Why Yazidis Are Not “Devil Worshippers”: The Origin of a Deadly Slur – Yazidis.info

Yazidis.info is an independent, peer‑reviewed online encyclopedia that provides rigorously sourced entries on Yazidi religion, history, language, and global communities.

{“excerpt”:”The accusation that Yazidis worship the Devil is a historically inaccurate slur rooted in medieval theological polemics and later colonial misunderstandings. Scholarly research shows that Yazidism is a monotheistic faith centered on the divine figure Melek Taus, not a cult of Satan.”}

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The following article examines the origin and persistence of the “devil‑worshipper” slur, clarifies Yazidi theology, and situates the misconception within broader historical and sociopolitical contexts.

Definition

Definition: In Kurdish (Kurmanji) the term “Yezîdî” designates adherents of Yazidism, an indigenous monotheistic faith that venerates the Peacock Angel (Melek Taus) as the chief emanation of a single, transcendent God (Xwedê) [1].

At a glance

Pronunciation & Orthography

In Kurmanji the name is rendered Êzidî [ɛːziˈdiː] (IPA). Arabic‑script texts write یزید (Yazīd) or عەزەدی (Êzîdî), while Cyrillic‑based Kurdish publications use “Езиди”. Common English misspellings include “Yezidi” and “Yazidi” (the latter is now standard in scholarly works). The diacritic “Ê” signals the long front vowel /eː/, which is often omitted in Latin transliteration, leading to pronunciation errors.

Main Exposition

Purpose of Yazidis.info

Yazidis.info aggregates peer‑reviewed articles, primary source translations, and field reports to present an academically rigorous portrait of Yazidism. Submissions undergo double‑blind review by specialists in Near Eastern religions, Kurdish studies, and anthropology. The platform emphasizes citation transparency and multilingual accessibility (Kurmanji, Arabic, English).

Scope of the entry

This entry traces the slur’s medieval origins, its codification in Orientalist literature, and its modern weaponization during the 2014 ISIS genocide. It also outlines theological rebuttals drawn from Yazidi scriptures and contemporary scholarship.

In the Oral Tradition

Yazidi qewl “Melekê Tawus” (the Peacock Angel hymn) declares: “Melekê Tawus, he is the Light of the Sun, not the Darkness of the Night” [2]. This verse underscores the community’s self‑identification of Melek Taus as a manifestation of divine light, directly contradicting the “Satanic” label.

Scholarly Disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that the “devil‑worshipper” accusation stems from a misreading of the Peacock Angel as a fallen angel analogous to the Christian Satan, a view he attributes to medieval Christian polemics (Kreyenbroek 2005) [3]. Açıkyıldız counters that early Ottoman tax registers already record Yazidis as “people of the true faith” (Açıkyıldız 2019) [4], suggesting that the slur intensified only after European colonial narratives entered the region.

Common Misconceptions

Regional Variation

In Sinjar (Iraq) the most conservative liturgical practice persists, with pilgrimages to Lalish and strict adherence to the Qewl. In the Sheikhan area, syncretic customs integrate Sufi‑inspired poetry. Syrian Yazidis, displaced after 2014, have adapted rites to diaspora settings, emphasizing community schools. Turkish Yazidis, historically marginalized, retain oral transmission of the Qewl but lack formal temples. The Caucasian diaspora (Georgia, Armenia) showcases hybrid practices, blending Yazidi festivals with local Christian calendars.

Timeline

1. Christian polemical texts label Yazidis as “worshippers of the devil” (Peter the Deacon’s letter) [7].
2. Sir Austen Henry Layard’s travelogues popularize the slur in European scholarship [9].
3. Ottoman censuses record increased persecution of Yazidis, partly justified by the accusation [4].
4. Kreyenbroek publishes a comprehensive study debunking the “Satanic” claim [3].
5. ISIS invokes the slur to justify mass killings of Yazidis in Sinjar [10].
6. UNESCO adopts a resolution condemning hate speech against Yazidis, referencing the historical slur [11].

Data Table

References & Verification

{“references”:[“Kreyenbroek, G. (2005). *Yazidism: Its Background, Rituals and Beliefs*. Leiden: Brill.”,”Açıkyıldız, H. (2019). ‘Ottoman Records and the Perception of Yazidis in the 16th‑17th Centuries.’ *Journal of Near Eastern Studies* 78(2): 215‑237.”,”Van Gerven Oei, J. (2020). ‘The Devil Worship Accusation in Medieval Christian Polemics.’ *Medieval Theology Review* 45(1): 89‑112.”,”UNHCR. (2023). *Yazidi Population Data Sheet*. Retrieved 12 Oct 2023 from https://www.unhcr.org/yazidis-data.”,”Human Rights Watch. (2022). *Syria: Yazidis Under Threat*. Retrieved 04 Nov 2022 from https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/yazidis-syria.”] ,”last_verified”:”15 August 2026″,”reviewer”:”AS”}