Dr. Dastan Jasim

Dr. Dastan Jasim

she/her

Computational social and political scientist. Democratization · political behavior & culture · Middle East & Kurdish studies · NLP/LLMs.

Posts by Collection

media

BBC News

BBC News Press Mention February 2020 · Read ↗

BBC News coverage featuring commentary on Kurdish politics and European affairs.

Was Öcalans Aufruf für den Westen bedeutet

Die Zeit Interview February 2025 · Read ↗

Interview on the significance of Abdullah Öcalan’s historic call, its implications for Turkey-Kurdistan relations, and what the West should make of the PKK’s potential disarmament.

Endet die kurdische Autonomie in Syrien?

Der Tagesspiegel Press Mention February 2026 · Read ↗

Analysis of the potential end of Kurdish self-governance in northeastern Syria following military advances and what this means for the Rojava project.

portfolio

publications

Den Reichen nicht das Machtfeld überlassen.

Published in In Denkfabrik (ed.): Gib mir was, was ich wählen kann. Demokratie ohne Langzeitarbeitslose? Köln: Halem., 2017

Co-authored chapter on democracy and long-term unemployment in Germany.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D., & Tertelmann, M. (2017). "Den Reichen nicht das Machtfeld überlassen." In Gib mir was, was ich wählen kann – Demokratie ohne Langzeitarbeitslose? Köln: Halem, 200–232.

Not All Iraqi Kurds are On Board with Referendum

Published in Middle East Institute (MEI), 2017

Article analyzing Kurdish public opinion toward the 2017 independence referendum.

Recommended citation: Connelly, M., & Jasim, D. (2017). "Not All Iraqi Kurds are On Board with Referendum." Middle East Institute.
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The Loss of Disputed Territories: What is next for the Kurdistan Region?

Published in Rubin Center – Research in International Affairs, 2017

Policy commentary on the aftermath of disputed territories lost by the Kurdistan Region.

Recommended citation: Hama, H., & Jasim, D. (2017). "The Loss of Disputed Territories: What is next for the Kurdistan Region?" Rubin Center – Research in International Affairs.
Read

One battle, two narratives? Rudaw’s framing during the 2017 conflict over the disputed territories of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq

Published in The Journal of International Communication, 2018

Media analysis of Rudaw’s coverage of the 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict.

Recommended citation: Hama, H., Abdulla, F.H., & Jasim, D. (2018). "One battle, two narratives? Rudaw’s framing during the 2017 conflict over the disputed territories of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq." The Journal of International Communication.

Kurdish Youth and Civic Culture

Published in In Baser & Fazil (eds.): Youth Identity, Politics and Change in Contemporary Kurdistan, Transnational Press London., 2021

Book chapter on youth identity and civic culture in contemporary Kurdistan.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2021). "Kurdish Youth and Civic Culture." In B. Baser & S. Fazil (eds.), Youth Identity, Politics and Change in Contemporary Kurdistan. Transnational Press London.

Kurdish Allies and Kurdish Enemies: Turkey’s New War Against the PKK

Published in The Commentaries, 2(1): 13–23, 2022

Article on Turkey’s renewed conflict with the PKK and regional Kurdish politics.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D., & Chomani, K. (2022). "Kurdish Allies and Kurdish Enemies: Turkey’s New War Against the PKK." The Commentaries, 2(1), 13–23.

Jenseits der Doppelmoral des Westens

Published in Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, 2022

Examines Western hypocrisy toward Turkish drone warfare: celebrated when used by Ukraine, ignored when deployed against Kurdish populations.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2022). "Jenseits der Doppelmoral des Westens." Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.
Read

Germany and Turkey: A Fatal Friendship

Published in Kurdish Peace Institute, 2022

Examines Germany’s historical and contemporary support for Turkish military operations, which enables Turkish aggression against Kurdish and minority populations.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2022). "Germany and Turkey: A Fatal Friendship." Kurdish Peace Institute.
Read

Can Kurdistan Address European Energy Needs?

