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(Redirected from Yezidis)
The 'Yazidi' (also 'Yezidi', Kurdish: ''Êzidîtî'' or ''Êzidî'', Arabic: يزيدي or ايزيدي) are adherents of the smallest of the three branches of ''Yazdânism'', a Middle Eastern religion with ancient Indo-European roots. Yazidis are primarily ethnic Kurds, and most live in the Mosul region of northern Iraq. There are traditional communities in Transcaucasia, Turkey, and Syria, but these have significantly declined since the 1990s, their members emigrating to Europe, specifically to Germany.[3]. The term ''Dasni'' or ''Dasny'' is used by the Yazidis as a self-designation.
Yazidis make up an important Iraqi minority community. Estimates of the size of the Iraqi communities vary significantly, between 70,000 and 500,000. The Georgian community has declined significantly (decreasing from 30,000 to 5,000 during the 1990s), while communities in Armenia have been more stable (some 40,000 according to 2001 census). In Russia, the Yazidi population totals 31,273 (2002 census).
In Syria, there are two main groupings, in the Jazira and the Kurd Daege, accounting for about 15,000 people. In Turkey, there are now just a very small remnant in some villages south-east of Diyarbakir, remnants of a community of some 80,000 in 1970 (declined to 23,000 in 1985 and to 377 people in 2007).
The Yazidi number around 200,000 to 300,000 individuals in total, but estimates vary on their population size, partially due to the Yazidi tradition of secrecy when asked about one's religious beliefs. Lower estimates are around 100,000, and high estimates around 700,000.
Expatriate Yazidi are concentrated in Germany, numbering between 20,000 and 40,000, mainly in Niedersachsen and Nordrhein-Westfalen, most of them from Turkey. A much smaller diaspora community is found in the Netherlands. Very small groups are also found in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the US, Canada and Australia, probably totalling to below 5,000 people.
The origins of Yazidism are ultimately shrouded in Middle Eastern prehistory. Although the Yazidis speak Kurdish, their religion shows strong influence from archaic Levant, Islam and Christianity.
Their principal holy site is in Mosul. The Yazidis' own name for themselves is ''Êzidî'' or ''Êzîdî'' or, in some areas, ''Dasinî'' (the latter, strictly speaking, is a tribal name). Some scholars have derived the name Yazidi from Old Iranic ''yazata'' (divine being), while others say it is a derivation from Umayyad Caliph Yazid I (Yazid bin Muawiyah), revered by the Yazidis as an incarnation of the divine figure Sultan Ezi (this is no longer widely accepted). Yazidis, themselves, believe that their name is derived from the word ''Yezdan'' or ''Êzid'' meaning God; however in ancient vernaculars of Kurdistan such as Urartian the term ''izid-u'' means "command" or "admonish". The Yazidis' cultural practices are observably Kurdish, and almost all speak Kurmanjî (Northern Kurdish), with the exception of the villages of Bashiqa and Bahazane in Northern Iraq, where Arabic is spoken. Kurmanjî is the language of almost all the orally transmitted religious traditions of the Yazidis. Thus, religious origins are somewhat complex.
The religion of the Yazidis is a highly syncretistic one: Sufi influence and imagery can be seen in their religious vocabulary, especially in the terminology of their esoteric literature, but much of the mythology is non-Islamic. Their cosmogonies apparently have many points in common with those of ancient Persian religions. Early writers attempted to describe Yazidi origins, broadly speaking, in terms of Islam, or Persian, or sometimes even pagan religions; however, publications since the 1990s have shown such an approach to be overly simplistic[4].
The origin of the Yazidi religion is now usually seen by scholars as a complex process of syncretism, whereby the belief system and practices of a local faith had a profound influence on the religiosity of adherents of the Adawiyya Sufi order living in the Kurdish mountains, and caused it to deviate from Islamic norms relatively soon after the death of its founder, Sheikh Adî ibn Mustafa who is said to be of Umayyad descent. He settled in the valley of Laliş (some thirty-six miles north-east of Mosul) in the early 12th century AD. Sheikh Adî himself, a figure of undoubted orthodoxy, enjoyed widespread influence. He died in 1162, and his tomb at Lalish is a focal point of Yazidi pilgrimage. During the fourteenth century, important Kurdish tribes whose sphere of influence stretched well into what is now Turkey (including, for a period, the rulers of the principality of Jazira) are cited in historical sources as Yazidi.
The word ''Taus'' (in ''Melek Taus'') is derived from the Indo-European root ''Diyus'' and is a cognate of Indian ''Diyuvuh'' and Greek Zeus. Ancient Indo-Iranians used to worship the souls of their fathers and grandfathers and glorified the souls of their dead. They also believed in a supreme God ''Diyvuh Pitar'' (The Father God) and several ''Devas'' who represented natural powers. After the arrival of Zoroaster, he kept ''Ahoramazda'' (Supreme God) and abolished the other gods such as ''Devas''. Over time, Zoroastrians began to associate Devas with Satan and prohibited painting, statues, sacrifice of animals, alcohol and fasting. Zoroaster called those who did not follow his teachings as demon worshipers. Despite zoroasterians' efforts, large parts of the population kept their old beliefs in worshiping natural phenomena. According to scholar Taufiq Wahby and others the word ''Dasni'' or ''Dasny'', the ethnic self-designation of Yazidis, is a form of the old word ''Deva Ysne'' used by Zoroaster to identify those who did not follow his religion[5].
In the Yazidi worldview, God created the world, which is now in the care of a ''Heptad'' of seven Holy Beings, often known as Angels or ''heft sirr'' (the Seven Mysteries). Preeminent among these is Melek Taus (''Tawûsê Melek'' in Kurdish), the Peacock Angel. According to the ''Encyclopedia of the Orient'', "The reason for the Yazidis reputation of being devil worshipers, is connected to the other name of Melek Taus, Shaytan, the same name the Koran has for Satan"[6]. However, according to the Kurdish linguist Jamal Nebez, the word ''Taus'' is most probably derived from the Greek and is related to the words Zeus and Theos, alluding to the meaning of God. Accordingly, Malek Taus is ''God's Angel'', and this is how Yazidis themselves see Melek Taus or ''Taus-e-Malak''[7].
