Please find below the chronology of events of cooperation between Hindu Americans and Yezidi Americans along with background information.
Sequence of events:
1) ISIS / ISIL starts the massacre in August
2) Word comes out from Mr. Vrndavan Brannon Parker (founder member YSDS —– his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vrndavan?fref=ts) about the Yezidi Hindu similarities through
Nallein Satana Al-Jilwah Sowilo’s ( she is an Yezidi herself) article published in Hindu Today in which Mr. Parker was the editor. The article was published 6 months before the crisis.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152383859673640&set=pcb.10152383871793640&type =1&theater– article by Nallein about the Yezidi Hindu similarity in Hindu Today
3) Aug 19, 2014: Vinod Varapravan (facebook page —- https://www.facebook.com/vinod.varapravan?fref=ts and associated with Srishti Canada https://www.facebook.com/SrishtiCanada/ and SEWA International —http://www.sewausa.org/) visits some families in London, Ontario, Canada https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.596893933754972.1073741833.292104904233878&type =1&pnref=story — Raksha Bandhan pics of Yezidis and Hindus in London, Ontario, Canada
4) Nallein approaches Mr. Parker for help and YSDS is formed. Mr. Swadesh Katoch of SEWA (https://www.facebook.com/swadesh.katoch?fref=ts) and Mr. Parker talks to Gulie in Nebraska where around 800 Yezidi families live
5) Sept 28, 2014: YSDS representative visits Prime Minister Modi’s rally event where Mr. Achalesh Amar (https://www.facebook.com/achalesh.amar?fref=ts) and the Hindu leadership promises all help for the Yezidi cause.
6) Oct 1, 2014: Yezidi resistance leader Quasim Shesho’s interview comes up where he talks of Hindus as family
http://zeenews.india.com/exclusive/we–want–international–community–to–help–yezidis–qasimshesho_1478444.html—- interview of Yezidi leader, Mr. Quasim Sesho, who is resisting ISIS in Mount. Sinjar
7) Oct 8, 2014: YSDS prepares a facebook page and website to talk about the Yezidi Hindu similarity https://www.facebook.com/ysdsociety—– facebook page of YSDShttp://yezididharma.com/—– website of YSDS Many Yezidis join YSDS.
8) Oct 9, 2014: Nallein writes an article about the origin and the plight of the Yezidis http://worldhindunews.com/2014100933404/%E2%80%8Byezidi–sanatan–dharma–society–yezidis–andnon–resident–indians–join–hands–for–the–yezidi–cause/— article about the origin and the plight of the Yezidis and how Hindus in America are helping the Yezidis
9) More Hindu activists join up for the cause
10) The crisis intensifies, with Sinjar (Shingal) at the brink of falling into ISIS hands. Hindus and Yezidis hold emergency meeting. The possibility of another genocide with more women getting raped and enslaved brings everybody in the Dharmic movement in US on board in less than 2 days time.
11) Yezidis and Hindus protest together in DC within a 24 hrs planning
12) Oct 24, 2014: Top Yezidi spiritual leader Baba Sheikh and the Yezidi delegation from Iraq comes to Washington DC and joins the protest rally.
https://www.facebook.com/souptik.mukherjee.5/media_set?set=a.10204036180397560&type=1&pnref
=story —- Pics of the protest rally in DC where both Yezidis and Hindus took parthttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_q6av9P10EWS1kweHzMUOyF38y_jAklo— Video playlist of the protest rally in DC where both Yezidis and Hindus took part http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world–news/hindu–americans–ask–us–to–protectyezidis–from–isis–in–iraq/articleshow/44931078.cms— Hindu Americans ask US to protect the Yezidis
Press Release for protest rally in front of white house on Oct
24, 2014
Washington D.C. Oct 24, 2014: About 200 Yezidis from all over US along with members of Christians, Hindus and Jewish communities joined hands to make an urgent plea for the U.S. intervention to halt the murderous ISIS campaign of forced conversion, enslavement, and genocide of Yezidi men, women, and children in the Sinjar area of northern Iraq. Since their initial attack on Yezidi homelands on Aug. 3, the Islamic terror army ISIS has killed several thousand Yezidis, displaced over 300,000, and engaged in the mass kidnapping of nearly
7,000 Yezidis—primarily women and girls.
