!!
Kurds in the early 1990s. They speak Kurdish, a language of the Indo-European
languages. Kurdistan, geographically situated in the heartland of the Middle East,
endowed with large quantities of natural wealth, covers 500,000 sq.km. areas of
northwestern Iran and extends into northeastern Iraq, Armenia, eastern Turkey,
and northeastern Syria. The two main rivers Tigris and Euphrates, in Middle east,
flow through Kurdistan.
Since world war I, Kurdistan is divided up into four parts, Iraqi, Iranian, Syrian and
Turkish (see the map of Kurdistan ).
Colonial powers, to sustain their interests in the area, divided Kurdistan up and
continue to this day their colonial practices by trying to undermine Kurdish people's
heritage. Kurd still suffer the consequences of oppression in all its forms. Despite
the grave wounds caused by this, Kurdish people have become more resolute and
have attached themselves more and more to their homeland. Today, all effort is
being put into action in order to wipe out the culture, language, tradition and
lifestyle of the Kurdish people.
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the cradle of civilization
This places their beginnings at the very source of the
nations and in the immediate vicinity of history's most
important events. (A few selections would include the
creation of man, the Garden of Eden, Noah's Ark on
Mt. Ararat in northern Kurdistan, The Tower of Babel,
the calling of Abraham, and much more.)
the Kurdish belief that they are the descendants of
the biblical Medes reflects this rich background.
They base this claim on geographical, linguistic and
cultural factors, and they have a strong case.
and broken promises. In modern times the
governments of the countries which the kurds
live in resist the kurdish drive to establish an
independent homeland, while the West has
for the most part been unwilling to get involved
in their struggle.
I hope sincerely that a day will come soon
where the kurds will have their own land and
live peacefully with the other nations.
