/r/Yazidis

Photograph via snooOG

The Ezidis, alternatively spelled as Yazidis or Yezidis, constitute an ancient religious group of up to 1.5 million followers indigenous to Kurdistan.

Welcome to the Yazidis Subreddit!

Welcome to the Yazidis subreddit, where you can engage in discussions, exchange knowledge, and delve deeper into the Ezidi religion, culture, and history. This subreddit serves as a gathering place for both Ezidis and those eager to explore the intricacies of Ezidism.

Who Are the Ezidis?

The Ezidis, alternatively spelled as Yazidis or Yezidis, constitute an ancient religious group of up to 1.5 million followers indigenous to Kurdistan. Ezidi traditions can be traced to pre-Islamic belief systems in the area, while also being enriched by the teachings and ideas of Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir (Giyanê min gorî), a revered 12th-century ascetic, as well as the doctrines of the Adawiyya order he founded, which derived from Middle-Eastern Mysticism known today as Sufism, and also Abrahamic traditions. This revered 12th-century figure, who settled in the Hakkari region, gained a large following and reverence, both among the local tribes and a wide network of followers from other regions across Middle-East and the wider Asia, thanks to his miracles and wonders.

His arrival initiated a process of transformation of this community, which would be finalized under the reign of Melik Şêxsin (Sheikh Hasan ibn Sheikh Adi II) and his son Şerfedîn, both from the lineage of Sheikh Adi's successor and nephew Ebû Sexr el-Berekat. This transformation resulted in the Ezidi community becoming a cohesive and unified group, bound together by a shared religious identity under one name ('Êzdî') and united under one centralized and organized spiritual leadership.

/r/Yazidis

712 Subscribers

12

An old Ezidi cave village

https://youtu.be/DweRqKIBoTs?si=qcANV4oZIy7i0jBy

The descendants later moved to Bozan and Şêx Xidirê (Şariya), but the remains of the cave village are still preserved.

0 Comments
2025/01/26
16:15 UTC

17

Elon Musk talking about Yazidis

1 Comment
2025/01/08
13:47 UTC

7

year 2025 Ezdi calendar

0 Comments
2025/01/01
20:44 UTC

20

Map of majority Christian and Ezidi settlements in Ninewa and Duhok provinces.

3 Comments
2024/12/25
19:56 UTC

10

Proper greeting for Rojeit Ezi

I am not even super sure on the name but a Yazidi woman and her son are staying with my ngo right now and I want to clearly communicate the greeting to her? What is the version of merry Christmas, Hag Sameah, Ramadan Kareem, etc

2 Comments
2024/12/20
09:18 UTC

5

What is the official or unofficial Yazidi position on Jesus?

Of course if there is an established official doctrine, there is a good chance that the common people will have a deviating view, and if there isn't an official stance, then the general public probably has a view. So what are the common thoughts, beliefs, etc. I haven't been able to find a specific Yazidi commentary on this.

6 Comments
2024/12/14
18:12 UTC

33

1950, Ezidi Kurd wedding party, Georgia

0 Comments
2024/12/11
14:58 UTC

8

What do Yazidis think of Georgia and Georgians?

As a Georgian, my family in Tbilisi has Yazidi neighbours and they are freindly and nice. We also have a large established Yezidi community and it is known historically. Near to our district we also have a Yazidi temple made of Marble. What do Yazidis think of Georgia? Do they think of it at all or they view it positively?

1 Comment
2024/12/03
13:17 UTC

6

Any Yezidi Reşwanî here or anyone who knows one?

Ex-muslim (hanafi) kurd of Reşwan tribe from Bêsinî/Semsûr here. Recently I found this article which says that there still are Yezidis of Reşwan tribe:

Reşwanî/Reşî: A large tribal confederacy by this name is found in the western regions of Kurdistan (Adiyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Malatya) as well as in Konya province of Turkey. Although most of them adhere to Islam and Alevism today, they appear to have had a significant Ezidi section in the past as well, whose remnants live among Ezidis of Efrîn. An Ottoman document dated 1584 records 1,000 Ezidi Reşî households living around Rumkale of modern-day Gaziantep province. Moreover, the Ottoman historian and geographer Katip Çelebi mentions the Reşwan Kurds of Ufacikli, Bakrasli and Behisni (Bêsnî) and describes them as Ezidis in his cosmography “Cihannüma” (1648-1657).

