Kurds are thought to be the descendants of the Biblical Medes who helped the Persians conquer the Babylonian Empire. Their history since then is one of subjugation by other nations. In the A. D. 700's they were conquered by the Arabs, who introduced Islam. They were also subdued by the Mongols in the 1000's and by the Ottoman Turks, under whose rule they remained until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. Their homeland was then divided among the nations of the area. Ever since then, they have been cruelly oppressed in most countries. Turkey, Iran. and Syria all prohibited the Kurdish language to varying degrees, with Turkey illegalizing even everyday speech in Kurdish until recently. During insurrections the Iraqi government poisoned thousands of Kurds with chemical weapons. Ironically, only in the Soviet Union did the Kurds remain nearly unmolested. Despite these difficulties, their own petty arguing has prevented from any unified attempt to gain independence. Kurds have religious differences, with numerous competing sects of Islam, and language differences, with a great many mutually unintelligible dialects.

What are their lives like?
The majority of Middle Eastern Kurds cultivate small farms and live in small towns and villages. They grow such food crops as wheat, barley, potatoes, figs, and nuts. They also raise goats, sheep, and cattle, from which they obtain meat and milk. Milk is often used to make yogurt and cheese. The favorite drink is tea. Alcoholic beverages and pork are forbidden by Islamic law. Rural Kurds have recently begun growing several cash crops, especially cotton, sugabeets, and tobacco.

The typical rural home is rectangular and flat-roofed, the color of the local brick or stone from which it is made, and usually one or two stories high. The head of the house and his wife live in the main room. Kurds do not use chairs, but instead sit on rugs or mats on the floor.

Kurdish clothing is very unique and provides a vital part of their ethnic identity. The women wear baggy pants covered by numerous layers of colorful skirts. They seldom wear the traditional Islamic veil. Men wear baggy trousers with a matching vest. Under the vest is worn a plain shirt with huge sleeves split at the wrist and tied above the elbow.

Children usually grow up helping their parents with the everyday work, as childhood is seen as preparation for the adult role. Girls help assist their mothers in household chores, and boys help their fathers in the fields or herd the livestock.

Unlike most over Muslim peoples Kurds highly respect women. They are allowed to speak in the presence of groups of men and are not required to wear a veil. Most Kurds marry only one wife, although Islam allows up to four. Girls are often taught to read with their brothers.

The largest group in traditional Kurdish society is the tribe, or ashirat, which is subdivided into clans, which are in turn divided into smaller sub-groups. The tribe was led by an absolute authority, called the Beg. In the last several decades, this tribal society has slowly disintegrated, but even now vestiges remain, as most Kurds give primary loyalty to their traditional tribes.

What are their beliefs?
About 99% of Kurds profess to be Muslims, who believe that God's will for man was revealed through the "prophet" Mohammed and recorded in their holy book, the Koran. About three-fourths are Sunni Muslims and most of the rest are one of several sects of the Shi'ite Muslims. However, most Kurds have mixed Islam with their ancient, pre-Islamic religion, which has similarities to Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, and a few follow various sects of that religion wholeheartedly. Such Kurds as the latter are relentlessly persecuted by Muslims, so often put an Islamic face on their beliefs and ceremonies. There are probably fewer than 500 Kurdish Christians, or less than 0.002% of the population

What are their needs?
There are only portions of the Bible available in a few of the numerous dialects of Kurdish. There is very little Christian literature, and distribution of such is difficult, both because of Islamic opposition and laws against publishing in Kurdish. Only a very few shortwave Christian stations broadcast in Kurdish, and no films are yet available. Missionary work in Kurdistan is extremely limited, but there is great opportunity to witness to Kurds in Europe and the United States. Though Satan has conspired to keep the Kurds in darkness, prayer and spiritual warfare will break his hold on their lives.

See also profiles on:
The Northen Kurd of Iraq, Georgia, Lebanon, Armenia, Iran, Turkey,
The Southern Kurd of Iran, The Western Kurd of Syria, The Dimili Kurd of Turkey.

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Bethany World Prayer Center
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