Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

There won't be a neutral source becuase the issue is not a significant one for the worlds media to pay attention too. and It's not biased, if you bothered to read all of it, it describes how alot of 'Kurdish first' originated in Armenia, and how the recent policy started in 1990's

Read the whole thing, than get back to me.

hahahha the source is biased it's like saying using Armenian news paper to get news about Turkey, that is also no biased. so you don't have neutral sources that is all I needed to know. So I want your apology for calling Armenia fascistic, since you don't even know what the word means and love to throw it around and use its emotional value.

[kurdman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

hahahha the source is biased it's like saying using Armenian news paper to get news about Turkey, that is also no biased. so you don't have neutral sources that is all I needed to know. So I want your apology for calling Armenia fascistic, since you don't even know what the word means and love to throw it around and use its emotional value.

Are you 12? do you really think that by you branding my source which you have still not bothered to read as biased I will apologies to you?

Here read it, and the writer himself is from Armenia... both sides of the story is written, and the writer does not make accusations, rather he delivers what's been said to him.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia has become a different place. The Yazidi Kurds scattered in towns and villages across the country face political, economic, and social problems, and are also in the midst of an ongoing identity crisis that began 20 years ago, when the country was first liberated from Soviet control.

This has become the subject of several major academic and anthropological studies in Europe, but the Kurds themselves have not dealt with this issue properly.

It was in Armenia that the first Kurdish film, Zare, was produced in 1928, and the first Kurdish novel, The Kurdish Shepherd, was written seventy-six years ago by Arabi Shamo. Armenia became an important refuge for Yazidi Kurds under the Ottoman rule.

The Yazidis have a history of contributing to Kurdish culture, especially in the areas of music and literature. The last wave of Yazidi migration to Armenia occurred in the 1930s. The first wave was during the massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire.

It was in Armenia in 1932 that Reya Taza, the longest-lived Kurdish newspaper, was published. The first Kurdish radio broadcast was aired in Armenia in the early 1940s. The radio broadcast stopped a while later but resumed in 1955. The first use of Roman characters for writing Kurdish was in Armenia, and the first Kurdish school was opened there as well.

Kurdology first became an area of academic study in Yerevan University in 1962, developed by the Oryeli, an Armenian Kurdologist. In short, Armenia is the country of many Kurdish firsts. The first major research project on Kurdish music was conducted in Armenia by Komitas Varadayt, an Armenian musicologist and priest.

Identity Crisis

Armenia’s Yazidi Kurds have been dealing with a serious identity crisis with regard to ethnicity, religion, and language, and most crucially, the question of being a Kurd. The problem was exacerbated when some Yazidi Kurds declared their ethnicity to be different from that of Kurds. Yazidis differ from most Kurds in religious faith, and now are also divided from them by ethnicity.

Therefore, it becomes an urgent question: are Caucasia’s Kurds Kurdish, or a different nationality? If they are Kurdish, why have some, in the recent years, distinguished in their history, religion, and race from that of Kurds? And if they did not originally consider themselves Kurdish, why have they played such an important role in preserving and promoting Kurdish culture?

Equally important is the question of why some Armenians, who are known for their friendship with the Kurds, oppose the idea of Yazidis’ Kurdishness.

The population of Yazidis in Armenia is estimated at around 41,000 people, and most of them still lead a rural lifestyle, dependent on agriculture. The number of Yazidis in Armenia is decreasing day by day, as many of the youth immigrate in search of better job opportunities. Generally their first destination is Russia, followed by member countries of the European Union.

In the population censuses conducted under the Soviet Union all the Yazidis in Armenia and Georgia were considered Kurds, but in the first one completed under the newly-founded Republic of Armenia in 2001, only 1,000 out of 41,000 Yazidis registered themselves as Kurds.

The main Yazidi organization in Armenia also claims that Yazidis are not ethnically Kurds and they do not consider their language Kurdish, either.

The organization, known as Yazidikhaya and headed by Aziz Amare, publishes a newspaper that forbids the use of terms “Kurd” and “Kurdistan.”

Amare believes Yazidis came from India—tribes that migrated to Iraq before the birth of Christ and later moved to present-day Turkey under the Ottoman rule, and finally to Armenia.

“There is no link between Kurds and Yazidis. We speak Ezdiki, they speak Kurmanji. Racially, the Kurds are from the Middle East, while we are from India. When we talk to the Kurds, none of us understands the other side.” Amare told me in an interview in Yerevan in 2006.