They made an urgent plea for immediate action for the following:
1) Evacuate about 1200 families from top of mountain Sinjar while providing protection to the mountain by intensive air strikes and ground forces if needed. Provide heavy weapons and ammunition by air to the Yezidis and friendly forces on top of the mountain.
2) Immediate action to free about 5000 hostages held in four villages who were Identified and whose information was provided to US government and DOD. The other hostages must be freed too but their freedom will be harder since they are held in area difficult to reach, i.e. Syria and other places.
The enacting of selling Yezidi women and girls for sex slavery at the rally brought tears to both Yezidis and bystanders. They appealed to Obama and the world to pay attention to their plight and recognize what is happening to Yezidis is a holocaust that world simply cannot ignore. Many Yezidis came in buses travelling more than 20 -24 hours each way to DC.
13) Oct 29, 2014: Yezidi activist Gulie Khalaf meets Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shanker and Hindu Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard in Chicago
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.981870311828902.1073741832.968635989819001&type =1
—- pics of Guruji and Congresswoman with Yezidi activists
14) Sri Sri takes to the twitter to voice his support for the Yezidis and his team prepares a video
http://vimeo.com/110429604— Video on Yezidis prepared by Art of Living Foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xja_w_PLVGk—- Video on Yezidis prepared by Art of Living Foundation
15)Oct 28, 2014: Guruji vows to protect the Yezidis https://www.facebook.com/ysdsociety/photos/a.968639866485280.1073741826.968635989819001/98 2708538411746/?type=1&theater— Indian Express article , Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shanker vows to protect the Yezidis http://www.business–standard.com/article/news–ians/help–yezidis–from–extinction–ravi–shankar114102800773_1.html
http://srisriupdates.artoflivinguniverse.org/— Guruji to visit Kurdistan on the 19th and 20th to ensure that Yezidis are protected. Sri Sri will be visiting the relief camps next month where IAHV will also hold a conference in the Kurdish capital of Erbil on November 20th titled “Protecting Women and Bringing Stability and Peace” inviting regional political and religious leaders, youth leaders, community activists, peace builders and international delegates. “This is one of the worst genocides of the 21st century. Yazidis are an ancient community on the verge of extinction. Several members of this community visited me here in the U.S last week and pleaded for help to rescue the people from the ISIS onslaught. Christians, Yazidis and Kurdish Shias are languishing in camps in Erbil, Duhok and Khazir. Yazidis who were a community of 23 million have now been reduced to one million over the years,” Sri Sri said.
16) Oct 28, 2014: Guruji’s sister Bhanu Didi meets Baba Seikh in DC https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1705666382992532&set=a.1466082746950898.10737418
29.100006475605327&type=1&theater– pics of the meeting
17) Oct 30, 2014: Yezidi spiritual leader Baba Seikh goes to the Murugan temple in DC
18)
Oct 30, 2014: The United Hindu Jain Temple (UHJT) trust meets Baba Seikh https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1706803702878800&set=pcb.1706804482878722&type=1
&theater— Dr. Siva Subramanian & other Hindu leaders on behalf of UHJT association presented the Holy Peacock symbol to Baba Shiek the top Yezidi spiritual leader
19) HAF comes out in support of the Yezidis and organizes event in co-ordination with the Jewish groups in DC
| Freeing Yazidi Women: Combating a 21stCentury Slavery Revival ProjectPlease join us for a discussion with Matthew Barber, who has conducted research within the Yazidi community and who was in Kurdistan Province when it was attacked by ISIS this summer, and Murad Ismail, a Yazidi-American advocate for the Yazidi community, originally from Sinjar. Both are members of the Yazidi delegation visiting Washington, D.C. and are working on efforts to rescue kidnapped Yazidi women.
Speakers:Matthew Barber University of Chicago |
Friday, October 31, 2014 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.6th floor Moynihan BoardroomDirectionsWilson CenterRonald Reagan Building and
International Trade Center One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 1300 Pennsylvania, Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20004Phone: 202.691.4000mep@wilsoncenter.org |
| Murad IsmailRSVP NOW » Forward to a Friend Yazidi-American advocate for the Yazidi community
|
© Copyright 2014,The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, All Rights Reserved.
