In a historic step toward documenting the suffering and resilience of the Kurdish people, Palgrave Macmillan has published The Palgrave Handbook of Kurdish Genocides — the first comprehensive academic volume dedicated to genocides committed against the Kurds across multiple states and decades.

The book brings together an exceptional group of international scholars, historians, and human rights experts who examine genocidal policies and mass atrocities carried out against the Kurds in Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria, and the former Soviet Union. It explores the political roots, historical patterns, and lasting consequences of these crimes, providing one of the most detailed academic treatments of Kurdish persecution to date.

“This is not only an academic contribution — it is a moral and historical duty,” said the editor. “The Kurdish people’s experience of genocide has shaped their identity, politics, and quest for justice. This handbook seeks to document that legacy with scholarly rigor and human sensitivity.”

The contributors include some of the leading names in the field of Kurdish and genocide studies, such as Dr. Michael M. Gunter, Dr. Bahar Baser, Dr. Gareth Stansfield, Dr. Bülent Bilmez, Dr. David Romano, Dr. Maria Six-Hohenbalken, Dr. Shivan Fazil, and Dr. Allan Hassaniyan, among others.

The handbook offers detailed analyses of events such as the Anfal campaign and the Halabja chemical massacre, as well as systematic cultural, linguistic, and political repression of Kurds in neighboring states. It also situates Kurdish suffering within the broader field of global genocide studies, making it a vital resource for understanding how denial, displacement, and impunity persist into the present day.

Palgrave Macmillan describes the handbook as a “foundational resource for genocide studies, Kurdish studies, human rights, and transitional justice.”

The editor expressed heartfelt gratitude to all contributors and supporters, adding:

“I hope this work will help keep the memory alive and contribute to international recognition and justice for the Kurdish people.”

More information about the book is available at: https://lnkd.in/ehChJerN

Cover design credit: Naz Salih