The position of the 19 million Kurds is an extremely complex
one. Their territory is divided between 5 sovereign states, none
of which have a Kurdish majority. They speak widely divergent
dialects, and are also divided by religious affiliations and
social factors. It has taken the tragic and horrifying events in
Iraq this year to bring the Kurds to the centre of the world
stage, but their particular problems, and their considerable
geo-political importance, have been the source of growing
concern and interest during the last two to three decades. There
is a remarkable dearth of reliable and up-to-date information
about the Kurds, which this book remedies. Its contributors
cover social and political issues, legal questions, religion,
language, and the modern history of Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Iran,
Syria and the Soviet Union. The Kurds will be an invaluable
source of reference for students and specialists in Middle East
studies, and those concerned with wider questions of nationalism
and cultural identity. It a