YEZIDI IN ARMENIA
KingARARAT
Jamal Sadakhyan
Chairman of the Public Organisation of the
International Foundation of the Yezidi
Introduction
The Yezidi (Ezdi) anthropologically belong
to the Armenoid (Front Asia) minor race of
the major Europeoid race. The language of
the Yezidi (Ezdiki) relates to the
northwestern sub-branch of the Iranian
group of the Indo-European family of
languages.
Religion
The religion of the Yezidi is SharFadin
and the Yezidi worship the Sun.
Worshipping the Single God and his triad –
Malakeh Tausi (angel-peacock), Sheik Adi
(an elder) and Sultanu ezdi (a juvenile),
the God of the Yezidi, Khudeh, is endowed
with supernatural powers and is considered
the creator of the Universe. The Yezidi
religious and secular leader is “mir”
(“mireh shekha”) and is based in Iraq.
Population
The total number of Yezidi in the world
surpasses 2,000,000, and are mainly
located in Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria,
Georgia, Russia, and Germany. There are
approximately 60,000 Yezidi living in the
Republic of Armenia, but as a result of
the economical difficulties at the
beginning of the decade, census figures
indicate that about 10% of the Yezidi
emigrated from the Republic. However, in
recent years much of this migration is
beginning to reverse, with many Yezidi (as
well as Armenians) returning.
Along with the other twenty minorities in
the Republic of Armenia, the Yezidi
Community lives side by side with the
larger Armenian population. National
culture feeds not from its own source, but
also from the spiritual culture of other
nations. Indeed, the progress of a nation
is possible only provided on a tradition
of mutual national values, culture, family
and tradition.
Society
The Yezidi in Armenia mainly cultivate
field and garden crops, and breed cattle.
The urban population consists of
scientists, engineers, and artists. The
National Union of Yezidis publishes its
own newspaper “The Voice of the Yezidi” in
Yerevan, and the National Radio of Armenia
broadcasts a daily 30 minute program in
the Yezidi language.
Since 1996, the socio-political
organisation “Ezdikhana” has functioned in
Armenia, attempting to involve the Yezidi
community in the process of democracy. At
the beginning of 1988, the World
Foundation of the Yezidi (Mlateh Ezdi) was
established to facilitate the
establishment of national scientific and
cultural centres.
Friendship between the Yezidi and
Armenians has been long established. Both
nations were persecuted during the
Genocide of 1915, and they also supported
each other. During the Genocide, the
Yezidi in Ottoman Turkey helped protect
6,000 Armenians, providing them with
protection, food and accommodation.
Indeed, friendship between the two nations
is unbreakable. Many Yezidi volunteered to
fight for the liberation of the Armenian
people in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh), the
Yezidi rendering both financial and
material support in the war between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Yezidi, apart from their mother
tongue, speak Armenian fluently, although
there is a common belief that Yezidi and
Kurds are from the same nation. This
belief is groundless – the Yezidi are a
unique and separate nation with its own
language, religion, habits and
peculiarities. To identify the Yezidi with
another nation is to unreasonably deny the
existence of a nation that has been firmly
established for centuries.
------------------------------------------
Kurds in Armenia
Amarike Sardar
Chairman of the Board of Kurdish
Intelligentsia
Editor of “Rya Taza” newspaper
Honoured Journalist of Armenia
Introduction
The notion “Kurds” is used in the broadest
sense, referring to both the Moslem Kurds
and that part of the Yezidi who consider
themselves Yezidi-Kurd. It is known that
one part of the Yezidi community, having
preserved their ancient religion – sun
worshipping – consider themselves a
separate nation. Opinions differ on this
issue, and heated discussions continue,
and whatever the arguments, it is not our
point now to dwell on this subject. The
historical facts are testimony to the fact
that at the beginning of the XIX century,
Kurdish tribes inhabited the territory of
Eastern Armenia.
Because of the oppressive policy of
Ottoman Turkey during the Russian-Turkish
war of 1877-1878, Yezidi-Kurds moved from
Ayntap to Eastern Armenia, and settled in
the regions of Tekor (Kars Province),
Surmalu, Aparan, Etchmiadzin, Armavir, and
Ashtarak. During World War One, the
overwhelming majority of the Yezidi-Kurd
moved to Kars, Surmalu and Van provinces
and populated the regions of Aparan,
Talin, Armavir, Etchmiadzin, Masis,
Ararat, Ashtarak, and Artashat. Some
migrated to Georgia – mainly to Tbilisi,
Batumi, and Telavi.
