the most important theophany, which is higher in status than others.

Baha'ism is based on the doctrine of the unity not only of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), but also of all. This explains the veneration of Buddha or Krishna. Bahá'ís are confident that throughout history there has existed and will continue to exist one single faith, which has taken different forms in various states.

Baha'ism has become a kind of form of religious globalism, since this teaching calls for the unification of all peoples and faiths, for the establishment of universal equality. In addition, the Bahá'ís actively advocated the creation of a single international language, which all people should study, along with their native one, and the establishment of an international court that would resolve all existing contradictions on a planetary scale.

In addition, every Bahá'í is required to pray three times daily, as well as fast once a year, abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours. The fast ends with the celebration of the New Year (Nauruz). Baha'is also use their own calendar, which consists of 19 months. One month is equal to 19 days.

An equally important duty for Bahá'ís is to know God and the world around them. At the same time, according to the teaching, a person must independently interpret sacred texts, without resorting to the help of clergy. For this reason, Baha'ism places special emphasis on the education of believers. Religion should not conflict with science, since these are two complementary models of knowledge. According to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, if religion contradicts science, then there is a threat of the spread of prejudice and insanity, and science without religion leads to materialism.

Famous Kurds

Despite the lack of their own state, the Kurdish people have given the world many famous people who have left their mark on history. The most famous Kurds are considered Sefi ad-Din, the founder of the Iranian ruling dynasty of the Safavids, as well as Saladdin, the great Muslim conqueror, famous for his wars with the crusaders and the capture of Jerusalem.

Who are the Kurds?

Currently, the Kurds inhabiting Iraq, Turkey and Iran do not have their own independent state, but throughout their history the Kurds have strived for its creation.

Who are the Kurds? Where did they come from in the Middle East? There are many theories about the origin of the Kurds. According to the theory of V. Minorsky, the Kurds are the descendants of the ancient Medes, and since the time when the state of Media was liquidated by the Achaemenids, the Kurds have been unable to create their own state. But the Kurds (formerly Medes) became known by their name during the Arab conquests. From the 7th to the 9th centuries, Kurdistan became part of the Arab Caliphate.

But there are other theories about the origin of the Kurds. Some researchers believe that the Kurds already existed during the Sumerian civilization (end of the 4th millennium BC) and were an integral part of the Hurrian people who were numerous at that time (by the way, the Urartians were also part of the Hurrian people). The Hurrians are the southern part of all the ancient peoples of the Caucasus. But the Hurrians spoke the Hurrian language, which belongs to the Caucasian languages ​​(the languages ​​of the Caucasian language family of peoples). Therefore, the Kurds acquired their modern language from the Persians, since they lived under their rule for a long time.

According to another theory, the ancestors of the Kurds are ancient Indo-Europeans who penetrated the territory of Asia Minor at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC (together with the Hittites, Luwians and Palais). If we know the history of the Hittites and Luwians well, we know the history of the Palais poorly.

According to my version, the Palayans and eastern groups of Phrygians became the basis for the formation of the Armenian people at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. The Armenians occupied the territory of the former state of Urartu and created the state of Greater Armenia there. And the territory of this state was large - from the shores of the Caspian Sea to the shores of the Black and Mediterranean Seas. And I had a question - isn’t the ancient history of the Armenian and Kurdish people common???

Let's see what events took place in those places in those days. Around 1100 BC, the “Sea Peoples” destroyed the Hittite state, which was inhabited by Hittites and Palais. The Phrygians (Mushki) actively participated in the destruction of the Hittite state. At the same time, the main territory of the Hittite state became part of the Phrygian state. And it was precisely at these same times that the formation of the Armenian people began (based on the Palayans and the eastern group of Phrygians). Around the same time, the Urartian people were formed from the Hurrian tribes in the same places, which created the large state of Urartu on the territory of the South Caucasus. The ancient Armenians (in the west of Urartu) and the Urartians (Hurrians), living in the eastern part of Urartu, lived as part of this state. At that time, south of Urartu, there was a powerful Assyrian state, whose people, the Assyrians, spoke mainly Aramaic (a Semitic language). If we consider the Urartians to be the ancestors of the Kurds (their language at that time was still Hurrian), we will see that the history of the ancient Armenians and Kurds in those days was common.

In the 7th and early 6th centuries BC, Urartu was severely defeated by Assyria, and then it was finally destroyed by Media. Soon Media itself fell under the rule of the Persians and became part of the Achaemenid state. Perhaps it was at this time that the ancient Kurds (Uratti) began to use more and more Median and Persian languages. It was after these times that they retained their modern language (the language of the Western Iranian group of languages). And the ancient Armenians retained their language, since they lived more distantly from the Persians and Medes.

