Yazidis

Yazidis are an ethno-religious group primarily based in northern Iraq, with significant communities in Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, and a growing diaspora in Europe and North America. They speak Kurdish (often Kurmanji) and preserve a distinct religious and cultural tradition that sets them apart from the region’s majority religions. The Yazidi faith is traditionally transmitted orally and centers on the worship of Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel, who is viewed as a benevolent and central figure within a monotheistic framework. The religion integrates elements from ancient Mesopotamian, Kurdish, and other Near Eastern traditions, and it maintains its own clergy and ritual practices.

Lalish, near Mosul, is the holiest site for Yazidis and serves as the spiritual heart of the community. The faith emphasizes ritual purity, reverence for sacred sites, and the leadership of a priestly hierarchy that includes figures such as Sheikhs and Pirs. Religious life centers on community gatherings, ceremonies, pilgrimages to Lalish, and seasonal and life-cycle rites. The Yazidi calendar includes celebrations such as Çarşema Sor (the Yazidi New Year in spring), among others that mark religious and agricultural hopes.

History has seen periods of tolerance and persecution. In 2014, ISIS attacks on Sinjar led tomass killings, executions, and the abduction of thousands of Yazidi women and children, drawing widespread international condemnation and prompting a large-scale refugee and diaspora response. Since then, many Yazidis have resettled in Europe, North America, and other regions, where they strive to preserve their religious and cultural traditions while adapting to new communities. The Yazidi community continues to navigate questions of religious freedom, cultural preservation, and return to ancestral lands, particularly Sinjar, in a changing regional landscape.