Did Kurdistan gain independence?
Kurdish military forced helped defeat ISIL during the Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) and gained territory, including Kirkuk and surrounding oil fields. The 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum took place on September 25, with 92.73\% voting in favor of independence.
Why are the Kurds considered a stateless nation?
The Kurds live on a territory between Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. They are stateless because despite having a distinct culture and a desire to…
Does the US recognize Kurdistan?
Currently the United States has official policy towards the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.
How many Kurds are in the United States?
More recent accounts estimate the total Kurdish population in the US at around 15,361. Other sources claim that the number of ethnic Kurds in the United States is between 15,000 and 20,000 people. The city of Nashville, Tennessee includes the largest Kurdish population in the United States.
What do the Kurdish believe?
Religion. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims who adhere to the Shafiʽi school, while a significant minority adhere to the Hanafi school. Moreover, many Shafi’i Kurds adhere to either one of the two Sufi orders Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya. Beside Sunni Islam, Alevism and Shia Islam also have millions of Kurdish followers.
Where do Kurds live in USA?
This is the largest population of Kurds in the United States. There are also sizable populations in Dallas, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, areas of Southern California such as San Diego, Binghamton, New York, and Waterbury, Connecticut. Most have roots in northern Iraq or northwestern Iran.
Why do Iran and Syria fear an independent Kurdish state?
Iran, Syria, and Turkey have significant Kurdish minorities and Tehran and Ankara, especially, fear that an independent Kurdish state would embolden Kurdish separatist forces in their own countries.
Are Syrian Kurds being stripped of citizenship?
In a census of Syria’s Al-Hasakah Governorate, Kurds who cannot prove their residence in Syria prior to 1945 and those who fail to participate are stripped of their citizenship, rendering them stateless and unable to travel. These Kurds and their descendants are unable to vote, own property or businesses, or legally marry.
Will the Kurds ever get an independent homeland?
After World War I, the Kurds came tantalizingly close to getting an independent state. Nearly a century later, they are no closer to an independent homeland.
Who are the Kurds and why do they matter?
The Kurds are one of the world’s largest peoples without a state, making up sizable minorities in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Their century-old quest for independence is marked by marginalization and persecution.