Yazidi

The Yazidi are an ethnic and religious community, predominantly speakers of Kurmanji, one of the Kurdish languages. Their largest population centers are in northern Iraq, particularly in the Sinjar (Shingal) region and the Lalish valley near Duhok. Smaller Yazidi populations are also found in Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and diaspora communities in Europe, notably Germany.

Yazidi religion is distinct and is not classified among the major book religions, though it shares elements with Sufic Islam and earlier religious practices of the Middle East. Yazidis believe in a single God who created the world and then delegated its administration to seven holy beings. The highest of these is known as Tawûsî Melek (the Peacock Angel).

Belief and worship

The Yazidi worship system is based on orally transmitted tradition: religious hymns (qewl), prayer, and fasting. Lalish is the holiest site; an annual religious pilgrimage (Cejna Cemaiyê) is held there, where Yazidis gather. The community is divided into three religious classes: sheikh, pîr, and murîd. Intermarriage between these classes is restricted, and conversion into the faith from outside is not permitted—Yazidis are born into the religion.

Etymology and related misconceptions

The origin of the name 'Yazidi' is debated: some trace it to the word 'Yezdan/Êzîd,' meaning God in Iranian languages, while others connect it to the Umayyad Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah. Yazidis generally call themselves Êzîdî. For centuries, because of the veneration of Tawûsî Melek, other groups accused Yazidis of 'devil worship'—an accusation that Yazidis reject and attribute to persecution and numerous historical attacks against them.

History and attacks

Over past centuries, Yazidis endured numerous persecutions and massacres during the Ottoman period and earlier. They often refer to these attacks as 'fermana.' In 2014, the Islamic State organization (ISIS/Daacish) captured Sinjar; many were killed, tens of thousands of women and children were enslaved and sold, and hundreds of thousands were displaced. International bodies affiliated with the United Nations have characterized these acts as genocide.

After 2014, a large portion of the Yazidi population remained in refugee camps in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, while others found refuge abroad. The return to Sinjar depends on reconstruction, security, and administrative agreements between the federal government of Iraq and the Kurdistan administration. Efforts are ongoing to investigate mass graves and locate the abducted.