Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced monotheistic religions, founded by Zarathustra (or Zoroaster). Its core philosophy centers on the supreme creator, Ahura Mazda, and the ethical duality of choosing between righteousness and destructive chaos.

Kurdish Zoroastrianism is a modern religious and cultural revival movement, particularly prominent in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Following legislative changes in 2015 that officially protected religious minorities, thousands of Kurds have converted to the ancient faith as an expression of distinct national identity and a rejection of Islamic extremism.

The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking ethno-religious minority indigenous to northern Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Their ancient, closed religion combines elements of Zoroastrianism, Islam, and other faiths. They have faced centuries of severe persecution, including a recognized genocide by ISIS beginning in 2014.

Christian Kurds are primarily evangelical population of ethnic Kurds who converted to Christianity, existing alongside the region’s ancient, indigenous Aramaic-speaking Assyrian and Chaldean communities. Numbering in the low tens of thousands, they practice their faith openly in places like Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria.

Kurdish Jews (or Kurdistani Jews) are a historic Mizrahi Jewish community from the mountainous region of Kurdistan across modern-day Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria. They traditionally spoke Judeo-Aramaic and shared deep cultural ties with the Kurds. Today, over 300,000 live in Israel, preserving their rich heritage

The vast majority of Kurdish people, approximately 75% to 90%, practice Islam, primarily adhering to the Sunni branch. Predominantly following the Shafi’i school of jurisprudence, they have a distinct religious and cultural identity characterized by strong Sufi traditions and vibrant regional diversity

Before Islam, the majority of Kurds followed western Iranic paganism, which originates from Indo-Iranian traditions, such as Zoroastrian and Yazidi practices. The Kurds first encountered with Islam in the 7th century during the early Muslim conquest and Arab invasions into the region. During the early Arab and Islamic invasions most were forced to either convert to Islam, be persecuted, or practice their own cultures in secret. Many fled east and west, such as west into the Caucasus regions or east to India, where the Iranians are known as Parsi.

Kurdish Bahá’ís are an ethnoreligious subgroup of the Bahá’í Faith, with a population numbering in the thousands spread primarily across Iraq and Iran. The community’s historical and spiritual roots in the region date back to the mid-19th century when the faith’s founder, Bahá’u’lláh, spent two years living in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Kurdish secularism is a defining political and cultural ideology that advocates for the separation of religion and state, setting it apart from many other ethnic and national movements in the Middle East. While the majority of Kurds are practicing Muslims, their overarching national identity has historically been defined more by ethnicity and shared culture than by religious adherence.

Kurdish atheism represents a significant and growing cultural shift, particularly among younger generations and the diaspora, driven by a desire for secularism and a re-evaluation of the region’s religious history. While the majority of the Kurdish population remains Sunni Muslim, a substantial minority now identifies as agnostic or atheist.