Kurdish Community Research Articles

The Decolonial Turn in Kurdish Studies: An Introduction

This special-issue introduction highlights the burgeoning movement toward decolonizing Kurdish studies, outlining its challenges and opportunities within the academic landscape. Central to the authors’ discussion is the concept of the coloniality of power, which offers a framework for understanding the enduring oppression faced by Kurds within the context of ongoing colonial domination in the Middle East. The introduction delves into themes of historical erasure and academic marginalization, shedding light on the struggle for recognition within not only national and regional variants of area studies such as Turkish, Arab, Iranian, and Middle East studies but also the Euro-American academy more broadly. Furthermore, the introduction underlines the potential of decolonial methodologies in reshaping the study of Kurds and Kurdistan, emphasizing the significance of amplifying voices from the ground, including those of Kurdish intellectuals, activists, and politicians. Through critical reflexivity and engagement with diverse perspectives, the editors of this special issue call for a reimagining of Kurdish studies that prioritizes epistemic decolonization, centering the experiences and agency of Kurdish communities.

Accessibility to Urban Parks by disablers: A Case Study on a Main Park in Erbil

Quite a large number of Iraqi – Iran war victims as well as casualties of Kurdish revolution since 1961 now making a noticeable ratio of the disablers population in Kurdistan of Iraq. In fact, recent uprising also did contribute in raising the number of the injured and handicaps within Kurdish community. Actually, all these people almost got no easy way for participating in entertainment within this park, or any similar parks in Erbil (Hawler). All these are because of lack of suitable road and even special gates within such parks. In fact, even babies and nurseries are in need to such gate and ways that is absent so far. A review of the actual design and pointing out the stages of establishing points in this respect will be the goal of the present study for such and other parks in the region in order to reduce the existing gaps in designing, planning and in constitution of any parks. Present study is concentrating on the effect on disablers, the psychological and physical effects on crippled individuals, and the effects on disability institutions. Sami Abdulrahman Park is one of Erbil's largest parks, present study's primary goal is to build a system that addresses issues with disabled people's access to these parks. According to studies, the existence of inaccessibility is routed, and cities are referred to eliminate it; design measures with interior locations are then used to suggest presenting options. Using sketches, photos, and interviews, researchers record the park's landscape design sites—entrances, streets, pedestrian crossings, parking lots, ramps, urban furniture, etc.

Attitudes towards and health consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting: A qualitative study among Somali and Kurdish immigrants and descendants in Denmark

ObjectivesThere is lack of in-depth knowledge of how immigrants who originate from countries where female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) historically is practiced, perceive the practice after migrating to Europe. The aim of this study was to explore the attitude towards FGM/C among immigrants and descendants and the health consequences of living with FGM/C. Study designQualitative methods were used in the form of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Female and male immigrants and descendants in Denmark from Somalia or Kurdish of Iraq/Iran participated in the study. The interview/focus group discussion guides were developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality. Purposely sampling was used, and participants were recruited by use of snowballing through gatekeepers and women’s societies working within the Somali and Kurdish communities. ResultsSixteen persons participated in the study. No descendants had been cut, but all female immigrants had been cut prior to migrating and did not wish to pass on the practice. FGM/C was perceived as a harmful practice with severe sexual and mental health consequences. Women with Somali origin experienced that the practice was falsely associated with their origin, which led to stigmatisation. Women with Kurdish origin lacked healthcare support when suffering sexual consequences of FGM/C. It was generally perceived that the Danish healthcare system lacked cultural sensitivity. ConclusionFGM/C is negatively perceived among Somali and Kurdish immigrants and descendants in Denmark and not practiced among these groups. The Danish healthcare system should adopt a more culturally sensitive approach when addressing sexual health among immigrants and descendants. Denmark and other European countries should work towards destigmatising the immigrant communities when it comes to FGM/C. Larger European studies with primary data are needed to generalise the findings of this study.

Jorabin, a Sport or a Battle (from the Past to the Present)

The Kurds are a nation residing in the region of Kurdistan, which extends to five distinct countries, namely Iran, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Armenia. The Kurds, due to their marginalisation inside their own countries and their settlement in strategically significant cross-border areas, have consistently faced challenges in preserving their national identity, as well as their cultural heritage. However, the Kurds have successfully maintained and safeguarded their cultural heritage and its various components throughout several centuries. They have preserved Jorabin as a ‘traditional sport’ within Kurdish communities. The aim of this study is to examine the historical development of Jorabin, investigating its interrelations with various cultural aspects and its socio-cultural significance for the Kurdish community.

