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A nation denied
This volume reveals the many complexities of the struggle of the Kurds, whose aspirations have been systematically ignored by the international community, writes STEVE SWEENEY
RIGHTS CURTAILED: Riot police arrest a Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) protester last Sunday in Istambul at a celebration of World Peace Day banned by the authorities

The Cambridge History of the Kurds
Edited: Hamit Bozarslan, Cengiz Gunes, Veli Yadirgi
Cambridge University Press  £94.99

NUMBERING some 40 million people the Kurds are among the largest stateless ethnic groups in the world, yet also one of the world’s most misunderstood. Despite a rich history of culture and resistance, little is known of the Kurdish people outside of the diaspora.

There are striking similarities with the Palestinian struggle – both nations have had their land stolen by imperialist powers and face a genocide at the hands of powerful states – but the Kurdish cause has yet to penetrate the movement in a similar way.

The Cambridge History of the Kurds is an attempt to redress the balance, and a worthy one at that.

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