Kurds and the Assyrian Homeland

Kurds are relatively newcomers to northern Iraq and have no historical root there, but often falsely claim that they have always lived there. It is only during the last 200 years that Kurdish tribes descended from the mountains of Zagros or migrated from Iran to northern Iraq.

Westerners are often intentionally misled into believing that Kurds are the indigenous people of what is now called Kurdistan which means 'the land of the Kurds' a name forced on the region after the 2nd invasion of the country by the US. This name implies that the non-Kurds who live there are strangers in their own homeland. To further mislead others and wipe out the Assyrian identity of the Christians of Iraq Kurds official often refer to them simply as Christians or whenever possible as Christian Kurds. This is an ethnic cleansing tactic which they decried when Turks defined them as 'Mountains Turks' to wipe out their identity.

In a recent article published in the 'Archaeology' magazine David Axe, a freelance writer, wrongly defines the city of Erbil in northern Iraq and its antiquities as the Kurdish heritage. Following is a letter of protest by Mr. Fred Aprim to the writer.

December 14, 06

Dear David,

I read your article "Back from the Brink" in "Archaelogy", Volume 59 Number 4, July/August 2006 issue, about Arbil and the origin of Kurds with great concerns. Your article of one-sided view, i.e., that of Merhdad Izady, is full of fallacy. The Kurds have been embarking on corrupting and falasifying the history of northern Iraq for some 80 years and since the creation of Iraq in 1921.

To write of a serious article must get different opinions from different historians and scholars of history and from archaeologists before deciding the origin of a certain region and its people. Merhdad Izady [a Kurdish Nationalist] is not an authority on the history of Mesopotamia or Iraq (which he refers to as Kurdistan). It is unfortunate that we become so casual in looking at a sensitive topic such as history and rush to accept a certain myth just because one "historian" legitimized it. This is not fair and good reporting.

Please talk with real archaeologists and historians about the history of northern Iraq. I challenge Izady to point to one archaeologist who has ever dug out anything that is specified as Kurdish in northern Iraq. Ask Izady to name one monument, artifact, etc., that reflects a "Kurdish culture" and civilization in northern Iraq before the 20th century. Am I asking for too much? The Kurds play with words and make every ancient culture, such as Halaf, Ubaidian, Hurrians, Persians, etc., as Kurdish when that is the biggest lie in history of Mesopotamia (Iraq). Izady does not mention the real Assyrian history and heritage of northern Iraq; he is politicizing the topic.

Sir, here is a challenge for you. Please visit any public library near you, search and then collect all books written by scholars and archaeologists on ancient Mesopotamia. Take all those books home and read them. If you found one paragraph where it discusses and argues the presence of "Kurdish culture" in Mesopotamia before the 20th century, I will be the biggest advocator for the Kurds. Northern Iraq is the heartland of Assyrian Empire. Then it was conquered by the Persians, Arabs, and many Turkoman tribes, Mongols, and finnaly Ottoman Turks and others in between. Kurds are not mentioned in the history of Mesopotamia.

Reporters have a moral obligation to print the truth and not spread anything that they hear without undertaking thorough investigation. You presented the origin of Arbil and northern Iraq basically as Kurdish based on what a Kurd, i.e., Izady, stated. Well, I am saying I could show you every book on the history of Mesopotamia and they all will show without any doubt that Mesopotamia has nothing to do with the Kurds and that the Kurdish homeland is in the Zagros Mountains in northwestern Persia (Iran).

Thank you for reading this short response. If interested, I could present to you many historical facts to refute Izady's unfounded claims.

Thank you.
Fred Aprim