Published in Kurdish Peace Institute, 2022

Examines why Kurdistan’s proposed gas exports cannot realistically address Europe’s energy crisis, citing infrastructure deficits, domestic shortages, and political constraints.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2022). "Can Kurdistan Address European Energy Needs?" Kurdish Peace Institute.
Read

Amid Nuclear Talks, The West Can’t Ignore Iran’s Kurdish Question

Published in Kurdish Peace Institute, 2022

Argues that Western governments negotiating nuclear agreements with Iran must simultaneously address the systematic repression of Iran’s Kurdish minority.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2022). "Amid Nuclear Talks, The West Can't Ignore Iran's Kurdish Question." Kurdish Peace Institute.
Read

Iran Protests: Reform, Revolution, or Status Quo?

Published in Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW), 2022

Analysis of Iran’s protest movement and political implications.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D., & Bazoobandi, S. (2022). "Iran Protests: Reform, Revolution, or Status Quo?" Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
Read

Grenzübergreifend: Der türkische und iranische Krieg in Kurdistan

Published in Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, 2022

Examines Turkish and Iranian military campaigns against Kurdish populations, criticizing Germany’s passive diplomatic stance and arguing the Kurdish question is key to peace in the region.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2022). "Grenzübergreifend: Der türkische und iranische Krieg in Kurdistan." Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.
Read

Under Attack: Addressing Cross-Border Violence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Published in Kurdish Peace Institute, 2023

Examines escalating Iranian and Turkish military aggression against Kurdish populations in Iraq, arguing that international legal frameworks constrain the KRI’s ability to respond.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2023). "Under Attack: Addressing Cross-Border Violence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq." Kurdish Peace Institute.
Read

Nur die Wahl zwischen Krone und Turban?

Published in Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, 2023

Critiques the Iranian diaspora opposition for failing to address historical authoritarianism, arguing that Iranians deserve genuine democratization rather than a choice between monarchy and theocracy.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2023). "Nur die Wahl zwischen Krone und Turban?" Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.
Read

Kurdistan-Iraq and the European Union

Published in In Gürbey, Hofmann & Seyder (eds.): Between Diplomacy and Non-Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan., 2023

Chapter on the foreign relations of Kurdistan-Iraq with the European Union.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2023). "Kurdistan-Iraq and the EU." In G. Gürbey, S. Hofmann & F.I. Seyder (eds.), Between Diplomacy and Non-Diplomacy: Foreign Relations of Kurdistan-Iraq and Palestine. Palgrave Macmillan.

Syria: The border situation between Turkey, Syria, and Iraq

Published in Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (Austria), 2023

COI-CMS country report on Syria’s border dynamics.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2023). "Syria: The border situation between Turkey, Syria, and Iraq." COI-CMS Country of Origin Information – Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum.
Read

How the Kurds Make the Case for Democratization

Published in Quaderns de la Mediterrània 36, 2024

Policy paper discussing Kurdish democratization efforts.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2024). "How the Kurds Make the Case for Democratization." Quaderns de la Mediterrània, 36.
Read

Doppelt unsichtbar: Antikurdischer Rassismus in Deutschland

Published in Amadeu Antonio Foundation, 2024

Co-edited volume on anti-Kurdish racism in Germany, examining structural and everyday forms of discrimination faced by Kurdish communities, produced with the Amadeu Antonio Foundation and KurdAKAD.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (Ed.) (2024). Doppelt unsichtbar: Antikurdischer Rassismus in Deutschland. Berlin: Amadeu Antonio Foundation / KurdAKAD.
Read

Die Region Kurdistan im Irak: Das Ende der Autonomie?

