Table of Contents
Do Kurds have their own country?
Presently, Iraqi Kurdistan first gained autonomous status in a 1970 agreement with the Iraqi government, and its status was re-confirmed as the autonomous Kurdistan Region within the federal Iraqi republic in 2005. There is also a Kurdistan Province in Iran, but it is not self-ruled.
What are the two major Muslim groups in Iraq?
Religion. Iraq is predominantly a Muslim country, in which the two major sects of Islam are represented more equally than in any other state. About three-fifths of the population is Shiʿi, and about two-fifths is Sunni.
What is the conflict between Shia and Sunni?
Shia and Sunni Islam are the two major denominations of Islam. The origin of their separation can be traced back to a dispute over the succession to the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a caliph of the Islamic community.
Is Iraqi Kurdistan independent?
The 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum took place on September 25, with 92.73% voting in favor of independence. This triggered a military operation in which the Iraqi government retook control of Kirkuk and surrounding areas, and forced the KRG to annul the referendum.
What kind of people are the Kurds in Iraq?
Kurds are also Muslims, the majority of whom are Sunni. However, they identify themselves as only the Kurdish people. Kurds make up 15 to 20 percent of Iraq’s population, between four and five million people. Kurds descend from Indo-European tribes.
Who are the most powerful people in Iraq?
Shiites live in southern Iraq and most them were against Saddam Hussein and his government. Sunni Arabs were the most powerful group in the country, even though they represent only 20 % of the population. They live mostly in Central Iraq. Saddam Hussein and most of his followers came from this group.
Why are there Islamic groups in the Middle East?
Religiously motivated groups grew after the failure of Arab nationalism in the Six-Day War against Israel. In the Middle East, Islamic movements came into conflict with secular nationalism. Islamic groups were supported by Saudi Arabia, to counter nationalist ideology.
Who was the leader of Iraq in the 1960s?
Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein was born in 1937 in a village near Tikrit in northern Iraq. He joined the Ba’ath Party, which was a revolutionary group that wanted to overthrow the government. In the 1960s and 70s Saddam Hussein slowly got more and more influence in his party .