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Ethnic group From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kurds in Palestine (Kurdish: Kurdên Filistînê; Arabic: اكراد فلسطين: Akrad Filisteen) are Palestinians who are of Kurdish ancestry.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 160,000-170,00 [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Harat Al-Akrad, Hebron[2] and Gaza | |
| Languages | |
| mainly Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Kurdish people,[3] Palestinians & Kurdish Jews |
The origins of some Palestinian Kurds can be traced to the era of conquests of Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty during the Crusades. The Ayyubid rulers settled many Kurdish tribes in Palestine in order to secure the borders of their empire.[4] There are also many Kurdish clans who came to Palestine at post-Ayyubid periods, especially under the Ottomans. The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in the West Bank.[4]
Kurds began settling in the modern Gaza Strip during the Ayyubid's rule over Palestine, some of the commanders of Saladin Ayyubi build castles in Gaza and to this day many Palestinians of Kurdish descend live in Gaza. They have been by now fully Arabized, not speaking Kurdish anymore, but they still feel connected to their identity.[5]
The Kurdish Muslim Saladin retook Hebron in 1187 – again with Jewish assistance according to one late tradition, in exchange for a letter of security allowing them to return to the city and build a synagogue there.[6] The name of the city was changed back to Al-Khalil. A Kurdish quarter still existed in the town during the early period of Ottoman rule.[7] Richard the Lionheart retook the city soon after. Richard of Cornwall, brought from England to settle the dangerous feuding between Templars and Hospitallers, whose rivalry imperiled the treaty guaranteeing regional stability stipulated with the Egyptian Sultan As-Salih Ayyub, managed to impose peace on the area. But soon after his departure, feuding broke out and in 1241 the Templars mounted a damaging raid on what was, by now, Muslim Hebron, in violation of agreements.[8]
Some claim that as much as one third of inhabitants of Hebron(166,000) are of Kurdish origin, where they have had their own quarters, such as Harat al-Akrad (English: Quarter of Kurds).[4][9][unreliable source?]
The Kurdish community in Palestine is small, estimated to number around 2,000 to 3,000 people. They primarily reside in urban areas and have integrated into Palestinian society while maintaining their distinct cultural identity. [10]
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