Psychological scars of genocide: a systematic review of post-traumatic outcomes in Kurdish Anfal survivors

The Anfal genocide, including the infamous Halabja chemical attack, has imprinted deep scars on the Kurdish community in Iraq that lasted for decades. Despite significant historical documentation, the enduring psychological impact on survivors is less examined. This systematic review synthesizes existing research to address this gap. Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, this review systematically searched databases for scholarly articles examining the mental health of Kurdish survivors following the 1988 Anfal genocide, with a focus on PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Of the initial 201 articles identified, seven met the inclusion criteria. These studies were subjected to a thorough data extraction and qualitative synthesis, and their quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The selected studies encompassed a combined sample of 760 participants, ranging in age from 7 to 92 years. The findings revealed high prevalence rates of PTSD, particularly in children, with a prevalence rate of 87%. In adults, PTSD and depression prevalence rates in unselected samples were estimated at 86.2% and 49%, respectively. Qualitative findings from survivors reveal a complex interplay of depression, intrusive memories, and societal isolation, compounded by poverty and discrimination, with health concerns like respiratory and ocular problems further exacerbating psychological distress. However, non-representative samples and absence of control groups limit result generalization. The literature reviewed indicates substantial psychological distress among the Anfal genocide survivors, underscoring an urgent need for targeted mental health interventions. Future research needs representative samples and validated tools for precise prevalence assessment and comprehensive impact understanding.

Ethnic Kurdistan in the context of 21st century Geopolitics

This article is devoted to the study of the Kurdish issue from the perspective of its development prospects in the geopolitical aspect. The material contains the author's analysis of possible solutions to the Kurdish issue from the perspective of different states and supranational blocs, as well as factors that contribute to and hinder the resolution of the Kurdish issue in the foreseeable future. The material contains information about what factors influence the positions of the largest regional and international players on the analyzed issue. The creation of a Kurdish state seems unlikely; the alternative is, at a maximum, granting Kurdish communities maximum autonomy, at a minimum, changing their legal status in countries, primarily in Turkey, where their position is most vulnerable. The constant deterioration of the situation of the Kurds and their exclusion from the legal agenda in Turkey is called a possible cause of the civil war. The Kurdish issue cannot be resolved militarily, and possible solutions are individual for all affected countries, which, however, themselves suffer from internal crises (Syria, Iraq), and Iran, which lives under Sharia law, also suffers from sanctions pressure. In addition, there is no unity within the Kurdish communities themselves, which further complicates the political struggle. At the moment it is possible to distinguish long-term and short-term prospects for resolving the Kurdish issue, both from the position of the people themselves and other interested actors. The authors also analyze the complicating circumstances, which include the interest of external actors (such as the United States and NATO as a whole) to use the Kurds to solve their own geopolitical problems in the region; internal contradictions among the Kurdish leaders themselves, which does not allow reaching a consensus on a number of organizational issues, and a difficult economic situation.

Lack of Association Between Partial Y chromosome AZFc-gr/gr Deletions and Male Infertility

A microdeletion in the azoospermia factor (AZF) region of the human Y chromosome long arm is the second most common genetic factor causing male infertility and spermatogenetic failure. The current study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of AZFc-partial gr/gr deletions in a sample of 260 infertile azoospermia and 40 fertile men as a control group from the Kurdish community using the gel-based PCR technique. To understand whether these deletions were associated with their fertility problems. Two pairs of gr/gr primers (sY1291and sY1191) and a primer of Hetero-chromatin sY160-F were used for screening for gr/gr deletion in a single PCR reaction according to EAA and EMQN protocol. Based on the results of this study, no AZF/c gr/gr deletions were found in either the infertile or fertile participants. Therefore, this finding confirms the concept that these AZFc gr/gr partial deletions are improbable to have an important impact on infertility, and the hereditary risk associated with these partial deletions is much reduced compared to deletions that affect the entire AZFc region.

