At the time, the name of Yazid was banned and ignored in international practice. The reality was this: we were artificially called unacceptable names – "Arabs", "Turks", "Kurds", etc. the Reason was the lack of statehood. To defend the rights of the Yazidi people in their identity Amarovich Aziz Tamoyan began in the years of the Soviet Union.  In 1988, with his associates, he collected signatures from 15 thousand Yazidis of Armenia, visited Moscow, the Central Committee of the party and the leadership of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to resolve the issue of national identity of Yazidis, who were considered Kurds.

Through the efforts of Aziz Tamoyan, for the first time in the world, Yazidis were recognized as ethnic Yazidis. The name of our forefather Ezid, whose name our nation was named, was forbidden for thousands of years, but the efforts of Tamoyan and his associates in 1988, the name of our nation was restored at the state level, as the religion of Sharfadin and Yazidi language.
In difficult conditions, Aziz Tamoyan had to deal with the national revival of the Yazidis. The tragedy of Spitak forced to throw all forces to overcome the consequences of a natural disaster. In 1988, under the leadership of Aziz Tamoyan, a detachment was formed, which participated in rescue operations after the Spitak earthquake and saved dozens of lives.
At the same time Aziz Tamoyan was engaged in the organization of public life of Yazidis of Armenia. In 1989, the national Union of Yezidis was established, the Chairman of which was elected A. Tamoyan. In 1989, then in 1995, 2005. Yerevan hosted the 3rd, 4th and 5th Yezidi conference.
The efforts of Aziz Tamoyan in Armenia began to pay great attention to Yezidi culture. Back in 1990, a daily half-hour "Program for Yazidis" was organized on the State radio (Head of the Department, editor - in-chief Hasan Tamoyan). Also in 1990 began to produce the monthly newspaper the "Voice of Yezidi", and later "Ezdikhana" (Director – A. Tamoyan, editor – H. Tamoyan, later HDR Agoan (Tamoyan)).

The independence of Armenia was of great importance for Yazidis, as evidenced by the words of the Chairman of the National Union of Yazidis Aziz Tamoyan IAA "Armedia (https://armedia.am/rus/news/52191/aziz-tamoyan-s-priobreteniem-nezavisimosti-armenii-ezidiy-takzhe-stali-nezavisimiymi.html)
To the question "What was the significance of Armenia's independence for your community? "Aziz is responsible Amarovich:- Independence was very important for us. Before independence, the Yazidis were not recognized at the state level as a separate people. Yazidis were confused with Kurds. And after independence, we were recognized as a separate ethnic group. Also recognized our language is Yazidi, our believing shadiness. Schools were opened for us. Currently, there are more than 60 schools where Yazidi language and literature are taught. Previously, teaching was conducted in the Kurdish language. Public radio of Armenia previously distributed programs only in Kurdish, and today there is a Department of programs in Yazidi.
We publish our newspaper, we have two rates in the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, the writers ' Department in Yazidi was created in the Union of writers of Armenia. With the independence of Armenia, we also became independent. We are very grateful that all over the world we have been recognized as a separate people.
When on may 1, 2002 the Armenian Parliament recognized the Yazidi language at the state level, on the basis of this decision both the COE, the EU and the UN also recognized our language and us as a separate people. This was exceptional. 3 million Yazidis live all over the world, but they were not recognized in any country at the state level – this was the first time in Armenia, for which we are very grateful to the Armenian people and the Armenian statehood. Aziz Tamoyan proved to be a true patriot of Armenia. In 1990, under the leadership of Aziz Tamoyan, a group of 500 Yazidis volunteers was formed, who took part in the Karabakh war, suffered losses – more than 30 dead and missing, of which 4 – Ismail Sharoyan, Temur Zeidinyan, Gagik Hadjoyan and Mshir Nadoyan were buried in Yerablur. During the war, A. Tamoyan and G. Tamoyan organized a collection of 6 million Soviet rubles from Yazidis for the needs of the front. In 2010, at the request of A. The Union Chairman noted the Minister of defence of the Republic of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan departmental medals awarded Yazidis, participants of the Karabakh war.
13 April 2007 by decision of the Minister of Defense Serge Sargsyan, A. Tamoyan awarded the medal "Marshal Baghramyan", in 2011 – the medal "Andranik Ozanyan" and "the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Army", in 2014, "Drastamat Kanayan".
A huge role was played by Aziz Tamoyan in the approval of the symbols of Yazidis. In 1992, the Yazidis flag was adopted – a horizontal two-color – red and white. The left side of the red background shows the sun, in the center – a peacock, which symbolizes the Archangel Malake Taus. Since 1992, under the decree of Aziz Tamoyan, various citizens have been awarded the title of "national hero of Yazidis"for promoting the preservation of national identity and the National Union of Yazidis of the world.
In 1997, the national Union of Yezidis of the world was established, the Chairman of which was A. Tamoyan.