Yazidis believe that Melek Taus is not a source of evil or wickedness. They consider him to be the leader of the archangels, not a fallen angel, and therefore comparable to the Christians' Saint Michael, who is likewise considered the leader of the "seven who stand before the Lord" and of all other good angels. Also, they hold that the source of evil is in the heart and spirit of humans themselves, not in Melek Taus. The active forces in their religion are Melek Taus and Sheik Adî. The ''Kitêba Cilwe'' (Book of Illumination) which claims to be the words of Melek Taus, and which presumably represents Yazidi belief, states that he allocates responsibilities, blessings and misfortunes as he sees fit and that it is not for the race of Adam to question him. Sheikh Adî believed that the spirit of Melek Taus is the same as his own, perhaps as a reincarnation. He is believed to have said : "I was present when Adam was living in Paradise, and also when Nemrud threw Abraham in fire. I was present when God said to me: "You are the ruler and Lord on the Earth). God, the compassionate, gave me seven earths and throne of the heaven."
Yazidi accounts of creation differ from that of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They believe that God first created Melek Taus from his own illumination (''Ronahî '' in Kurdish) and the other six archangels were created later. God ordered Melek Taus not to bow to other beings. Then God created the other archangels and ordered them to bring him dust (''Ax'') from the Earth (''Erd'') and build the body of Adam. Then God gave life to Adam from his own breath and instructed all archangels to bow to Adam. The archangels obeyed except for Melek Taus. In answer to God, Malek Taus replied, "How can I submit to another being! I am from your illumination while Adam is made of dust." Then God praised him and made him the leader of all angels and his deputy on the Earth. (This likely furthers what some see as a connection to the Islamic ''Shaytan,'' as according to legend he too refused to bow to Adam at God's command, though in this case it is seen as being a sign of a sign of Shaytan's sinful pride.) Hence the Yazidis believe that Melek Taus is the representative of God on the face of the Earth, and comes down to the Earth on the first Wednesday of Nisan (March/April). Yazidis hold that God created Malek Taus on this day, and celebrate it as New Year's day. Yazidis argue that the order to bow to Adam was only a test for Melek Taus, since if God commands anything then it must happen. (''Bibe, dibe''). In other words, God could have made him submit to Adam, but gave Taus the choice as a test. They believe that their respect and praise for Melek Taus is a way to acknowledge his majestic and sublime nature. This idea is called "Knowledge of the Sublime" (''Zanista Ciwaniyê'' ). Sheikh Adî has observed the story of Melek Taus and believed in him[8].
One of the key creationism beliefs of Yazidism is that all Yazidis are descendants of Adam rather than Eve.9
Yazidis believe that good and evil both exist in the mind and spirit of human beings. It depends on the humans, themselves, as to which they choose. In this process, their devotion to Melek Taus is essential, since it was he who was given the same choice between good and evil by God, and chose the good.
Yazidis, who have much in common with the followers of Ahl-e Haqq (in western Iran), state that the world created by God was at first a ''pearl''. It remained in this very small and enclosed state for some time (often a magic number such as forty or forty thousand years) before being remade in its current state. During this period the ''Heptad'' were called into existence, God made a covenant with them and entrusted the world to them. Besides Melek Taus, members of the Heptad (the Seven), who were called into existence by God at the beginning of all things, include Sheikh Adî, his companion ''Shaikh Hasan'', and a group known as the ''four Mysteries'', Shamsadin, Fakhradin, Sajadin and Naserdin. The Yazidi holy books are the ''Kitêba Cilwe'' (Book of Revelation) and the ''Mishefa Reş'' (Black Book).
Two key and interrelated features of Yazidism are: a) a preoccupation with religious purity and b) a belief in metempsychosis. The first of these is expressed in the system of caste, the food laws, the traditional preferences for living in Yazidi communities, and the variety of taboos governing many aspects of life. The second is crucial; Yazidis traditionally believe that the Seven Holy Beings are periodically reincarnated in human form, called a ''koasasa''.
A belief in the reincarnation of lesser Yazidi souls also exists. Like the Ahl-e Haqq, the Yazidis use the metaphor of a change of garment to describe the process, which they call ''kiras guhorîn'' in Kurdish (changing the garment). Alongside this, Yazidi mythology also includes descriptions of heaven and hell, with hell extinguished, and other traditions incorporating these ideas into a belief system that includes reincarnation.[9]
Yazidi society is hierarchical. The secular leader is a hereditary emir or prince, whereas a chief sheikh heads the religious hierarchy. The Yazidi are strictly endogamous. In addition, members of the three Yazidi castes, the murids, sheikhs and pirs, marry only within their group.
Yazidis have five daily prayers: ''Nivêja berîspêdê'' (Dawn Prayer), ''Nivêja rojhilatinê'' (Sunrise Prayer), ''Nivêja nîvro'' (Noon Prayer), '' Nivêja êvarî'' (Afternoon Prayer), ''Nivêja rojavabûnê'' (Sunset Prayer) [10]. The worshipers should turn their face toward the sun, and for the noon prayer, they should face toward Laliş. Such prayer should be accompanied by certain gestures, including kissing the rounded neck (''gerîvan'') of the sacred shirt (''kiras''). The daily prayer services must not be performed in the presence of outsiders, and are always performed in the direction of the sun. Wednesday is the holy day but Saturday is the day of rest.[11] There is also a three-day fast in December.9
The Yazidi New Year falls in Spring (somewhat later than Equinox). There is some lamentation by women in the cemeteries, to the accompaniment of the music of the ''Qewals'', but the festival is generally characterized by joyous events: the music of ''dehol'' (drum) and ''zorna'' (shawm), communal dancing and meals, the decorating of eggs. Similarly the village Tawaf, a festival held in the spring in honor of the patron of the local shrine, has secular music, dance and meals in addition to the performance of sacred music. Another important festival is the ''Tawusgeran'' (circulation of the peacock) where Qewals and other religious dignitaries visit Yazidi villages, bringing the senjaq, sacred images representing the peacock and associated with Malek Ta’us. These are venerated, taxes are collected from the pious, sermons are preached, and holy water distributed. The greatest festival of the year for ordinary Yazidis is the ''Cejna Cemaiya'' (Feast of the Assembly) at Lalish, a seven-day occasion. A focus of widespread pilgrimage, this is an important time for social contact and affirmation of identity. The religious center of the event is the belief in an annual gathering of the ''Heptad'' in the holy place at this time. Rituals practiced include the sacrifice of a bull at the shrine of Shaikh Shams and the practice of ''sema''.
