Kurds Identity

Kurds Identity What do we know about Kurds? Read about Kurds identity in this article. Hashtag: #CizreUnderAttack Kurds Identity Before the 1980s, little was known about the Kurds, a large ethnic group living in southeastern Turkey, due to the lack of academic institutions to fund and coordinate research, and other barriers. For instance, as the existence of a Kurdish nation in Turkey was traditionally ignored and being pursued as an official policy, the Turkish government limits the scope of studies on all aspects of Kurdish life. Academic debate and research were also severely suppressed by the hegemonic representation of the Kurds in the state’s discourse as a case of separatism, terrorism, and so on. Moreover, since the basis of this hegemonic representation was a state-sponsored classified research, it prevented researchers from questioning the officially recognized representation of the Kurds or engage in issues related to Kurdish society and culture. However, when the Kurdish national movement emerged and political activism in Turkey increased in the 1980s, studies addressing various issues and focusing on aspects of Kurdish society and politics were freely carried out and published. Some of these studies focus on Kurds origin and identity while others are more interested in conflict analysis, re-emergence, and evolution of Kurdish nationalism. As a stateless people who have been exposed to oppression, suffering, subordination, and forced migration, Kurds history, and origin, according to the literature relates to their struggles to gain independence and freedom. For this reason, the main components of Kurds identity include their homeland, the memory of the past, shared experiences, language, and national symbols. Their homeland, according to the literature is â€Å"Kurdistan†, a territory delineated by the Allies after World War I.   Kurdistan consist of a two hundred thousand square miles of mountainous expanse and some 550,000 square kilometers of land spanning the present state boundaries of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. However, there are no internationally recognized Kurdistan territories and the term â€Å"Kurdistan† has been banned in Turkey since the 1920s. Yasar Kemal Is a Master of Word The delineation of Kurdistan resulted to the dispersal of the Kurds into nearby territories where they need to cope with varying socio-political and cultural conditions imposed on them. The dispersion in a way negates the possibility for the Kurds to have a fixed and essentialist Kurdish identity. Although most Kurds consider themselves as descendants of the ancient Medes, researchers view of Kurds identity still revolved around the demarcation of their homeland due to lack of written historical sources that could link them to ancient periods. Kurdish Nationalism Kurdish nationalism according to literature is one the most  controversial and critical predicaments in the Middle East. For instance, since there are about 20 to 25 million Kurds live mostly in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, Kurds effort to establish their own state not only resulted in numerous clashes with the government of the states in which the Kurds reside but claimed tens of thousands of lives. However, despite being a direct threat to the territorial integrity of the above states, the nature and origin of Kurdish nationalism remain unexplained and poorly studied. As a political ideology, Kurdish nationalism is inspired by collective identities, traditions, self-awareness, and imagined communities. In 1878 for instance, the Kurds who rebelled against the Ottoman Empire and invaded the Urmia region in Iran used the term â€Å"Kurdish nation† and expressed the need to unify the Kurds and create a Kurdish state. A Kurdish poet, on the other hand, edited and republished an epic poem in 1695 containing expressions of an independent Kurdish identity and the need for a Kurdish ruler.   Similarly, â€Å"Kurdistan†, the first newspaper in the Kurdish language published in Cairo in 1898 was a step toward Kurdish self-awareness or awakening possibly leading the creation of a Kurdish state. The Fall of the Ottoman Empire Tells Us about Modern Events The Kurdish question in Turkey is still defined by the separatist tracks of Kurdish nationalism, but with less radical inkling and seeks cultural recognition and political equality within the confines of democracy. In fact, many scholars believed that since violent demands for recognition is often met with equally violent Turkish strategies, Kurdish nationalism needs to be decoupled from ethnic violence and essentialism.

GRANT Surname Meaning and Origin

GRANT Surname Meaning and Origin The origins of the Grant surname are uncertain, but the following theories are the most widely accepted: A nickname from the Anglo-Norman French graund or  graunt, meaning tall, large- derived, in turn, from the  Latin grandis- bestowed due to the individuals size, or to distinguish two bearers of the same personal name, often different generations within the same family (e.g. grant denotes the elder or senior).Clan Grant says that tradition suggests that the name comes from Sliabh Grianais - the moor above Aviemore, believed to be the first land in Scotland occupied by the Grant progenitors. Grant may also be a spelling variant of the German surname Grandt or Grant Surname Origin: Scottish, English, French Alternate Surname Spellings: GRAUNT, GRAWNT, GRANTE   Where in the World is the GRANT Surname Found? According to Forebears, the Grant surname is most prevalent in the United States (used by over 156,000 people), but most common in Jamaica (where the surname ranks as 10th most common) and Scotland (ranked 29th). Grant is also common in Guyana (46th), New Zealand (49th), Canada (88th), Australia (92nd) and England (105th). Historical surname distribution data from Scotland identifies the areas where Grant was most common in 1881 as Moray, where it was the most used name, as well as Banffshire (2nd most common), Nairn (6th), Inverness-shire (9th) and West Lothian (10th). WorldNames PublicProfiler identifies the Grant surname as being especially popular in Donegal, Ireland, as well as Australia, New Zealand and most of northern Scotland.   Famous People with the Last Name GRANT Ulysses S. Grant -  U.S. general and commander of the Union armies; 18th U.S. presidentCary Grant - British-American film actorHugh Grant - British actorAmy Grant - American singer-songwriterAnne Grant - Scottish poetJedediah Morgan Grant - leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsNatalie Grant - American singer-songwriter Genealogy Resources for the Surname GRANT Clan GrantExplore a wealth of resources made available by Clan Grant, including history, genealogy, gatherings, membership and more. Grant DNA ProjectJoin over 400 individuals with the Grant surname who are interested in combining Y-DNA testing with genealogical research to help identify various Grant genetic lines and ancestries. Trace your Scottish roots back to Scotland and beyond with the steps outlined in this Scottish genealogy guide. Learn how to locate your ancestors county and/or parish in Scotland, plus access vital records, census records and parish records in Scotland. Grant Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Grant family crest or coat of arms for the Grant surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. FamilySearch - GRANT GenealogyExplore over 2.9 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Grant surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GRANT Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts a free mailing lists for researchers of the Grant surname. DistantCousin.com - GRANT Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Grant. The Grant Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the popular last name Grant from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.    Back to  Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins