Head of the Yezidi Centre for human rights Sashik Sultanyan: "Many Yazidis are doing well in Armenia, but we should not forget about those who are under the influence of discrimination"

2020/06/12222-1592293318.jpg
Read: 5272     12:00     16 Июнь 2020    

Cultural Center of the Caucasus Yezidis considers it important to issue the statement of the Head of the Yezidi Centre for human rights (NGO), Sashik Sultanyan, as it concerns the Yazidi community and the situation of the community in the field of human rights. The original application for the Yezidi language is in the video. This translation is unofficial and we tried to convey the closest possible text of what was said on the video.

"Good day, today I would like to talk to you. A few days earlier, the Yazidi website Lalish TV translated a video interview in which I talk about the problems of Yazidis in Armenia. The interview that I gave was supposed to be in the form of edited text, but they translated the video without any editing.

Before I speak directly about this interview, I would like to say something to our Yazidi people. In that interview, there was no insult directed to anyone. I want to say that those Yazidis who live in other countries and help their community - I always welcome their actions. Also, Yazidis who promote the Yazidi community in other countries, I am also very happy for them and am always ready to help in any way I can.

As I mentioned above, my interview with Lalish TV did not have the character to offend anyone. Armenia is also the birthplace of the Yazidis and much is being done here for the Yazidis, but there are also many problems, and this is what I want to tell you about. But there are people who always like to conduct manipulations and introduce confusion, among them our people, too. A couple of days ago, my interview was broadcast on Lalish TV and my words were discussed by their "experts". To be honest, I was offended by the journalists of "Lalish TV", namely by Temure Tital, who said, " Sashik Sultanyan said such words that there are many who want the Yazidis to renounce Ziarat, their shrines." That's what I want to talk about. As you know, Ziarat was building in Armenia for several years, and I want to thank the late Mirza (it was built with the help of his financing) and his family .

Further in the interview, Shekh Rezani Hazni, who said that we noticed Sashik as a representative of the community who would introduce cases against the Yazidi religion. As for his statement, I want to note that since the construction of ziarat, we have not left it and we have held various events to attract people to the temple. Now we want to lead temple (Ziarat) to well-being. The idea of building a temple came from us, because we want the Yazidis in Armenia not to lose their roots. The person who wants to excommunicate the Yazidis from their religion is a traitor. To say such things about us - is a confusion and a lie. My words that I gave in an interview, namely, that the Yazidi community is in a "precarious" state. It is the word shaky that can be interpreted broadly and in any way they use it. I meant that the community needs to develop more actively in order to preserve its religion. If all this does not work and is not taken into account, I will still say that we want the Yazidi community to preserve its roots.

Now let's move on to the second part, where they say that the Yazidi community in Armenia has no problems and that the alleged problems are pure propaganda. Recently, more and more people want to keep silent about the problems of Yazidis in Armenia and ask others not to talk about it. I want to tell you about these problems, if you don't believe me, then I will point out these problems in the form of facts. I know that many of you live in Europe and all have an education and I am very happy about that. In this video, I will insert links to European colleagues 'reports on the problems of Yazidis in Armenia’. These reports say that many have already forgotten their native language and other problems.

Our words are supported by data from the Council of Europe. You may not get their data, but the data of other organizations is transmitted to you, maybe that's why you don't see the problem in Armenia? Our organization works closely with the Ministry of education of Armenia, which itself claims that the Yazidi community has problems with learning the Yazidi language. We are also working with all the ministries in Armenia that accept our requests about Yazidis 'problems, because they know that they exist.

The video also shows that many people are helping Yazidis in Armenia. Yes, this is true, and I personally did business with many of them.

Many Yazidis are doing well in Armenia, but we should not forget about those who are under the influence of discrimination. They are not doing very well because of discrimination. For example, those who live in villages. Now I will show you the Chairman's signed document, which gives statistics of Council members in this village and not a single Yazidi in it. Do you think this is normal? Next, statistics of the Armavir region. You know that the majority of Yezidis live there. In Armavir and in Armenia general, where Yazidis and Armenians live in the village, there is no Yazidi Chairman in the village Council. In villages inhabited only Yazidis, for example in the village Alagyaz, there are certainly Yazidis in the Council. In the village of Karaganda in the Council of the Yazidis is now a Yazidi, but before was an Armenian, though there live only Yazidis.

