Kurdish Culture
Kurdish Culture
Anita Palomo
Anthropology 101
Mr. Steven Sager
January 21, 2013
Kurdish Culture
The Kurdish people are an indigenous ethnic minority found in the country of Iraq, also in parts of Turkey, North West Iran and smaller areas of North East Syria and Armenia. Ethnically parallel to the Iranians, the Kurds in the past traditionally nomadic herders but are currently mostly seminomadic. The majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims. The Kurds are the most populated ethnic group in the world that does not have their own independent country. The Kurds, one day may become independent, but there are still numerous issues that are unresolved in a region saturated with war and disagreements over coveted natural resources (oil). Prior to the Iraq war in 2003, very little was known about the Kurds and their culture. The Kurds were so welcoming to the US troops due to their long time fight for equality prior to the US troops intervening. The Kurds have a very interesting culture. The Kurds culture is what the main focus of this paper is going to be. I would like to focus on the Beliefs and values of the Kurdish culture, as well as the Economics and gender relations.
When it comes to the Kurdish beliefs the Kurdish people are mostly found to be Sunni Muslims, which is a branch of Islam. Sunnis believe that the companions of the prophet Muhammad were the best of the Muslims. Islam spread among the Kurds in approximately the seventh and eighth centuries. Almost all Kurds are Sunni Muslims, though some are Christian or Jewish. The Five Pillars of the Islamic Faith are: 1. Testimony of Faith – Kalima, 2. Prayer – Salat 3. Fasting – Bukhari, 4. Almsgiving – Zakat, 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca – Hajj. Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and lasts for one full month. Now, during the month of Ramadan Muslims fast during the daylight and eat in the evening while visiting with family and friends. There are exceptions around children, pregnant women, the sick,
Anita Palomo
Anthropology 101
Mr. Steven Sager
January 21, 2013
Kurdish Culture
The Kurdish people are an indigenous ethnic minority found in the country of Iraq, also in parts of Turkey, North West Iran and smaller areas of North East Syria and Armenia. Ethnically parallel to the Iranians, the Kurds in the past traditionally nomadic herders but are currently mostly seminomadic. The majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims. The Kurds are the most populated ethnic group in the world that does not have their own independent country. The Kurds, one day may become independent, but there are still numerous issues that are unresolved in a region saturated with war and disagreements over coveted natural resources (oil). Prior to the Iraq war in 2003, very little was known about the Kurds and their culture. The Kurds were so welcoming to the US troops due to their long time fight for equality prior to the US troops intervening. The Kurds have a very interesting culture. The Kurds culture is what the main focus of this paper is going to be. I would like to focus on the Beliefs and values of the Kurdish culture, as well as the Economics and gender relations.
When it comes to the Kurdish beliefs the Kurdish people are mostly found to be Sunni Muslims, which is a branch of Islam. Sunnis believe that the companions of the prophet Muhammad were the best of the Muslims. Islam spread among the Kurds in approximately the seventh and eighth centuries. Almost all Kurds are Sunni Muslims, though some are Christian or Jewish. The Five Pillars of the Islamic Faith are: 1. Testimony of Faith – Kalima, 2. Prayer – Salat 3. Fasting – Bukhari, 4. Almsgiving – Zakat, 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca – Hajj. Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and lasts for one full month. Now, during the month of Ramadan Muslims fast during the daylight and eat in the evening while visiting with family and friends. There are exceptions around children, pregnant women, the sick,
References: K Salih - Journal of Islamic Studies, 2002 LI Meho, SW Haas - Library & Information Science Research, 2001 – Elsevier http://www.sciencedirect.com/ LI Meho, DH Sonnenwald - Journal of the American Society for …, 2000 - Wiley Online Library http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com The five pillars of Islam. Retrieved from http://islam.about.com/blintroc.htm