“Woman” and Diasporic Kurdish Identity in the United States

Abstract There is a growing literature on gender and feminist theory in the Middle East now. However, there has been little work on Kurdish diasporas and gender in the United States. This article examines how US diasporic Kurdish performances of gender and narrations of gender work to create the figure of the “Kurdish woman.” Instead of falling into the trap of Orientalist constructions of womanhood, Kurdish diasporas imagine “Kurdish woman” as a way to challenge nation-state assimilation projects and erasure by practicing identity at the intersections of ethnicity, religion, gender, and race. The category of “woman” becomes an important venue to manage statelessness, create an important archive for Kurds, challenge ongoing colonialism in Kurdistan, and challenge US imperialism. Therefore “Kurdish woman” constitutes an important spatial and historical terrain for Kurdish women and Kurdish men to manage their racialization across national contexts and partake in the racialization of “others.” “Woman” is activated in the service of difference as a means to showcase the heterogeneity within Kurdish communities and expound on the relations Kurds in the US diaspora have with nation, religion, history, and resistance.

Kurdish Community Differences: Potential Conflict and Politics in The Middle East

The Kurds are the name of an ethnic group that occupies several countries in the Middle East, notably Iraq, Iran, Türkiye, and a small part of Syria. The existence of Kurds who are different from ethnic groups in general has always been seen as a regional problem and treated discriminatorily. Because of this, the Kurds always carry out movements, even rebellions, to fight for political rights. The method used in this research is qualitative research with a library approach. The results of the study show that each Kurdish community spread across each country has differences that are not too prominent. In general, the difference lies in the direction of their movement based on the group leader and the religion they adhere to. Although the majority of Kurds adhere to Sunni Islam, there are also those who practice different religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Yazidis, and Zoroastrians. Currently, there are still many people who think that the Kurds are a tribe that always causes problems, although there are also those who think that most Kurds want recognition for their existence and special autonomy for the area where they live.

Kurdish Cause (1975-1980) and its Impact on Iraq-Syria Relations

Throughout the stages of contemporary Kurdish history, the Kurdish issue has had an impact on regional relations in general and the relationship between Iraq and Syria in particular. This impact became more evident during the Algiers Agreement, which marked the end of one of the most prominent Kurdish revolutions—the Aylool revolution. Simultaneously, it worsened Iraq-Syria relations. Researching the Kurdish question and its effect on the Iraq-Syria relationship during the Algiers Agreement reveals its distinctive characteristics. During this period, the strained relations between the two states were reflected in the Kurdish issue. Through the method of analysis and ascertaining of political events and incidents, we can highlight the significance of this matter. While the post-1975 era marked the emergence of new political parties in the Kurdish political and military landscape, the proliferation of these parties did not substantially influence the Kurdish issue. Additionally, the Kurdish political orientation in the region shifted, particularly in relation to Iraq and Syria. The Kurdish issue experienced a difficult phase, characterized by internal divisions and disarray within the Kurdish community. Meanwhile, the Kurds were unable to capitalize on the strained Iraq-Syria relationship. Despite a complete ban on political activities, Syria extended comprehensive support and cooperation to all South Kurdistan forces and political parties due to its deep-rooted disputes with Iraq. This financial and military assistance played a significant role in revitalizing the new revolution. Syria’s contrasting policy towards the Kurdish cause is evident. It is clear that regional countries utilized the Kurds as a means of pressure against each other, particularly for maintaining a balance in the region. This dynamic persisted until the 1980s, but with the changes that both Iraq and Iran underwent, including the collapse of the Algiers Agreement and shifts in regional relationships, Iraq’s disputes with Syria and Iran intensified. As a result, the Kurdish issue entered a new phase.

THE KURDISH PROBLEM AS A LEGACY OF THE VERSAILLES SYSTEM OF THE WORLD ORDER

The article analyzes the roots and origins of the Kurdish problem. The author puts forward the thesis that the unresolved Kurdish issue is closely related to the unfair redistribution of the borders of the Ottoman Empire by the victorious countries after the First World War. The Treaty of Sevres in 1920 and the subsequent Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, in fact, divided the borders of three new states of ethnic Kurdistan. Thus, the Kurds were deprived of the opportunity to create their own national state and found themselves in the position of oppressed minorities in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, as well as in Shah Iran. Having received a League of Nations mandate to govern Iraq and Syria, Great Britain and France cared least of all about the rights and freedoms of the Kurds. The so-called neo-colonizers relied in their rule on the comprador bourgeoisie from among the Arab tribal nobility and the military. The national liberation movement of the Kurds was brutally suppressed by local nationalists and the colonial troops supporting them. The problem of self-determination of Kurdish communities in the region is still relevant. At the level of an age-old dream and idea, the Kurds are unlikely to give up broad autonomy, a nation-state or a confederation.