The most important ritual is the annual six-day pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh Adi in Lalish, north of Mosul, Iraq. [12] A sacred microcosm of the world, as it were, it contains not only many shrines dedicated to the ''koasasa'', but a number of other landmarks corresponding to other sites or symbols of significance in other faiths, including ''Pirra selat'' (Serat Bridge) and a mountain called Mt. Arafat. The two sacred springs are called Zamzam and ''Kaniya sipî'' (The White Spring). If possible, Yazidis make at least one pilgrimage to Lalish during their lifetime, and those living in the region try to attend at least once a year for the autumn ''Feast of the Assembly'' which is celebrated from 23rd of Elul (September) to 1st of Tishrei (October). During the celebration, Yazidi bathe in the river, wash figures of Malek Ta’us and light hundreds of lamps in the tombs of Sheikh Adî and other saints. They also sacrifice an ox, which is one reason they have been connected to Mithraism, in addition to the presence of the dog and serpent in their iconography. The sacrifice of the ox is meant to declare the arrival of Fall and to ask for precipitation during winter in order to bring back life to the Earth in the next Spring. Moreover, in astrology, the ox is the symbol of Tishrei.
The Yazidis' concern with religious purity, and their reluctance to mix elements perceived to be incompatible, is shown not only in their caste system, but also in various taboos affecting everyday life. Some of these, such as those on exogamy or on insulting or offending men of religion, are widely respected. Others, such as the prohibition of eating lettuce or wearing the color blue, are often ignored when men of religion are not present. Others still are less widely known and may be localized. The purity of the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, is protected by a number of taboos–against spitting on earth, water, or fire, for instance. Spitting on the ground, or pouring hot water on the ground, is discouraged by some Yazidi, because they believe that spirits or souls that may be present would be harmed or offended by such actions, if they happen to be hit by the discarded liquid. These may also reflect ancient Iranian preoccupations, as apparently do the taboos concerning bodily refuse, hair, and menstrual blood. Too much contact with non-Yazidis is also considered polluting. In the past Yazidis avoided military service which would have led them to live among Muslims, and were forbidden to share such items as cups or razors with outsiders. A resemblance to the external ear may lie behind the taboo against eating lettuce, whose name ''koas'' resembles Kurdish pronunciations of ''koasasa''. Additionally, lettuce grown near Mosul is thought by some Yazidi to be fertilized with human waste, which may contribute to the idea that it is unsuitable for consumption.
Yazidi are dominantly monogamous but chiefs may have more than one wife. Children are baptized at birth and circumcision is common but not required. Dead are buried in conical tombs immediately after death and buried with hands crossed.
Yazidi are exclusive; clans do not intermarry even with other Kurds and accept no converts. They claim that they are descended only from Adam. The strongest punishment is expulsion, which is also effectively excommunication because the soul of the exiled is forfeit.
As a demiurge figure, Malek Taus is often identified by orthodox Muslims as a ''Shaitan'', a Muslim term denoting a devil or demon who deceives true believers. In Islam, a common deception by ''shaytan'' is to assign partners to Allah. Thus, the Yazidi have been accused of devil worship. Because of this and due to their pre-Islamic beliefs, they have been oppressed by their Muslim neighbors. Such oppression of Yazidis was exceptionally harsh during the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
The tale of the Yazidis' origin found in the Black Book gives them a distinctive ancestry and expresses their feeling of difference from other races. Before the roles of the sexes were determined, Adam and Eve quarreled about which of them provided the creative element in the begetting of children. Each stored their seed in a jar which was then sealed. When Eve's was opened it was full of insects and other unpleasant creatures, but inside Adam's jar was a beautiful boychild. This lovely child, known as ''son of Jar'' grew up to marry a houri and became the ancestor of the Yazidis. Therefore, the Yazidi are regarded as descending from Adam alone, while other humans are descendants of both Adam and Eve.
Feleknas Uca, a Kurdish Member of the European Parliament for Germany's Party of Democratic Socialism, was the world's only Yazidi parliamentarian until the Iraqi legislature was elected in 2005. European Yazidis have contruted to the academic community, such as Khalil Rashow in Germany and Jalile Jalil in Austria.
The Yazidi community was affected by several acts of violence in 2007. In April, a group of Yazidi men stoned to death 17 year old Du’a Khalil Aswad, allegedly for her involvement with a Muslim boy. On April 23, 2007 masked gunmen abducted and shot 23 Yazidis near Mosul; this was speculated to be a reprisal attack for Aswad's death. On August 14, 2007 Yazidis were targeted in a series of bombings that became the deadliest suicide attack since the Iraq War began.
As the Yazidi hold religious beliefs that are mostly unfamiliar to outsiders, many non-Yazidi people have written about them and ascribed facts to their beliefs that have dubious historical validity. For example, horror writer H. P. Lovecraft made a reference to "... the Yezidi clan of devil-worshippers" in his short story ''The Horror at Red Hook''.
In her memoir of her service with an intelligence unit of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division in Iraq during 2003 and 2004, Kayla Williams (2005) records being stationed in northern Iraq near the Syrian border in an area inhabited by "Yezidis". The Yezidis were Kurdish-speaking, but did not consider themselves Kurds, and expressed to Williams a fondness for America and Israel. She was able to learn only a little about the nature of their religion: she thought it very ancient, and concerned with angels. She describes a mountain-top Yezidi shrine as "a small rock building with objects dangling from the ceiling", and alcoves for the placement of offerings. She reports that local Muslims considered the Yezidis to be devil worshippers.
In an October 2006 article in ''The New Republic'', Lawrence Kaplan echoes Williams's sentiments about the enthusiasm of the Yazidis for the American occupation of Iraq, in part because the Americans protect them from oppression by militant Muslims and the nearby Kurds. Kaplan notes that the peace and calm of Sinjar is virtually unique in Iraq: "Parents and children line the streets when U.S. patrols pass by, while Yazidi clerics pray for the welfare of U.S. forces."[13].