After the disappearance of Urartu, the Armenians created their own state, recognizing dependence on the Achaemenids, then on the Macedonian and Seleucids. During this period, it gradually strengthened, and finally, during the period of weakening of the Seleuciles, Great Armenia became the largest state in the Middle East. The ancient Kurds and Armenians began to live in the same state again. But this period ended when the Roman and Parthian empires appeared on the international scene. And Armenia became the site of the struggle between the Roman (then Byzantine) and Parthian (Persian) empires. During these wars, Armenia was constantly divided into spheres of influence. This state finally disappeared when it was conquered by the Arabs in the 7th century AD. At this time, the Kurds already had their modern name, the Armenians also retained their name and their language.

During the weakening of the Caliphate, the Kurds created their independent principalities of Shahrezur and Mervanids. But these states were defeated by the Seljuk Turks and Mongols.

The numerous Kurdish feudal states into which Kurdistan was divided in the Middle Ages were only nominally part of despotic monarchies. They maintained their independence. In 1514, after the Battle of Chaldiran, Kurdistan was divided between Turkey and Iran.

But why do peoples so close in history - Armenians and Kurds - have such different results? This happened (in my opinion) because Russia intervened in the events in the Middle East and was able to take the Armenians under the protection (and they now have their own state). And the Kurds currently do not have their own state

(The territory of Kurdistan is divided between Turkey, Iraq and Iran.).

For reference

Kurds - n A people of Indo-European origin, widely distributed across four states. The Kurds are a mountainous and historically nomadic people, numbering between 25 and 35 million.

The Kurds live in half a million square kilometers of mountainous territory stretching from southeast Turkey to central Iran, including Iraq and Syria.

The majority of Kurds (12-15 million) live in Turkey, making up a fifth of the country's population. The Kurdish population of Iran is about five million, which is about 10% of the population, in Iraq it is 4.6 million (15-20%), and in Syria it is about two million (9%).

Despite the lack of statehood, the Kurds have retained their language, traditions and clan form of social organization.

Kurds have a large European diaspora. According to Council of Europe data on the Kurdish diaspora: 800,000 in Germany, 100,000 in Sweden, 90,000 in the UK and 120,000 - 150,000 in France.

Kurds have two distinct dialects. Kurmanji is spoken in Syria, Turkey, northern Iraqi Kurdistan and all countries of the former USSR; Sorani is spoken in Iran and Iraq. Zazaki is spoken in Turkish Kurdistan and is primarily spoken in the Tunceli province.

Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims. The Shia Kurds who lived in Iraq were killed or deported by Saddam Hussein in 1987-1988. Some of the Shiite Kurds who fled Iraq are now living in refugee camps in Iran. In addition, a Shia Kurdish community lives in southern Iran.

Information taken

The Kurds are the world's largest stateless nation. At the same time, the average person knows practically nothing about this proud and mysterious people.

Who are the Kurds?

The Kurds are an ancient people uniting many tribes and inhabiting mainly the mountainous region of Western Asia, called Kurdistan. Modern Kurdistan is located in the territories of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Kurds lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, their main occupations are cattle breeding and agriculture.

Scientists have not established the exact origin of the Kurds. The ancestors of the Kurds are called both the Scythians and the ancient Medes. Scientists prove the closeness of the Kurdish people to the Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian and Jewish peoples.

Most Kurds profess Islam. There are also Christians, Jews and Yezidis among them.

The exact number of Kurds is unknown

In total, from 20 to 40 million Kurds live in the world: 13–18 million in Turkey, 3.5–8 million in Iran, more than 6 million in Iraq, almost 2 million in Syria, about 2.5 million more Kurds live in communities in Europe, Asia and America. The exact number of this people is unknown, since a population census has never been carried out in areas inhabited by Kurds.

Mark on history

Kurdistan, due to its central geopolitical location in the Middle East, has been the theater of wars of conquest, civil strife and predatory raids since Mesopotamian times. During the Arab conquest, most Kurds converted to Islam.

Under the Abbasid dynasty of Arab caliphs, which came to power in 750, all Muslims of other nations were given equal rights with the Arabs. This led to peace in the Caliphate, and representatives of non-Arab peoples had more opportunities to make political careers. Apparently, the Kurds got along well with the Arabs, because their compatriot Jaban Sahabi was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad.

