Kurdish Christians

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Kurdish Christians (Kurdish: Kurdên Xirîstî^[1] or File) are Kurds who follow Christianity and mostly live in the Kurdistan region. The word Xirîstî is derived from the Greek words χριστιανός (khristianos) and χριστιανή (khristiani). The term Mesîhî is also sometimes used.

1 History
2 Contemporary Kurdish Christians
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Christianity began to become a main religion in central part of Kurdish regions from 3th century onward. Some of Christian areas populated by Kurdish followers included Adiabene and Garmian.^{[citation needed]} Many Kurdish Christians converted to Islam after Arab conqest of Sassanid empire. However there were Kurdish converts to Christianity even after the Arab conquest. In the 9th century CE, a Kurd named Nasr or Narseh converted to Christianity, and changed his name to Theophobos during the reign of Emperor Theophilus and was emperor's intimate friend and commander for many years.^[2]

There were many Kurdish Christian communities and tribes reported by medieval writers as late as 10th^[3] and 13th centuries CE.^[4] They have used Aramaic (language of Jesus) for their religious affairs, and in some cases Armenian language. The first Bible translation of modern times was conducted in the 18th century in the Armenian alphabet. Kurdish Christians should not be confused with Semitic-speaking groups of Christians such as the Assyrians and Armenian Christians in Kurdish regions.

It is also possible that many Kurdish Christians have been linguistically and hence ethnically absorbed by Semitic-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia especially after Islamic expansions led by Turkic armies in Middle East.

[edit] Contemporary Kurdish Christians

In recent years there has been a significant but growing number of Muslim background Kurds who have become folowers of Jesus. The growing Kurdish-Speaking Church of Christ (The Kurdzman Church of Christ)was established in Hewlêr (Arbil) by the end of 2000 and have branches in the Silêmanî, Duhok and Kirkûk governorates. Its logo is formed of a yellow sun and a cross rising up begind a mountain range.

There are also significant Kurdish churches in Turkey, Armenia and other places. Several Iraqi and Iranian Kurds in the West including some prominent Kurdish artists are also followers of Jesus, though not all would identify with organized Christianity. While, in some cases, they have faced intolerance by some extremist Muslims there is freedom of religion in the areas controlled by the Regional Government of Kurdistan (KRG) and according to sources have a growing number. Through radio, education, bookstores, and other means, Kurdish Christians are reaching out to the people around them.