Who are the Kurds?
A guide to people, land, language and culture - from a Christian vocation for this forgotten people.
The Kurds are one of the oldest peoples of the Middle East and at the same time the largest ethnic group in the world without their own internationally recognised state. With an estimated 40-45 million people worldwide - and more than 120,000 in the Netherlands - the Kurds are anything but invisible. Yet their story is unknown to many.
Rozia Foundation stands alongside the Kurdish people from a deep Christian faith. We believe that every human being - regardless of origin, language or religion - is made in the image of God and deserves dignity. That belief drives us to action: to share hope, offer help, and strengthen Kurdish voices worldwide.
“Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all those left behind.”
- Proverbs 31:8
A people with deep roots
The Kurds are an Indo-European people with roots in the fertile mountain land surrounding the Zagros Mountains. Historical and archaeological sources indicate that Kurdish communities have lived in the area for more than three thousand years. Linguistically and culturally, they are related to other Indo-European peoples - not Arabs or Turks, as is sometimes wrongly assumed.
Kurds are not Arabs. Their language belongs to the Indo-Iranian language branch - the same family as Persian, and more broadly related to Dutch and German. Arabic belongs to a completely different language family: Semitic. This distinction is fundamental not only linguistically, but also culturally and historically.
What binds the Kurds, despite all their internal diversity in dialect, region and religion, is a shared cultural identity: a shared sense of popular belonging, a shared language in its many dialect forms, and a shared history of resilience in the face of oppression.
How many Kurds are there and where do they live?
Accurate population statistics are lacking because no country where Kurds live registers them as a separate ethnic category. Globally, there are 40 to 45 million people.
Estimation of population distribution in Kurdistan
* Estimates - exact figures are lacking due to lack of official records.
Diaspora & Netherlands - Besides the core areas, large communities live in Istanbul (~3 million), Germany, Sweden, France and the UK. In Europe, it is about 1.5 to 2 million Kurds. Living in the Netherlands more than 120,000 Kurds.
Kurdistan: the divided homeland
The word Kurdistan literally means ‘land of the Kurds’. Although there is no state on the world map with that name, for tens of millions of people it is their historical, geographical and cultural homeland - spread across four modern states.
| Region | Country | Kurdish name | Status | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Kurdistan | Turkey | Bakur | Largest Kurd. population; long struggle for recognition. | Diyarbakır, Van, Mardin |
| South Kurdistan | Iraq | Başûr | Officially recognised autonomy (KRG), own parliament & army. | Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok |
| East Kurdistan | Iran | Rojhelat | Heavy state pressure on language & culture; active protest movement. | Mahabad, Sanandaj, Kermanshah |
| West Kurdistan | Syria | Kurdish region NW Syria | De facto autonomous administration; key role in fight against ISIS. | Qamishli, Kobani, Afrin |
The division of Kurdistan is not a historical accident. It is the direct result of political decisions taken after World War I - without the participation of the Kurds themselves.
History: from Zagros to modern times
Ancient roots: the Medes and early peoples
The historical presence of Kurdish peoples in the Middle East goes back thousands of years. Scholars link the earliest ancestors of the Kurds to the Medes, a powerful Indo-European people who founded a great empire in the 7th and 6th centuries BC and famously overthrew the Assyrian Empire (612 BC). For thousands of years, the Kurds lived more or less autonomously in their mountainous homeland, which both protected and isolated them from the great empires that emerged and disappeared around them.
Sèvres (1920): the promise unfulfilled
After World War I, the chance of a state of its own finally seemed close at hand. In the Treaty of Sèvres (1920), the allied powers recognised the possibility of an autonomous Kurdish region. But this promise remained dead letter. The Treaty of Lausanne (1923) replaced Sèvres completely - and did not mention the Kurds at all. Kurdistan was divided between Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.
It is precisely this ongoing injustice - and the world's silence about it - that is a calling for Rozia Foundation. Where politics is silent, the love of Christ speaks. We believe that the gospel of restoration is meant for every people, including the Kurds.
Oppression, genocides and resistance
Alongside repression, there is also a constant tradition of resistance and construction. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq was established in 1991 and received constitutional recognition in 2005. Kurdish fighters played an indispensable role in the destruction of the ISIS caliphate (2014-2019).
“The Lord is near to all who are broken-hearted, He redeems those who are downcast in spirit.”
- Psalm 34:19
These words do not sound abstract when we know the stories of Kurdish families who lost everything. As Rozia Foundation, we believe that the comfort of the gospel is meant for them too - concrete, tangible and full of hope.
Kurdish language: Indo-European and diverse
The Kurdish language belongs to the Indo-European language family - the same large family as Dutch, German and English. This is a fundamental difference from Arabic.