After the collapse of the Caliphate and the Turkish invasion, a Kurdish national state was never created. At the same time, people who came from this people often became rulers of other nations. They founded the Ayyubid dynasty, which ruled in the Middle East in 1169-1525, and the Shaddadid dynasty, which ruled in Transcaucasia in the 11th-12th centuries.

In the 16th century, Kurdistan was divided between the Turks, who captured almost the entire Middle East, and the Persians. For centuries, the Kurds played a significant role in the border wars between Turkey and Iran, and the rulers of both countries did not interfere much in the internal affairs of Kurdistan, where local affairs were controlled by tribal leaders.

But the Safavid dynasty, founded by the Kurds, ruled from the beginning of the 14th century in the Iranian province of Azerbaijan, and in 1501-1722 and 1729-1736 - all of Persia.

The famous eastern ruler and commander Saladin was a Kurd.

Few people know that Sultan Salah ad-Din, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, the ruler of almost the entire Middle East and North Africa in the 12th century, was a Kurd. He is known in Europe under the name Saladin, primarily as a talented commander and leader of the Saracens in the confrontation with the crusaders.

For example, in the Battle of Hattin, Saladin completely defeated the crusaders, the entire flower of chivalry either died or was captured by him, including the King of Jerusalem. After the victory, he captured Jerusalem, acting extremely nobly at that time in relation to the vanquished: everyone was allowed to leave the city and keep their property (which they could take with them) for a small ransom.

Subsequently, despite the varying success of the war with the odious leader of the third crusade, Richard the Lionheart, a peace treaty was still signed on the terms of Saladin.

The image of the noble and wise Saladin is often used in films about the Crusades and literature.

Has the Kurdish nation state never existed?

This hypothesis is not true.

Several national Kurdish states are known to history. The most durable of them turned out to be the Ardalan Khanate, which was located in the border areas of the Ottoman Empire and Persia and ceased to exist only in the 19th century. At various times, starting from the 16th century, the Khanate became a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire or Persia, and at times was completely independent.

Later state formations created by the Kurds were not recognized by the world community and did not last very long.

The Ararat Kurdish Republic is a self-proclaimed state of the Kurds, located on the territory of modern Turkey, and existed in 1927-1930.

The Kingdom of Kurdistan - a self-proclaimed state created on the territory of modern Iraqi Kurdistan, existed in 1921-1924

The Mehabad Republic, a self-proclaimed Kurdish state in Iranian Kurdistan, existed for only 11 months in 1946.

Kurdish issue

Organized Kurdish resistance for self-determination and the creation of an independent Kurdistan clearly begins to appear only in the 19th century and intensifies in the 20th century. This was due to the oppression and repression of the Kurdish people by the ruling regimes, sometimes with the aim of forced assimilation. The most serious clashes occurred in Turkey during the reign of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Promises of increased freedoms and autonomy made to the Kurds in exchange for support in the War of Independence were not kept after the victory. The subsequent uprisings were brutally suppressed, the Kurds were officially forbidden to speak their native language, the words “Kurdistan” and “Kurds” were taboo - from then on they were supposed to be called mountain Turks.

Iraqi Kurdistan currently has the greatest autonomy, which it received after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and Kurd Jalal Husamaddin Talabani was the president of Iraq from 2005 to 2014.

The war in Syria, or rather its end and subsequent possible democratization, opens up the possibility of gaining autonomy for the Syrian Kurds. Türkiye remains the most ardent opponent of Kurdish self-determination, fearing Kurdish separatism in Turkey itself.

Who are the Peshmerga?

Often in news feeds about military events in the Middle East, information about the Peshmerga - Kurdish self-defense units - flashes.

Living in conditions of constant danger has taught the Kurds to always be ready for war, and in recent decades the threat from radical Islamists has grown exponentially.

Self-defense units were created at the end of the 19th century and since then have shown themselves in all conflicts that in one way or another affected the territory of Kurdistan. Peshmerga literally means “those facing death.”

The image of a modern Peshmerga warrior as a bearded man with an AKM does not correspond to reality. Today these are well-equipped fighters, and the units themselves represent almost a regular army with heavy artillery and armored vehicles. Peshmerga formations are recognized as one of the most combat-ready forces in the Middle East and number 150,000 - 200,000 fighters.

In recent months, in connection with military operations in Syria and especially in connection with the active and unsightly role of Turkey in them, more and more often the media are mentioning Kurds who are actively fighting in Syria and opposing jihadists from ISIS and other terrorist organizations. For this they are subjected to genocide both by terrorists and by the Turkish government.

