The Kurdish People:
A people with a population of around 40 million mostly living in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, have been around for a very long time. Kurdish people have a beautiful culture consisting of delicious cooked dishes, amazing music, gorgeous clothes, and many more to describe and show their culture off.
Most of the Kurdish population as said previously live in those four countries but some are living in the United States, Russia, and many more European countries as well. They have their own language and it includes three dialects within the language as well. They are a proud people who have struggled and overcame many obstacles, but keep on pushing forward to the horizon.
I Am Kurdish:
Growing up I was always taught to be PROUD of where my family came from and why we should be proud that we are Kurdish. My father used to tell me stories on how when he was a young kid how he used to climb the tallest mountain in his village and would always be with his friends when doing so. But growing up for my Mom and Dad was nothing close of an easy task. Due to Saddam Hussein my mother and father had to flee Iran and Iraq and move to Turkey until their visa was approved to come to America. Thinking about all this while growing up made me appreacite and be more grateful for who I am and why I should be proud to be apart of the Kurdish people. Now that I am older I discuss Kurdish/Middle Eastern poltics with my father and he always states how the Kurdish people get little help from the U.S and their should be more of a focus to help us out. I agree with my father 100%. Furthermore, growing up in San Diego, the Kurdish community here is very strong and there always are events that go on like Kurdish new years. It is thrown at a park and a ton of Kurdish people come to celebrate our amazing culture.
The Development of a New Nation:
Kurdistan has a strong case to be a country and many times it almost was. The difficult task is to get the nations around to agree on it because the Kurdish people have many enemies within that region. For example, Turkey is not too fond of the Kurdish people but that still won’t stop us from forming our own nation. Just like Israel, they too formed their own nation even though they are hated by many of the countries land locked with them but it did not stop them and it did not stop the United Nations from declaring them a country as well. We Kurdish people already have a government known as the Kurdistan Democratic Party which was founded in 1946 and still is one of the few governments presiding in the middle east that is democratic. We also have our own president. So what is stopping us from forming our own nation? Well like I said before, most likely a huge war would break out if it ever happened and it would most likely include all the countries in the middle east and if America and other big nations do not back the Kurdish people then the nation of Kurdistan will not be formed.
Tweets like this one by former President Donald Trump, demonstrate that the Kurdish people have the backing of a great nation like the U.S but is America a good enough ally to establish a nation for the Kurds?
World’s Largest Ethnic Group Without a Country:
Yes that title is correct. The Kurdish people is the largest in population of people who do not have their own country. The main reason is due to the fact that many people in the region dislike the idea of the Kurdish people becoming indepdent and developing their own nation. The reason why Syria, Turkey, and Iran do not support the Kurds is because since the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the Kurds have been mainly oppressed due to culture and ethnic differences from the Turkish people and government and the other landlocked countries followed onto this trend as well. This to me is sad because I had respect for the Ottoman Empire before, but now that I know when the empire fell they had a strange desire to oppress the Kurdish people just on the mere fact there were a couple of differences. The article I have attatched explains the idea of a Kurdish nation and the oppression they receive from other countries around them.
This has gone on for long enough. I believe the oppression the Kurds have recieved in the past century has gone out of line and I believe that it must end soon in order for the millions of Kurds within that region to live peacefully together. The only true way this oppression of the Kurdish people can end is through a development of a nation we can call home.
Interview With My Dad:
Lastly I wanted to incorporate an interview with my dad who actually is Kurdish and has who has lived over half of his life in the region of Kurdistan.
DISCLAIMER: Interview was done in the Kurdish language due to the fact that my father’s english isn’t the greatest I am translating.
Me: “So dad right off the start, do you believe Kurdish people should have a country?”
Dad: “Son, the fact you ask such a ridiculous question hurts, but to answer the question yes, and you can say I am bias because I obviously am but even if you understand the fact that there are so many Kurdish people on this planet and to not have a country of our own is very disrespectful and frankly sad. Growing up in my small little town I wanted to live a life knowing that by the end of my time on this planet there would finally be a country for us Kurdish people and I am now 57 and still do not have a country I can call my home.”
Me: “Going off on that, do you think a Kurdish country will be established soon?”
Dad: “ I sure hope so. I really believed under Trump’s presidency Kurdistan would have finally become a country because of how highly he spoke of us during his earlier years in office. But then he betrayed us and totally didn’t come to our aid later on in his presidency so I don’t think that a Kurdish nation will happen soon but I of course hope it does. I think the only way the Kurdish people get there own country is if the United Nations realizes the oppression from the Turkish government on the Kurdish people and understand the human rights violations being committed then they should sign a piece of paper and declare the region of Kurdistan a country. But son I pray to God that in my life time Kurdistan can be a country.
Me: “ Okay dad last question, explain why you are proud to be Kurdish?”
Dad: “ Son listen, just like here in America when you see the red, white, and blue flag being waved back in forth, and people singing and saluting to the national anthem, it is the same thing for me but I do it for Kurdistan. You realize nationalism is a very big thing in the middle east but for us Kurds if we are nationalist it gives us hope that a nation we can call our own will be established soon. I am proud to be Kurdish because I know what I have gone through and more importantly the people who came before me like your grandpa and grandma have gone through. Do not ever forget where you came from and do not ever forget that you are Kurdish my son.”
Finishing Thoughts:
In conclusion as stated previously I am very proud to be Kurdish and am excited to look towards the future and pray that within my lifetime Kurdistan can be a country and can be looked at as a nation of good with kind people. The process has already begun, we just need support and I truly believe we will get that support sometime very soon.