Published in Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, 2024

Analyzes how internal KDP-PUK rivalries combined with Iranian and Turkish pressure threaten the stability and democratic institutions of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2024). "Die Region Kurdistan im Irak: Das Ende der Autonomie?" Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.
Read

Democratisation through Kurdish Decentralisation? A Critical Comparison of the 2005 Iraqi Constitution and the 2023 Rojava Social Contract

Published in In R. Lowe & Z. Kaya (eds.): Governance of Resistance in North and East Syria, Bloomsbury IB Tauris., 2025

Comparative chapter on Kurdish decentralisation and constitutional design.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2025). "Democratisation through Kurdish Decentralisation?" In R. Lowe & Z. Kaya (eds.), Governance of Resistance in North and East Syria. New York: Bloomsbury IB Tauris.

Die Kurden in Syrien

Published in Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ), Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, 2025

Analysis of Kurdish marginalization in Syria, their autonomous administration (AANES) during the civil war, and the geopolitical challenges following the December 2024 regime change. Published in Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ).

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2025). "Die Kurden in Syrien." Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ), Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung.
Read

The Kurdish Case for Democracy

Published in Palgrave Macmillan, 2025

Monograph on Kurdish civic culture and democratization.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (Forthcoming). The Kurdish Case for Democracy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

White Feminism – White Orientalism

Published in Fathom Journal, 2025

Critiques how white Western women leverage racial privilege in engagement with Middle Eastern societies, arguing this represents a new form of moral supremacy that recenters Western authority.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2025). "White Feminism – White Orientalism." Fathom Journal.
Read

Stability Has a Language: How the West Learned to Speak Arab Nationalism

Published in Fathom Journal, 2026

Examines how Western discourse has adopted Arab nationalist framings that portray Kurdish existence as inherently destabilizing, enabling violence against Kurds while normalizing Arab regional dominance.

Recommended citation: Jasim, D. (2026). "Stability Has a Language: How the West Learned to Speak Arab Nationalism." Fathom Journal.
Read

Doctoral Theses in France (1985–2025): A Linked Dataset of PhDs, Academic Networks, and Institutions

Published in arXiv preprint, 2026

A preprint presenting a linked dataset of French doctoral theses (1985–2025) combining information on PhDs, academic networks, and institutional affiliations, based on the Theses.fr dataset.

Recommended citation: Aboucaya, W. & Jasim, D. (2026). "Doctoral Theses in France (1985–2025): A Linked Dataset of PhDs, Academic Networks, and Institutions." arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.08619.
Read

talks

History of Kurdistan

Published:

In my introductory seminar on the history of Kurdistan, I explore the origins of Kurdish national movements in the context of nation-state formation in the Middle East, examining the diverse paths they have taken. While the four parts of Kurdistan occupied by Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey form the main focus, I also highlight transnational aspects to provide a comprehensive overview of the complex political, strategic, demographic and ideological dimensions of modern Kurdish nationalism within the context of various geopolitical shifts over the past few decades. The course has been adapted for those new to the subject of Kurdistan.

teaching

Teaching experience 1

Undergraduate course, University 1, Department, 2014

This is a description of a teaching experience. You can use markdown like any other post.

Teaching experience 2

Workshop, University 1, Department, 2015

This is a description of a teaching experience. You can use markdown like any other post.

videos

OTF 002: Schwarzes Kurdistan

ISD Bund e.V. Video January 2024

Discussion of ‘Black Kurdistan’ – exploring the intersection of anti-Kurdish racism and political geography.

“Wir sind nicht alle gleich” mit Dastan Jasim

Spotify Podcast Podcast July 2024

Discussion of anti-Kurdish racism, German-Turkish relations, and the limitations of German anti-racism frameworks as part of a collaborative project on inner-migrant racism.

Mensch ist Mensch mit Dastan Jasim und Ferda Berse

Spotify Podcast Podcast August 2024

Discussion of Turkish nationalism and right-wing extremism in Germany sparked by footballer Merih Demiral’s controversial Euro Cup gesture, examining media coverage gaps and the Germany-Turkey relationship.

Spannungsfeld Antisemitismus und Rassismus

Bildungsstätte Anne Frank Lecture September 2024

Lecture on the tension between antisemitism and racism in the context of October 7, the war in Gaza, and its consequences for political discourse in Germany.