The Kurds have historically been used as proxies. The United States, Israel, and European powers have armed Kurdish forces (the Peshmerga and YPG/SDF) to fight common foes: Saddam Hussein, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS. Yet, time and again, these powers have abandoned the Kurds when it suits their national interest.
Case Study 1: The United States
After the 1991 Gulf War, the US established a no-fly zone to protect Iraqi Kurds. They considered Washington a friend. However, in 1975, the US had abandoned the Kurds to Saddam after the Algiers Agreement with Iran. More recently, in October 2019, President Trump’s pullout from northern Syria allowed Turkey to invade the Kurdish-held region of Rojava, effectively betraying the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who had done the ground fighting against ISIS. For many Syrian Kurds, the USA is now a Jaani Dushman—a fair-weather friend who becomes an enemy the moment the battle ends.
Case Study 2: Iran
For Iranian Kurds (Rojhelat), the Jaani Dushman is the IRGC. The regime in Tehran views Kurdish separatist parties (KDP-I, Komala, PAK) as mortal threats. The crackdown following the 2022 "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, led by the Kurdish Jina (Mahsa) Amini, saw the IRGC shelling Kurdish villages across the border in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iran’s strategic depth—using Shia militias in Iraq and Syria to encircle Kurdish regions—makes Tehran a sophisticated, patient, and deadly Jaani Dushman. Jaani Dushman Kurdish
The phrase Jaani Dushman for older Iraqi Kurds is synonymous with Saddam Hussein. The destruction of the Kurdistan Region’s infrastructure, the use of chemical weapons, and the forced Arabization of Kirkuk are indelible scars.
For younger Iraqi Kurds (the post-2003 generation), the Jaani Dushman is non-state: ISIS. The 2014 Sinjar massacre, where ISIS killed and enslaved the Yazidi Kurds, is a genocide that reshaped loyalties. The Peshmerga’s fight against ISIS recast the Kurds as the West’s frontline ally. But critically, the withdrawal of support from Baghdad and the Turkish shelling of PKK-affiliated units in Sinjar have created a "triangle of enmity" where trust is nonexistent. The Kurds have historically been used as proxies
For fans of classic Bollywood horror, few films hold the same legendary status as Jaani Dushman (1979). Directed by Rajkumar Kohli, this film is a masterpiece of the supernatural thriller genre, blending romance, revenge, and horror into a single narrative. In recent years, the film has found a new life among Kurdish audiences through dubbed versions, allowing a whole new generation to experience the terror and drama of this iconic movie.
One must first clarify: There is a famous Bollywood horror-fantasy film titled “Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani” (2002) directed by Rajkumar Kohli. It stars Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Arshad Warsi, and many others. The plot involves a shape-shifting snake (ichchhadhari naag) seeking revenge. The phrase Jaani Dushman for older Iraqi Kurds
Is there a Kurdish version of this film?
No official Kurdish remake exists. However, the film was popular in parts of the Middle East, including Kurdish regions of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, through pirated VCDs/DVDs with informal Kurdish dubbing or subtitles (often in Sorani or Kurmanji). Some local TV channels in Kurdistan aired it during the 2000s with voice-over translation.