However, I had reason to doubt Amare’s argument because after all we were both speaking the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish together.

The Yazidikhaya’s views have gradually been spread among the Yazidis in Armenia since 1990s. On the top of the organization’s newspaper it is written, “Our nation is Yazidi. Our religion is Sharfadin and our language is Ezdiki.”

But many Western academics and Orientalists disagree with Amare’s beliefs and consider them a mythology that defies the logics of linguistics and anthropology. This raises doubts about the intentions of Amare’s organization and possible political agendas behind it.

Philip Cranebrook is an outstanding European expert on Yazidis. “Yazidis are Kurds and are one of the original Kurdish tribes.” he argues.

Nelida Fukaro, an Italian historian who teaches in Britain, says Yazidis belong to no other national group except the Kurds.

“Yazidis are Kurdish, speak Kurdish and their dialect is Kurmanji.” said Fukaro.

Armenian parliament supports Yazidikhaya

Many Armenian politicians support Amare’s group and not those that consider Yazidis to be Kurds. This has further contributed to the Yazidis’ identity crisis. The politicians’ support for Amare’s organization is mostly because of historical reasons, among them the massacre of Armenians by the Ottomans in early 20th century. Many Armenian Kurds say the parts of Kurdistan currently in Turkey were historically populated by Armenians, before the Kurds took over the area.

In 2002, the Armenian parliament passed a resolution identifying the Yazidis as non-Kurds while in reality right wing Armenians have look down upon all minorities in Armenia, not only Kurds.

Another major factor contributing to this identity crisis is the lack of any relationship between Kurds in various parts of Kurdistan and the Yazidis of Armenia. The Reya Taza newspaper, the most important Kurdish publication in Armenia, does not receive any support from the Kurds of other parts of Kurdistan.

Yazidikhana newspaper however, the one that opposes the Kurds, receives support from the Armenian government and it is published on a weekly basis. Also, half of the one-hour Kurdish radio broadcast in Armenia is dedicated to those who argue that Yazidis are not Kurds.

Another major problem is the weakening of Kurdish identity among urban Yazidis, especially those living in the capital and other large cities and do not care if they are Kurds or not. Also, many Kurds who live as minorities in villages dominated by conservative Armenians avoid revealing their Kurdish identity, so as to not provoke their Armenian neighbors.

High rates of unemployment and lack of economic opportunities is another major reason behind Yazidis’ sense of identity crisis in Armenia. Although employment is hard to come by for most people in Armenian, it is even more difficult for minorities such Yazidis. This has been a major factor in the migration of young Yazidis from villages to urban areas. For example, in Hako village in western Armenia, there are currently only sixteen families. Until the early 1990s, more than 100 families lived there.

Economic problems have even led some Yazidis to convert to Christianity in order to receive food and other kinds of assistance. In the village of Amre, north of the capital Yerevan, around 35 percent of the population has converted to evangelical Christians. This is mostly due to the aid that they receive from Western missionary groups for their conversion.

Action is needed

Although there are several Kurdish organizations in Armenia promoting Kurdish identity and rights, they are either political groups or they face severe financial problems and are about to close down.

The differences in identity among Yazidis have emerged during difficult political and economic times and need to be examined. The lack of a Kurdish academic institution dedicated to studying these issues and the problems Kurds face in most places with regard to their identity has further complicated this problem.

This identity crisis requires action on the part of Kurdish intellectuals and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq and its institutions. They need to address and fight the attempts of the Armenian government to erase the identity of part of the Kurdish nation.



* The writer has a PhD in ethno-music with a focus on Yazidi music in Armenia. He has conducted field research in Armenia, Georgia and Turkey for more than seven years.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/culture_art/3626.html

[kurdman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

listen moron, armenia was so fascistic, that it helped your people to safe their culture and language in times where you turkish masters would kill you just for one single kurdish word...schools are something your people need, so that they stop killing their own daughters just because of the reason that they want to live a free life....I told you that the most criminal and most backward group in germany is the kurdish group, kurds from eastern turkey. you can find this information in any german newspaper ..just search for honor-killings and criminal extended families....al sain, omarat, remo and so forth..all kurdish criminal clans ruling the prostitution and the drug dealing in germany....

