Harriet Allsopp – författare

In September 2014, the Kurdish Syrian city of Kobane was subjected to a massive attack by fighters of the movement Islamic State (IS). As a result, the plight of the Kurds of Syria became known around the world. Less well-known, however, is their struggle before these dramatic and violent events. This struggle was mostly aimed at having their voices heard on the political stage and having equitable access to both economic and political resources. This examination of Kurdish politics in Syria therefore concentrates on the Syrian-Kurdish political parties, which despite state sanctions, have attempted to promote their political agendas and to bring about change for the approximately 3 million Kurds that reside in the country. The Kurds of Syria explores the fundamental issues of minority identity and the concept of being 'stateless' in a turbulent region, making it vital for all those researching the politics of the modern Middle East.

Based on unprecedented access to Kurdish-governed areas of Syria, including exclusive interviews with administration officials and civilian surveys, this book sheds light on the socio-political landscape of this minority group and the various political factions vying to speak for them.The first English-language book to capture the momentous transformations that have occurred since 2011, the authors move beyond idealized images of Rojava and the Kurdish PYD (Democratic Union Party) to provide a nuanced assessment of the Kurdish autonomous experience and the prospects for self-rule in Syria. The book draws on unparalleled field research, as well as analysis of the literature on the evolution of Kurdish politics and the Syrian war. You will understand why the PYD-led project in Syria split the Kurdish political movement and how other representative structures amongst Syria’s Kurds fared. Emerging clearly are the complex range of views about pre-existing, current and future governance structures.