Stories about Kurdish
Nearly a hundred Kurdish activists detained by Iran's security forces in 2021
An interview with Switzerland-based KMMG’s director reveals how recent arbitrary detentions of Kurds and other minorities coincides with the regime’s bid to fortify its rule amidst piling internal challenges.
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of February 5-11, 2018, Global Voices' stories and translations attracted readers from 195 countries!
Iran's University of Kurdistan Opens Department of Kurdish Language and Literature for the First Time
Bakhtiar Sajjadi, the new chair of the department, announced last week that 40 students have been accepted to start their studies this October.
Disappeared Juvenile Iranian-Kurdish Activist Resurfaces Months After Scheduled Execution
Saman Naseem, a juvenile Kurdish activist who went through a five month period of disappearance since his scheduled execution in February was able to call his relatives from prison this past weekend, according to Amnesty International. The day before he was due to be executed, he was transferred to an unknown...
Social Media Analysis: How an Iranian Kurdish Woman's Death Triggered a Regional Social Media Conflict
Social media controversy following the accidental death of a hotel chambermaid underscored systemic discrimination ethnic minorities face in Iran and the emerging role of Internet censorship in this milieu.
Data Set Demonstrates Attacks on Turkish Opposition Party's Campaign Offices Are Systematic
Is it a coincidence that the party which could derail the ruling party's majority in parliament keeps getting attacked?
Clashes in Mahabad, Iran, Following the Controversial Death of a Female Hotel Worker
"It's one thing to be Kurdish in Iran and a another to be a Kurdish woman. #JusticeForFarinaz."
In Eastern Turkey, Walking in the Shadow of Genocide
Widely commemorated globally, the centenary of the Armenian genocide was largely ignored inside Turkey—which makes missions like historian Ara Sarafian's tour of Turkey's Kurdish region all the more important.
Kurds of Kobane Declare Victory Over ISIS
After 133 days of bloody war against ISIS, the Revolutionary Kurds of Kobane have finally declared victory.
Photo of Peshmerga Combatant Breastfeeding Her Child Captivates Kurdish Media
Kurdish media outlets are abuzz with a photograph of a Peshmerga woman, sitting beside an automatic weapon, breastfeeding her child. The picture has been widely distributed on social networking sites, highlighting the strength of Kurdish women and the resilience of female combatants in the ongoing fight against ISIS. In contrast...
Kurds Blame Arab Refugees for Deadly Suicide Bombing in Capital Erbil
Some social media users are pointing the finger at South Kurdistan's influx of refugees after an unusual suicide car bombing killed five people on Wednesday.
Western Media Is Obsessed With Kurdish Female Fighters Battling ISIS
Social networking sites are abuzz with pictures of female Peshmergas. However, there are dozens of examples which illustrate women fighters are not new, but have existed within Kurdish communities historically.
Turkey: Lynch Attempt on Kurdish Members of Parliament in Sinop
Kurdish members of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and Democratic Congress of the People (HDK) faced a lynch attempt by almost 2,000 angry protesters during their visit to Sinop, a city in Black Sea region of Northern Turkey. Baran Mavzer charts netizen reactions.
Kurds Caught Between Islamists and the PKK in Syria
The Turkey-based Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), and its Syrian political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), have stumbled into a precarious situation. They are now administering a string of towns and cities along the Turkish border after the Syrian army handed the U.S. and the PKK control of the territory last summer. What should have been a dream come true for Kurds—who have long been discriminated against in Baathist Syria and aspired to have an independent state—quickly devolved into an even more oppressive replica of their lives in Assad’s Syria.
Two Kurdish Activists Face Death Penalty in Iran
Two young Iranian Kurd activists, Zaniar and Loghman Moradi are about to be sent to the gallows according to multiple Iranian news websites and human rights organisations.
Is Öcalan Key to Kurdish Negotiations with Turkey?
Hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners have been on hunger strike in Turkey for 67 days. They demanded an end to a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan's isolation, and to allow the use of the Kurdish language in public spaces without discrimination. None of these demands have been met, but surprisingly a statement from Öcalan has been made, where he calls for an end to hunger strikes according to his brother Mehmet Öcalan.
Turkey: Silent Treatment of Hunger Strike met with Anger by Kurds
Hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners in Turkey have entered an indefinite hunger strike. The non-violent protest has gone unnoticed by international media agencies and human rights organisations.
Turkey: Hundreds of Kurdish Political Prisoners go on Hunger Strike
Hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners have entered an indefinite hunger strike, challenging Turkey's treatment of Kurdish political prisoners. Through their protest, some are demanding re-trials and language rights while others want to raise international attention about Turkey's treatment of Kurdish political prisoners. Despite their hunger strike, which is nearing six weeks, international media outlets have largely remained silent.
Turkey: Kurds Respond on Social Networking Sites to AKP Congress
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan hailed Turkey as a rising democratic power at the Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s conference last week. But criticism was vibrant on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, accusing the Prime Minister of repressing Kurdish masses while advocating for the freedom of others, such as the Palestinians.
Turkey: Little Optimism Over Kurdish Rebel Negotiations
Last week the Turkish Prime Minister signalled the start of much-needed negotiations between the Kurdistan Worker's Party and the government. The news was not met with optimism, because successive Turkish governments have a history of broken promises towards the Kurdish people.
Turkey: Prime Minister Signals Negotiations with Kurdish Rebels
The Prime Minister of Turkey has signaled that he will negotiate with Kurdish rebels after months of deadly violence. In the past Turkey has been unwilling to do so despite calls from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party.