Yezidi Interviews

The interviews form part of continuing research by Onnik Krikorian on Armenia’s largest minority and the division within the community regarding ethnic identity. Interviews that form the basis for later articles are made available through the Armenian News Network ` Groong in the interest of maintaining a plurality of differing views on this sensitive matter. ONNIK KRIKORIAN YEREVAN ARMENIA Interview with Dr. Christine Allison, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO), Paris....

These interviews form part of research on the division within Armenia’s Yezidi community regarding identity and reports that some Yezidi schools are refusing to accept new school text books printed in Cyrillic and a language recognized by the Armenian Government as ‘Yezideren’ or ‘Ezdiki.’ ONNIK KRIKORIAN YEREVAN ARMENIA Hasan Tamoyan, Deputy President, National Union of Yezidis, member of the National Minority Council, and Head of Yezidi language programs on Armenian Public Radio....

Hasan Tamoyan is Deputy President of the National Union of Yezidis, member of the National Minority Council, and Head of Yezidi language programs on Armenian Public Radio. ONNIK KRIKORIAN: Perhaps we could start with introducing yourself? HASSAN TAMOYAN: Everyone knows me. Just represent me as Hasan Tamoyan, but if you want I can tell you my title. OK: Please. HT: So, I am an Honored Journalist of the Republic of Armenia, Head of the Yezidi Programme on Public Radio, Editor of the Yezidikhana newspaper, in the President’s Office I represent the Yezidi Community on the Coordinating Council for National Minorities, and I am Aziz Tamoyan’s Deputy in the National Union of Yezidis....

Rostom Atashov was born in Tbilisi, capital of the Republic of Georgia in 1963, and received his law degree from Yaroslavl State University in Russia in 1987 and worked in the Prosecutor’s office after graduation. He returned home to Georgia in 1988 and joined the Ministry of Justice, sitting several terms as a judge. He currently serves as President of the ‘Union of Yazidis of Georgia’ NGO, the larger of two Kurdish organizations in Georgia....

Aziz Tamoyan is the President of the National Union of Yezidi in the Republic of Armenia. This interview was held at the Union’s office in Yerevan on 13 September 2004 and is part of a follow-up series of interviews to work on the division within the Yezidi minority in Armenia conducted during June 1998. ONNIK KRIKORIAN: Perhaps you could start by introducing yourself… AZIZ TAMOYAN: Mr. Krikorian, this is the Yezidi newspaper [opens page to show census figures]…...

Hranush Kharatyan is the Head of the Department of National Minorities and Religious Affairs in the Armenian Government. This interview was held in Yerevan on 6 September 2004 and is part of a follow-up series of interviews to work on the division within the Yezidi minority in Armenia conducted during June 1998. YEREVAN, ARMENIA ONNIK KRIKORIAN: Perhaps I could start by asking what role this department has in relation to national minorities living in the Republic of Armenia?...

Amarik Sardar is the Yezidi editor of Riya Taza, the oldest surviving Kurdish newspaper in the world. This interview was held in the Riya Taza office in Yerevan on 25 August 2004 and is part of a follow-up series of interviews to work on the division within the Yezidi minority in Armenia conducted during June 1998. YEREVAN, ARMENIA ONNIK KRIKORIAN: What is the present state of the Riya Taza newspaper?...

Heydar Ali is the Caucasus Representative of the People’s Congress of Kurdistan (Kongra-Gel). This interview was conducted at the office of the Kurdistan Committee in Yerevan on 24 August 2004 and is part of a follow-up series of interviews to work on the division within the Yezidi minority in Armenia conducted during June 1998. Translation from Armenian to Kurmanji Kurdish and vice-versa was provided by the Yezidi Head of the Kurdistan Committee, Charkaze Rash-Mstoyan....

Gegham Manukyan is a member of the Central Committee of the Dashnaktsutiune, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF, HHD) in the Republic of Armenia. He was interviewed during festivities celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Kurdistan Workers Party [PKK] organised by the Yezidi [Kurdish] community in Armenia, and staged at the Russian Theatre in Yerevan. The Russian Theatre was full to capacity with Yezidi dressed in the Kurdish colours of red, yellow and green, and waving PKK and ERNK flags while live Kurdish music played....

Sabri Kash is the Representative of the PKK and ERNK in Armenia and the Caucasus. He was interviewed during festivities celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Kurdistan Workers Party [PKK] organised by the Yezidi [Kurdish] community in Armenia, and staged at the Russian Theatre in Yerevan. The Russian Theatre was full to capacity with Yezidi dressed in the Kurdish colours of red, yellow and green, and waving PKK and ERNK flags while live Kurdish music played....