ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Yazidi woman holding the Armenian passport on Sunday received the prestigious Jemal Nebez Award in recognition of her significant contributions to the Kurdish language and the Yazidi community, according to a statement from the award commission. The Berlin-based Jemal Nebez Foundation honored scholar Khanna Omarkhali with the biennial accolade awarded to individuals who make significant contributions to Kurdish culture, language, and intellectual discourse. Omarkhali, a Yazidi researcher and writer born in 1981 in Armenia, hails from a prominent Yazidi religious family. She completed her university studies at Saint Petersburg University in 2002, specializing in Iranian linguistics and Kurdish studies. In 2004, Omarkhali earned her master’s degree, followed by a PhD in 2006. Her dissertation, focusing on the Yazidi religion, made her one of the first academically specialized researchers in this field. The Jemal Nebez Award commission stated that “Omarkhali has significantly advanced the understanding of Yazidi theology, oral traditions, and the social structure of the Yazidi community.” Her contributions to Kurdish grammar and linguistics “have deepened the understanding of how Kurmanji Kurdish is used in both religious and secular contexts,” providing “essential sources that are indispensable for future studies,” the commission added. Khanna Omarkhali is currently a lecturer at both Georg-August University of Göttingen and the Free University of Berlin. In addition to her teaching and research, Omarkhali has methodically documented Yazidi religious texts and advanced linguistic resources for the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish. The Jemal Nebez Award commission coordinator, Fexriya Adsay told Rudaw, “We are very pleased to award the prize this year to Khanna Omarkhali,” describing the Yazidi scholar as “one of the most prominent Yazidi Kurdish authors and researchers.” Omarkhali's efforts and dedication have helped amplify the voice of the Yazidis and shed light on their resilience in the face of persecution, oppression and genocide, the commission concluded.
People & Places12-10-2025Iran’s Kurdish city of Saqqez celebrates Mehregan Festival at historic Karaftoo Cave
