Yazidis: The Others Everywhere

The pictures seen here are of five grandmothers photographed in my home city of Tbilisi, Georgia for my ongoing project Yazidis: The Others Everywhere. These Kurdish women’s parents were forced to leave their land in Northern Kurdistan because of violent religious cleansing by the Turkish government. As the first generation of Kurdish Yazidi women who were born in Georgia, they carry on our ancient religion of Yazidism while providing sustenance and strength for their families. These are Middle Eastern women whose ancestors never covered their faces and whose opinions have always been highly respected in their culture. These are the women—mothers, hard workers, fighters- who never gave up on their traditions .They love and cherish their families and carry light and kindness into the rest of the world. I am a daughter of my nation, and these are the women who raised me.