Author Brenneman discusses the culture of the Kurdish people. Brenneman claims that there are three dimensions of the Kurdish culture which include assimilation, nationalism, and the relation to Islam. The Kurdish people are believed to be an ancient ethnic mixture originating …show more content…
Three aspects discussed are language, kinship, and religious beliefs. Due to outside influences on the Kurdish people, these cultural aspects are very important in order to keep their culture alive. The Kurdish language is important to many Kurds because it is distinct, and demonstrates to others the distinctiveness of the culture. Since other cultures in the surrounding countries want the Kurds to assimilate, some of these governments will not teach the Kurdish language in schools. Families then decide whether or not they wish to teach their children the language. Some families believe doing so is of utmost importance while others believe they should assimilate. For example, a Kurd living in Istanbul states, "People are afraid to speak Kurdish at home. They are afraid and embarrassed that people will think they are uncivilized and ignorant" (Brenneman, 2007, p. 41). Unfortunately, many people from other cultures have this view about Kurdish people. Some families are afraid to be rejected, so they decide to assimilate. Others recognize the importance of their language and how it helps their culture survive; hence, they teach their children the