Yazīdī
The Yazīdī are a distinct Middle Eastern religious group primarily located in northern Iraq, with smaller communities in Syria, Turkey, Armenia, and Iran. They consider their faith to be among the oldest in the world, claiming origins that are separate from humanity as a whole. The Yazīdī religion incorporates elements from various faiths, notably Christianity, Islam, and Zoroastrianism, and centers around the worship of a deity known as the Peacock Angel, Tawûsî Melek. This figure has been mischaracterized as associated with Satan in other religious contexts, leading to significant persecution of the Yazīdī people.
Yazīdī tradition holds that they were created solely from Adam, and their mythological narrative suggests a deep historical significance, claiming a religious calendar that predates Judaism. The Yazīdī community, primarily composed of ethnic Kurds, has faced severe violence and displacement, particularly during the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014, which led to widespread atrocities and a humanitarian crisis. Though some Yazīdī have sought refuge in Western countries, many continue to confront political and practical challenges in their homeland, with a significant portion still living in camps. The Yazīdī's rich cultural heritage and resilience amidst adversity make their story a poignant aspect of contemporary Middle Eastern history.
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Yazīdī
The Yazīdī are members of a Middle Eastern religious sect who reside primarily in northern Iraq but are also found in parts of Syria, Turkey, Armenia, and Iran. The Yazīdī believe their religion is one of the world's oldest, and their origins are separate from the rest of humanity. Their religion combines elements of many different faiths and includes the worship of a deity called the Peacock Angel. This being has been associated with Satan in other religions, and for that reason, the Yazīdī have faced persecution for their beliefs.
Overview
According to Yazīdī myth, they were created solely from Adam, the first man. Their legend holds that Adam challenged Eve's claim that she alone produced the children of the world. As a test, Adam and Eve each placed their seed into a jar and waited nine months. When they opened the jars, Eve's jar was filled with scorpions and insects, while Adam's jar produced the Yazīdī. The historical origins of the Yazīdī are unclear, although they are believed to have organized under religious leader Adi ibn Musafir in the twelfth century Common Era (CE). The Yazīdī claim their faith is far older and cite a religious calendar that dates back to around 4700 Before the Common Era (BCE)—centuries older than Judaism.
The Yazīdī faith combines elements of Christianity, Islam, and the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. They believe in a creator god named Xwedê, who manifests himself in three different forms, similar to the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity. The Yazīdī believe Xwedê to be forgiving and merciful but removed from the day-to-day concerns of humans. He has instead entrusted the ruling of the earth to a council of seven angels led by Tawûsî Melek, or the Peacock Angel. Tawûsî Melek was said at one time to have defied the creator god and was cast out of heaven. After thousands of years in exile, Tawûsî Melek repented for his sin and was forgiven. He was allowed to return and gained control of heaven and the angelic council. The similarities of Tawûsî Melek to the figure of Satan from Islamic and Christian beliefs have caused the Yazīdī to be labeled "devil worshipers" by some Muslims and have subjected them to persecution.
Modern history. Population figures for the Yazīdī varied in the mid-2020s, with estimates reaching over 700,000. The Yazīdī are ethnic Kurds and speak a dialect of Kurdish they call ēzdīkī, or the "Yazīdī language." The majority live in northern Iraq near Mosul and the Yazīdī holy city of Lalish, although there are also Yazīdī communities in Armenia, northwest Syria, southeast Türkiye, the Caucasus region of Russia, and parts of Iran. Western nations, such as Germany, Belgium, France, and the United States have become home to Yazīdī refugees.
In 2014, the Islamic militant group the Islamic State (ISIS) began a military operation in the region that captured large swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory. ISIS believed in a strict interpretation of Islam and viewed the Yazīdī as heretics. In a campaign the United Nations (UN) called genocide, ISIS targeted the Yazīdī, killing thousands, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee, and causing tens of thousands more to take refuge in the mountains of northern Iraq, where they became victims of a humanitarian crisis. Around 6,000 women and children were captured and used in sexual trafficking or to become soldiers. Many remain missing. Although, in 2015, the Yazīdī were led back to their homelands by US Coalition forces, political and practical struggles remained, and many Yazīdī remained in camps.
Bibliography
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Asatrian, Garnik S., and Victoria Arakelova. The Religion of the Peacock Angel: The Yezidis and Their Spirit World. Routledge, 2014.
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