Dutch
English
Persian
Kurdish ✓
Arabic
Hebrew
| Dialect | Speakers | Region | Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurmanji | ~65% of all Kurds | Turkey, Syria, N Iraq, diaspora | Latin alphabet |
| Sorani | ~25-30% | Iraq, Iran | Arabic-Persian script |
| Zazaki / Gorani | Small groups | Eastern Turkey, northern Iraq | Variable |
Because the Kurdish language was banned or severely restricted in Turkey, Iran and Syria for decades, it survived primarily in private and in the mouths of the Dengbêj - the traditional Kurdish storytellers and singers. For the Kurds, language is a symbol of identity and survival.
Kurdish culture and traditions
Celebrated on 21 March - spring and the Kurdish new year. With roots more than 3,000 years old. Bonfires, group dances (govend or halay) and traditional costumes. Symbol of resistance, based on the legend of the blacksmith Kawa.
Epic singers who preserved tribal histories orally when language was forbidden. Instruments like the tembûr and the def are the timbre of this heritage. Preserved alive and active to this day.
Deeply rooted culture of hospitality where every visitor is treated as a guest of honour. Strong sense of community, respect for elders and a tradition of ‘bearing with each other’ in difficult times.
Kurdish women historically played a visible role. The slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) has its origins in the Kurdish women's movement. In political co-chairmanships, gender equality is institutionally embedded.
Religious diversity among Kurds
A widespread misconception is that all Kurds are Muslim. The reality is richer and more diverse. Kurds have traditionally been religiously pluralistic:
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Islam (Sunni): The largest group, about 70-75%, supporters of the Shafi'i right-wing school.
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Islam (Alevi): Significant group in Turkey; a humanist, mystical movement very different from Sunni mainstream Islam.
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Yezidism (Êzidîtî): One of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, with pre-Islamic roots. Yazidis were persecuted and genocidally attacked as ‘heretics’ by ISIS.
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Christianity: A small but historically rooted Kurdish Christian community - Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox. An estimated 12,000 to 23,000 people. Rozia Foundation also serves them.
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Yarsan / Ahl-e Haqq: An esoteric mystical tradition in Iran and Iraq.
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Secularism: Growing group, especially among young people and in the diaspora.
In autonomously governed Kurdish areas, religious minorities are institutionally protected through quota systems and co-chairmanships. This makes Kurdish governance unique in the region.
The Kurds in the Netherlands & the situation today
The Netherlands has more than 120,000 residents with Kurdish roots - one of the largest Kurdish diaspora communities in northern Europe. They came in waves:
Guest workers from Turkey, predominantly Kurmanji-speaking.
Refugees from Iraq after the Anfal campaign and the Gulf War.
Refugees from Syria after the outbreak of civil war.
Yazidis seeking safe haven after ISIS genocide.
Rozia Foundation is at the centre of this community. We know the stories, the pain and the hope - and are committed to recovery: body, soul and community. Because God knows the Kurds by name.
“For I know the plans I have for you, speaks the Lord - plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
- Jeremiah 29:11
The situation today
The KRG has its own parliament, army and administration. But tensions with Baghdad over disputed areas such as Kirkuk remain a source of uncertainty.
Northern Syria has built up a de facto autonomous region - crucial in the fight against ISIS - but is constantly under Turkish military pressure.
After Mahsa Amini's death in 2022, Kurds played a prominent role in the uprising. The regime disproportionately hit activists.
Where the largest population group lives, the language ban has been partially relaxed, but thousands of Kurdish politicians and activists are still imprisoned.
Frequently asked questions about the Kurds
Are Kurds Arabs?
Does Kurdistan have its own state?
Why don't the Kurds have their own state?
What is the situation of Kurds in the Netherlands?
What is Rozia Foundation doing for the Kurds?
From Christ's love - for the Kurdish people
We believe that God knows the Kurds by name and has a future for them. From that faith, we share hope, offer help and strengthen their voice. Your prayers and support make this work possible.
Pray for the Kurds too - because prayer moves what hands cannot achieve.
McDowall, D. (2004). A Modern History of the Kurds. I.B. Tauris.
Entessar, N. (2010). Kurdish Politics in the Middle East. Lexington Books.
Vali, A. (2011). Kurds and the State in Iran. I.B. Tauris.
Hassanpour, A. (1992). Nationalism and Language in Kurdistan. Mellen Research University Press.
UN reports on Anfal campaign, Halabja and Yezidi genocide (2014). | Wikipedia NL - Kurds (accessed 2026).
Last update: March 2026 | © 2026 Rozia Foundation - info@roziafoundation.com | roziafoundation.com