Christianity in Kurdistan
Silvio Van Rooy
The Star of the East
Like all West Asia (of which it forms the mountainous heart) Kurdistan is a country at the cross-roads of world history since times immemorial. And so it is from a religious point of view, Among its neighbours in the Caucasian North there is Armenia, oldest Christian country in the world and in the South, Kurdistan is bordering on the Arabs, the bearers of Islam in two continents.
Sihee centuries, Kurdistan is a predominantly Sunnite Mos lem country but there are several educated (non-christian Kurds) who believe it would have been better if the Christian Gbspel had won Kurds instead of the Qoran, Most foreign observers agree that Islam has not too deep roots among Kurds and the latter are very proud of what they ...
Contents
Editorial / 1
The New Delhi Assembly in Retrospect
—The Rev. Dr. C. T. Eapen. / 5
Christianity in Kurdistan
—President Silvio Van Rooy / 10
Church in India
—The Rev. Dr. V. C. Samuel, Serampore College / 14
Prime Minister Nehru’s Speech at the World Assembly 2 Unity of the Church
—H. G. The Most Rev. Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury. / 23
The Impressions of New Delhi Assembly / 24
The Voice of Christendom / 26
The Rt. Rev. Bishop Lakdas a de Mel Elected as the Metropolitan of India / 27
Here and there in Christendom / 27
News and bfotes of the Malankara Syrian Church / 29
In Memoriam / 30
Vol. XXIII
July, 1962
No. 1 & 2
CHRISTIANITY IN KURDISTAN
President Silvia Van Rooy
International Society Kurdistan
Amsterdam
Like all West Asia (of which it forms the mountainous heart) Kurdistan is a country at the cross-roads of world history since times immemorial. And so it is from a religious point of view, Among its neighbours in the Caucasian North there is Armenia, oldest Christian country in the world and in the South, Kurdistan is bordering on the Arabs, the bearers of Islam in two continents.
Sihee centuries, Kurdistan is a predominantly Sunnite Mos lem country but there are several educated (non-christian Kurds) who believe it would have been better if the Christian Gbspel had won Kurds instead of the Qoran, Most foreign observers agree that Islam has not too deep roots among Kurds and the latter are very proud of what they call the Kurdish tradition of tolerance. As among other nations of the Iranian family (Persians, Pushtu, Tajiks etc.) Kurds preserve many" a custom of old Aryan (Iranian) paganism. The most important day of the Kurdish year is Newroz. This is New Year, the Beginning of Spring and the National Day all at the same time.
The Kurds claim to be descendants of the ancient Medes and the Mukri dialect in Persian Kurdistan is indeed still very akin to the language of the old Medes. Zoroastrianism seems to have been common among the proto- Kurds and Zoroaster (Zerdest in Kurdish) is said to have been born in the Mukri area. The “Parthians and Medes and Elamites’’ mentioned'in the Acts of the Apostles II, 9 who came to Jerusalem to hear the Gospel can safely be considered as the ancestors of present Kurds. According to the legend, the Apostle Thomas was the first of Jesus’ disciples to carry the Gospel into Kurdistan Itself. It was Addai who later came to St Thomas assistance and Addai was followed by Mari who preached between the river Tigris and the little Zab and had-Erbil as his centre of operations; (Erbil = ancient Arbela is one of the oldest continuously Inhabited places in the world and was within the scene of; the Kurdish-Qassimist war this summer).
The plain of Erbil, with its citadel-like capital, was , an ancient seat of kings and at Shahrgert, between Dakouka and Erbil, Mar Mari of Ourfa (who died 226) converted a monarch and his people “who worshipped trees and sacrificed to an image of copper.” Seleukia-Ctesiphon, later the famous seat of the Catholicos of the East, was already an important Christian centre in the third century. The next century brought’ a terrible persecution of Christians under Sapor II (309-363). Those “Persian Martyrs” as they ate generally referred to, came from practically all parts of what is now called Kurdistan. After a thorough reorganisation of the Nestorian bishoprics etc. in Kurdistan, many of the latter were represented In Seleukia in 410. In spite of renewed persecutions of Kurdish Christians shortly aftet that (under Behram V, 420-440) Mar Saba succeeded in converting Kurdish sun-worshippers. In 486, a year after Mar Saba’s death, Patriarch Acacy (convened the …
Silvio Van Rooy
Christianity in Kurdistan
The Star of the East
The Star of the East
A Journal dealing with the Syrian Church in India
and the other Eastern Churches
Christianity in Kurdistan
Silvio Van Rooy
22 Oct, 1962
Amsterdam
The Star of the East
…..
A Journal dealing with the Syrian Church in India
and the other Eastern Churches.