Did you watch american dad? the one with the Armenian mafia? it was funny anyway, every people have bad and good characters in them, and I' sure you won't take notice of all the good Kurds do in Germany such as the 6 MPs they have in the German government, but rather you focus on the bad things.

Besides I'm not from northern Kurdistan 'eastern turkey'

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Are you 12? do you really think that by you branding my source which you have still not bothered to read as biased I will apologies to you?

Here read it, and the writer himself is from Armenia... both sides of the story is written, and the writer does not make accusations, rather he delivers what's been said to him.


http://www.rudaw.net/english/culture_art/3626.html

You called Armenia fascistic and I ask you to prov it, you haven't done it. the only thing you have done is post a biased piece of news that does not prove what you claim.

PS I posted the definition of the word use it and learn something.

[kurdman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

You called Armenia fascistic and I ask you to prov it, you haven't done it. the only thing you have done is post a biased piece of news that does not prove what you claim.

PS I posted the definition of the word use it and learn something.

Just becuase you claim it's biased without even reading it, doesn't make it biased.

I've discussed this enough with the brick wall, I'm done, we have our plans and we will counter your efforts, don't you worry.

[kurdman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

but you are a kurd, or not ? do you want to seperate yourself from the rest of the kurdish people and in the same time call the yazids kurdish ?! what a hypocrite person you are.
maybe there are some criminal armenians in america BUT there a lot more great scientists and inventors of armenian descend in the usa. could you tell me just 5 great kurdish scientits ? if I would start list all the honor-killings of kurdish women just in north germany during the last 5 years the list would not finish till tomorow....

Sure I can kid, let me name you some exampled as obviously you haven't discovered Google just yet.

US: Medical discovery by a Kurd at Harvard University http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles...rldwide283.htm

Poland: Kurdish Professor Finds Cause of Gum disease http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles...dsworld457.htm

Prof. Dlawer Ala'Aldeen, lead a scientific team in the university of Nottingham, one of the best British universities: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mbig/daa.htm. He now works in the Kurdish government

There are more Kurdish scientists, but this is enough...

Kurdish MP Joins British Parliament: http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles...dsworld454.htm

5 Kurds elected to become Swedish members of parliament http://www.pukmedia.com/english/inde...tan&Itemid=388

Three Kurds were elected in German regional parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles...dsworld452.htm

And many more......

[HermanGerman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Sure I can kid, let me name you some exampled as obviously you haven't discovered Google just yet.

US: Medical discovery by a Kurd at Harvard University http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles...rldwide283.htm

Poland: Kurdish Professor Finds Cause of Gum disease http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles...dsworld457.htm

Prof. Dlawer Ala'Aldeen, lead a scientific team in the university of Nottingham, one of the best British universities: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mbig/daa.htm. He now works in the Kurdish government

There are more Kurdish scientists, but this is enough...

Kurdish MP Joins British Parliament: http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles...dsworld454.htm

5 Kurds elected to become Swedish members of parliament http://www.pukmedia.com/english/inde...tan&Itemid=388

And many more......

just the fact that you really listed them shows us how stupid you are...you grown person you

[kurdman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

just the fact that you really listed them shows us how stupid you are...you grown person you

Hey, kid you asked for it you got it, it's not my fault your brain is inferior to other around you. Now stop being a fool and go to bed, it's bed time.

[kurdman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

kurdman, you really are great kurdish warrior..just like salah.
dont you want to go out and burn yourself ?!
what a backward people this neo-fascists like kurdman are. they have just learnt the bad things from their masters....racism from the turks, hypocriy from the iranians and violent backwardness from the arabs.....

Your the only uneducated racist troll here, it's funny how you don't see that everything you listed above describes you. Like I said kid, go back to school... and if the Kurdish boys beat up up at school, that's not my fault.

[HermanGerman]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

kurdish boys in german schools just beat up their own sisters, thats all.
listen moron, I just threw some dirty pieces of meat in front of you and you didnt hesitate to eat them all like a hungry mad dog.
to call me a kid wont make me a kid, to call the zaza people or the yazid people kurdish wont make them kurdish..just like it wont change the fact that you are a fascist and a backward idiot full of nationalistic propaganda....go and educate yourself about how armenia preserves kurdish culture and identity before coming here and call us fascist. your bloody ancestors helped turks commiting the genocide, some of your beloved brothers, the village guards, now help the turkish government to force turkish racist policy in kurdish villages and you bastard dare to call armenia a fascist state ?!