Call out for assistance for research on Yezidis in the UK
Posted on 11. Jul, 2009 by KSSO in Research
Research on Yezidis in Britain
Mr. Andrew Wilcox, a student at the University of Exeter, studying for an MA in Kurdish Studies under Professor Christine Alison and Dr Hashem Ahmadzadeh is looking for the Yezidis living in Britain to interview for his research project. His dissertation thesis is a study of Yezidis living in Britain, their experience and their sense of religious identity.
My interviews would be as informal as possible and all information would be used solely for the purpose of my dissertation and would be kept entirely anonymous.
We, KSSO support and promote research on, about or by Kurdish peoples and would really appreciate if you could participate in this research or help to find some participants for the above mentioned research
If you have any queries about the research, please contact:
Andrew Wilcox
Telephone: 07790 144 956
Email: andywilcox64@hotmail.com
Brief introduction of the research
Research into notions of identity among Yezidis in the U.K.
Yezidism is a unique religion perpetuated through a rich oral cultural tradition, its antiquity and adaptability to changing circumstances can scarcely be denied. However, having been until very recently a religion maintained by orality, its presentation to the academic world has been largely that of description by ‘outsiders’. These ‘outside voices’ have historically endeavoured to make Yezidism fit within the prejudices of their own ‘world view’. This research project hopes to give Yezidis themselves the opportunity to discuss what they consider to be the nature and detail of their religion, what is important and what is not, and ultimately to contribute to the ongoing work of redressing some of the prejudices held against this minority religious community.
Equally, and more specifically, the research seeks to discuss the experiences of Yezidis living in the United Kingdom. Not only do Yezidis constitute a minority group but, as Andreas Ackerman has said of the German Yezidi diaspora, they are in fact a ‘double minority’. A minority within a minority, and due to the even smaller numbers of Yezidis living in the UK this is more significant.
The focus of this research is upon the difficulties which may be encountered by Yezidis in conducting aspects of their religious practice and in assuring the continuance of their religion in the conditions of isolation implied by such a minority status.
The research thus proposes to talk with those Yezidis living in the United Kingdom who would be willing to discuss their experiences and their understandings of Yezidism. It is envisaged that this would consist of an informal one hour interview.
Dear readers and participants of project KSSO, I am glad you to welcome, and is glad to be presented to you!
I the citizen of the Great Britain and the representative of religion of God Ezida! It is the extremely pleasant to me to learn, that you our religion Ezidizm interests! I the author of work and which has been published in 2001 – the book am called «BABYLON TEMPLE EZIDA EZIDI», in the book the information rather – ethnogenesis and a source of religion Ezidizm is given. You certainly know, as today in Iraq, around city Birs Nimrud, we can see ruins of a temple of God Ezida!
http://ezida.com/phborsippa.htm
And you also probably know, what value temple Ezida in days of the Babylon Empire had!
I will be glad to meet with Mr. Andrew Wilcox and Dr. Hashem Ahmadzadeh, for conversation!
Yours faithfully Michail Miran
Dear Michail,
Thank you for coming to our seminar last night, we hope you enjoyed it. Your participation was much appreciated.
Your website looks very interesting and I can see you have already updated it with an article about last night’s seminar.
We would be very happy to organise and event with you in the coming weeks. You can present your information and research on Ezidi’s and enlighten us all regarding the temples in the Babylon region.
Please send us an email to mc@ksso.org.uk and then we can organise something together.
Best regards,
KSSO management committee
It is mutually grateful for warm and friendly reception at a yesterday’s seminar! As you know, our site publishes events in the Iraq Kurdistan in Russian! And it is interesting to our reader as all positive meetings of Kurdish diaspora in the Great Britain. We will be and to shine henceforth on sites cultural events in the Great Britain.
I will be glad to meet in the beginning the Manager of your web site, and further to conduct lecture about a source of religion of our people! Please to write me the address, day and hour, on e-mail – michail08@yandex.ru – when you can meet for conversation.
I looked at your website, it is very good. If you use google translate Russian-English, it provides a very good translation, so I was able to read a lot of the site. All the success with it.
Thank you for your email. We will contact you soon about doing something together, and hopefully we can bring Ezidi Kurds together in the UK for a good event.
Dear sir/Madam,
I am Izidi British (This is how you should say to person who is Yezidi). I am more than happy to help about the research about the Yezidi faith.
best regards
Masoud Murad
Dear Masoud,
In the Kurdish language it is spelled as Ezidi, you are write. But in the English language and literature they write it as Yezidi.
please contact Andrew Wilcox at Exeter University. His contact details are in the article.
Also please let him know that you found out about his research through the KSSO website.
Best regards,
KSSO management committee