A fictional Yazidi character of note is the super-powered police officer "King Peacock", of the Top 10 series (and related comics). He is portrayed as a kind, peaceful character with a broad knowledge of religion and mythology. He is depicted as conservative, ethical and highly principled in family life. An incredibly powerful martial artist, he is able to destroy matter, a power that he claims is derived from communicating with Malek Ta’us.
The Yazidis, perhaps because of their secrecy, also have a place in modern occultism. G. I. Gurdjieff wrote about his encounters with the Yazidis several times in his book ''Meetings with Remarkable Men'', mentioning that they are considered to be "devil worshippers" by other ethnicities in the region.
The Theosophical Society, in its electronic version of the ''Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary'' has this to say:
The pseudonymous "Arkon Daraul", in the 1961 book ''Secret Societies Yesterday and Today'', describes discovering a Yazidi-influenced secret society in the London suburbs called the "Order of the Peacock Angel".
Idries Shah claimed that Malek Taus could be understood, from the Sufi viewpoint, as an allegory of the higher powers in humanity.[14]
In ''Wanted! God, Dead or Alive'', an essay in ''The Book of Lucifer'', the second volume in ''The Satanic Bible'', Anton LaVey refers to the Yazidi as "a sect of Devil worshippers", and interprets their beliefs as follows:
#Reshid, T. Yezidism: historical roots, International Journal of Kurdish Studies, January 2005.
#Wahbi, T., Dînî Caranî Kurd, Gelawej Journal, N 11-12, Baghdad, 1940, pp. 51-52. (in Kurdish)
#Reshid, R. ,Etnokonfessionalnaya situasiya v sovremennom Kurdistane. Moskva-Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, 2004, p. 16. (in Russian)
#Joseph, I. "Yezidi Texts". The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, 1908-1909/XXV, 2, pp. 111-156.
#Marie, A. 1911. "La découverte récente des deux livres sacrés des Yêzîdis". Anthropos, 1911/VI, 1. pp. 1-39.
#Drower, E.S. [E.S. Stevens]. Peacock Angel. Being Some Account of Votaries of a Secret Cult and their Sanctuaries. London: John Murray, 1941.
#Kreyenbroek, F.G. "Yezidism - its Background, Observances and Textual Tradition". Texts and Studies in Religion, 62. Lewiston, Queenston and Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press, 1995.
#Kurdoev, K.K. "Ob alfavite ezidskikh religioznykh knig" [Report on the alphabet of the Yezidi religious books]. Pis'mennye pamiatniki i problemy istorii kul'tury narodov Vostoka. VIII godichnaia nauchnaia sessiia LO IV AN SSSR. Leningrad, 1972, pp. 196-199. (In Russian)
#Kurdoev, K.K. "Ob avtorstve i iazyke religioznykh knig kurdov XI-XII vv. predvaritel'noe soobshchenie" [Preliminary report on the Kurdish religious books of the eleventh-twelfth centuries: their author and language]. VII godichnaia nauchnaia sessiia LO IV AN SSSR. Leningrad, 1971, pp. 22-24. (In Russian)
#Menzel, Th. "Yazidi, Yazidiya" (in ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'')
#Allison, C. "YAZIDIS" in ''Encyclopedia Iranica'' [8]
1. C. Allison, Encyclopedia Iranica (2004)[1]; adherents.com cites estimates between 100,000 and 700,000.
2. 2002 Russian census[2]
3. Lincoln Iraqis call for protection from terrorism Bob Reeves
4. [3]
5. Keys to a wider understanding of the Yezidi Religion, K. J. Rashow (Georg-August-Universität), World Congress of Kurdish Studies, September 2006, Irbil.
6. [4]
7. The Kurds, By Dr. Jamal Nebez, page 21.
8. [5]
9. Yazidism
10. [6]
11. Bashiqa Journal; A Sect Shuns Lettuce and Gives the Devil His Due
12. Sheik Adi Journal; Satan's Alive and Well, but the Sect May Be Dying
13. [7]
14. ''The Sufis'' Idries Shah pg 437-438
★ Williams, Kayla, and Michael E. Staub. 2005. ''Love My Rifle More Than You''. W.W. Norton, New York. ISBN 0-393-06098-5
★ Kaplan, Lawrence. 2006. Sinjar Diarist. Devil's Advocates. The New Republic. Retrieved on April 14, 2007.
★ Minority politics in Iraq
★ 2007 Qahtaniya bombings
★ Yazidis in ''Encyclopaedia Iranica''
★ Yezidiism, Alternative Religions profile at About.com
★ ''An Inquiry into the Religious Tenets of the Yezeedees'' by George Percy Badger (1852)
★ ''Devil Worship: The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz'' by Isya Joseph (1919)
★ ''Peacock Angel: Being Some Account of Votaries of a Secret Cult and Their Sanctuaries'' by E.S. Drower (1941)
★ ''Yezidism: Its Background, Observances and Textual Tradition'' by Philip G. Kreyenbroek (1995, ISBN 0-7734-9004-3)
★ Shaikh ‘Adi, Sufism and the Kurds, by Dr. Zourab Aloian
★ Al-Hallaj in Kurdish Tradition, essay on al-Hallaj, presented by Dr. Zorab Aloian at the 35th International Congress of Asian and North African Studies, Budapest, July 1997
★ Being Yezidi, on Yezidi identity politics in Armenia, by Onnik Krikorian, first published by Transitions Online (2004)
★ Lost in Translation, interviews with Yazidi by Michael Yon in Yezdinar Village, Iraq (June 6, 2005)
★ The Beginning of the Universe, photos and a description of Yezidi life in Lalish, Iraq by Michael J. Totten (February 22, 2006)
★ Armenia: Yezidi Identity Battle by Onnik Krikorian in Yerevan, Institute for War & Peace Reporting (2 November 2006)
★ Yezidi Web (via the Wayback Machine)
★ Gunmen kill 23 members of Yazidi religious minority
The 'Yazidi' (also 'Yezidi', Kurdish: ''Êzidîtî'' or ''Êzidî'', Arabic: يزيدي or ايزيدي) are adherents of the smallest of the three branches of ''Yazdânism'', a Middle Eastern religion with ancient Indo-European roots. Yazidis are primarily ethnic Kurds, and most live in the Mosul region of northern Iraq. There are traditional communities in Transcaucasia, Turkey, and Syria, but these have significantly declined since the 1990s, their members emigrating to Europe, specifically to Germany.[3]. The term ''Dasni'' or ''Dasny'' is used by the Yazidis as a self-designation.
