PKK and Zoroastrianism

[jjmuneer]

http://www.rudaw.net/english/science/columnists/4233.html

Some Middle Eastern governments often use religion as a tool to attack their opponents. In Turkey, the authorities have for long tried to portray the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as non-Muslims in order to delegitimize their movement among Muslim Kurds and Turks.

Charging the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the PKK with promoting Zoroastrianism is yet another campaign by Turkey against the Kurdish rebel group.

The idea that Kurds are actually Zoroastrians is not something new. Kurdish nationalists such as the Bedirkhan brothers tried to revive Zoroastrianism and Yezidism as the original religion of the Kurds in the 1920s and 1930s. By this the Bedirkhans aimed to separate the Kurds from their Muslim neighbors and give them a glorious pre-Islamic history that had once boasted many empires.

They did not emphasize much on the Kurdish Islamic warrior Salahadin al-Ayyubi that rallied the Muslims against the crusaders in the twelfth century. Similarly, Turkish nationalists tried to promote Shamanism as the original religion of the Turks. But despite these efforts, Islam remained an important element among Kurdish nationalist movements.

It is unlikely that Yezidis are originally Zoroastrians. The Zoroastrian religion is a dualist religion (with good and evil constantly fighting each other), while the Yezidi faith revolves more around a single deity as the Satan.

Therefore it is possible that the Zoroastrians would regard the Yezidis as devil-worshippers, just as some Muslims do.

There are still many Kurds (especially in Europe) who think Kurds are originally Zoroastrians and wear Zoroastrian symbols, even though they are non-religious and do not have much knowledge about Zoroastrianism and its rituals.

The PKK was particularly influenced by the ideas of early Kurdish nationalists. Its media promoted the idea that Kurds are originally Zoroastrians. Other Kurdish political groups also came under the same influence.

But in 1991 the PKK took a positive approach about Islam and thus managed to win some sympathy. Some say the PKK tried to merge Kurdish nationalism and Islam for its own cause.

In recent years the PKK has also used Imams, Friday prayers and Islamic language as a means to compete with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP0. In return, the Turkish government is said to have plans to recruit 1000 Kurdish Imams in its battle to win the hearts and minds of the Kurdish people.

The Turkish government and its media always depicted the PKK as non-Muslims ever since the rebel group’s foundation. But they never accused it of promoting Zoroastrianism. The use of religion has turned more serious in the recent years in Turkey. However, following the military coup in 1980 the military took an interest in promoting a mix of Islam and Turkish nationalism.

Before 2002 the PKK had almost never been associated with Zoroastrianism by the Turkish media and authorities. So the idea surfaced when the pro-PKK newspaper Ülkede Özgür Gündem published a survey in 2006 that said PKK rebels in the Qandil Mountains preferred Zoroaster and Jesus to Mohammed as their prophet.

The Turkish government didn’t miss a chance to use the findings of the survey against the PKK, especially during the elections of June 2011.

In 2011, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “the Kurds at Imrali are Zoroastrians. But I know that my Kurdish brothers and sisters will say they are Muslims.”

One can say that the Turkish government uses this new language of religion that emerged in 2006 to weaken the PKK’s image in the eyes of people. Since both the PKK and Turkey have started to use religion to gain popular support, it is likely that the PKK will expand its Islamic discourse to maintain the support of the oft-religious Kurdish population in Turkey.

The PKK will certainly not lose its secular and socialist outlook. It may only try to embrace more Islamic Kurds in the future. This move is also influenced by the success of political Islamic movements in the region.

[thesunchild]

As an Yezidi I'm saying that this is a bullshit article. The Yezidism and Zoroastrianism have the same ‘Iranic’ = ARYAN roots!

Both religions are basically almost the same.

[jjmuneer]

As an Yezidi I'm saying that this is a bullshit article. The Yezidism and Zoroastrianism have the same ‘Iranic’ = ARYAN roots!

Both religions are basically almost the same.

Their not, Zoroastrianism is a daulist religon, Yezidism isn't. The article is wrong, the orignal religon of the Kurds was Mithriaism.

[Kurdistano]

As an Yezidi I'm saying that this is a bullshit article. The Yezidism and Zoroastrianism have the same ‘Iranic’ = ARYAN roots!

