I have been teaching conflict dynamics for many years for officers of the Danish Defence. When the Danish parliament decided to deploy troops to the Middle East to participate in the international coalition against Islamic State, I witnessed Kurdish diaspora groups demonstrating in front of the parliament building, and I started to wonder what will be next. What will be the outcome of the interaction between Danish authorities and the Kurdish activists who fight the same enemy, Islamic State, and support the same local ground forces, the Syrian Kurdish fighters, on very different terms?  

I have been teaching conflict dynamics for many years for officers of the Danish Defence. When the Danish parliament decided to deploy troops to the Middle East to participate in the international coalition against Islamic State, I witnessed Kurdish diaspora groups demonstrating in front of the parliament building, and I started to wonder what will be next. What will be the outcome of the interaction between Danish authorities and the Kurdish activists who fight the same enemy, Islamic State, and support the same local ground forces, the Syrian Kurdish fighters, on very different terms?