Political geography

Read the article entitled: ‘Kurdish Nationalism’. When answering the following questions, try to make connections to concepts and issues from lecture (no outside sources are needed to answer these questions). Many of these questions require you to think generally about these issues, rather than simply finding the answer in the reading. So try to apply what you are learning in the course to this case study. Why do you think laws and policies that have tried to eradicate Kurdish cultural practices and prevent the Kurdish language from being used have not succeeded in erasing Kurdish identity? If Kurdish nationalists tried to create a new state for ALL Kurds, what would be two challenges in trying to build this new “imagined community†in this new state? What is a toponym? Names the specific toponym example from the reading. How do toponyms show evidence of Kurdish nationalism in this case? Come up with a reason why Kurds in other states might be more likely to advocate separatism AND a reason why they might be less likely to advocate separatism (just think of hypothetical reasons). Do you think all the evidence of Kurdish nationalism in the landscape of Iraqi Kurdistan will make it more or less likely for Iraqi Kurdistan to seek independence from Iraq?