The Role of CSOs in The Democratisation Process in Iraqi Kurdistan

This article examines the role of CSOs in the democratisation process in IK and shows that they have a strong and important position in the Kurdish community. Historically, all Iraqi governments have not believed in democracy, so CSOs have had no role to play. However, since the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government in 1992, it has, to some extent, followed the democratic system and provided the freedom to work for CSOs. Nevertheless, CSOs have faced many obstacles until they reached the strong position, they now have in participating in the democratisation process. This study uses historical, descriptive, and political analysis to establish that CSOs play a vital role in the democratisation process in Iraqi Kurdistan by using proposals and pressure. Given the serious dependence of CSOs on freedom for their operation, the study concluded that CSOs need to be free from political and financial independence to carry out their activities without hindrance and have more roles in the democratisation process.

Association between sleep parameters and chronic kidney disease: findings from iranian ravansar cohort study

IntroductionThe relationship between sleep duration and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has received relatively little attention in the Kurdish community. Considering the ethnic diversity of Iran and the importance of the Kurdish community, the present study investigated the association between sleep parameters and CKD among a large sample of Iranian-Kurds.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 9,766 participants (Mage: 47.33, SD = 8.27, 51% female) from the Ravansar Non Communicable Disease (RaNCD) cohort study database. Logistic regression analyses were applied to examine the association between sleep parameters and CKD.ResultsResults showed that prevalence of CKD was detected in 1,058 (10.83%) individuals. Time to fall asleep (p = 0.012) and dozing off during the day (p = 0.041) were significantly higher in the non-CKD group compared to the CKD group. Daytime napping and dozing off during the day in females with CKD were significantly more than males with CKD. A long sleep duration (> 8 h/day) was associated with 28% (95% CI: 1.05, 1.57) higher odds of CKD compared to normal sleep duration (7 h/d), after adjusting for confounding factors. Participants who experienced leg restlessness had a 32% higher probability of developing CKD than those who did not experience leg restlessness (95% CI: 1.03, 1.69).ConclusionResults suggest that sleep duration and leg restlessness may be associated with an increased likelihood of CKD. Consequently, regulating sleep parameters may play a role in improving sleep and preventing CKD.

Russia and the Kurds: A Soft‐Power Tool for the Kremlin?

AbstractRussia has been the Kurds’ patron for more than two centuries, motivated primarily by the cynical desire to use them against adversaries in broader great‐power games while casting itself as a champion of the Kurdish cause. Russia's longstanding and multifaceted relationship with the Kurds demonstrates that when it comes to geopolitics, the United States has more than brute force to contend with. The Russian state also utilizes soft power as an authoritarian state defines it: a tool of pragmatic leverage. While the Kurds are not a monolith, they are anxious about the trajectory of US politics and feel they cannot rely on anyone. The Russian state has opportunities to undermine American interests in places such as Syria and Iraq through its connections with Kurdish groups. This article reviews tsarist, Soviet, and post‐Soviet policies toward the Kurds, including Kurdish communities in Russia. It concludes with a discussion about implications for the United States, given that Moscow will not let go of its Kurdish card, including in the context of the Ukraine invasion.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals and Communities Through the Lens of a Kurdish Artist: A Narrative Inquiry Study

The COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals and society at different levels. For a brief period during the pandemic, the Kurdish government closed all governmental organizations and interconnected routes, except for medical and security settings, and announced a curfew. In this article, we portray the effects of the pandemic on individuals and communities from an artist's view through an art-based narrative inquiry. Narrative analysis is used for analyzing texts or visual data in story form. It describes the life experiences of individuals and the environment in which they reside. Data came from the observations and experiences of the first author during the time he conducted research regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on different aspects of the Kurdish community in the Kurdistan Region through our previous research. The images and stories show that individuals feared COVID-19 and struggled to protect themselves from infection. They faced prolonged social distancing, quarantine, and complete lockdown and lost their family members and loved ones-their relationships with family members and others were disrupted during the pandemic. Additionally, vulnerable groups, such as children and older adults, have been especially affected psychologically during the COVID-19 pandemic. We suggest that the pandemic has affected different groups of people and impacted the health security of Iraqi Kurdistan society. Our findings add a conceptual understanding of the health threat of the pandemic that can be used to implement health services and health policy for individuals and communities in Iraqi Kurdistan.

