Yazidi

Yazidi is an ethnoreligious community primarily associated with Kurdish-speaking populations in the Middle East. The majority have traditionally lived in northern Iraq, especially around Lalish in the Nineveh Plains and the Kurdistan Region, with smaller communities in Syria, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey, and a global diaspora in Europe and North America. Population estimates vary, but numbers are commonly placed in the several hundred thousand to about a million range.

Yazidism is a monotheistic faith that venerated a single supreme God who created the world and entrusted it to seven holy beings, headed by Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. The religion emphasizes ritual purity, ethical conduct, and communal worship. Sacred texts and hymns, notably the Qewls, convey its teachings; other traditionally cited writings such as Mishefa Reş (the Black Book) or Kitêba Cilwe appear in some traditions, though their status varies among communities.

Worship centers on Lalish, a holy valley near Nineveh, where pilgrims perform rites and celebrate seasonal feasts. The religious leadership is organized in a priestly hierarchy, with the Baba Sheikh as the supreme spiritual figure, and subordinate Sheikhs and Fakirs guiding ritual life, weddings, and other ceremonies. Conversion to Yazidism is uncommon; many practices are transmitted orally within families and communities.

Yazidis have a distinct cultural and linguistic identity, often speaking Kurmanji Kurdish in addition to languages of their countries of residence. Distinctive customs include pilgrimages to Lalish, rites of purification, and annual celebrations such as the Yazidi spring festival. The community has faced long-standing persecution and discrimination, culminating in mass violence in 2014 when ISIS attacked Sinjar, killing, enslaving, and displacing thousands of Yazidis; many remain internally displaced or in diaspora communities.

Today, Yazidi communities pursue cultural preservation, humanitarian relief, and advocacy in Iraq, the region, and abroad, while continuing to practice their faith under challenging circumstances.