20) Oct 31, 2014: National media (CNN, PBS, Washington Post, Daily beast) starts talking about the Yezidis
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/10/30/pkg–watson–yazidi–slavewomen.cnn.html— CNN video on the Yezidis
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2014/10/31/october–31–2014–yazidi–leadersdc–seek–help–isis/24482/— PBS video on the Yezidis
21) Oct 31, 2014: The white house issues a statement expressing concern about the situation of the Yezidis
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the–press–office/2014/10/31/statement–nsc–spokesperson–bernadettemeehan–deputy–national–security–ad— White House Statement
Guruji will be in Kurdistan on the 19th and 20th of this month.
22) Oct 29, 2014: Yezidi activists in India and in Houston, Texas participate in Diwali. The Hindu leadership in Houston, Texas, led by Mr. Vijay Pallod, helps to organize it. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=816484178374297&set=pcb.657348991049791&type=1&t heater
https://www.facebook.com/ysdsociety/photos/pcb.982711375078129/982711301744803/?type=1&the ater
—- Pics of the Diwali celebration in Houston, Texas where Yezidis took part and spoke about the plight of the community in Iraq before a crowd of 800 people
23) Nov 2, 2014: Yezidi activists visit the Viswa Hindu Parishad America (VHPA) events in San Francisco, California
Yezidi activist before the picture of Lord Rama. Yezidis like the Hindus believe in Reincarnation
Yezidi and Hindu activists pray before the Sanjak – peacock shaped lamp. Yezidis pray before the lamp as prayers to the Peacock Angel Malek Taus. Hindus call him Lord Murugan or Lord Karthik.
24) Nov 5, 2014: Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shanker’s Art of Living Foundation airdrops aid to those living in the Sinjar (Shingal) mountains using US helicopters
Coming up activities:
Nov 21st, 2014: Yezidi delegation will be speaking at World Hindu Congress in New Delhi Nov 19th to 21st. Yezidi members from Sweden, Iraq and students in India will be participating in the Conference that will be attended by Hindus from worldwide.
http://www.worldhinducongress.org/whc–2014
Contacts for further information:
Hindu American contacts:
Satya Dosapati, narayanasd123@gmail.com , 732-939-2060 (coordination)
Souptic Mukherjee: souptikm@gmail.com , 330-357-2831 (coordination)
Madhu Kadari (IAHV relief efforts in Iraq): madhu@iahv.org , 301-806-7983 Anju Preet: anjupreet@gmail.com, 571-209-7336 (DC coordination)
Yezidi contacts:
Murad Hasan Ismail, Email: sinjar.crisis@gmail.com , 8326384348 (interface to Yezidi delegation to US administration)
Gulie Khalaf: gkhalaf@lps.org , 402-802-7679
Background information:
WHY HINDUS ARE HELPING THE YEZIDIS
“A segment of their belief preserved from their Indian past is the faith in reincarnation. Similar to Hinduism, a soul migrates into new bodies until it reaches a pure form that can reach eternal salvation in Heaven.”
Article in the Budapest Times By Szidónia Lőrincz on the work “Yezidis: A Religion Under
Threat in Iraq” By Eszter Spät at Central European University, Center for Arts and Culture, Budapest, Hungary
http://budapesttimes.hu/2014/10/18/raising–awareness–of–a–community–in–danger–the–yezidis/ — inBudapest, Hungary.
Every Yezidi child is told in his or her family that they came from India, with similarities galore
Yezidi Hindu similarity
Yazidis kiss a peacock shaped lamp. Hindus light a peacock shaped lamp.
Yazidis temples have pyramid shaped gopura just like Hindu temples.
Yazidis symbol is a wing spread peacock, just like Hindu god Shiva’s son, Subrahmanya’s mount. The most important point to note is that peacock, the national bird of India, is a native of south and south east Asia or Africa. Not found in the area of Iraq or Syria at all.
Yazidi mural on wall of their holy Lalish temple is unmistakably Hindu. You can see saree, which is an unofficial national dress of India.
Yazidi temple at Lalish has snake symbol at the entrance. You won’t find this among other tribes of Arabia or Mesopotamia. For Hindus, Subrahmanya is the other avatara of snakes and worshiped very closely for all snake related pujas like Naga Panchami.
Yellow sun Yazidi symbol 21 rays.
Number 21 is sacred to Hindus (Ganesha). Offerings are in 21 count like Modaka (sweet).
Yazidi preferably marry within their castes like Murids, Sheikhs and Pirs.
Hindus used to marry within castes. Yazidis could have something like Gotra system (researching).
