I have met many people in Beirut who used to identify themselves as Kurdish. A few years ago, they started identifying themselves as Turks, although there was a deep struggle between both ethnic groups, and mainly with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party). The Kurds have been demanding recognition and the use of their own language along with many other demands. What is it that made such a shift in identity? Can we say that Erdogans policies succeeded in making the Kurdish people in Turkey have such a remarkable boost in their sense of belonging to the country that they live in instead of feeling like strangers and aliens? Is it the prosperity that he has accomplished that instilled a sense of Turkish pride instead of sticking solely to their Kurdish identity? Is it the Islamic spirit of Erdogan and his party, which stirred the sense of religious identity for many of the Kurds who are devout or even proud Muslims? Would it also happen if some clean and hard working politicians sincerely worked on making Lebanon a better country, would the various factions, parties, and denominations in Lebanon unite and see themselves as Lebanese instead of sticking to their groups and sub-groups?
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 20:04:50 +0000
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