1. Ethnic Groups Kurd People

2. Ethnic Groups Ethnic Group – identified on the basis of religion, race, or national origin Three major ethnic groups in Middle East are Arabs, Persians, and Kurds Does NOT change

3. Kurds A large ethnic group of about 25 million people who trace their roots back to the Medes of ancient Persia 2500 years ago. Kurds are a tribal people and many of them lived a nomadic lifestyle in the mountainous regions of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran They are the largest ethnic group in the world without a state of their own

4. Kurd Society Consists mostly of tribes that arose from a nomadic and semi-nomadic way of life in previous centuries So far in history, Kurds have never really managed to unite in their common cause. Their primary loyalty is to the immediate family, and then to the tribe

5. Kurd Society Strife is common between the different clans and communities Most are farmers and all but a few thousand have given up the nomadic lifestyle of the past in favor of settled farming

6. Religious Beliefs Kurds “hold their Islam lightly” (not so vehement /intense about Islam as Arabs are) Most Kurds are Muslims, and about ¾ are of the Sunni branch

7. History After WWI, the Ottoman Empire was broken up to create new nation-states (Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait) The 1920 Treaty of Sevres was supposed to include a Kurdish state in the region, but it was never implemented

8. Discrimination Kurds received especially harsh treatment at the hands of the Turkish government, who tried to deprive them of Kurdish identity Called them “Mountain Turks” Outlawed their language and forbade them to wear traditional Kurdish costumes in the cities Have tried to assimilate Kurds into Turkish society through forced resettlement

9. No Home of Their Own Kurds are not officially recognized as a minority group Tribalism is still a factor among Kurds, promoting many different factions which weaken the possibility of an independent homeland