Any Hindu with even basic understanding of aarti plate, will see Yazidis as their own.
Yazidis believe in continuous rebirth and reincarnation. Same as Hindu Punar Janma concept.
Yazidis pray with folded hands. Hindus pray very similarly to their Gods and Goddesses.
Yazidis pray at sun rise and sun set, just like Hindus. Both face the rising or setting sun when praying to sun.
Yazidis have a symbol similar to Bindi or Tilak during temple prayer, very similar to Hindu forehead custom.
For big celebrations, lighting lamp by females common to both Yazidis and Hindus.
Yazidis men worship Melek Taus by lighting fire in temples.
Hindus’ do similar fire based worship to their Gods, with high regard for agni the fire.
As I read and browse, there are more similarities popping up. The trident (Shiva’s trishula), the vessels used during worship (kalasha), the sound (something like dhol and shankha), sun worship methods and much more..
Isn’t it natural for Hindus to help.
What do Yezidis feel
Namta Gupta , journalist from Zee News put it very nicely
Keeping these questions in mind I asked a Yezidi man, as to why do the Yezidis feel that Indians, and particularly Hindus, would like to help them? His answer was straight; he said that it was because ‘there is no one else who would like to help us withoutconverting us and we are aware that only and only Hindus are like that.’ This 44-year old man, who goes by the name of Hatim is a guide by profession and based in Dohuk, is absolutely sure that the ‘Hindus will help and India will help.’
http://www.covertwires.com/index.php/articles/yezidis–lasthope–remain–hindus–and–india
Hindus help Yezidis spread awareness about Genocide of Yezidis
The Yezidi – Hindu Coalition efforts on raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis faced by Yezidi people in northern Iraq have gained momentum over last three weeks. The group comprises of distinguished members from both Yezidi and Hindu communities in USA and Canada, and has itself has grown from 24 to 138 members in this short span of time.
It may be worth recalling that ever since ISIS (Islamic State) laid siege on Northern Iraq in August 2014, one of the holiest places for Yezidis – Mt Sinjar – has seen many tragic and miserable days. The community which once boasted of 23 million practitioners has been reduced to close to a million at the moment. Between August 2014 and now, over 500,000 Yezidis have been displaced; around 2000 Yezidi men massacred and close to 7000 men, women and children have been kidnapped and/or enslaved.
The efforts of bringing Yezidis and Hindus started in July 2014 with the establishment of Yezidi Sanatan Dharma Society (YSDS) and later bolstered by Yezidi – Hindu Coalition. Sewa International played its part by helping bring the two communities together, by inviting Yezidi brothers and sisters to Raksha Bandhan celebrations in Canada.
About 200 Yezidis from all over U.S., supported by the Hindu community, joined hands for a demonstration at White House, Washington DC on Oct 24th to make an urgent plea for the U.S. intervention to halt the murderous ISIS campaign of forced conversion, enslavement, and genocide of Yezidi men, women, and children in the Sinjar area of northern Iraq. A Yezidi delegation, led by their supreme spiritual leader Baba Sheikh, went to Murugan Temple in Washington DC to offer prayers and meet and thank the local Hindu leadership there. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the spiritual leader of Art of Living, also met the Yezidi delegation in Chicago and assured them of all possible help. Tulsi Gabbard was also present at the occasion. The Hindu leadership in Houston invited local Yezidis for the big Diwali event and the same warmth was extended at many other cities throughout USA and Canada.
As a result of the pressure created by Yezidi-Hindu Coalition, the white house stepped up its offensive against ISIS and also issued a statement reiterating United States commitment to the safety and security of Yezidi people. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the–press–office/2014/10/31/statement–nsc–spokesperson–bernadettemeehan–deputy–national–security–adis the direct link to the statement.
Over next couple of months, the coalition intends to conduct fund raising all over USA to help with the humanitarian relief work on the ground and requests the support from all right thinking people who believe in Humanity. Here are the two links for Donation:
http://www.sewausa.org/files/uploads/2014_Diwali_SewaUSA.html SEWA INTERNATIONAL
https://secure.iahv.org/donations.aspx?ref=0 IAHV (associated with ART of Living
Foundation)
PLEASE FIND DOWNLOAD LINK FOR ATTACHED FILE BELOW:
- Chronology of Hindu Yazidi cooperation <===== Download Link For Attached File
Source: WHN Media Network