The people who follow the Yazidi religion live in the Mosul region of northern Iraq. The origin of Yazidi its one of the oldest living religions in Iraq it’s an Assyrian religion. The Yazidi believe in one God as the creator of the world just as Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe. Generally, however, many people believe that Yazidi worship Satan. The reason of other people beliefs that Yazidi worship Satan is that Yazidi beliefs God creates seven Angels the Malak Tawus (the Peacock Angel) for Yazidi only and other Angels for the world. The Muslim beliefs that Peacock is Satan whom Yazidi worship. The 4,000 – years – old Yazidi religion is a synthesis of pre–Islamic, Zoroastrian, Manichaean, Jewish, Nestorian Christian, and Muslim elements.
Yazidi believe in a religious hierarchy, such as Roman Catholics and Shia Muslims.
Treatment of Yazidi was exceptional harsh during the rule of the Ottoman Empire during the 18th and the first half of 19th century and their numbers dwindled under Ottoman rule in both Syria and Iraq. Several punitive expeditions were organized against the Yazidis by the Ottoman governors (Wali).
On August 14, 2007, four co-ordinated suicide bomb attacks happened in a Yazidi town, 796 people were killed
Recently, the community faced a genocide committed by the Islamic State (ISIS). around 20,000 remain surrounded by militants determined to kill them for their religious beliefs, they have no shelter, food or water beyond what can be dropped from the air.
By: Haidar Reda
