Briefly - interview with Tilman Zülch
How do you see the topical situation of the Yezidis all together?
It is quite sad that only completely few Yezidis live at the moment in Turkey. The number still there living is so low that one can enumerate you almost everybody individually. The occupation of the owners of the Yezidis by the Moslem population progresses more and more. This arbitrary occupation is steered by the state. The authorities are corrupt. Laws are taken up which either do not exist at all or have been remitted by the state under nonobservance more existently of international laws. And exactly there what must happen. The Yezidis may not be still expropriated in view of the future now. The Yezidis have in Syria not only "Kurdish" problems, but in parallel into the bargain "religious" problems. They are twice pursued. Most Yezidis living in Syria have no Syrian passports. Also after annual-tenth long stay in Syria these are still stateless, nevertheless. Besides, they are also more often discriminated by own Kurdish (Moslem) population. They may not exercise her religion freely. Over and over again they bump into obstacles and discussions with regard to the religion. With our trip in Iraqi Kurdistan I was in Lalish. The architecture was very nice and very impressive. It was very informative. This has always interested me and has moved. One gets to know there the culture of the Yezidis. One finds out that they have been pursued by different Moslem rulers. They own a bloody past, namely as a victim and not as a culprit. There are two yezidische ministers. One is of it a surgeon. The Society for threatened people(nations) concentrates very much upon minorities in Iraqi Kurdistan and Outside upon the Kurds as for example the Shias in Chanekin, the Kurds in Kerkuk, the Yezidis in Shingal and the Christians in Niniveh level. We appeal to this subject with Kurdish politicians. The president Iraqi Kurdistan
Has planned the Society for threatened people(nations) for the Yezidis in the future projects (briefly, means, in the long term)?
Primarily, the Yezidis of the same demands would have to put. Then we would be ready to support them, besides. The Yezidis have special problems with protection and justice. Measures would have to be trained against the discriminations.
What do you say to the decision of the EU for the admission of a certain number of the Iraqi refugees and it only for the Christians is valid?
It is not right completely. There were also present some Yezidis. It is the question, to what extent the Yezidis want to come to Europe.
Have the Yezidis learnt in your opinion from the past?
I cannot judge this. I can only say that your escape from Turkey was a right decision. One can close this maybe on the learning from the past. What I also feel as positive, is the reasonable cooperation of the Yezidis with the current Kurdish government. As a countermove the government in Iraqi Kurdistan would have to take over the responsibility for Shingal. Now she would already also be able. Because by military protection and the penetration of the demand of an autonomy for Shingal compared with the central government in Bagdad.
How do you see the survival chances of the Yezidis in Europe?
I fear that they would have to adapt themselves to the time. It would have to be put the question as the religion is compatible with the modern time. Moreover would have to remain yezidis educated people and graduate with yezidis religious heads in dialogue.
How do you value the selforganization of the Yezidis in Europe and the integration work of the Federal Government for the Yezidis?
Whether the Yezidis may pursue an effective selforganization I doubt. Primarily, the youth must organise. Only this can value the problems. The Jewish community is not also even more. However, they are better organised. What concerns the Federal Government, would have to be invested here even more. Besides, the children who own meanwhile also a German Idendität beside theirs yezidis are pushed away. This is simply ill. With these deportations the Federal Government no fallen does itself. One acts against German interests.
What can you transmit from your experiences to the Yezidis?
If one looks at the yezidis society in Germany, the youth plays an important role. They must modernise something. Keep at the same time, however, the well-tried. If she does this, the yezidis society will be a special voice and make an important contribution to the democracy and freedom. If the experiment Iraqi Kurdistan goes well the Yezidis could play on account of her population figures (approx. 800,000) there a big role. They would also be a big strength. The Kurds would also have to recognise that this is the Kurdish religion.