THE CONTEMPORARY ROOTS OF KURDISH NATIONALISM IN IRAQ

الملخص

Contrary to popular opinion, nationalism is a contemporary phenomenon. Until recently most people primarily identified with and owed their ultimate allegiance to their religion or empire on the macro level or tribe, city, and local region on the micro level. This was all the more so in the Middle East, where the Islamic umma or community existed and the Ottoman Empire prevailed until the end of World War I. Only then did Arab, Turkish, and Iranian nationalism begin to create modern nation-states. In reaction to these new Middle Eastern nationalisms, Kurdish nationalism developed even more recently. The purpose of this article is to analyze this situation.