Demographics
Yazidis make up an important Iraqi minority community. Estimates of the size of the Iraqi communities vary significantly, between 70,000 and 500,000. The Georgian community has declined significantly (decreasing from 30,000 to 5,000 during the 1990s), while communities in Armenia have been more stable (some 40,000 according to 2001 census). In Russia, the Yazidi population totals 31,273 (2002 census).
In Syria, there are two main groupings, in the Jazira and the Kurd Daege, accounting for about 15,000 people. In Turkey, there are now just a very small remnant in some villages south-east of Diyarbakir, remnants of a community of some 80,000 in 1970 (declined to 23,000 in 1985 and to 377 people in 2007).
The Yazidi number around 200,000 to 300,000 individuals in total, but estimates vary on their population size, partially due to the Yazidi tradition of secrecy when asked about one's religious beliefs. Lower estimates are around 100,000, and high estimates around 700,000.
Expatriate Yazidi are concentrated in Germany, numbering between 20,000 and 40,000, mainly in Niedersachsen and Nordrhein-Westfalen, most of them from Turkey. A much smaller diaspora community is found in the Netherlands. Very small groups are also found in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the US, Canada and Australia, probably totalling to below 5,000 people.
Origins
Yazidis in Mardin, late 19th century
Their principal holy site is in Mosul. The Yazidis' own name for themselves is ''Êzidî'' or ''Êzîdî'' or, in some areas, ''Dasinî'' (the latter, strictly speaking, is a tribal name). Some scholars have derived the name Yazidi from Old Iranic ''yazata'' (divine being), while others say it is a derivation from Umayyad Caliph Yazid I (Yazid bin Muawiyah), revered by the Yazidis as an incarnation of the divine figure Sultan Ezi (this is no longer widely accepted). Yazidis, themselves, believe that their name is derived from the word ''Yezdan'' or ''Êzid'' meaning God; however in ancient vernaculars of Kurdistan such as Urartian the term ''izid-u'' means "command" or "admonish". The Yazidis' cultural practices are observably Kurdish, and almost all speak Kurmanjî (Northern Kurdish), with the exception of the villages of Bashiqa and Bahazane in Northern Iraq, where Arabic is spoken. Kurmanjî is the language of almost all the orally transmitted religious traditions of the Yazidis. Thus, religious origins are somewhat complex.
The religion of the Yazidis is a highly syncretistic one: Sufi influence and imagery can be seen in their religious vocabulary, especially in the terminology of their esoteric literature, but much of the mythology is non-Islamic. Their cosmogonies apparently have many points in common with those of ancient Persian religions. Early writers attempted to describe Yazidi origins, broadly speaking, in terms of Islam, or Persian, or sometimes even pagan religions; however, publications since the 1990s have shown such an approach to be overly simplistic[4].
The origin of the Yazidi religion is now usually seen by scholars as a complex process of syncretism, whereby the belief system and practices of a local faith had a profound influence on the religiosity of adherents of the Adawiyya Sufi order living in the Kurdish mountains, and caused it to deviate from Islamic norms relatively soon after the death of its founder, Sheikh Adî ibn Mustafa who is said to be of Umayyad descent. He settled in the valley of Laliş (some thirty-six miles north-east of Mosul) in the early 12th century AD. Sheikh Adî himself, a figure of undoubted orthodoxy, enjoyed widespread influence. He died in 1162, and his tomb at Lalish is a focal point of Yazidi pilgrimage. During the fourteenth century, important Kurdish tribes whose sphere of influence stretched well into what is now Turkey (including, for a period, the rulers of the principality of Jazira) are cited in historical sources as Yazidi.
Yazidi and Indo-European gods
The word ''Taus'' (in ''Melek Taus'') is derived from the Indo-European root ''Diyus'' and is a cognate of Indian ''Diyuvuh'' and Greek Zeus. Ancient Indo-Iranians used to worship the souls of their fathers and grandfathers and glorified the souls of their dead. They also believed in a supreme God ''Diyvuh Pitar'' (The Father God) and several ''Devas'' who represented natural powers. After the arrival of Zoroaster, he kept ''Ahoramazda'' (Supreme God) and abolished the other gods such as ''Devas''. Over time, Zoroastrians began to associate Devas with Satan and prohibited painting, statues, sacrifice of animals, alcohol and fasting. Zoroaster called those who did not follow his teachings as demon worshipers. Despite zoroasterians' efforts, large parts of the population kept their old beliefs in worshiping natural phenomena. According to scholar Taufiq Wahby and others the word ''Dasni'' or ''Dasny'', the ethnic self-designation of Yazidis, is a form of the old word ''Deva Ysne'' used by Zoroaster to identify those who did not follow his religion[5].
Religious beliefs
Melek Taus, the peacock angel
In the Yazidi worldview, God created the world, which is now in the care of a ''Heptad'' of seven Holy Beings, often known as Angels or ''heft sirr'' (the Seven Mysteries). Preeminent among these is Melek Taus (''Tawûsê Melek'' in Kurdish), the Peacock Angel. According to the ''Encyclopedia of the Orient'', "The reason for the Yazidis reputation of being devil worshipers, is connected to the other name of Melek Taus, Shaytan, the same name the Koran has for Satan"[6]. However, according to the Kurdish linguist Jamal Nebez, the word ''Taus'' is most probably derived from the Greek and is related to the words Zeus and Theos, alluding to the meaning of God. Accordingly, Malek Taus is ''God's Angel'', and this is how Yazidis themselves see Melek Taus or ''Taus-e-Malak''[7].