But my conversation is only about the places where Yazidis and Armenians live. There are 300 villages in Armenia where Yazidis live, and only 25 of them are Yazidi villages. Do you think this is normal?

Russians also talk about the village of Tlik in the video, saying that it is a Russian village, or rather there is a Russian Outpost and they do not need to help them. Shekh Rezani, if there is a Russian Outpost in the village, it does not mean that it is Russian. There are Russian military bases almost all over Armenia, but this does not mean that it belongs to Russia.

It is a shame that we are criticized by those Yazidi villages who have problems. Question: why did you start criticizing? I will now list these villages. Village Kuraged, who took away their land and residents want to leave the village. The village of Sichanur, they have the same problem. Why only the village of Tlik was mentioned in interviews when many villages have problems.

If we talk now about the documents and reports brought or told by the residents of Yazidi villages in Armenia, we will see that there will be even more problems.

We just have to respect those people who are in trouble if we say that everyone is doing well and when we say this, we doom them to despair. In Kotayk Marz, in the village of Marmarik, a police officer has taken their land and says that it no longer belongs to them. The village of Nicanor, the land was sold illegally, namely pasture. Now the inhabitants do not know where to put their cattle.

A resident of the village, Yazid and his father were beaten, their land was taken away and now they have no place to live. The incident was racially motivated.

Village Kuragend of discrimination has sold all the land to the oligarch, the residents were left homeless. The old villages of our ancestors were also sold to factories for the manufacture of medicines for pigs. I would also like to mention those Yazidi shepherds whose pastures are located in the mountains, they are charged more tax.

I would like to say that when you say in an interview that everyone is doing well, do not speak for yourself. The problems above are just the tip of the iceberg. These are only the cases that have come down to us. Others are caught and jailed.

I want to say that it is not necessary to criticize us and show us as enemies of the people, the Yazidis do not need to. If you want to help this Yazidi community, we are always happy to cooperate with you. We want to help the Yazidi community from the first day of our work and will continue to help, not criticize from the sofas.

We are making a film that will show the problems of the community. We also help a family of about 400 who are on the verge of a pandemic. We stand by our people and will help them.






Tags: #yazidisinfo   #aboutyazidi   #ezidi   #yazidinews   #yazidiinarmenia   #humanrights  



Head of the Yezidi Centre for human rights Sashik Sultanyan: "Many Yazidis are doing well in Armenia, but we should not forget about those who are under the influence of discrimination"

2020/06/12222-1592293318.jpg
Read: 5273     12:00     16 Июнь 2020    

Cultural Center of the Caucasus Yezidis considers it important to issue the statement of the Head of the Yezidi Centre for human rights (NGO), Sashik Sultanyan, as it concerns the Yazidi community and the situation of the community in the field of human rights. The original application for the Yezidi language is in the video. This translation is unofficial and we tried to convey the closest possible text of what was said on the video.

"Good day, today I would like to talk to you. A few days earlier, the Yazidi website Lalish TV translated a video interview in which I talk about the problems of Yazidis in Armenia. The interview that I gave was supposed to be in the form of edited text, but they translated the video without any editing.

Before I speak directly about this interview, I would like to say something to our Yazidi people. In that interview, there was no insult directed to anyone. I want to say that those Yazidis who live in other countries and help their community - I always welcome their actions. Also, Yazidis who promote the Yazidi community in other countries, I am also very happy for them and am always ready to help in any way I can.

As I mentioned above, my interview with Lalish TV did not have the character to offend anyone. Armenia is also the birthplace of the Yazidis and much is being done here for the Yazidis, but there are also many problems, and this is what I want to tell you about. But there are people who always like to conduct manipulations and introduce confusion, among them our people, too. A couple of days ago, my interview was broadcast on Lalish TV and my words were discussed by their "experts". To be honest, I was offended by the journalists of "Lalish TV", namely by Temure Tital, who said, " Sashik Sultanyan said such words that there are many who want the Yazidis to renounce Ziarat, their shrines." That's what I want to talk about. As you know, Ziarat was building in Armenia for several years, and I want to thank the late Mirza (it was built with the help of his financing) and his family .

