Kurds in Lebanon

History

Most Kurds in Lebanon have come in recent decades, but the Kurdish community of Lebanon dates back to the 12th century, when Lebanon was ruled by the Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty. The Ottomans also sent loyal Kurdish families to modern-day Syria and Lebanon, where they got administrative roles. These Kurdish groups settled in and ruled many areas of Lebanon for a long period of time.[[File:Kurds Caught in Throes of Syrias War.ogv|thumb|The [[Bekaa Valley]] in Lebanon, where many [[Kurds in Syria|Syrian Kurdish]] refugees have taken shelter.|left]]The first modern wave of Kurdish immigration to Lebanon was in the period of 1925-1950 when thousands of Kurds fled violence and poverty in Turkey. The second wave of Kurds entered in the late 1950s and early 1960s, most of whom fled from political repression in Syria and Turkey. During the early 1990s, the Lebanese government destroyed many squatter quarters in Beirut, where many Kurds lived, leading to the emigration of nearly one quarter of Lebanon's Kurdish population. Christian factions advocated for the expulsion of all Kurds and Palestinians from Lebanon.

During the Lebanese Civil War, Kurds fought for the Lebanese National Movement. Kurds were divided between Al-Mourabitoun and the Progressive Socialist Party.

Current status

As of 2012, around 40% of all Kurds in Lebanon do not have Lebanese citizenship.

Notable people

Politician

• Saad Hariri, politician, business tycoon, Lebanese Prime Minister, and son of Rafic Hariri
• Kamal Jumblatt, 20th-century Lebanese politician and author; founder of the Progressive Socialist Party
• Taymur Jumblatt, Lebanese politician
• Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese politician

Sports

• Hassan Oumari, Footballer
• Joan Oumari, Footballer

Prominent families

• Jumblatt family
• Sa'b family

References

References

1. "Document - Gale Academic OneFile".
2. "Lebanon".
3. (February 2020). "People: Information & Library Science: Indiana University".
4. Historical Dictionary of Lebanon - Page 125 by Asʻad AbuKhalil
5. "Kurds in Lebanon endure poverty, grapple with assimilation".
6. "Kurdish Culture and Society: An Annotated Bibliography".
7. A Modern History of the Kurds - Page 485 by David MacDowall
8. Kurdish Culture and Society: An Annotated Bibliography, 2001, pp. 36, {{ISBN. 9780313016806
9. (9 February 2012). "Kurds in Lebanon endure poverty, grapple with assimilation". Ekurd.net (via The Daily Star Lebanon).
10. A Modern History of the Kurds, David McDowall, 2021, pp. 670, {{ISBN. 9780755600786