Yazidis believe that Melek Taus is not a source of evil or wickedness. They consider him to be the leader of the archangels, not a fallen angel, and therefore comparable to the Christians' Saint Michael, who is likewise considered the leader of the "seven who stand before the Lord" and of all other good angels. Also, they hold that the source of evil is in the heart and spirit of humans themselves, not in Melek Taus. The active forces in their religion are Melek Taus and Sheik Adî. The ''Kitêba Cilwe'' (Book of Illumination) which claims to be the words of Melek Taus, and which presumably represents Yazidi belief, states that he allocates responsibilities, blessings and misfortunes as he sees fit and that it is not for the race of Adam to question him. Sheikh Adî believed that the spirit of Melek Taus is the same as his own, perhaps as a reincarnation. He is believed to have said : "I was present when Adam was living in Paradise, and also when Nemrud threw Abraham in fire. I was present when God said to me: "You are the ruler and Lord on the Earth). God, the compassionate, gave me seven earths and throne of the heaven."
Yazidi accounts of creation differ from that of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They believe that God first created Melek Taus from his own illumination (''Ronahî '' in Kurdish) and the other six archangels were created later. God ordered Melek Taus not to bow to other beings. Then God created the other archangels and ordered them to bring him dust (''Ax'') from the Earth (''Erd'') and build the body of Adam. Then God gave life to Adam from his own breath and instructed all archangels to bow to Adam. The archangels obeyed except for Melek Taus. In answer to God, Malek Taus replied, "How can I submit to another being! I am from your illumination while Adam is made of dust." Then God praised him and made him the leader of all angels and his deputy on the Earth. (This likely furthers what some see as a connection to the Islamic ''Shaytan,'' as according to legend he too refused to bow to Adam at God's command, though in this case it is seen as being a sign of a sign of Shaytan's sinful pride.) Hence the Yazidis believe that Melek Taus is the representative of God on the face of the Earth, and comes down to the Earth on the first Wednesday of Nisan (March/April). Yazidis hold that God created Malek Taus on this day, and celebrate it as New Year's day. Yazidis argue that the order to bow to Adam was only a test for Melek Taus, since if God commands anything then it must happen. (''Bibe, dibe''). In other words, God could have made him submit to Adam, but gave Taus the choice as a test. They believe that their respect and praise for Melek Taus is a way to acknowledge his majestic and sublime nature. This idea is called "Knowledge of the Sublime" (''Zanista Ciwaniyê'' ). Sheikh Adî has observed the story of Melek Taus and believed in him[8].
One of the key creationism beliefs of Yazidism is that all Yazidis are descendants of Adam rather than Eve.9
Yazidis believe that good and evil both exist in the mind and spirit of human beings. It depends on the humans, themselves, as to which they choose. In this process, their devotion to Melek Taus is essential, since it was he who was given the same choice between good and evil by God, and chose the good.
Yazidis, who have much in common with the followers of Ahl-e Haqq (in western Iran), state that the world created by God was at first a ''pearl''. It remained in this very small and enclosed state for some time (often a magic number such as forty or forty thousand years) before being remade in its current state. During this period the ''Heptad'' were called into existence, God made a covenant with them and entrusted the world to them. Besides Melek Taus, members of the Heptad (the Seven), who were called into existence by God at the beginning of all things, include Sheikh Adî, his companion ''Shaikh Hasan'', and a group known as the ''four Mysteries'', Shamsadin, Fakhradin, Sajadin and Naserdin. The Yazidi holy books are the ''Kitêba Cilwe'' (Book of Revelation) and the ''Mishefa Reş'' (Black Book).
Two key and interrelated features of Yazidism are: a) a preoccupation with religious purity and b) a belief in metempsychosis. The first of these is expressed in the system of caste, the food laws, the traditional preferences for living in Yazidi communities, and the variety of taboos governing many aspects of life. The second is crucial; Yazidis traditionally believe that the Seven Holy Beings are periodically reincarnated in human form, called a ''koasasa''.
A belief in the reincarnation of lesser Yazidi souls also exists. Like the Ahl-e Haqq, the Yazidis use the metaphor of a change of garment to describe the process, which they call ''kiras guhorîn'' in Kurdish (changing the garment). Alongside this, Yazidi mythology also includes descriptions of heaven and hell, with hell extinguished, and other traditions incorporating these ideas into a belief system that includes reincarnation.[9]
Organization
Yazidi society is hierarchical. The secular leader is a hereditary emir or prince, whereas a chief sheikh heads the religious hierarchy. The Yazidi are strictly endogamous. In addition, members of the three Yazidi castes, the murids, sheikhs and pirs, marry only within their group.
Religious practices
Prayers
Yazidis have five daily prayers: ''Nivêja berîspêdê'' (Dawn Prayer), ''Nivêja rojhilatinê'' (Sunrise Prayer), ''Nivêja nîvro'' (Noon Prayer), '' Nivêja êvarî'' (Afternoon Prayer), ''Nivêja rojavabûnê'' (Sunset Prayer) [10]. The worshipers should turn their face toward the sun, and for the noon prayer, they should face toward Laliş. Such prayer should be accompanied by certain gestures, including kissing the rounded neck (''gerîvan'') of the sacred shirt (''kiras''). The daily prayer services must not be performed in the presence of outsiders, and are always performed in the direction of the sun. Wednesday is the holy day but Saturday is the day of rest.[11] There is also a three-day fast in December.9
Festivals
The Yazidi New Year falls in Spring (somewhat later than Equinox). There is some lamentation by women in the cemeteries, to the accompaniment of the music of the ''Qewals'', but the festival is generally characterized by joyous events: the music of ''dehol'' (drum) and ''zorna'' (shawm), communal dancing and meals, the decorating of eggs. Similarly the village Tawaf, a festival held in the spring in honor of the patron of the local shrine, has secular music, dance and meals in addition to the performance of sacred music. Another important festival is the ''Tawusgeran'' (circulation of the peacock) where Qewals and other religious dignitaries visit Yazidi villages, bringing the senjaq, sacred images representing the peacock and associated with Malek Ta’us. These are venerated, taxes are collected from the pious, sermons are preached, and holy water distributed. The greatest festival of the year for ordinary Yazidis is the ''Cejna Cemaiya'' (Feast of the Assembly) at Lalish, a seven-day occasion. A focus of widespread pilgrimage, this is an important time for social contact and affirmation of identity. The religious center of the event is the belief in an annual gathering of the ''Heptad'' in the holy place at this time. Rituals practiced include the sacrifice of a bull at the shrine of Shaikh Shams and the practice of ''sema''.
