Since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Kurdish people have been dispersed into four sovereign nations, where they have had uneasy relationships with the central rulers. Throughout the 20th century, the Kurds have been marginalized and persecuted, particularly in Iraq and Turkey. The nations they inhabit cannot allow an independent Kurdistan to exist, for its existence would threaten theirs. Yet, the civil wars in Iraq and Syria as well as the presence of ISIS, has put forth new challenges but also new opportunities for the Kurds. On September 25th, the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq will conduct a referendum on independence. Whatever the results may be, the vote is likely to enrage tensions in the Middle East.