BACKGROUND TO KURDISTAN AND THE KURDISH COMMUNITY IN THE U.K.

Kurdistan does not presently exist as a separate country but is divided between several states. With their distinct language and culture, Kurds live in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Russia. They form the largest nationality in the world that does not have its own homeland. After the defeat and collapse of the Turkish Empire in the Middle East after World War I, Britain together with France was largely responsible for the division of Turkish possessions and Kurds were denied self-government. Britain ruled Iraq until after World War II when it supported a number of rulers who suppressed the Kurds, including Saddam Hussein when he first came to power

The Kurdish community in the UK

The first Kurdish refugees came in small numbers to Britain in 1958. In 1982 and 1991 numbers increased following uprisings, the aftermath of the Gulf War and the brutal actions of Saddam Hussein's regime. Kurds have survived chemical warfare, which has killed many thousands of people, deportation from their homes, the denial of freedom and mass terror from the former Iraqi regime. The rise of the Islamic regime in Iran and the repression that followed in the 1980s and early 1990s led to an influx of Iranian Kurds to the UK. The brutal suppression of the Kurdish insurgency in south eastern Turkey which was led by the PKK led to a further influx of Kurdish refugees from Turkey.

The History

The majority of the Kurds are probably descended from waves of Indo-European tribes moving westwards across Iran, probably in the middle of the second millennium BCE. But we know nothing of them. During the twenty-first century BCE, summer sent almost annual expeditions against Kurdistan. By the end of the ninth century BCE the kingdom of Mannai existed in much of Kurdistan south and west of Lake Urmiya, a buffer between Assyria, its arch enemy Urartu to the north, and the Medes who established themselves between Tehran and Hamadan. By the time the Kurds were first clearly recorded as 'Cirtii' from the second century BCE onwards, they were almost certainly already an amalgam of Indo-European tribes that had made their way into the region by different routs and different periods

The Kurdish Population

Today, there are probably in the order of 24-27 million Kurds living in the Middle East. About half of these, at least 13 million, live in Turkey. They have increased to possible 23 per cent. In Iraq, Kurds are already 23 per cent of the population, they must now number about 4.2 million. They constitute probably about 10 per cent of the Iranian population, and therefore number about 5-7 million. More than 2 million Kurds live elsewhere. There are just over a million in Syria. Up to about 700,000 live in Europe, mainly in Germany, and up to another 400,000 in the ex-Soviet Republics, mainly Armenia and Azerbaijan. (Kurds of Lebanon, Georgia and some other Central Asia countries are not been accounted for).

HISTORY OF KURDISH HOUSING ASSOCIATION

Kurdish Housing Association Limited (KHA) was set up in 1989 in response to the needs of Kurdish refugees settled in Britain. Kurdish Housing Association (KHA) was registered as a charitable housing association under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act No. 26648R

KHA has strong links with the Kurdish community across London and works in partnership with various Kurdish community organisations across the capital. KHA is also actively involved within the housing movement and considers itself as part of the wider black and minority ethnic social housing movement. It provides accommodation mainly for the Kurdish community.

As an unregistered housing association with the Housing Corporation under the Housing Act 1996, it has been managing properties obtained from other housing associations or local authorities. It has managed property and has been active in providing services in the London Boroughs of Haringey, Hackney, Lambeth, Enfield, Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham and Ealing. All these areas have substantial Kurdish communities.

It has worked in partnership with ARHAG HA, a long established London wide organisation for refugees and migrants. It is managing housing for Metropolitan Housing Trust, South London Family HA, Shian Housing Association, Mosaic Homes, Community Housing Association, Ujima Housing Group and Genesis Housing Group. It will shortly begin working in partnership with other partners.

It runs a number of non-housing projects and activities for the Kurdish community either by itself or in conjunction with other Kurdish organisations. These range from employment and training, projects around disability and women's issues and cultural events.

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