Kurds and Berbers: Shared history and parallel struggles for identity

SALADIN, Iraq — Kurds and Berbers occupy a continuous geographic arc stretching from the Zagros Mountains of the Middle East to the Atlas range of North Africa, where both are among the oldest indigenous communities in their respective regions. Kurdish origins are traced to the pre-Hittite Mitanni and Medes, while Berber history reaches back to the 12,000-year-old Tufougalt remains in Morocco. Despite linguistic differences, both groups treat their native tongue as the principal line of defense for preserving their identity. Both peoples historically served as defenders of Islamic civilization but became targets during the rise of 20th-century regional nationalisms. Kurds faced Turkification policies in Turkey, Persianization in Iran and Arabization in Iraq and Syria, while Berbers endured systematic Arabization pressure across North Africa. Mirroring the Kurdish experience of the Halabja massacre and the Anfal operations, Berbers have faced economic marginalization and the arrest of cultural and movement activists. The two groups are similarly divided across multiple states, with Kurds split among four countries and Berbers among five. In recent years, cross-border solidarity between the two communities has grown visibly, as their respective diasporas in Europe work to raise international awareness of their rights.