'Ajam of Kuwait
العيم | |
---|---|
Regions with significant populations | |
Kuwait | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Shi'a Islam; minority Sunni Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Ajam of Bahrain |
Ajam of Kuwait or Persians of Kuwait[1][2] are Kuwaiti citizens of Iranian origin, who migrated to Kuwait over the last couple of hundred years.[3][4] Historically, Persian ports provided most of Kuwait's economic needs.[5] Marafi Behbahani was one of the first merchants to settle in Kuwait in the 18th century.[6]
Most Shia Kuwaiti citizens are of Iranian ancestry.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Some Kuwaiti citizens are of Iranian Arab origin, predominately from Ahwaz, Abadan and other southern cities. Most are Shia. Also, some Kuwaitis of Iranian origin are Sunni. The Kuwaitis of Iranian Balochi origin are predominantly Sunni Muslim.[14] Balochi families first immigrated to Kuwait in the 19th century.[15]
The Persian sub-dialects of Larestani, Khonji, Bastaki and Gerashi have influenced the vocabulary of Kuwaiti Arabic.[16] There are also Ayam of Sayyid origin.[17] Some also speak Khuzestani Arabic.
Notable people
- Abdulhussain Abdulredha, prominent actor.
- Ahmed Lari, a politician.
- Ali Hussain Al-Awadhi, journalist and politician.
- Ali Al-Zinkawi, Olympics athlete.
- Ali Ashkanani, footballer.
- Adnan Zahid Abdulsamad, a politician.
- Ali al-Ihqaqi, Religious scholar.
- Ali Abdulreda, footballer.
- Abdulwahed Al-Awadhi, a politician.
- Kazem Behbehani, immunologist and retired professor, World Health Organization official.
- Rola Dashti, one of the first Kuwaiti women elected in the Kuwaiti parliament.
- Samir Said, footballer.
- Dawood Hussein, comedy actor.
- Bashar al-Shatti, singer-songwriter of Star Academy fame.
- Sulaiman Qabazard, 1976 Olympics diver.
- Emma Shah, singer.
- Mai Al Balushi, actress.
- Ibtihal Al-Khatib, secular academic.
- Marafi Behbahani, merchant.
- Mohammad Ashkanani, professional basketball player.
- Muhammad Baqir al-Muhri, an ayatollah.
- Saleh Ashour, a politician.
- Hassan Jawhar, former member of the National Assembly.
- Hussain Al-Musawi, footballer.
- Abbas Almohri, Religious scholar.
- Halema Boland, television host and entertainer.
- Hamad al-Naqi, activist and blogger.
- Nasser Abul, online activist.
- Ahmad Ashkanani, professional bodybuilder.
Further reading
- Rerouting the Persian Gulf: The Transnationalization of Iranian Migrant Networks, c.1900–1940
- The Shia Migration from Southwestern Iran to Kuwait: Push-Pull Factors during the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries
- Kuwait and Iran: Mutual Contact in the Pre-oil Era
References
- ^ Article in AL-AAN online newspaper Archived 15 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in Arabic) November 2010
- ^ Article by Waleed aj-Jasim in Al-Watan daily newspaper Archived 15 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in Arabic). 25 May 2013
- ^ "Policing Iranian Sanctions: Trade, Identity, and Smuggling Networks in the Arabian Gulf" (PDF). pp. 25–27. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2016.
- ^ Taqi, Hanan (2010). Two ethnicities, three generations: Phonological variation and change in Kuwait (PDF) (PhD). Newcastle University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "The Emergence of the Gulf States: Studies in Modern History". J. E. Peterson. 2016. p. 107. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014.
- ^ "The Shia Migration from Southwestern Iran to Kuwait: Push-Pull Factors during the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries". Georgia State University. 2014. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016.
- ^ "Citizenship and the State in the Middle East: Approaches and Applications". Nils August Butenschøn, Uri Davis, Manuel Sarkis Hassassian. 2000. p. 190.
- ^ Binder, Leonard (1999). Ethnic Conflict and International Politics in the Middle East. p. 164. ISBN 9780813016870. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013.
Unlike the Shi'a of Saudi Arabia or Bahrain, the Kuwaiti Shi'a mostly are of Persian descent.
- ^ "Business Politics in the Middle East". Rivka Azoulay. 2013. p. 71.
- ^ "Islam in the World Today: A Handbook of Politics, Religion, Culture, and Society". Werner Ende, Udo Steinbach. 2002. p. 533.
- ^ "Sectarian Politics in the Persian Gulf". Lawrence G. Potter. p. 135.
- ^ "Transnational Shia Politics: Religious and Political Networks in the Gulf". Laurence Louër. p. 47.
- ^ Dénes Gazsi. "The Persian Dialects of the Ajam in Kuwait" (PDF). The University of Iowa.
- ^ "The Baluch Presence in the Persian Gulf" (PDF). 2013. pp. 742–743. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2014.
- ^ The Shia Migration from Southwestern Iran to Kuwait: Push-Pull Factors during the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. Georgia State University. 2012. pp. 71–72. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014.
- ^ "Lang & Linguistic in Bahrain Mon". Al-Tajir. 2013. p. 11.
- ^ Murtadha Mutahhari, Majmu'at al-Athaar, Part 18. Qum, Tehran. p. 124