THE SECURITY OF SWEDEN AND NATO: ROAD WITH OBSTACLES

The article analyzes a set of problems related to Sweden’s planned accession to NATO. The author examines the impact on this process of various factors, both foreign and domestic, analyzes the processes of public opinion formation (pages dedicated to the annual representative security conference in January 2023 in Stockholm). Among them, Turkish-Swedish relations occupy a special place, since Turkey, as a NATO member, puts forward to Sweden a number of conditions dictated by the interests of the Turkish Republic itself and affecting Sweden’s immigration policy. They concern both the fate of the Kurdish community in Sweden, and the willingness or unwillingness of the Swedish authorities to adjust their actions against Muslim communities in this northern country under pressure from Turkey (in this regard, the immediate and long-term consequences of such provocative acts as the public burning of the Koran in Stockholm are being considered). The article also shows how the topical problems of Sweden’s foreign policy affect domestic political processes. The author comes to the conclusion that it is possible to analyze the problem of Sweden’s accession to NATO only in the context of analyzing the processes in the entire system of modern international relations

Epidemiological Characterizations, New Localities, and a Checklist of the Known Scorpions in the Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq.

Annually, thousands of scorpion stings and rare mortalities are recorded in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In the present study, we prepared a checklist for the geographical distribution of scorpion fauna composition, new localities data, and scorpion sting profile for the years 2019-2020 in the region. Random field surveys for scorpion collection were carried out in 22 localities in the Kurdistan Region from June 2020 to October 2021. Clinical data related to scorpion stings in 2019 and 2020 were obtained from the medical records of public health offices in the region. In this survey, 166 specimens were collected. They were composed of seven scorpion species belonging to three families including: Buthidae, Hemiscorpiidae, and Scorpionidae. The collected species were Androctonus crassicauda, Compsobuthus matthiesseni, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus mesopotamicus, Orthochirus fomichevi, Hemiscorpius lepturus, and Scorpio kruglovi. Moreover, three scorpion species comprising Buthacus tadmorensis, Hottentotta mesopotamicus, and Calchas anlasi were recorded in the previous study conducted in the Kurdistan region. In 2019-2020, 3726 scorpion stings were reported, with a peak in the summer season. Most of the patients were 15-49 years old. In the current study, medically significant scorpion species have been identified. The outcome of the present work will increase the awareness of the Kurdish community regarding the distribution of dangerous scorpion species and consequently reduce their stings.

Facebook’s platform coloniality: At the nexus of political economy, nation-state’s internal colonialism, and the political activism of the marginalized

This article explores Facebook’s censorship of Kurdish political activism at the request of the Turkish government. I argue that Facebook’s censorship of political voices belonging to the marginalized Kurdish community is an articulation of platform coloniality, an outcome constituted by the intersecting of the social media giant’s global political economy imperatives with racialized and hierarchized conceptions of human worth. The effects of platform coloniality are exacerbated due to it being mediated by the Turkish nation-state’s internal colonial politics and militarist regional policies, thus intensifying the marginalization of Kurds inside and outside Turkey. Covered in a typical neoliberal discourse of freedom and human rights, platform coloniality represents a continuation of the age-old patterns of Western power and its flow toward the Global South.

US Withdrawal from Syria: Implications and Challenges

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the prospects and challenges faced by the region, stakeholders, and the Syrian nation after the US withdrawal from the Syrian conflict. Conflict arises due to the varied principles and values of the parties involved, leading to hostility and disagreement. The paper discusses the implications of the US withdrawal, including the impact on the Syrian Kurdish community and the potential re-emergence of ISIS as a global threat to world peace. Furthermore, the withdrawal is likely to give Russia, Iran, and the Syrian regime a significant advantage in the Syrian conflict, which will have far- reaching consequences for the region and stakeholders involved.

Qur'an education centres under the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Kurdistan Region-Iraq The City of Erbil as a Model (its Origins - its Approach - The Need for it)

The aim of the study was to indicate and know the establishment of the Centers for the Education of the Holy Quran under the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Kurdistan region - Iraq city of Erbil, as well as to indicate the curriculum of the centers of the Archives of the Ministry of Endowments in the city of Erbil, where all the centers of al-Hafeez study at the beginning the Nuraniah base, as well as the need of the Kurdish community for these centers in terms of educational, educational, social and moral. The study found the importance of these centers in society, and their necessity as one of the educational, educational and social media, to raise the children of the Kurdish society to create the morals of the Holy Quran.