Pilgrimage
Tomb of sheik Adi in Lalish
The most important ritual is the annual six-day pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh Adi in Lalish, north of Mosul, Iraq. [12] A sacred microcosm of the world, as it were, it contains not only many shrines dedicated to the ''koasasa'', but a number of other landmarks corresponding to other sites or symbols of significance in other faiths, including ''Pirra selat'' (Serat Bridge) and a mountain called Mt. Arafat. The two sacred springs are called Zamzam and ''Kaniya sipî'' (The White Spring). If possible, Yazidis make at least one pilgrimage to Lalish during their lifetime, and those living in the region try to attend at least once a year for the autumn ''Feast of the Assembly'' which is celebrated from 23rd of Elul (September) to 1st of Tishrei (October). During the celebration, Yazidi bathe in the river, wash figures of Malek Ta’us and light hundreds of lamps in the tombs of Sheikh Adî and other saints. They also sacrifice an ox, which is one reason they have been connected to Mithraism, in addition to the presence of the dog and serpent in their iconography. The sacrifice of the ox is meant to declare the arrival of Fall and to ask for precipitation during winter in order to bring back life to the Earth in the next Spring. Moreover, in astrology, the ox is the symbol of Tishrei.
Purity and taboos
The Yazidis' concern with religious purity, and their reluctance to mix elements perceived to be incompatible, is shown not only in their caste system, but also in various taboos affecting everyday life. Some of these, such as those on exogamy or on insulting or offending men of religion, are widely respected. Others, such as the prohibition of eating lettuce or wearing the color blue, are often ignored when men of religion are not present. Others still are less widely known and may be localized. The purity of the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, is protected by a number of taboos–against spitting on earth, water, or fire, for instance. Spitting on the ground, or pouring hot water on the ground, is discouraged by some Yazidi, because they believe that spirits or souls that may be present would be harmed or offended by such actions, if they happen to be hit by the discarded liquid. These may also reflect ancient Iranian preoccupations, as apparently do the taboos concerning bodily refuse, hair, and menstrual blood. Too much contact with non-Yazidis is also considered polluting. In the past Yazidis avoided military service which would have led them to live among Muslims, and were forbidden to share such items as cups or razors with outsiders. A resemblance to the external ear may lie behind the taboo against eating lettuce, whose name ''koas'' resembles Kurdish pronunciations of ''koasasa''. Additionally, lettuce grown near Mosul is thought by some Yazidi to be fertilized with human waste, which may contribute to the idea that it is unsuitable for consumption.
Customs
Yazidi are exclusive; clans do not intermarry even with other Kurds and accept no converts. They claim that they are descended only from Adam. The strongest punishment is expulsion, which is also effectively excommunication because the soul of the exiled is forfeit.
As a demiurge figure, Malek Taus is often identified by orthodox Muslims as a ''Shaitan'', a Muslim term denoting a devil or demon who deceives true believers. In Islam, a common deception by ''shaytan'' is to assign partners to Allah. Thus, the Yazidi have been accused of devil worship. Because of this and due to their pre-Islamic beliefs, they have been oppressed by their Muslim neighbors. Such oppression of Yazidis was exceptionally harsh during the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Myths
The tale of the Yazidis' origin found in the Black Book gives them a distinctive ancestry and expresses their feeling of difference from other races. Before the roles of the sexes were determined, Adam and Eve quarreled about which of them provided the creative element in the begetting of children. Each stored their seed in a jar which was then sealed. When Eve's was opened it was full of insects and other unpleasant creatures, but inside Adam's jar was a beautiful boychild. This lovely child, known as ''son of Jar'' grew up to marry a houri and became the ancestor of the Yazidis. Therefore, the Yazidi are regarded as descending from Adam alone, while other humans are descendants of both Adam and Eve.
The Chermera temple (meaning “40 Men” in the Yazidi dialect) on the highest peak on the Sinjar mountains in northern Iraq. The temple is so old that no one remembers how it came to have that name but it is believed to derive from the burial of 40 men on the mountaintop site
Views of outsiders, fiction, news, stereotypes and controversies
Feleknas Uca, a Kurdish Member of the European Parliament for Germany's Party of Democratic Socialism, was the world's only Yazidi parliamentarian until the Iraqi legislature was elected in 2005. European Yazidis have contruted to the academic community, such as Khalil Rashow in Germany and Jalile Jalil in Austria.
The Yazidi community was affected by several acts of violence in 2007. In April, a group of Yazidi men stoned to death 17 year old Du’a Khalil Aswad, allegedly for her involvement with a Muslim boy. On April 23, 2007 masked gunmen abducted and shot 23 Yazidis near Mosul; this was speculated to be a reprisal attack for Aswad's death. On August 14, 2007 Yazidis were targeted in a series of bombings that became the deadliest suicide attack since the Iraq War began.
As the Yazidi hold religious beliefs that are mostly unfamiliar to outsiders, many non-Yazidi people have written about them and ascribed facts to their beliefs that have dubious historical validity. For example, horror writer H. P. Lovecraft made a reference to "... the Yezidi clan of devil-worshippers" in his short story ''The Horror at Red Hook''.
In her memoir of her service with an intelligence unit of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division in Iraq during 2003 and 2004, Kayla Williams (2005) records being stationed in northern Iraq near the Syrian border in an area inhabited by "Yezidis". The Yezidis were Kurdish-speaking, but did not consider themselves Kurds, and expressed to Williams a fondness for America and Israel. She was able to learn only a little about the nature of their religion: she thought it very ancient, and concerned with angels. She describes a mountain-top Yezidi shrine as "a small rock building with objects dangling from the ceiling", and alcoves for the placement of offerings. She reports that local Muslims considered the Yezidis to be devil worshippers.
In an October 2006 article in ''The New Republic'', Lawrence Kaplan echoes Williams's sentiments about the enthusiasm of the Yazidis for the American occupation of Iraq, in part because the Americans protect them from oppression by militant Muslims and the nearby Kurds. Kaplan notes that the peace and calm of Sinjar is virtually unique in Iraq: "Parents and children line the streets when U.S. patrols pass by, while Yazidi clerics pray for the welfare of U.S. forces."[13].
