Yazidism

Yazidism is a distinct ethnoreligious tradition that developed in the Middle East among Kurdish-speaking communities. It is concentrated in northern Iraq, particularly in and around the Lalish valley, with diaspora communities in Syria, Türkiye, Armenia, Georgia, and various countries in Europe and North America. The religion is often described as monotheistic, but it preserves a complex hierarchy of divine beings and practices that set it apart from the major Abrahamic faiths.

Central to Yazidi belief is a single, supreme God who created the world and entrusted its guidance to a group of divine beings, led by Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. Melek Taus is the best-known figure in the Yazidi pantheon and plays a central role in their cosmology and rites. Yazidis emphasize moral living, ritual purity, and communal worship conducted in sacred spaces and through hymns, prayers, and oral narratives. The holiest site is Lalish, where followers perform pilgrimages, especially during certain religious seasons. Important life rituals include baptism, marriage within the community, and funerary rites conducted by Yazidi clergy. The tradition is transmitted primarily through oral literature, including hymns known as Qewls, and through family and temple teachings. Texts such as the Black Book and the Book of Revelation exist in reference to Yazidi tradition, but their authenticity and dating are disputed among scholars, and no single universally accepted scripture governs all practices.

Historically, Yazidism emerged in the medieval period in the region of Kurdistan, drawing on elements from local Mesopotamian, Islamic, Zoroastrian, and other Near Eastern religious currents. The figure of Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir is influential in the faith’s history, and his legacy is closely tied to Yazidi identity. In the modern era, Yazidis faced severe persecution, including mass killings and enslavement by ISIS in 2014, which drew international attention and led to large-scale displacement. Today, the Yazidi community persists in its homeland and across a growing global diaspora, maintaining distinctive rites, languages, and communal structures.