Further in the interview, Shekh Rezani Hazni, who said that we noticed Sashik as a representative of the community who would introduce cases against the Yazidi religion. As for his statement, I want to note that since the construction of ziarat, we have not left it and we have held various events to attract people to the temple. Now we want to lead temple (Ziarat) to well-being. The idea of building a temple came from us, because we want the Yazidis in Armenia not to lose their roots. The person who wants to excommunicate the Yazidis from their religion is a traitor. To say such things about us - is a confusion and a lie. My words that I gave in an interview, namely, that the Yazidi community is in a "precarious" state. It is the word shaky that can be interpreted broadly and in any way they use it. I meant that the community needs to develop more actively in order to preserve its religion. If all this does not work and is not taken into account, I will still say that we want the Yazidi community to preserve its roots.

Now let's move on to the second part, where they say that the Yazidi community in Armenia has no problems and that the alleged problems are pure propaganda. Recently, more and more people want to keep silent about the problems of Yazidis in Armenia and ask others not to talk about it. I want to tell you about these problems, if you don't believe me, then I will point out these problems in the form of facts. I know that many of you live in Europe and all have an education and I am very happy about that. In this video, I will insert links to European colleagues 'reports on the problems of Yazidis in Armenia’. These reports say that many have already forgotten their native language and other problems.

Our words are supported by data from the Council of Europe. You may not get their data, but the data of other organizations is transmitted to you, maybe that's why you don't see the problem in Armenia? Our organization works closely with the Ministry of education of Armenia, which itself claims that the Yazidi community has problems with learning the Yazidi language. We are also working with all the ministries in Armenia that accept our requests about Yazidis 'problems, because they know that they exist.

The video also shows that many people are helping Yazidis in Armenia. Yes, this is true, and I personally did business with many of them.

Many Yazidis are doing well in Armenia, but we should not forget about those who are under the influence of discrimination. They are not doing very well because of discrimination. For example, those who live in villages. Now I will show you the Chairman's signed document, which gives statistics of Council members in this village and not a single Yazidi in it. Do you think this is normal? Next, statistics of the Armavir region. You know that the majority of Yezidis live there. In Armavir and in Armenia general, where Yazidis and Armenians live in the village, there is no Yazidi Chairman in the village Council. In villages inhabited only Yazidis, for example in the village Alagyaz, there are certainly Yazidis in the Council. In the village of Karaganda in the Council of the Yazidis is now a Yazidi, but before was an Armenian, though there live only Yazidis.

But my conversation is only about the places where Yazidis and Armenians live. There are 300 villages in Armenia where Yazidis live, and only 25 of them are Yazidi villages. Do you think this is normal?

Russians also talk about the village of Tlik in the video, saying that it is a Russian village, or rather there is a Russian Outpost and they do not need to help them. Shekh Rezani, if there is a Russian Outpost in the village, it does not mean that it is Russian. There are Russian military bases almost all over Armenia, but this does not mean that it belongs to Russia.

It is a shame that we are criticized by those Yazidi villages who have problems. Question: why did you start criticizing? I will now list these villages. Village Kuraged, who took away their land and residents want to leave the village. The village of Sichanur, they have the same problem. Why only the village of Tlik was mentioned in interviews when many villages have problems.

If we talk now about the documents and reports brought or told by the residents of Yazidi villages in Armenia, we will see that there will be even more problems.

We just have to respect those people who are in trouble if we say that everyone is doing well and when we say this, we doom them to despair. In Kotayk Marz, in the village of Marmarik, a police officer has taken their land and says that it no longer belongs to them. The village of Nicanor, the land was sold illegally, namely pasture. Now the inhabitants do not know where to put their cattle.

A resident of the village, Yazid and his father were beaten, their land was taken away and now they have no place to live. The incident was racially motivated.

Village Kuragend of discrimination has sold all the land to the oligarch, the residents were left homeless. The old villages of our ancestors were also sold to factories for the manufacture of medicines for pigs. I would also like to mention those Yazidi shepherds whose pastures are located in the mountains, they are charged more tax.

I would like to say that when you say in an interview that everyone is doing well, do not speak for yourself. The problems above are just the tip of the iceberg. These are only the cases that have come down to us. Others are caught and jailed.

I want to say that it is not necessary to criticize us and show us as enemies of the people, the Yazidis do not need to. If you want to help this Yazidi community, we are always happy to cooperate with you. We want to help the Yazidi community from the first day of our work and will continue to help, not criticize from the sofas.

We are making a film that will show the problems of the community. We also help a family of about 400 who are on the verge of a pandemic. We stand by our people and will help them.






Tags: #yazidisinfo   #aboutyazidi   #ezidi   #yazidinews   #yazidiinarmenia   #humanrights