Amnesty International described the executions as "a blatant attempt to intimidate members of the Kurdish minority. Even before the elections, Kurdish rebel groups - specifically the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan or PJAK - have taken up arms against the state. [47] The increase is likely due to the government's crackdown following the nationwide protests after Iran's presidential elections. Kurdish weaving is renowned throughout the world, with fine specimens of both rugs and bags. The Kurdish population in Iran feels disenfranchised and excluded from the political system. [107] It is an affront to the official rhetoric of ethnic unity and Iranian solidarity that is reinforced by Islamic principles under the Islamic Republic of Iran. In 1980, Ethnologue estimated the number of Kurdish-speakers in Turkey at around five million,[139] when the country's population stood at 44 million. Unlike other indigenous Persianate faiths, the Yarsan explicitly reject class, caste and rank, which sets them apart from the Yazidis and Zoroastrians. [19][20] There is disagreement on which is the largest denomination among Kurds; some experts such as Richard N. Frye and Martin van Bruinessen argue that Sunni Islam (the Shafi‘i branch[4]) is the majority religion,[21][22] while researcher Anu Leinonen believes it is the Twelver branch of Shia Islam. "[51] All activists denied any links to PJAK, and the leader of PJAK also denied any links to the four activists. of Oriental Literature, University of Michigan. The region shares borders with Iraq, Turkey and Armenia, all … 67 Tezcur and Asadzade, “Ethnic Nationalism versus Religious Loyalty,” 9. In 1609, the ruined structure was rebuilt by Emîr Xan Lepzêrîn ("Golden Hand Khan"), ruler of Beradost, who sought to maintain the independence of his expanding principality in the face of both Ottoman and Safavid penetration into the region. USD 44.00 Rebuilding Dimdim was considered a move toward independence that could threaten Safavid power in the northwest. In fact, Beytî dimdim is considered a national epic second only to Mem û Zîn by Ahmad Khani. The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Iraq, comprising between 15% and 20% of the country's population according to the CIA World Factbook. [263] In recent years some Kurds from Muslim backgrounds have converted to Christianity. He was finally driven out of the region by the Persian Army in the fall of 1944.[28]. [75], There is also a 7th-century text by an unidentified author, written about the legendary Christian martyr Mar Qardagh. According to a 2011 Statistics Canada household survey, there were 11,685 people of Kurdish ethnic background living in Canada,[229] and according to the 2011 Census, 10,325 Canadians spoke Kurdish languages. Iranian Kurds are about 10% of total population of Iran. Already, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that his country’s armed forces are ready at the border. Uses and Values of the Term Kurd in Arabic Medieval Literary After Nader's death, Iran fell into civil war, with multiple leaders trying to gain control over the country. After a long and bloody siege led by the Safavid grand vizier Hatem Beg, which lasted from November 1609 to the summer of 1610, Dimdim was captured. Simko, chief of the Shikak tribe, established his authority in the area west of Lake Urmia from 1918 to 1922. [18], The two major religions among Kurds in Iran are Islam and Yarsanism, while fewer Kurds adhere to Baháʼí and Judaism. [35][36][37] A majority of Kurds belong to the Shafi‘i school of Sunni Islam, but significant numbers practise Shia Islam and Alevism, while some are adherents of Yarsanism, Yazidism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity. All the defenders were massacred. [50], "The land of Karda" is mentioned on a Sumerian clay tablet dated to the 3rd millennium BC. [285] In 1948 and 1959, two documentaries were made concerning the Yezidi Kurds in Armenia. Cesena: Per Gregorio Biasini, pp. This province included Hamadan, Dinawar, Kermanshah, Sanandaj and Sharazur. [203] This was the first international document (since the League of Nations arbitration of Mosul in 1926) to mention Kurds by name. Aujourd'hui, certains des principaux protagonistes sont le Parti pour la vie libre du Kurdistan , le Parti démocratique du Kurdistan iranien et le Parti Komala du Kurdistan iranien .