ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The histories and origins of the Kurds were explored in a recent episode of Lagal Ranj, focusing on whether they are of Aryan or Sumerian descent.
At Hazar Merd, or the Cave of 1,000 Men, exists a group of Paleolithic cave sites located 13 kilometers west of Sulaimani city, where ancient stone tools have been discovered.
While appearing on the program, Soran Hamarash, the author of “The Lost and Untold History of the Kurds,” disputed modern theories on the origin of Kurds.
"Kurds being Aryan is unscientific, and there is no truth to it. Even the Medes were not from here," he said.
"Unfortunately, we have occupied ourselves for many years with the question of whether we are Aryan or Zoroastrian, despite the lack of scientific evidence," he added.
Hamarash argued that European historians have shaped the history of the Middle East, attributing a false identity to the Kurds. "Kurds had empires, but later they associated a false identity with us," he said.
While Hamarash acknowledged the necessity of using European accounts to write Kurdish history, he emphasized the importance of relying on the works of early Kurdish journalists and historians whose writings permeated throughout the 20th century.
The ownership of Newroz often sparks intense debate and controversy among celebrating nations, with each community claiming rights to the tradition.
Hamarash argues that Newroz was first celebrated in Kurdistan. He notes that Kurds in Sulaimani and Mahabad still observe the festival in a Sumerian fashion on March 21, as they did in ancient times. He adds that Kurdish culture and customs have Sumerian roots.
The Newroz celebrations are also observed in many countries and communities, with around 300 million practitioners worldwide, a UNESCO spokesperson told Rudaw in March.
Hundreds of thousands of people from the Kurdistan Region, as well as Kurds in Turkey, Iran, and Syria, celebrate Newroz. The event symbolizes freedom from tyranny and resistance.
Kurds celebrate Newroz from March 21-23 by picnicking in the countryside and lighting bonfires with family and loved ones. The occasion is known as the Kurdish New Year.
"Kurds are not Sumerians; Sumerians were Kurds. The first written laws were Sumerian. This is why anything Sumerian is undoubtedly Kurdish, and there is ample evidence for this," Hamarash said.
Kurdish lands were the birthplace of agriculture and animal domestication, according to Hamarash. He also said the first writing in the world had Kurdish vocabulary and grammar, marking the start of civilization.
“The Kurdish language is the new form of the Sumerian language, with its closest manner of speaking being the one used in Garmiyan,” said Hamarash.
"Kurds are not and have never been Sumerians, because the Sumerians did not rule in Kurdistan,” countered Zrar Sadiq Tofiq, professor of medieval history at the University of Duhok, from Rudaw’s studio in Erbil.
Tofiq says that while some Sumerian words exist in Kurdish, Arabic, and Persian, their presence does not prove that Sumerian was Kurdish.
Tofiq heavily criticized Hamarash’s methodology, source gathering, and research, stating that he has thoroughly read his book and found it lacking in scientific rigor and reliability.
Tofiq instead suggested that the ancestry of the Kurds lies with the Medes, Gutians, and Lullubians.
