Examining Kurdish agency in US-Iran-Israel dynamics and their historical statelessness
Original framing: “Iran-Israel war: Who are the Kurds, why US may align with them?” — The Hindu
The original framing omits the rich history of Kurdish resistance, the role of indigenous governance models like the Rojava administration, and the marginalization of Kurdish voices in international discourse. It also fails to address the impact of colonial borders and the role of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq in suppressing Kurdish autonomy.
Medium structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
This narrative is produced by mainstream media outlets like The Hindu for a global audience, often framing the Kurds through the lens of strategic utility to Western powers. Such framing serves the interests of geopolitical actors who benefit from the Kurds' fragmentation and dependence on external support, obscuring the agency and historical resilience of Kurdish communities.
The Kurdish statelessness dates back to the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, which divided the Ottoman Empire without considering Kurdish territorial claims. This historical injustice continues to shape Kurdish identity and resistance to centralized state control.
The Kurdish question is a product of colonial legacies and ongoing geopolitical manipulation. Their statelessness is not a natural condition but a result of deliberate exclusion and fragmentation by regional powers.