A fictional Yazidi character of note is the super-powered police officer "King Peacock", of the Top 10 series (and related comics). He is portrayed as a kind, peaceful character with a broad knowledge of religion and mythology. He is depicted as conservative, ethical and highly principled in family life. An incredibly powerful martial artist, he is able to destroy matter, a power that he claims is derived from communicating with Malek Ta’us.
The Yazidis, perhaps because of their secrecy, also have a place in modern occultism. G. I. Gurdjieff wrote about his encounters with the Yazidis several times in his book ''Meetings with Remarkable Men'', mentioning that they are considered to be "devil worshippers" by other ethnicities in the region.
The Theosophical Society, in its electronic version of the ''Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary'' has this to say:
The pseudonymous "Arkon Daraul", in the 1961 book ''Secret Societies Yesterday and Today'', describes discovering a Yazidi-influenced secret society in the London suburbs called the "Order of the Peacock Angel".
Idries Shah claimed that Malek Taus could be understood, from the Sufi viewpoint, as an allegory of the higher powers in humanity.[14]
In ''Wanted! God, Dead or Alive'', an essay in ''The Book of Lucifer'', the second volume in ''The Satanic Bible'', Anton LaVey refers to the Yazidi as "a sect of Devil worshippers", and interprets their beliefs as follows:
Academic texts about Yazidis
#Reshid, T. Yezidism: historical roots, International Journal of Kurdish Studies, January 2005.
#Wahbi, T., Dînî Caranî Kurd, Gelawej Journal, N 11-12, Baghdad, 1940, pp. 51-52. (in Kurdish)
#Reshid, R. ,Etnokonfessionalnaya situasiya v sovremennom Kurdistane. Moskva-Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, 2004, p. 16. (in Russian)
#Joseph, I. "Yezidi Texts". The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, 1908-1909/XXV, 2, pp. 111-156.
#Marie, A. 1911. "La découverte récente des deux livres sacrés des Yêzîdis". Anthropos, 1911/VI, 1. pp. 1-39.
#Drower, E.S. [E.S. Stevens]. Peacock Angel. Being Some Account of Votaries of a Secret Cult and their Sanctuaries. London: John Murray, 1941.
#Kreyenbroek, F.G. "Yezidism - its Background, Observances and Textual Tradition". Texts and Studies in Religion, 62. Lewiston, Queenston and Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press, 1995.
#Kurdoev, K.K. "Ob alfavite ezidskikh religioznykh knig" [Report on the alphabet of the Yezidi religious books]. Pis'mennye pamiatniki i problemy istorii kul'tury narodov Vostoka. VIII godichnaia nauchnaia sessiia LO IV AN SSSR. Leningrad, 1972, pp. 196-199. (In Russian)
#Kurdoev, K.K. "Ob avtorstve i iazyke religioznykh knig kurdov XI-XII vv. predvaritel'noe soobshchenie" [Preliminary report on the Kurdish religious books of the eleventh-twelfth centuries: their author and language]. VII godichnaia nauchnaia sessiia LO IV AN SSSR. Leningrad, 1971, pp. 22-24. (In Russian)
#Menzel, Th. "Yazidi, Yazidiya" (in ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'')
#Allison, C. "YAZIDIS" in ''Encyclopedia Iranica'' [8]
References
1. C. Allison, Encyclopedia Iranica (2004)[1]; adherents.com cites estimates between 100,000 and 700,000.
2. 2002 Russian census[2]
3. Lincoln Iraqis call for protection from terrorism Bob Reeves
4. [3]
5. Keys to a wider understanding of the Yezidi Religion, K. J. Rashow (Georg-August-Universität), World Congress of Kurdish Studies, September 2006, Irbil.
6. [4]
7. The Kurds, By Dr. Jamal Nebez, page 21.
8. [5]
9. Yazidism
10. [6]
11. Bashiqa Journal; A Sect Shuns Lettuce and Gives the Devil His Due
12. Sheik Adi Journal; Satan's Alive and Well, but the Sect May Be Dying
13. [7]
14. ''The Sufis'' Idries Shah pg 437-438
Further reading
★ Williams, Kayla, and Michael E. Staub. 2005. ''Love My Rifle More Than You''. W.W. Norton, New York. ISBN 0-393-06098-5
★ Kaplan, Lawrence. 2006. Sinjar Diarist. Devil's Advocates. The New Republic. Retrieved on April 14, 2007.
See also
★ Minority politics in Iraq
★ 2007 Qahtaniya bombings
External links
★ Yazidis in ''Encyclopaedia Iranica''
★ Yezidiism, Alternative Religions profile at About.com
★ ''An Inquiry into the Religious Tenets of the Yezeedees'' by George Percy Badger (1852)
★ ''Devil Worship: The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz'' by Isya Joseph (1919)
★ ''Peacock Angel: Being Some Account of Votaries of a Secret Cult and Their Sanctuaries'' by E.S. Drower (1941)
★ ''Yezidism: Its Background, Observances and Textual Tradition'' by Philip G. Kreyenbroek (1995, ISBN 0-7734-9004-3)
★ Shaikh ‘Adi, Sufism and the Kurds, by Dr. Zourab Aloian
★ Al-Hallaj in Kurdish Tradition, essay on al-Hallaj, presented by Dr. Zorab Aloian at the 35th International Congress of Asian and North African Studies, Budapest, July 1997
★ Being Yezidi, on Yezidi identity politics in Armenia, by Onnik Krikorian, first published by Transitions Online (2004)
★ Lost in Translation, interviews with Yazidi by Michael Yon in Yezdinar Village, Iraq (June 6, 2005)
★ The Beginning of the Universe, photos and a description of Yezidi life in Lalish, Iraq by Michael J. Totten (February 22, 2006)
★ Armenia: Yezidi Identity Battle by Onnik Krikorian in Yerevan, Institute for War & Peace Reporting (2 November 2006)
★ Yezidi Web (via the Wayback Machine)
★ Gunmen kill 23 members of Yazidi religious minority
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