☀️ Yezidi People

Keepers of an Ancient Kurdish Religion Surviving Genocide

Who Are the Yezidis?

The Yezidis are a Kurdish-speaking ethnoreligious group practicing an ancient syncretic religion centered on Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. Numbering approximately 500,000-700,000 worldwide, they are concentrated in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq, with diaspora communities in Armenia, Georgia, Germany, and elsewhere. Their unique religion, with roots predating Islam and Christianity, has made them targets of persecution for centuries, culminating in the 2014 ISIS genocide that killed thousands and enslaved tens of thousands.

~700KWorldwide Population
74Historical Genocides
2014ISIS Genocide
6,000+Women Enslaved

The Peacock Angel

Yezidi theology centers on Melek Taus (the Peacock Angel), chief of seven angels who govern the world on God's behalf. According to Yezidi belief, after creating the world, God entrusted it to these angels, with Melek Taus as their leader. The peacock symbolizes immortality, and Melek Taus represents divine light manifest in the world. Yezidis pray facing the sun and honor fire as a manifestation of divine light.

Outsiders have often misunderstood (or deliberately misrepresented) Yezidi beliefs, calling them "devil worshippers" because of superficial parallels between Melek Taus and Islamic concepts of Satan. This false accusation has been used to justify persecution. In reality, Yezidi theology contains no devil figure; Melek Taus was never fallen and is wholly good. The peacock angel represents the divine present in creation.

Ancient Syncretic Religion

Yezidism blends ancient Iranian religions (possibly Zoroastrianism), pre-Islamic Kurdish beliefs, and elements from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The religion has no single founder and no written scripture—religious knowledge is transmitted orally through hereditary priestly castes. This oral tradition, while preserving unique content, also means that Yezidism remains somewhat mysterious even to scholars.

Key practices include: twice-daily prayer facing the sun; pilgrimage to Lalish (the religion's most sacred site in northern Iraq); the October New Year celebration; baptism in sacred springs; and strict endogamy (marriage only within the Yezidi community). Yezidis are born into the faith—conversion is not possible, and those who marry outside the community are expelled. This closed nature has preserved Yezidi identity but also limits growth.

Caste System and Society

Yezidi society divides into three hereditary castes: the Sheikhs (religious leaders), Pirs (spiritual guides), and Murids (laypeople). One can only marry within one's caste, and religious knowledge is transmitted through Sheikh and Pir families. The Baba Sheikh serves as the religion's highest spiritual authority, while the Mir (prince) of Sheikhan provides secular leadership. This system, while hierarchical, has maintained religious continuity across centuries of persecution.

The sacred center of Yezidism is Lalish, a valley in Kurdistan containing temples, sacred springs, and the tombs of Sheikh Adi (a medieval reformer) and other saints. Every Yezidi should make pilgrimage to Lalish at least once, and the site hosts major religious festivals. Lalish survived because of its remote location and the protection of surrounding Kurdish communities.

The 2014 Genocide

In August 2014, ISIS attacked Yezidi communities in Sinjar, committing atrocities that the UN recognized as genocide. Thousands of men were executed; women and children were captured as slaves. An estimated 6,000+ Yezidi women and girls were forced into sexual slavery, with some sold in markets. Tens of thousands fled to Mount Sinjar, trapped without food or water until Kurdish and coalition forces opened an escape corridor.

The trauma continues. Many Yezidis remain displaced, unable or unwilling to return to destroyed villages. Thousands of women remain missing or in captivity. Mass graves continue to be discovered. The genocide shattered an already fragile community, with many survivors emigrating to Germany, Canada, or Australia rather than returning to Iraq. Recognition of the genocide and justice for survivors remain ongoing struggles.

Diaspora and Survival

Germany hosts the largest Yezidi diaspora outside the Middle East (estimated 200,000), with significant communities dating from labor migration in the 1970s-80s. Post-2014, Germany accepted thousands of genocide survivors. Diaspora Yezidis face challenges maintaining their religion abroad—endogamy becomes difficult in small communities, and assimilation pressures are strong. Yet they also provide advocacy, resources, and safe haven.

The future of the Yezidi community hangs in balance. In Iraq, they seek autonomous administration in Sinjar and protection from both Arab and Kurdish political pressures. Internationally, they advocate for genocide recognition and justice. Religiously, they face the challenge of maintaining an oral tradition in a dispersed, traumatized community. Their survival testifies to remarkable resilience, but the 2014 genocide represents an existential wound whose healing will take generations.

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