The Kurdish people have a lot of minorities in itself, for example the religious ones. One of them are Christian Kurds. Even at the time of the Ottoman Empire there were Christian Kurds, and today more and more Kurds find to Christianity. Some of them live in Europe.
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Dilgohdar, a Kurdish Christian, agreed to tell me about himself and how he found Christianity.
“First of all, thank you for showing interest in the Christian minority among the Kurds. I was born in Europe into an atheist family, only my mother is baptized as a Christian.
I was an atheist for 22 years before I discovered Christianity. For the moment I am trying my best to finish reading the bible (…) My favourite character of the bible is Ibrahîm (Abraham): he left his relatives in Urfa (Northern Kurdistan) for a travel to the Canaan. Then of course Îsa Mesî (Jesus) and his life as god`s only son.
A Nestorian wedding in a village of Kurds and Nestorians
He tells that the basics of Christian Kurds belong to the Nestorian Church. In fact, Nestorians and Kurds lived together for decades of years in common villages of Northern Kurdistan. But later they immigrated to countries of Europe and the USA. Their churches stay empty today, but the Kurds have promise
“I actually don`t care if a Christian is Nestorian, Protestant or Catholic, as long as we believe in the same thing.”
Dilgohdar expresses how serious he takes his choice of being a Christian Kurd.
“I am not baptized yet but this summer I will be baptized in the Caucasian regions of the Middle East.” He knows a couple of Christian Kurds. “We often speak about the bible, Christianity and Kurdistan”, he says. But Dilgohdar regrets that most of the Kurds who convert to Christianity can not tell their choice to their families.
“Their families are Muslims, and it would create problems if they`d tell them. But I have found myself a bride and we will get married soon. So I will reveal to my family and friends then.”
When he was an atheist, he didn`t know what to do in his life, Dilgohdar says. But today he is sure about what he wants. Let`s remember that he said he wants to combine his religion with his Kurdish heritage:
“My marriage and funeral will be in a church in Kurdistan... hopefully the Church of Akhdamar in the Van Province, N.Kurdistan.”
| It should fill us with happiness to know such a Kurd like Dilgohdar, because today, a lot of Kurds don`t know what to do for their life… More infos about Christian Kurds: http://www.kurdistanica.com/l |
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