The Unrecognized Kurds Of Afghanistan: A Forgotten People

The Kurds are a stateless people and one of the largest ethnic groups in the world without a country of their own. They are native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria. There are also significant Kurdish diaspora communities in Western Europe, primarily in Germany. The total Kurdish population is estimated to be between 30 and 45 million.

Kurds have lived in areas comprising present-day Afghanistan for centuries, long before the establishment of its modern state. The Kurdish Institute of Paris estimates that there are 200,000 Kurds living in Afghanistan, while an Afghan Kurd has claimed that the figure is between 350,000 and 385,000. They mainly live in the cities of Herat, Ghazni, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kabul.

Kurdish history in Afghanistan

The Kurds are a large ethnic group of around 25 million people who have always lived in the same region, and who trace their roots back to the Medes of ancient Persia (the frontier of what is now Iraq, Iran and Turkey) more than 2,500 years ago. They are a stateless people, without a politically recognised homeland, and are distributed unevenly across Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Kurds have lived in areas comprising present-day Afghanistan long before the establishment of its modern state. One source estimates that there are 350,000 to 385,000 Kurds in Afghanistan, while another estimates the number to be 200,000.

During Persian rule in the 1500s, the Kurds were moved to their present location in Afghanistan to serve as border guards against Turk and Mongol invaders. They have been there ever since. The small community has been far removed from its traditional homeland in northwestern Iran for more than four hundred years.

The Afghan Kurds now speak Turkmen or Dari as their first language, but they have retained their native language, Kurdi. They are aware of their Kurdish heritage, and differ greatly in economic, social, and political organisation depending on the region in which they live. Most still make their living from farming and raising livestock, and some practice a semi-nomadic lifestyle.

The Afghan Kurds are Muslim, mostly Sunni, and embraced Islam in the seventh century AD following the Arab conquests. They observe the five essential "pillars" or duties in Islam:

• A Muslim must affirm that "there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet."
• Five times a day he must pray while facing Mecca.
• He must give alms generously.
• He must fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year.
• He must try to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in his lifetime.

Muslims are also forbidden from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, using slander or deceit, and making idols.

Kurdish language in Afghanistan

The Kurdish language in Afghanistan is spoken by a small community of Kurds who have lived in the country for over four hundred years. During Persian rule in the 1500s, the Kurds were moved to their present location in Afghanistan to serve as border guards against Turk and Mongol invaders.

The Kurdish language is a collection of related dialects spoken by Kurds. It is mainly spoken in those parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, which comprise Kurdistan. The language is divided into three main groups: Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), Central Kurdish (Sorani), and Southern Kurdish (Xwarîn). The majority of Kurds speak Kurmanji, and most Kurdish texts are written in Kurmanji and Sorani. Kurmanji is written in the Hawar alphabet, a derivation of the Latin script, while Sorani is written in the Sorani alphabet, which is derived from Arabic script.

Kurds in Afghanistan have been removed from their traditional homeland in northwestern Iran for centuries. Over time, many have adopted Turkmen or Dari as their first language, although they have retained their native language, Kurdi. It is difficult to know the current situation of Kurds in Afghanistan due to the drastic effects of the Soviet invasion and the ongoing civil war. It is assumed that the war has driven many Kurds into the cities of Kabul and Herat and possibly into refugee camps in Iran.

Kurds in Afghanistan are spread across the cities of Herat, Ghazni, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kabul. According to the Kurdish Institute of Paris, there are 200,000 Kurds in Afghanistan, while an Afghan Kurd claims the number is between 350,000 and 385,000.

Kurdish religion in Afghanistan

The Kurds are a large ethnic group of around 30 to 45 million people, who have historically inhabited parts of the fertile crescent, an area where the three major Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are widely recognised to have been founded. The majority of Kurds are Muslim, with a significant proportion identifying as Sunni Muslims.