On 1 may 2002, the National Assembly officially recognized Yazidi as the language of Yazidis, on the basis of which the Council of Europe adopted a similar decision, thus, by the decision of the National Union of Yazidis of the world, since 2013, 1 may became the Day of unity of Yazidis. In 2010, the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia was established group .On December 15, 2007, by the decision of the Scientific Council of the Caucasian centre of Iranian studies, A. Tamoyan was awarded the title of doctor - Professor of National historiography and theology of Yazidis, and by the decision of the National Union of Yazidis was awarded the title of twice Hero of Yazidis – the first time on November 27, 1992 for participation in the Karabakh war, also awarded a gold medal, the second time on April 13, 2005 – for the restoration of the name of the Yazid people. On December 21, 2012, the World Academy of spiritual unity awarded Aziz Tamoyan the title of academician for a significant contribution to Yazidi literature.

2011 in response to the letter A. Tamoyan leadership of India, Ambassador of India in Armenia, the First Kumar Malhotra for the national day of the Yazidi New Year (Cartama Sarah Fat) gave residents of Armenia's Yazidis are considered Holy symbol of Sinjar Malake Taus, which the Ambassador himself handed over to A. Tamoyan during the festival.

According to the decision of the Ministry of education and science of Armenia number 328-A/B of 14.05.2004, textbooks in Yazidi were created for 1-11 classes. For the first time in the world Yazidi children began to study at school in Yazidi. The authors of the textbooks of the school program, as well as the alphabet and primer ("Elifba ezdiki") created in 2005 are A. Tamoyan and G. Tamoyan. Today, more than 60 villages in Armenia, the children are taught English language and literature.

The authorship of A. Tamoyan in 2001 published documentary books "We Are Yezidis", in 2002 – "Feat of the Yazidi people", in 2006 - "History of one kind", in 2010 – "Participation of Yazidis in the Karabakh war" (co-author G. Tamoyan). In 2007, under the leadership of A. Tamoyan, a sports school and an Ensemble of Yazidi songs and dances named after A. Tamoyan were created.

Aziz Tamoyan takes part in various TV programs and other media on the theme of centuries-old friendship between the Yazidi and Armenian peoples, religion, customs and culture.

On December 8, 2014, the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia held a meeting under the auspices of "World without genocides", which was attended by members of the European Parliament, officials, head of the Senate of Hurricane Danilo Astori, Israeli parliamentarians and others. A. Tamoyan made a speech about the Yazidis Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and Iraq. On December 10, 2014 by the decision of the Presidium of the National Union of Yazidis and Yazidis of the world to celebrate August 3 as the day of Genocide of the Yazidis people.Aziz Tamoyan says: "Several hundred Armenian families were driven through our villages to Deir ez-Zor. The Yazidis hid them. Then Kurdish troops stood at our homes and demanded to extradite Armenians. But our people did not. Together with Armenians we went to the mountains. There we survived as best we could."
There were joint pages of the struggle of the Armenian and Yazidi peoples and heroic pages, such as the battle of Bash Aparan, the importance of which is emphasized by Aziz Tamoyan."Jangir-Aha, who came to Armenia, was also from van. He was also a refugee, like the Armenians. And Bash Apparently the battle, his unit fought alongside the Armenians. Therefore, in 1988, when our volunteers gathered a detachment, we named it after our hero, Jangir-Aha," Aziz Tamoyan says.

Yazidis are the second largest ethnic group of the Republic of Armenia after Armenians. According to the 1989 census, the number of Yazidis in the Armenian SSR was 52,000. In 2001, according to the Yazidis census, there were 41,000, in 2011 – 35,580. And only in the census of 2011 the religion of Yazidis Sharfadin was officially recognized.
Alas, migration remains a problem for both Yazidis and Armenians. Therefore, for the growth of the number of Yazidis, it is important that the natural growth of their community is higher than the migration outflow – and this requires strong families.
Traditionally, the families of Yazidis adopted a large number of children. Early marriages also contribute to the creation of strong families, especially in rural areas. Usually in Yazidi villages by the age of 16 a girl is looked at as a bride and married to her – as a rule, young men are somewhat older.
In order not to destroy the age-old traditions, when young people are ready to start a family, but have to wait until both newlyweds turn 18, in 2016, the efforts of Aziz Tamoyan in the Family code of the Republic of Armenia was amended that citizens from 16 years can marry with the consent of two parents, if the other party has reached 18 years of age.Aziz Tamoyan has done a lot for the Yazidis of Armenia, but much remains to be done. But most importantly – thanks to Aziz Tamoyan, his people today can bear the name of Yazidis and be proud of it.

Iuri Smoev

Yazidi.info