Outcomes of the third seminar in the city of Hasaka

Ezdina Organization held its third introductory seminar entitled "I am a Yazidi, I invite you to get to know me" on 30.09.2020, at Al-Khabur Restaurant in the city of Hasaka.

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The Lecturers:
The seminar was lectured by the Yazidi journalist, Jaber Jindo.

The Participants:
The seminar was attended by 49 activists, journalists and active personalities in the field of civil peace in the societies of northeastern Syria.

Age Groups:
The seminar was attended by people of different age groups (youth, elders)

Seminar’s Topics:

• Introducing the Yazidi religion, their customs, rituals and the holy places of the Yazidi religion.
• The role of women in the Yazidi community.
• The geographical distribution of Yazidis in the world in general, and in Syria in particular.
• Talking about the historical roots of the Yazidi religion.
• The seminar also included interventions from the attendees.

What did the seminar discussed:
The seminar stressed the importance of the role of the Yazidis in Syria, the need to remove the bad stereotype about them, find supporters for the Yazidi cause, and strengthen the role of fraternity between religious components in the region.

The seminar also emphasized that the Yazidis are a religion in itself and not a sect belonging to another religion, and that the Yazidis believe in God and believe in other religions and their messengers and their sacred books, and they believe in reincarnation.

The seminar referred also to equality between men and women among Yazidis in all aspects of religion, and that Yazidi women suffered greatly because they were the first target of the invaders and committed the most horrific types of violence against them, and recently many women have taken on the task of defending the Yazidis and winning international awards.

Seminar’s Results
The seminar contributed to introducing the Yazidi religion more and clarifying ideas that were vague to some people, so that a group of activists,workers in the field of civil peace participated in their interventions, and the dialogue between the participants and the lecturer of the seminar began in an amicable manner, where the interventions and discussions began as follows:

A member of the Democratic Islamic Conference in Qamishlo/Qamishli, Hibatullah Dabliz, confirmed that the seminar contributed to introduce them to the Yazidi religion and its religious and spiritual rituals, noting that their information about the Yazidi religion was simple and was completed during the seminar.

For his part, a member of the Health Committee in Al-Jazira Region, Derbas Maami, said during the discussion, that such seminars are generally useful because their information about the Yazidi religion was superficial.

Ma'ami added that they learned through the seminar detailed information about the geographical distribution of the Yazidis, customs and traditions, and religious rituals.

As for Mrs. Afaf Hasky, she confirmed through her dialogue with Jaber Jindo, that she attended in order to increase her knowledge of the Yazidi component because she finds that this topic is very important because she works in the Culture Authority, pointing out that she tried a lot to know all the details about this component except the most important that did not reach all Information, but the seminar and the questions that took place between the participants and the lecturer were very useful by addressing many points about the history of the Yazidis.

Pre-Poll:
1- Do you have general infrmation about the Yazidis?
24% No – 76% Yes

2- Do you know where do Yazidis distribute?
22% No – 78% Yes

3- As far you lnow, do Yazidis believe in God?
20% No – 80% Yes

4- Would you like to receive invitations from Ezdina to attend seminars about the Yazidi community?
0% No - 100% Yes

Post Poll:
How do you evaluate the performance of the lecturer?
Acceptable 20.4% - Good 46.9% - Very good 32.7%

How do you evaluate logistical matters related to the seminar, including services?
Acceptable 30.6% - Good 36.7% - Very good 32.7%

Did you gain information in the seminar that could increase your knowledge?
100% Yes

Do you have feedback that you want to share it with us?

1. We hope to increase the number of seminars and hope to distribute brochures in all regions of northeastern Syria.
2. We hope that these seminars will be conducted by other institutions working in the field of society as a partnership with Ezdina.
3. Increasing seminars and lectures on the Yazidi religion in more details.
4. We encourage such seminars, and first of all, we must acknowledge each other because we live together.
5. The introductory seminar was not expanded. Please expand the information further in the coming seminars.
6. We want to print this information that was mentioned about the Yazidi religion and distribute it to learn more.
7. We thank your efforts in holding this seminar, which increased our knowledge of the Yazidis.
8. Increase in introductory seminars in all regions, sub-districts and villages.
9. Conducting such seminars on the Yazidi component so that the new generation could liberate from the wrong habits.
10. As long as the Yazidi religion is not prohibited in Rojava, it was possible to prepare information brochures and distribute them to the guests. There is a feeling inside me that the Yazidis fear to write things despite the long tradition and old Yazidi religion.
11. Repetition and expansion of seminars for the general public, and written means of knowledge must be issued.
12. The opinions that will be discussed in the seminar should be compiled in a booklet.
13. Documenting the seminar by publishing videos and photos that refer to prayers and supplications of Yazidis.
14. If there was documentation in the seminar with numbers, that would have been better.
15. It would be nice if there was a book here about introducing the Yazidi religion and the history of the extermination campaigns against the Yazidis.
16. Working on publishing documents about the campaigns of extermination occured against the Yazidis.
17. I hope for more details on the Yazidi, especially the displacement, extermination and captivity of women they were subjected to.
18. Holding informative seminars on Yazidi history.
19. Increasing these seminars, especially in the regions of our Arab brothers, because there is a wrong view and these matters must be clarified.
20. Introducing Yazidis more, not only through seminars, but in a direct way, through integration with the people, and collecting Yazidi religious texts in a book to be a reference or constitution for Yazidis.