Distribution
In Armenia, the Yezidi-Kurds live in the
villages of the Aragatsotn, Armavir, and
Ararat regions, and many also live in
villages of mixed population in the Ararat
valley. They also live in Yerevan, Gyumri,
Vanadzor, Abovyan, Dilijan, Stepanavan,
and Tashir, and most of these Kurdish
villages are situated in the highlands. As
a result, the main occupation of the Kurds
is cattle breeding and agriculture -
cultivating barley, wheat and potatoes –
and the Kurds in the Ararat Valley are
also farmers. Among the urban Kurds, there
are workers and office employees,
engineers and technical workers, and the
national intelligentsia predominantly
resides in the towns and cities of
Armenia.
Population
It is worth to emphasis that for the past
seventy years the community in Armenia has
not only made progress, but also increased
in number. In 1922 the Kurds in Armenia –
Moslem and Yezidi – numbered 8,650, and by
the census of 1989 that number had
increased to 60,000. In 1989-1990 the bulk
of the Moslem Kurds fled Armenia along
with those Azerbaijanis that fled at the
beginning of the Karabagh conflict. The
main cause of this migration was due to
the fact that they lived in villages also
inhabited by Azerbaijanis and were related
by family ties, with their children
attending Azerbaijani schools. The number
of Kurds that migrated was approximately
10,000, along with Yezidi-Kurds that also
left. For example, in the Yaroslav
province in Russia there are about 800
families that migrated from Armenia but
who still retain their links with the
republic – they did not sell their houses,
and transport their dead for burial in
Armenia. Now almost 40,000 Moslem and
Yezidi-Kurds live in the Republic of
Armenia.
Culture
A cause for the migration of Yezidi-Kurds
has been the socio-economic situation that
has affected the entire population. There
was never any sense of any national
discrimination or persecution in Armenia,
and the community enjoys all the rights
and freedoms provisioned by the
Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.
This is a country where the Yezidi Kurdish
community founded and developed its
national culture with the direct support
of the Armenian intelligentsia. Presently,
the National Radio transmits daily
programs with the duration of an hour and
fifteen minutes, and since 1930 the
Kurdish “Rya Taza” newspaper has been
issued with State assistance. Indeed, In
the former Soviet Union it was the only
periodical in the Kurdish language.
At the Institute of Oriental Studies of
the National Academy of Sciences, there is
a group specialising in Kurdology, and at
David Anhaght University there is a
Department of Kurdology, and the very
first feature and documentary films
reflecting on the life of the Kurds were
shot in Armenia (“Zareh,” “The Kurd
Yezidis,” “The Kurds in Armenia,” “The
Armenian Kurds” etc). The Section of
Kurdish Writers in the Union of Writers
has functioned for over sixty years, and
at schools in Kurdish villages, Kurdish
language and literature is taught in the
second to eight grades as part of the
State curriculum. The amount of Kurdish
fiction, scientific and political
literature in the original and as
translation surpasses that of any other
country throughout the world, and the
Kurds in Armenia have an army of
intelligentsia – scientists, writers,
physicians, engineer’s etc. To our regret,
because of the difficult economic
conditions, a considerable part of them
also departed from Armenia.
In Armenia, several Kurdish public
organisations function and exist, and the
conditions are considered exceptionally
favorable for the Kurdish community.
National culture has made considerable
progress, and traditions have been
preserved. Currently, efforts are being
directed to wards addressing newly
emerging problems facing the community,
and the eradication of known shortcomings
and omissions. Being a centre of Kurdish
culture, Armenia is also noted for the
rich tradition and positive attitude of
both its people and State structures.
Concerns are not so much directed towards
the creation of a Kurdish cultural life,
but rather towards its development and
improvement
Erogul
You must state as unfounded Armeina claim.
As far as Yezidi's concerned it is their choice.
Why don't you go to your own pages where
many of the retards are usually wellcomed.
zor...@my-dejanews.com
http://www.freespeech.org/oneworld/yezidi/index.html
Zoravar
In article <19990402164042...@ng39.aol.com>,
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Janfida
Your message is a bag of propaganda and as a result is contains lack of logic.
Since when did you become concerned and advocates of Yezidi nation and people?
MACREAU
You just can not bear the truth that Kurds are living happily in Armenia unlike
in Turkey.
Eat your heart out.....