The memory of ordinary, everyday intercultural or interreligious relationships, in brief
Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together in Amedi (as it is known in Kurdish) or Amadiya (in Arabic), for a long time, and the town has left a rich religious, cultural and scholarly legacy for all three communities. It is a well-defended market centre for villagers of different religions in its vicinity, with 10 mosques, two churches, and historically two synagogues too. Through much of its history, communities of different denominations have spoked and prayed amongst themselves in their own languages – Kurmanji (Kurdish), Arabic, Syriac, Neo-Aramaic and Hebrew – and also conversed together freely in Kurmanji or Arabic. Shared cultural and religious lore passed between communities. All of the religious communities have worshipped at the nearby tomb of Ezekiel/Hazana, which continues to be a centre of pilgrimage drawing travellers from far and wide.
The context in which these relationships made a difference at the time
Amedi is a small town in the North of Iraq, part of the Kurdish Regional Government. Small numerically, the town’s history is nevertheless long and enriched by its diversity – not without conflict, for many social functions the residents have nevertheless been functionally integrated, across religious, linguistic and cultural identities. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1907, the population numbered 6000, of whom 2500 were Muslims, 1900 Jewish and 1600 Chaldean Catholics. As of 2017, the population of 9000 were almost all Kurdish Muslims.
What has happened since, which makes the memory valuable
The Jewish community left as a consequence of the pressures felt at the time of the creation of the State of Israel. Amedi is remote and well-defended, so it has not been devastated by armed conflict. Nevertheless, Christians have fled successive regional upheavals, most recently the Daesh/Islamic State invasion, leaving a reported 20-30 families in Amedi.
How might the memory be used in bringing people together in practice now?
The common respect for the tomb of Ezekiel (it is not agreed which prophet is buried here) is portrayed as a subject of interest in Rod Nordland’s discussion with local residents: does it bring locals together, or do Muslims and Christians and Jews each see themselves as separately owning the shrine? According to his interviewees, prayer at the site is effective, so that individuals approach the shrine because it will make a real difference in their own lives, personally, not as a gesture at sectarian identification.
We would like to share reflections from anyone sharing memories: In what ways do you see the memories of Amadiya’s multicultural and multireligious solidarities can be used, perhaps in teaching about the value of the town’s cultural heritage and diversity, or to promote peace and understanding, or to teach lessons about small-scale, local social and economic cooperation?
Additional context/Some additional reading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadiya
Rod Nordland, ‘An Iraqi Town Where Religions Coexist, in Theory’, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2017