Kurdish people in Afghanistan are predominantly Muslim, with most belonging to the Sunni branch of the religion. They embraced Islam in the seventh century CE following the Arab conquests. Islam forms the basis of their social justice system, and religious dignitaries are treated with great respect.

The Afghan Kurds observe the five pillars of Islam:

• A Muslim must affirm that "there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet."
• Five times a day, a Muslim must pray while facing Mecca.
• They must give alms generously.
• They must fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year.
• They must try to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in their lifetime.

Muslims are forbidden from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, using slander or deceit, and making idols.

Kurdish Religion in Other Regions

In addition to Sunni Islam, a significant minority of Kurds adhere to the Hanafi school and Alevism. Many Shafi'i Kurds follow Sufi orders such as Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya. Kurdish people in Türkiye (Turkey), for example, are mostly part of the Sunni majority, although there is a significant Kurdish Alevi minority. In Syria, a Sunni majority lives alongside minorities of Alawites and Yazidis. In Iraq, there is a Sunni majority and a Shi'a minority, as well as Yazidis and other indigenous religious communities. Scattered communities of Jews and Christians can also be found across the region.

Religious Tolerance

Despite the presence of various religious fundamentalist groups in the region, the Kurdish people, and Kurdish Muslims in particular, are widely recognised as one of the few cultures in the Middle East that practice religious tolerance. This is exemplified by the Kurdish Regional Government's (KRG) refusal to accept teachers from the Central Iraqi Government in 2012, instead declaring that Kurdish schools would be religiously neutral.

Kurdish politics in Afghanistan

The Kurds are a stateless people, native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia. They are an Iranic ethnic group, with a population of around 30 to 45 million. Kurds are found in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan. While they are a minority in Afghanistan, they have a strong ethnic identity.

Kurds have a long history in Afghanistan, dating back to the 1500s when they were moved to their present location by the Persians to serve as border guards against Turk and Mongol invaders. They have retained their native language, Kurdi, and are mostly Sunni Muslims.

The Afghan Kurds have a diverse range of lifestyles and political organizations, depending on the region in which they live. Most Kurds in Afghanistan make their living through farming and raising livestock. Some still practice a semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving with their herds of goats and sheep between the mountains and plains according to the season.

The political situation in Afghanistan has made it difficult to obtain up-to-date information on the Afghan Kurds. The Soviet invasion and civil war have had drastic effects on the country, and it is assumed that many Kurds have been displaced, either to the cities of Kabul and Herat or to refugee camps in Iran.

The lack of stability in Afghanistan has also hindered the work of Christian missions organizations seeking to aid the Kurds. However, there are some Christian resources available in the Kurdish language, and prayers and advocacy for the Kurdish people continue.

Kurdish demographics in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a multiethnic and mostly tribal society, with a population of around 41.6 million as of 2023. The country is made up of numerous ethnolinguistic groups, including Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkmen, Baloch, and Kurds, among others.

The Kurds are a large ethnic group of about 25 million people who trace their roots to the Medes of ancient Persia, spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria. They are considered a stateless people, as they do not comprise a majority in any country and do not have a politically recognized homeland.

In Afghanistan, the Kurdish population is estimated to be between 200,000 and 385,000. They have a strong ethnic identity and diverse tribal associations, lifestyles, and religious practices. The Afghan Kurds have a long history in the region, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, and even before the establishment of modern Afghanistan. During Persian rule in the 1500s, they were moved to their present location to serve as border guards against Turk and Mongol invaders.

Over time, the Afghan Kurds have adopted the local languages, with many speaking Turkmen or Dari as their first language, in addition to retaining their native language, Kurdi. They primarily reside in the cities of Herat, Ghazni, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kabul. The Afghan Kurds follow Sunni Islam and have a strong sense of their Kurdish heritage, despite assimilation into Afghan society.

The exact number of Kurds in Afghanistan is difficult to ascertain, and their situation in the country has been affected by political turmoil, civil war, and the recent Taliban takeover. It is assumed that the conflict has driven many Kurds into urban centres or even refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

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