“What was he aspiring to achieve with Lalish Center? And why did he wish to meet Masoud Barzani?”
Before his passing, Pir Khidir Suleiman Khalil carried numerous aspirations and secrets aimed at serving the Yezidi community – a path he had embarked upon since the 1970s. One of his main concern was to meet President Masoud Barzani to seek his support in transforming Lalish Center into an Institute for Yezidi Studies affiliated with the University of Duhok. This transformation, he believed, would create a greater opportunity to serve the Yezidi community academically and culturally. I regard Pir Khidir as the founding father and pioneer of the Yezidi enlightenment and intellectual movement in Iraq, which began in the 1970s. He left an indelible mark on history, playing a significant role in transitioning Yezidi religious and historical heritage from oral tradition to written documentation, thus protecting it from loss and extinction. His book “Gondiyatî: Village Traditions” was one of the first attempt by a Yezidi author to preserve Yezidi religious texts along with a part of their history. He also played a leading role in advocating for Yezidi rights both in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, contributing significantly to enhancing their status and amplifying their voice.
Pir Khidir expressed dissatisfaction with Lalish Center’s performance in its later years. Before his final farewell, which was a short journey from Germany to Kurdistan, I had a 23-minute phone conversation with him. During the call, after inquiring about my professional and academic endeavors, I informed him about the establishment of the Yezidi Studies Center at Leipzig University and briefly spoke to him about its goals. He was greatly delighted by the news and shared with me his ambitious plans to develop Lalish Center.
Pir Khidir said:
“I want to go to Kurdistan and meet the President (Masoud Barzani) to request the transformation of Lalish Center, which no longer delivers as it once did, into an Institute for Yezidi Studies affiliated with the University of Duhok. If this request is not granted, I will ask for my name to be removed from the position of license holder for Lalish Magazine.”
He also emphasized his great concern for the protection of Lalish Center’s archives, stressing his intention to transfer a copy of the archive to Europe to safeguard it against potential risks, such as attacks or destruction by fire. He further highlighted his commitment to collaboration between the Yezidi Studies Center in Germany and the envisioned institute in Kurdistan, should his dream of transforming Lalish Center into an academic institution be realized. Sadly, the pioneering figure of the Yezidi enlightenment, Pir Khidir Suleiman, departed before he could meet Masoud Barzani and before seeing his dream come true.
The question now is: Can someone fulfill this aspiration, which he considered it as one of the most important of his life?
My proposal, should this dream become a reality, is to name the new institute after the man who dedicated a significant part of his life to serving the Yezidi community: “Pir Khidir Institute for Yezidi Studies.”
This would not only immortalize his name but also continue his legacy in serving the Yezidi community academically and culturally.
Qader Saleem Shammo
19/11/2024
