From Marxism to Social Democracy: Evolving Leftist and Ethno-National Perspectives in the European Kurdish Komala Diaspora

This article examines the ideological-political transformation of first-generation Kurdish political refugees from Iranian/Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhelat) with leftist political backgrounds, now residing in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and France. It explores how their ethno-national identity and leftist ideology, situated within the Kurdish diaspora, shape their political orientation in their host countries. The study is based on twenty-six in-depth interviews with current and former members of the offshoots of the Iranian Kurdistan Toilers’ Revolutionary Association ( Komalay Shoreshgeri Zahmatkeshani Kurdistani Eran, or Komala). Findings indicate that exposure to a European political-ideological atmosphere has shifted their stance from authoritarian to libertarian leftism, strengthening the role of Kurdish identity in their political attitude and orientation and fostering a balance between their ethnic and ideological affiliations. Beyond advocating for the Kurdish diaspora, their political engagement in Europe serves as a form of transnational lobbying to influence European countries’ politics regarding Kurdish rights in their country of origin.