ABSTRACT
Diaspora conceived as a transnational community informs political, social, emotional and economic engagement with the country of origin and settlement. The Kurdish diasporas are not entirely autonomous in their activities but are entwined to different political parties from different parts of Kurdistan. Since 2005, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has gained considerable political authority and autonomy within the constitutional framework of a federal Iraq where a Kurdish national identity is evolving. The narrative converges with the fear and anxiety of the neighbouring states Iran, Turkey and Syria, that a strong autonomous Kurdish polity in Iraq can inspire and send political ideas about sovereignty and self-rule to Kurds within their respective jurisdiction. The chapter focuses on those Kurdish voices that are critical of the Kurdish authorities in the Kurdistan Region and position themselves in different ways outside of the ontological jurisdiction of the Kurdistan Region constituted by the two ruling parties, the Kurdish Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
