In September, 1996 the U.S. government airlifted approximately 2,100 Kurdish evacuees who are of special humanitarian interest to the United States from Turkey to a processing center on Andersen Air Base on Guam. They are former employees of the U.S. government or closely associated with US interests in the region. These Kurds have been paroled into the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and have been given the opportunity to apply for asylum and resettlement to the U.S.

The Institute for Cultural Partnership (ICP) was contacted by voluntary agencies in Pennsylvania to provide documentation and training on Kurds. This profile was compiled in collaboration with the Kurdish Human Rights Watch (KHRW). ICP wishes to thank Dr. Pary Karadaghi, Executive Director, KHRW, for her technical assistance on this project.

The resulting Kurdish Profile and Resettlement Issues is available from ICP (see order form) and includes the following sections (a sample section is included below to give readers a sense of the publication):

BACKGROUND

HISTORY, LAND AND POPULATION

KURDISH EVACUEES FROM NORTHERN IRAQ

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES

KURDISH SOCIETY AND FAMILY

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES

LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION

Kurds speak one of a number of Kurdish dialects and better educated Kurds will speak Arabic, which is the language most common across the Middle East region. The two primary dialects of the evacuees are Kurmanji and Sorani and, when spoken, they are generally understandable to one another. The majority of evacuees speak Kurmanji which is the mostly widely spoken dialect of Iraqi Kurds. It is reported that many of the Principal Applicants also speak Arabic. There are also a number of English speakers among the group, particularly the Principal Applicants who were previous U.S. employees. A number of English speakers that have been identified who speak at a translator level.

Many Kurdish schools now teach English as a requirement beginning from the fifth grade and through the twelfth grade. Most Kurds have had little opportunity to use and practice their English and therefore are not proficient at all. This educational background will be useful when they enroll in English language training. Education is extremely important to Kurds; families encourage their children to achieve in school and see success in school as a important step to success later in life. Many Kurdish man and women go to college and pursue professions, and it is not unusual to have both a husband and wife in successful careers. We do not have much information on the education levels of this group of Kurds in Guam as yet. This will be clearer as volags receive biographies on their cases and additional information comes out of Guam.

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES

There is a good chance that there will be at least one family member with some English speaking ability. As a close knit social group, we can expect other Kurdish English speakers ready to help other families needing interpreter assistance. Finding Arabic speakers will probably be easier than finding Kurdish speakers in most areas. This may help to patch over some difficulties; however, the Kurds needing the most interpreter assistance will most likely not have Arabic speaking ability.

IRSA has noted a potential problem if volags use KDP-affiliated Kurds to assist in resettlement and interpreter needs. Agencies need to stay alert in this politically sensitive area which reflects the current factious infighting over in Iraq. We do know that many previously resettled Kurds had prior affiliation with the KDP. With the recent events and supposed KDP alliance with Saddam, we cannot necessarily assume continued alliance of these Kurds with the current political factions and leaders back in Iraq.

Kurds will likely have a strong desire to want to help the newly arriving evacuees. Therefore, some of these political differences may be suppressed at least during the initial resettlement phase. Fewer of these such problems will be apparent as everyone is helped to focus on resettlement and community building, and there is, hopefully, less time and energy for political debate.

RELIGION

Nearly three fifths of all Kurds are, at least, nominally Sunni Muslims of Shafi’ite rite. IRSA reports that the vast majority of the evacuees are Sunni Muslims; there are about 200 Christians. It has also been noted in very recent reports out of Guam that there are also some non-ethnic Kurds in the group. In Kurdistan, adherence to Muslim laws and customs varies from country to country. Iraqi Kurdish Muslims are said to be less religiously observant and much less conservative in religious practices. In Iraq, educated Kurds are reported to be somewhat less observant. Kurdish Muslim women in Iraq are much more independent than in Turkey or Iran.

Kurdish Muslims in the U.S. have not generally associated with other Muslim groups and this will most likely be true now as well. Previously resettled Kurds have been reportedly less dogmatic in areas such as adherence to strict dietary laws. It is also reported that Muslim Kurds in the U.S. seem to be favorably disposed towards American Jews. Before their emigration to Israel, there was a significant Kurdish Jewish population and close relations existed between these Kurdish Jews and Muslims.

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES

Agencies will have to work with both the new Kurdish community and existing local Muslim communities to assess what support will be available and appropriate. The practice of religion has not been a major resettlement issues in the past with the Kurds. Many of the evacuees will take a more secular approach in their religious life. Other than prayer rugs, practicing Muslims will not need specific equipment or space for their prayer, either individual or communal. Kurdish Muslims will most likely focus on family concerns and community building rather than any initial religious infrastructure such as a mosque.

Most of the Kurds will not follow strict dietary laws. Some may and agencies will have to be alert to such needs as properly slaughtered meat. Sources for acceptable foods (similar to Kosher requirements) will need to be identified. Muslims traveling outside of a Muslim environment may be willing to forego strict adherence to proper Muslim-slaughtered meat. As a community settles, and if there is a religious presence, such commodities may be purchased from nearby cities if it is not available locally.

OCCUPATIONS/SKILLS/EMPLOYMENT

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES

CUSTOMS/TRADITIONS/ARTS

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES

MEDICAL ISSUES

RESETTLEMENT ISSUES