Australia has a long and complex history of providing a safe haven for those fleeing persecution, a tradition that has profoundly shaped our social, cultural and educational landscapes. In my own work as an educator, writer and traveller, I have had the profound privilege of witnessing this transformation from two distinct vantage points: through my […]
For those of us working in education and advocating for displaced populations, the classroom—or the writing desk—is never neutral territory. When teaching Yazidi students, we are working with individuals whose primary language, Kurmanji, has become an act of defiance against a history of erasure. Understanding why many Yazidis harbor a deep aversion to the Arabic
In the quiet, ancient villages of the Sinjar mountains, childhood was once defined by an oral tradition dating back millennia. That peace was shattered on August 3, 2014, when the Islamic State launched a genocidal assault on the Yazidi people. As an author, I have spent much of my recent work attempting to capture the
Red Dust and the Peacock Angel: The Journey of Iraq’s Lost Generation Read More »
The Yazidi people, an ethno-religious minority primarily based in northern Iraq, possess a rich and resilient culture shaped by centuries of tradition, spiritual devotion, and survival in the face of persecution. Their customs, beliefs, and social structures reflect a unique synthesis of ancient religious elements and deeply rooted communal values, making Yazidi culture both distinctive
Yazidis have faced historical persecution, culminating in the devastating attacks by ISIS in 2014. During this invasion, ISIS militants sought to eradicate Yazidi culture, labeling them as heretics. Thousands were killed, and many women and children were abducted and subjected to enslavement and abuse. The siege on Sinjar, a Yazidi stronghold, led to mass displacement, forcing