It is indeed an honour to be invited to celebrate the Yezidis New Year with you. This is year 6756 in the Yezidis calender. The Yezidis are an ancient and proud people from the heart of Mesopotamia, the birth place of civilization and the birth place of many of the worlds religions. For comparative purposes the Yezidis calender is 4,750 years older than the Christian or Western calender. Their calender is 990 years older than the Jewish religious calender. The Yezidis is 5329 years older than the Muslim Calender, currently the year 1427.

There are about 10 Yezidis families in London, Ontario. They are a most interesting minority community. I thank Mirza Ismail for the invitation to this celebration. I have had the privilege of representing Yezidis refugees in the past.

Edward C. Corrigan
April 7, 2006 London Ontario

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