Christine Allison Livres

The more than 20 million Kurds in the Middle East are the largest nation in the world without their own independent state. Their struggles for international recognition may ultimately depend on their ability to convince the world that they have their own valid and mature identity. This survey of Kurdish culture describes the differences that exist in a community that is spread across four countries in the region - Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria - and recognizes that Kurdish culture is changing. Successive chapters deal with Kurdistan's written literature and oral tradition, the development of book publishing and other modern media, the range of Islamic and other religious beliefs that have shaped Kurdish identity, and Kurdish material culture including costumes, carpets and the everyday objects of village life.

Drawing is not only a relaxing and enjoyable pastime, but also one of the original mindfulness techniques, being a great way to be in the moment and observe your surroundings. Despite the common assumption that the ability to draw is a skill you either possess or you don't, it can be readily learned with the right teacher guiding you. Christine Allison fulfills that role with her expertise and friendly, encouraging approach. With 10 step-by-step tutorials in Drawing, Christine helps beginners navigate a range of subject matters and drawing media, providing them with a thorough grounding in the basics of this satisfying art. In addition to the tutorials, Christine provides advice on tools, materials and techniques, gives plenty of tips throughout and presents ideas on how to take each tutorial a step further. There's also a special focus on noticing the things around you that can make interesting subject matters, practicing a drawing a day, and gathering a collection of reference material to inspire you -- each explored in a feature spread, setting them apart from the tutorials.

Focusing on the unique religious and cultural identity of the Yezidis, this book explores their oral traditions and their significance within the broader Kurdish community. It examines how these traditions contribute to Kurdish nation-building efforts and situates them within their social context, offering insights into the complexities of Kurdish identity beyond mainstream religious categories.

Die Festschrift enthält insgesamt 30 Beiträge zu verschiedenen Bereichen der Iranistik. Es handelt sich sowohl um Artikel zu Forschungsschwerpunkten von Ph. G. Kreyenbroek, wie dem Zoroastrismus, der kurdischen Literatur und Religion, insbesondere die der Yeziden und Ahl-e Haqq, aber auch um Beiträge zur iranischen Philologie, der Zeit der Achämeniden sowie der Geschichte und Kultur Irans in islamischer Zeit. Die Aufsätze umfassen so unterschiedliche Themen wie z. B. Sinn und Zweck von Ritualen aus der Sicht von Parsi-Priestern, eine Gegenüberstellung von Tawusi Melek und dem Pfau in der Mandäischen Tradition, Zeitkonzepte des Yezidismus, einen Überblick über die persische Presse der letzten Jahrzehnte, judäische Gesandte im Achämenidenreich, Ohrmazd in der soghdischen Überlieferung, Modalitätstypologie im Kurdischen und Hawrami oder baktrische Demonstrativpronomina. Ein Überblick über das Werk Kreyenbroeks sowie ein Verzeichnis seiner Schriften ergänzen den Band.

The study of culture in non-Western civilisations, moving away from the traditional approaches of ‘Orientalism’, is turning towards more sophisticated and objective ways to gain an understanding of these cultures. As part of this process, the concept of ‘memory’ and the various ways this affects communal discourse − and therefore societies as a whole − has become a key object of study. Remembering the Past in Iranian Societies contains articles by leading students of memory in Iranian societies today, and represents a range of different approaches to the study of memory in these societies, both ancient and modern. The definition of ‘Iranian societies’ has been kept ‘deliberately fuzzy’, and the work includes discussions of relevant topics in surrounding cultures. The emphasis is on modern Iranian, Kurdish, Afghan and Tajik culture, with further discussions of pre-Islamic constructions of history, Armenian lullabies, and the way Kurds were described for posterity by the Ottoman Turks. Together these articles are a representative collection of contemporary approaches to the study of Memory in Iranian societies.