The state of the local Kurdish community is very bad but we are not differentiating between Armenian and Kurd by saying this because Armenians are also living in a very miserable situation. However, I would like to mention education. There is nothing in the law that obstructs the education of the Kurds in Armenia but in practice there are many obstacles.Heydar Ali continues later on in the interview:
In Armenia, the language of the Kurds is Kurmanji [a dialect of Kurdish] but there is now an attempt to call it the "Yezidi language" and to deny the fact that the Yezidi are Kurds. In fact, the Yezidi religion is the original faith practiced by the Kurds before most were converted to Islam -- just as Armenians were pagan before most converted to Christianity and some adopted Islam.
In Armenia, the language of the Kurds is Kurmanji but there is now an attempt to call it the "Yezidi language"and to deny the fact that the Yezidi are Kurds. In fact, the Yezidi religion is the original faith practiced by the Kurds before most were converted to Islam - just as Armenians were pagan before most converted to Christianity and some adopted Islam.
My two colleagues in this room are Yezidi and are involved with the Kurdistan Committee. There are few Moslem Kurds left in Armenia. When 10,000 people went on to the streets of Yerevan in support of Abdullah Öcalan, they were Yezidi and not Moslem Kurds.
Unfortunately, there are also Kurds in Armenia that are also joining the sects such as the Jehovah Witnesses.
Video of supporters of Öcalan in Yerevan
4 comments:
Hi there, just stumbled upon your blog and nice to see some of my interviews and photos used on your site (although a credit for the photograph would have been nicer).
Anyway, as I still follow developments in the Yezidi community of Armenia I shall be checking out your blog frequently. I also wanted to point you in the direction of my blog where there are quite a few posts on the Yezidis in both Georgia and Armenia.
Also, the two most recent articles I've written on the division within the Yezidi community in Armenia especially on the issue of language and education can be found here and here. One of them was also translated into German here, Armenian here, and Russian here.
Cheers,
Onnik
Incidentally, the full interview with Heydar Ali as well as other interviews on Yezidis in Armenia since 1998 can be found here.
You might also be interested in the work of Nahro Zagros and Christine Allison on the Yezidis in Armenia which I detailed here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Anyway, I think you'll be particularly interested in Christine's work putting the Yezidi village of Ortachiya online.
Barev Onnik Baron!
yes kesa kurdem kesa hayren i will answer you in your blog, i admire you and your work baron!
problem chika i am sorry i have edited the post (credit)!
ts'tesutyun baron /Gourgen
I can not participate now in discussion - there is no free time. I will be released - I will necessarily express the opinion.
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