Both religions are basically almost the same.

Thats the biggest and at the same time most made mistake to think yazdanism has to do with zarathustra. Infact Zarathustra and his Persian followers were the first to demonize Yezidis by calling their God Taus(coming from Deus) the demon.

[thesunchild]

As an Yezidi I'm saying that this is a bullshit article. The Yezidism and Zoroastrianism have the same ‘Iranic’ = ARYAN roots!

Both religions are basically almost the same.

Their not, Zoroastrianism is a daulist religon, Yezidism isn't. The article is wrong, the orignal religon of the Kurds was Mithriaism.

Zoroastrians also believed in 1 chief GOD, Ahura Mazda. They do also recognize other powers on the other side of the religion like the Yezidis do, that’s all.

Yezidis believe in 1 GOD too, the SUN GOD, but also recognize Melek Taus as a supreme being equal to GOD. The Yezidism is somehow dualistic too! We love both, the Sun GOD and Melek Taus!

[thesunchild]

As an Yezidi I'm saying that this is a bullshit article. The Yezidism and Zoroastrianism have the same ‘Iranic’ = ARYAN roots!

Both religions are basically almost the same.

Thats the biggest and at the same time most made mistake to think yazdanism has to do with zarathustra. Infact Zarathustra and his Persian followers were the first to demonize Yezidis by calling their God Taus(coming from Deus) the demon.

My GOD is not Taus. My GOD is the same as yours! According to me Melek Taus is as supreme & great as GOD, Melek Taus is equal to our SUN GOD (equivalent to Ahura Mazda)!

[Kurdistano]

As an Yezidi I'm saying that this is a bullshit article. The Yezidism and Zoroastrianism have the same ‘Iranic’ = ARYAN roots!

Both religions are basically almost the same.

Thats the biggest and at the same time most made mistake to think yazdanism has to do with zarathustra. Infact Zarathustra and his Persian followers were the first to demonize Yezidis by calling their God Taus(coming from Deus) the demon.

My GOD is not Taus. My GOD is the same as yours! According to me Melek Taus is as supreme & great as GOD, Melek Taus is equal to our SUN GOD (equivalent to Ahura Mazda)!

You dont understand. Taus is the same Term as Deus and related to Greek Zeus. Taus is the God of Sun and represents Mithra. BUT Zarathustra not.

I will post here a text found from Palisto because <I am to lazy now. I will explain you exactly what the Yazidi religion is, that it is the first religion of Kurds and that the Kurgan stelae found in Hakkari are also related to this religion.

[thesunchild]

You dont understand. Taus is the same Term as Deus and related to Greek Zeus. Taus is the God of Sun and represents Mithra. BUT Zarathustra not.

I will post here a text found from Palisto because <I am to lazy now. I will explain you exactly what the Yazidi religion is, that it is the first religion of Kurds and that the Kurgan stelae found in Hakkari are also related to this religion.

I know the fella who wrote this article personally, he is also from Amsterdam. He doesn’t have any clue what he is writing about!

And what the hell are you talking about? First of all the Mithraism is an evolved version of the Zoroastrianism. It has the same roots.
Also my GOD is Xode Shams and not Tause Melek. Tause Melek is an ANGEL and not my SUN GOD!

Also our religious leaders, Sheikhs and Pirs, are saying the same thing what I’m telling you!

[Kurdistano]

Palisto is not from Netherlands.

And what the hell are you talking about? First of all the Mithraism is an evolved version of the Zoroastrianism. It has the same roots.

Zoroastrianism is based on Mithraism not the other way around. You have red too much political-Farsian nonsense from Wikipedia.

Also my GOD is Xode Shams and not Tause Melek. Tause Melek is an ANGEL and not my SUN GOD!

Kurds use to call their God Xweda. Only Persians say Xode. Are you sure you aint Persian? Shams my little friend is the name of the Sun and Mithra is the symbol of sun not Zarathustra. For Gods sake go inform yourself.

Also our religious leaders, Sheikhs and Pirs, are saying the same thing what I’m telling you!

This is basically ideological and became modern to call himself Zoroastrian. Real Yazidis from South, West and Central Kurdistan will tell you that they have nothing to do with Zoroastrianism I am telling you. You are so ignorant that you worship the Person (zarathustra) who demonized your religion to get more attention.