But how did it turn out that the Kurds are fighting in Syria, and also live in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and even Russia? What are these warlike people, which, if not for this military conflict in the Middle East, the average media consumer would never have known about? The history of this people is ancient and tragic. First of all, it is worth saying that, having lived in their ancestral territories for thousands of years, the Kurds in recent history do not have their own state.

The territories where the Kurds live are now called Kurdistan, which is located at the junction of modern Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. In total there are about 30 million Kurds, including significant Kurdish diasporas in Europe, for example, there are about 800,000 Kurds in Germany, 100,000 in Sweden, 90,000 in the UK (from Iraq) and about 150,000 in France. Kurds live in Russia and Kazakhstan.

Until the 20s of the 20th century, almost all of Kurdistan, with the exception of its Iranian part, was part of the Ottoman Empire. After its collapse as a result of the First World War, the Kurds hoped to find their own state and even created Ararat Kurdish Republic in 1927 in eastern Turkey, they appealed to the League of Nations for its recognition, but in 1930 the Turks liquidated the republic with the help of the army.

He said: « Kurds and Yazidis descend from Aryans. But, since the Yazidis are a very closed community, they retained their white skin, blond hair and blue eyes in their appearance. They do not marry non-Yazidis. ISIS captured 300 Yazidi women from Sinjar to marry them and have Muslim children with them. If they cannot kill all the Yazidis, they will try to destroy the blond bloodline..."

This policy has been going on for centuries. Indeed, since the invasion of the Islamic Arabs in the Middle East, the population of the conquered countries was subjected to forced Islamization and assimilation. Those who refused to betray the faith of their ancestors were mercilessly physically destroyed. The Yazidis were no exception. The Arabs dealt them one of the most powerful blows. Many Yazidis were forced to convert to Islam.

In 1920, near the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, archaeologists found a scroll known as "Sulaimani parchment", 7th century AD with a short poem lamenting the Arab invasion (Crying about the Arabian invasion) and their destruction of the shrines of Zoroastrianism in the Kurdish principalities, including Shahrezur.

Temples are destroyed, lights are extinguished.
The great of the great hid.
The Arab oppressors destroyed
Peasant villages to Shahrezur.
Women and girls were captured.
Brave men lie in blood.
Vera Zardushta remained abandoned.
Ahrumazda does no good to anyone.

We are witnessing that Islamists still do not give up their attempts to destroy remnants of the white race in the Middle East, whether through assimilation or physical destruction. Iraqi Yazidis say they have suffered 72 genocides since the Ottoman Empire and continue to do so to this day, now at the hands of ISIS. During this time, their numbers fell from several million to approximately 700,000.

It is mistakenly believed that the name Yezidis and Yezidism originate from the Umayyad caliph Yazid I (Yazid ibn Muawiya), whose troops in the 7th century AD. defeated the army of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein and killed him. This is also where Muslims’ hatred of the Yezidis comes from, although the latter are called by the Persian word ized (ized) , which means worshiper of god.

Another reason that Muslims have found for persecuting the Yazidis is their “sectarianism” and “devil worship.” However, there are no devils in the Yazidi religion, but there is a creator God, the creator of the Universe, Huade, his seven angels and the supreme angel Malak Tavus in the form of a peacock, which Muslims identify with Iblis or the fallen angel.

The “sectarianism” of the Yezidis lies in the fact that they all must observe their customs and strictly obey their laws, which include the caste structure of their community (remember that the Hindus’ society is also strictly divided into castes, which were brought to them by the Slavic-Aryans).

The Yazidis have two main castes, which represent the spiritual and secular classes, the first is divided into several subcastes. The most important caste is sheikhs(elders) led by a baba sheikh, leading the services in the temple in Lales, a place of pilgrimage for the Yazidis. Next come feasts(clerics), assistants to sheikhs ( fakirs), fundraisers ( Kavala) and predictors ( kuchaki). The second caste is the laity - followers (murids) of various families of sheikhs.

Yazidis can only marry within their own caste or sub-caste. They do not have the right to marry representatives of other nationalities or religions, otherwise they cease to be Yazidis and society expels them. It is impossible to become a Yazidi if your parents are not Yazidis, and both of them.

Anyone who converts to another religion automatically ceases to be a Yazidi. Yazidis believe that after death their soul incarnates into a newborn member of their community, and that the purification of their soul can only occur through continuous rebirth. Therefore, the most terrible thing for a Yazidi is his expulsion from society, because then the soul can never be cleansed or saved. Although now, due to the genocide of the Yazidis by terrorists of the Islamic State, the Kurds are allowed to symbolically adopt Yazidism in order to draw attention to the extermination of the Yazidis.