Blogs
Blog posts from project members, experts and the Ezidi community.
Latest blogs
When there is no art there is no community
Leyla Ferman and Raminder Kaur
June 2026
This is a vivid report on 2 workshops with Ezidi participants in Germany—some of whom have never painted before. They interacted with artists, Ravo Osman and Qasim Alsharqy, on the topic of the 2014 Ezidi genocide. The sessions were both a deeply reflective and creative time. Those who survived the genocide drew upon their memories and experiences to produce evocative artworks that touched everyone’s hearts—from children holding hands to empty water bottles standing aloft in a scorched landscape.
Art, Healing and Hope
Jason Noah, Raminder Kaur, and Farhad Shomo Roto
June 2026
A reflection on how art can serve both a creative and therapeutic role for survivors of genocide. Inspired by the art and practice of Ezidi artist, Jason Noah, in France, workshop participants painted on dried maple leaves that had fallen to the ground. Ordinarily seen as debris, they revived life into the leaves by turning them into beautiful artworks, a metaphor for their own lives. Along with artist, Kheder H. Daham, they also collaborated on painting their vision of the sky bringing multiple perspectives to bear on something we all share.
No Limits
Raminder Kaur and Farhad Shomo Roto
June 2026
We focus on an Ezidi female artist, Irkalla Bû, who took decisions for her life into her own hands, while making creative commentaries on the violence that surrounded her on all sides—through drawings, paintings and performance art. Despite all the criticisms and dangers presented by Da’esh among others, she singlehandedly brought her two daughters (then aged 2 and 7) over land and sea to begin a new life in France.
Voices Unheard
Raminder Kaur and Farhad Shomo Roto
June 2026
Poetry workshops with Ezidi participants combined reflections on fears and hopes following the 2014 genocide, leading to some evocative pieces of new works. We listened to the prominence of oral traditions in Ezidi history before channelling thoughts into lyrical pieces of writing, conveying a spectrum of emotions and themes from Shingal to the lack of international action and justice on genocide declarations.
Images Unseen
Raminder Kaur and Farhad Shomo Roto
June 2026
We focus on the striking artworks by the Shingali Ezidi artist, Kheder H. Daham, who escaped from the Da’esh genocide in 2014 to come and live in France. His works show an experimental vision, underlining how “atrocity arts” navigate traditions and terrors, and how they are born out of the necessity of expressions as well as material resources to hand. As exiled minorities, they are testimony to how subaltern talent is overlooked by established art worlds both in the “homeland” as well as overseas.
Beyond the Courtroom:
What Ezidi Testimony can Teach us about Justice after Genocide
Sajib Hosen
June 2026
This blog post examines the role of survivor testimony in pursuing justice after genocide, using the Ezidi case as a lens. While criminal prosecutions are important, they are limited in scope and do not adequately capture the full impact of genocide on communities. The author argues that survivor testimony serves multiple crucial functions beyond legal evidence: it preserves collective memory, documents lived experiences, educates future generations, and helps communities understand the historical context of persecution. An informal truth commission complementing criminal accountability mechanisms could address this gap by centering survivor voices within their own cultural frameworks. The post emphasises that effective justice must be meaningful and linked to reparations, while acknowledging the urgency of recording survivor testimony as memories fade and communities continue to face displacement.
Ferman
The 74 Genocides
Leyla Ferman
June 2026
For Ezidi people, the term “Ferman” has come to mean genocide, persecution, and collective suffering rather than simply a decree or edict during the Ottoman Empire which were named like that. It refers to the many massacres and forced displacements experienced by the Ezidi community throughout history, including the 2007 attacks in Shingal (the 73rd Ferman) and the ISIS genocide of 2014 (the 74th Ferman). The memory of these events remains central to Ezidi identity and resilience.
Seeking Happiness
Raminder Kaur and Farhad Shomo Roto
June 2026
The journey of Naser as a young boy escaping Da’esh from his village, to the Shingal Mountain, through a safe passage to Syria and then to live in an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Dohuk. After three years of a harsh and hopeless existence in the camp, he decided to go to Turkey on his own, then by boat across to Greece, and eventually to Germany where he sought asylum and endeavoured to make “a life of happiness” with his family.
From Catastrophe to Creative Agency
Raminder Kaur
June 2026
A reflection on the creative works of Dlkhwaz Yousif—who was 7 years old at the time of the 2014 genocide of Ezidi people—and how he turned to art to convey his experiences of violence and displacement. Many of his artworks include children, elements of Ezidi identity, religion and culture, and hopes about the future.
Why We Need a Community-Based Truth Commission for the Ezidi Genocide?
Aldo Zammit Borda
April 2026
More than a decade after Daesh/ISIS launched its genocide against the Ezidi people, we find ourselves in a troubling position: the genocide has been widely recognised, yet meaningful accountability remains almost entirely absent. This is why we are convening a Community-Based Truth Commission (CBTC) at the German Bundestag in November 2026.
Notes on Terminology
Farhad Shamo Roto, Raminder Kaur, and Leyla Ferman
2026
This blog provides a charter for navigating a diversity of terms of reference related to individual and community beliefs, experiences, positionalities and opinions across members of the Ezidi community located in the Middle East and Caucasus regions as well as their diasporas in Europe, North America and Australia. It introduces a brief history and the rationale for key terms used to refer to the people, their language, and their associated places.
