The Kurds are the largest ethnic group in the Middle East without a country of their own. The population is spread among Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and many have been fighting to create an independent Kurdistan. Recently, the U.S. withdrew troops from northern Syria that were protecting the Kurds, and Turkey attacked Kurdish areas because of a longstanding conflict. The Kurds’ ethnic identity and their freedom to express it depend on which country they call home. Listen to the voices of a Kurdish guide and poet explain what it means to be a Kurd and describe the experience of living in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Story Length: 3:51
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January 2, 2018
4:40
Mosul, Iraq is now free from ISIS control, after years of violent occupation. ISIS militants killed or displaced thousands of people. Some stayed in their homes during the siege waiting for the group to be forced out. For some young Iraqi women, education or marriage was not possible until now. Now there is freedom to attend Mosul University and to travel, but there are still some things women in Iraq are not free to do. Listen as two sisters who attend Mosul University talk about their different goals for the future, how they plan to follow their passion, and the obstacles that remain.
Read MoreOctober 30, 2017
4:29
Raqqa is a city in northeastern Syria. ISIS leaders made Raqqa its operations hub and training ground more than three years ago, claiming it as an Islamic caliphate. Recently, after four months of airstrikes, ISIS no longer controls Raqqa. Syrian Democratic Forces, the American-backed militia group made up of Syrian Kurds and Arabs, took control of the city. Many of the people who joined ISIS were attracted by the idea of a physical Islamic state, and without this territory, ISIS may go back to being an underground terrorist organization. Listen to hear more about what might be next for the Islamic State.
Read MoreMarch 23, 2016
3:17
As part of Native American Heritage night, a women’s high school basketball team wore traditional Navajo hair styles. They wore a tsiyeela—a bun tied with yarn. Then a referee told them they couldn't play because he believed the hairstyle broke regulation. The students ended up taking out their buns. After the team received an apology, they wore their traditional hairstyles at the next game. And so did many in the audience. Listen to hear more about this event that highlights the issue of cultural sensitivity.
Read MoreOctober 30, 2014
3:07
What happens to a group of people who have no state to represent them? This happened to the Kurdish population after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. The Kurds, a cultural and ethnic group, wanted a unified state but instead European powers split their community among four states - Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. This public radio story can be a great starting point for a conversation about statelessness, identity and minority rights.
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