What is Kurds main religion?

Nearly all Iraqi Kurds consider themselves Sunni Muslims. In our survey, 98% of Kurds in Iraq identified themselves as Sunnis and only 2% identified as Shias. These three major religious and ethnic groupings in Iraq – Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs and Sunni Kurds – share certain core religious beliefs.

Is Kurdistan Sunni or Shia?

Religion. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims who adhere to the Shafiʽi school, while a significant minority adhere to the Hanafi school. Moreover, many Shafi’i Kurds adhere to either one of the two Sufi orders Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya. Beside Sunni Islam, Alevism and Shia Islam also have millions of Kurdish followers.

What country is Kurdistan in?

Kurdistan, Arabic Kurdistān, Persian Kordestān, broadly defined geographic region traditionally inhabited mainly by Kurds. It consists of an extensive plateau and mountain area, spread over large parts of what are now eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and western Iran and smaller parts of northern Syria and Armenia.

What do the Kurds speak?

Kurdish language, a West Iranian language, one of the Indo-Iranian languages, chiefly spoken in Kurdistan. It ranks as the third largest Iranian language, after Persian and Pashto, and has numerous dialects. It is thought to be spoken by some 20–40 million people.

Do Alevis visit mosques?

The Sunni faith also differs from Alevism in the following ways: (1) Alevis fast during the Ten Days of Muharram and not during Ramadan (World Directories of Minorities 1997, 380); (2) Alevis do not prostrate themselves during prayer (ibid.); (3) Alevis do not go to mosques, but use cemevleri that are also used as …

Is Kurdistan a recognized nation?

At current, Kurdistan is not recognized as an independent country by any United Nations member-state because it has not actually taken the steps to become independent.

What is the religion of most Kurds?

Kurds – Religion and Expressive Culture. The Kurds converted to Islam in the seventh century A . D . Most Kurds are orthodox Sunni Muslims of the Shaft school; however, in southeastern and southern Kurdistan , some tribes are Shiite .

Are Kurds a religion or an ethnic group?

But while the Kurds are a crucial part of Iraq’s political makeup, they are an ethnic group, not a distinct religious sect within Islam. Kurds are more appropriately compared to Arabs, the largest ethnic group in Iraq, or other regional ethnic groups such as Assyrians or Turkmen.

Are Kurds indigenous people or Muslims?

The Kurds are indigenous to the Middle East, but scholars and Kurdish people alike disagree as to the group’s origin. Nor do all Kurds share a religious identity: Though the majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims, other religions are practiced as well. What is clear is a Kurdish ethnic identity and common language.