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The New Hampshire
April 12 2005
Quick glimpse of the Kurdish people
By Ben Carder
The Kurdish people live predominantly in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran
and Armenia-collectively known as Kurdistan-comprising 20-25 million
of the countries' populations.
Traditionally, Kurds were recognized as a goat and sheep-herding
people until World War I when they were forced to abandon their
peripatetic lives due to the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. Since
then, Kurdish people have been ruled by neighboring factions for most
of their history but were freed of totalitarian reign in 1991,
precipitated by Kurdish uprisings of 1919, 1923, 1932, 1970, 1974 and
1988.
Two groups represent the Kurdish people: Kurdistan Democratic Party
(KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Between 1994 and
1998, bloody battles ensued over absolute power in Northern Iraq. The
two sides brokered a peace deal of sharing power in September 1998;
the Kurdish people have endeavored to follow a democratic system of
government since 1999.
The Kurdish people are predominantly Sunni, one of the two main
belief systems in the Islamic faith, which compromises 85 percent of
all Muslims. The fundamental difference between the two sects-Sunni
and Shiite-stem from arguments over the prophet Muhammad's successor
as caliph, the leader of Muslims.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
April 12 2005
Quick glimpse of the Kurdish people
By Ben Carder
The Kurdish people live predominantly in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran
and Armenia-collectively known as Kurdistan-comprising 20-25 million
of the countries' populations.
Traditionally, Kurds were recognized as a goat and sheep-herding
people until World War I when they were forced to abandon their
peripatetic lives due to the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. Since
then, Kurdish people have been ruled by neighboring factions for most
of their history but were freed of totalitarian reign in 1991,
precipitated by Kurdish uprisings of 1919, 1923, 1932, 1970, 1974 and
1988.
Two groups represent the Kurdish people: Kurdistan Democratic Party
(KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Between 1994 and
1998, bloody battles ensued over absolute power in Northern Iraq. The
two sides brokered a peace deal of sharing power in September 1998;
the Kurdish people have endeavored to follow a democratic system of
government since 1999.
The Kurdish people are predominantly Sunni, one of the two main
belief systems in the Islamic faith, which compromises 85 percent of
all Muslims. The fundamental difference between the two sects-Sunni
and Shiite-stem from arguments over the prophet Muhammad's successor
as caliph, the leader of Muslims.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress