In November 2016, two mass graves holding at least 18 Yazidi people were found near
Mosul, Iraq.
These are two of an estimated 40 such graves authorities expect to uncover as they seize
the region back from the Islamic State.
Since overtaking large portions of Iraq in 2014, ISIS has systematically killed thousands
of Yazidi people, in a reign of terror the UN has called a genocide.
So who are the Yazidi people?
Well, the Yazidis are a religious and ethnic minority, with as many as 700,000 worldwide,
a vast majority of whom live in northern Iraq.
Most consider themselves ethnically Kurdish, and speak the language.
But while Iraqi Kurds tend to follow Sunni Islam, Yazidis adhere to their own religion,
which combines aspects of Islam, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.
It’s difficult to determine how old Yazidism is, many scholars place its origins in ancient
Mesopotamia, or the beginning of civilization in what is today Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
At around 3000 BC, other religious groups migrated to Iran and India, leaving early
Yazidis to settle and form communities.
Similar to Christianity and Islam, Yazidism is monotheistic.
However it is not Abrahamic, as Yazidis believe in a much older, supreme god, called ‘Yasdan’.
According to Yazidi scripture, this supreme deity created the universe, then entrusted
it to seven angels, chief of whom is Tawsi Melek, or the peacock angel.
Yazidis see Tawsi Melek as an intermediary between man and the divine, and revere him
for his independence and ambivalence.
In scripture, he refuses to submit to Yasdan, who disavows but later forgives him.
This story is often compared to the Quran’s account of Shaytan, or Satan, and many Muslims
accuse Yazidis of being devil-worshippers.
Their worship of Tawsi Melek is why Yazidis have been the subject of marginalization and
violence for hundreds of years.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Ottoman and Kurdish leaders attempted to eliminate the
Yazidi minority through forced conversions and mass murder, resulting in at least 72
genocides, according to Yazidi scholars.
The ethno-religious minority also faced violence under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein,
who targeted ethnic Kurds, among other groups.
More recently in 2007, a series of suicide bombings of Yazidi villages killed more than
500 people.
Today, the Yazidi population’s greatest threat is the Islamic State.
In August 2014 alone, ISIS killed more than 5,000 Yazidi men and abducted roughly 7,000
Yazidi women.
Their ruthless ethnic cleansing left Yazidi towns completely destroyed, forcing many to
flee to other parts of Iraq or even to war-torn Syria.
As ISIS has been losing territory, many Yazidis have been able to return to their homes, however
thousands still live in refugee camps.
As an enemy to many Muslims and a perpetual victim of religious violence, the Yazidi community
will likely not see stability any time soon.
We at Seeker are committed to bringing you stories that will inform and enlighten you
about cultures and people around the world.
Recently, Seeker Stories filmed behind the scenes at the most technologically advanced
Cirque du Soleil show, in Las Vegas, to see how the cast prepares for their risky and
breathtaking performances.
I have many different little rituals.
One of the things I do is skipping rope.
I do also juggling balls.
I feel like that connects my brain to my body completely.
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