On March 20,the Jemal Nebez Award Commission presented Khanna Omarkhali with the 2025 Jemal Nebez Award in recognition of her outstanding academic contributions to Kurdish studies, particularly Yezidi studies.

The Jemal Nebez Award Commission stated that Omarkhali “a leading scholar in Yezidi studies. [She] has significantly advanced the understanding of Yezidi theology, oral traditions, and the social structures of the Yezidi community.

The Jemal Nebez Award Commission is honored to present Khanna Omarkhali with the 2025 Jemal Nebez Award in recognition of her outstanding academic contributions to Kurdish studies, particularly Yezidi studies. pic.twitter.com/gDoUL3zYJi

— Jemal Nebez Foundation (@JNebzFoundation) March 21, 2025

“Her systematic documentation of Yezidi sacred texts and meticulous analysis of the transition from oral to written traditions have set a new standard in Yezidi scholarship, making her work an indispensable resource for future research.”

Additionally, the Commission said her contributions to the study of Kurdish grammar and linguistic structure have deepened the understanding of how Kurmanji Kurdish is used in both religious and secular contexts.

“As a professor at Georg-August University Gottingen and Free University Berlin, she has played a key role in teaching and disseminating Kurdish language and culture while advancing linguistic and pedagogical resources for Kurmanji Kurdish.”