Radio Curious revisits an archived conversation with Bob Blincoe, a Presbyterian minister who worked as a missionary in the Zagros Mountains from 1990-1996, where the Kurdish people live. He talks about the Kurdish people and their history.
Barry Vogel, Attorney and Counselor is the Host and Producer of Radio Curious. Christina Aanestad is the Assistant Producer.
In this 1997 edition of Radio Curious, we visited with Bob Blincoe, a Presbyterian minister, who lived and worked among the Kurds in the Zagros Mountains from 1990 to 1996.   The Kurdish people have long been aptly referred to as a âmillet.â This is a Turkish term that originated in the Ottoman Empire when it ruled parts of central Europe to the near east from 1430 to 1921. It means âany ethnic group.â Until the 20th century millets, were able to control their way of life and effectively rule themselves. Now approximately 25 million Kurdish people live in the Zagros Mountains, where the borders of eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and northwestern Iran converge.  These Kurdish people live stateless and many homeless in their ancestral homeland. Currently they have been able to successfully defend themselves from brutal ISIS attacks.  When Bob Blincoe lived among the Kurds and worked as a community organizer in their ancestral homeland he first spoke Arabic, so he wouldnât stand out. He quickly learned Kurdish which he spoke only with great discretion. His stories of the Kurdish people are important to consider now in light of terrorism and other dangers inflicted against them.  When Bob Blincoe and I visited in the studios of Radio Curious in the spring of 1997, we began our conversation when I asked him to describe the Zagros Mountains where so many Kurdish people live.  The book Bob Blincoe recommends is âA Peace to End All Peace,â by David Fromkin.  This program was originally broadcast in May 1997.
Radio Curious is a half-hour, weekly, long-form interview program, now in it's 25th year. We interview people on a curiously wide variety of topics about life and ideas. Our website is www.radiocurious.org. If your station airs Radio Curious please let us know curious@radiocurious.org, we will add you to our list of syndicate stations. We also welcome questions, feedback and program ideas. Radio Curious 280 N. Oak St. Ukiah, Ca 95482. (707) 462-6541.
Kurdish People: Their Struggle to Keep Their Homeland
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