[thesunchild]

Palisto is not from Netherlands.

And what the hell are you talking about? First of all the Mithraism is an evolved version of the Zoroastrianism. It has the same roots.

Zoroastrianism is based on Mithraism not the other way around. You have red too much political-Farsian nonsense from Wikipedia.

Also my GOD is Xode Shams and not Tause Melek. Tause Melek is an ANGEL and not my SUN GOD!

Kurds use to call their God Xweda. Only Persians say Xode. Are you sure you aint Persian? Shams my little friend is the name of the Sun and Mithra is the symbol of sun not Zarathustra. For Gods sake go inform yourself.

Also our religious leaders, Sheikhs and Pirs, are saying the same thing what I’m telling you!

This is basically ideological and became modern to call himself Zoroastrian. Real Yazidis from South, West and Central Kurdistan will tell you that they have nothing to do with Zoroastrianism I am telling you. You are so ignorant that you worship the Person (zarathustra) who demonized your religion to get more attention.

WLADIMIR van WILGENBURG who wrote this article is from Holland!! : http://www.rudaw.net/english/science/co ... /4233.html


Are you a Kurd? Stop spreading lies about Kurds and Yezidi Kurds!

Yezidi supreme leaders from Lalish were few moth ago in Georgia. I know most of these folks on video personally! The young looking man that you see on 30 sec. is a Pir.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/science/columnists/4233.html">http://www.rudaw.net/english/science/co ... /4233.html


Are you a Kurd? Stop spreading lies about Kurds and Yezidi Kurds!

Yezidi supreme leaders from Lalish were few moth ago in Georgia. I know most of these folks on video personally! The young looking man that you see on 30 sec. is a Pir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCz1cbIcjB0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&hd=1   

[jjmuneer]

Palisto is not from Netherlands.

And what the hell are you talking about? First of all the Mithraism is an evolved version of the Zoroastrianism. It has the same roots.

Zoroastrianism is based on Mithraism not the other way around. You have red too much political-Farsian nonsense from Wikipedia.

Also my GOD is Xode Shams and not Tause Melek. Tause Melek is an ANGEL and not my SUN GOD!

Kurds use to call their God Xweda. Only Persians say Xode. Are you sure you aint Persian? Shams my little friend is the name of the Sun and Mithra is the symbol of sun not Zarathustra. For Gods sake go inform yourself.

Also our religious leaders, Sheikhs and Pirs, are saying the same thing what I’m telling you!

This is basically ideological and became modern to call himself Zoroastrian. Real Yazidis from South, West and Central Kurdistan will tell you that they have nothing to do with Zoroastrianism I am telling you. You are so ignorant that you worship the Person (zarathustra) who demonized your religion to get more attention.

WLADIMIR van WILGENBURG who wrote this article is from Holland!! : http://www.rudaw.net/english/science/co ... /4233.html


Are you a Kurd? Stop spreading lies about Kurds!

Yezidi supreme leaders from Lalish were few moth ago in Georgia. I know most of these folks on video personally! The young looking man that you see on 30 sec. is "MY" Pir.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXCTIjuMrUo[/tube]

He actually writes alot of articles for Rudaw, and its not jsut on Rudaw, its on alot of other news websites, if you even watch the news.

[thesunchild]

He actually writes alot of articles for Rudaw, and its not jsut on Rudaw, its on alot of other news websites, if you even watch the news.

Once I wrote something on the yezidis (in Dutch) with him. He is from Holland and I know him from the Kurdish Students Association called KSVN. http://ksvn.nl/

As far as I know he writes only bullshit about Kurds. And his stepdad is a Turk!

[jjmuneer]

Well I don't know much about him, but I've seen alot of articles written by him, so I thought it would be valid. But I have to agree with Kurdistano.

[thesunchild]

Well I don't know much about him, but I've seen alot of articles written by him, so I thought it would be valid. But I have to agree with Kurdistano.

Well, he's wrong and so you're!

[Azamat]

But despite these efforts, Islam remained an important element among Kurdish nationalist movements.

I have serious doubts on whether this statement is very correct, as it is most likely just a tool for text-suitability in this part of the article, but if that is actually the reality, let me say that this would fill my heart with utter shame.