My grandma once told me that her grandfather was a Yezidi who came from Syria and converted to Islam after moving north. Since she and my grandpa (who was her cousin) are of course Reşwan, I guess that my great-greatgrandfather would probably have been a Reşwan of Yezidi faith himself.

Unfortunately she is the last surviving member of her generation in our family and this was all info she had, so I have no way of finding out more information or the village he was from, but we still have his name as well as that of his father before him. Therefore I'm hoping to get in touch with a Yezidi of Reşwan tribe from Syria and see if I can find distant relatives there who still have any recollection of my great-greatgrandfather

1 Comment
2024/12/03
12:15 UTC

20

Map of Ezidi settlements in Ninewa and Duhok provinces

1 Comment
2024/11/30
20:17 UTC

29

Turkey murdered another Young Yazidi Kurd in an airstrike conducted on top of Mount Shangal. Iraq remains silent as Turkey spills more Kurdish blood.

1 Comment
2024/11/12
15:55 UTC

1

What position does Yazidi Religion traditionally have on self-torture to test faith? Specifically something as directly harmful as self-flagellation?

Since a post I read pretty much sums up the details of my question and is why I'm asking this, I'm quoting it.

I am curious of the Calvinist and Reformed Christianity on mortification of the flesh through painful physical torture such as fasting, self-flagellation, tatooing, cutting one's wrist, waterboarding oneself in blessed water, and carrying very heavy objects such as cross replication for miles with no rest or water? And other methods of self-harm so common among Catholic fundamentalists done to test their faith and give devotion to Jesus?

As someone baptised Roman Catholic, I know people who flagellate themselves and go through months have fasting with no food along with a day or two without drinking water. So I am wondering what is the Yazidi position on corporal mortification acts especially like cutting yourself with a knife and fasting?

1 Comment
2024/11/10
02:28 UTC

72

Remember the 19 Yazidi girls who were burned to death in an iron cage by the Islamic State for refusing to convert to Islam and become sex slaves. Before killing them, the Islamists paraded them through the streets of Mosul, Iraq.

13 Comments
2024/11/05
19:36 UTC

18

Yazidi women in traditional Yazidi dress at the sacred temple of Lalish... 1951

3 Comments
2024/10/30
06:27 UTC

11

How does intercession work in Yazidi's religion?

As someone from a Roman Catholic background, pretty much all my spellwork is based on intercession of the Saints and calling upon the Archangels for help with very specific prayers along with used of blessed items using symbolism of angels and saints that have been blessed by priests such as a medal of Saint Archangel Michael or wearing the brown robes worn by Franciscan clergy during rituals or fasting before a ritual to emulate Saint Margaret of Cortona's life before calling for her aid in intercession.

So how does Intercession and calling upon the Archangels for help work in Islam? I know the Shia sect believes Saints can intercede directly through prayers asking for their help and Sufi culture has a rich tradition of occultic Islam where you call upon angels and converted Jinn for help.

Additionally how does Intercession and calling upon the Saints and Archangels for help work in Judaism? I seen the concept of asking the Tzadik for help while praying esp at the graves in some sources and some Jewish prayers involving calling out the Archangels such as the Shema prayer (in this specific example you call the angels to be beside you at a certain direction).

So does this concept exist in the Yazidi faith? If so, what are Saints called in Yazidism? Does the religion call upon Archangels for magical acts like protection from demons and miraculous healing of diseases and so on? Bonus question, how is Mary seen? In Catholicism she is considered the strongest Saints, so powerful that she is ranked Queen of Heaven in addition to being the Theotokos or Mother of God. How high do Yazidis revere her?

3 Comments
2024/10/26
15:06 UTC

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