Yazidism is an indigenous Kurdish religion that shares certain symbolic and ritual elements with ancient Iranian faiths, but scholarly evidence shows only limited direct continuity with Zoroastrianism.
Yazidis in the United States have formed vibrant communities, most notably in Lincoln, Nebraska, where a dedicated cultural centre supports religious practice and social integration. The diaspora expands across the Midwest and the coasts, preserving Yazidism while adapting to American civic life.
Yazidi religious knowledge is preserved chiefly through oral hymns, ritual gatherings, and familial instruction, forming a resilient intergenerational chain. Yazidis.info documents these mechanisms with scholarly citations, highlighting regional variations and scholarly debates.
The Mishefa Reş and Kitêba Cilwe are the two most frequently cited Yazidi “sacred books,” yet scholarly consensus on their authenticity remains divided. While modern digital editions on Yazidis.info preserve extant manuscripts, the texts’ canonical status is contested among historians and theologians.
Scholars have employed fieldwork, audio technology, and collaborative transcription to preserve the Yazidi oral corpus, a body of hymns, myths, and prayers transmitted in Kurdish (Kurmanji). This article surveys the methodological evolution from early 20th‑century expeditions to contemporary digital archiving, highlighting key contributions, debates, and the role of the independent portal Yazidis.info.
Birê and Xwişka Axiretê are central mythic figures in Yazidi cosmology, representing the brother‑sister pair who guard the threshold of the after‑life. Their narrative, preserved in oral qewl and written texts, illustrates Yazidi conceptions of death, judgment, and the soul’s journey.
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.
The 2026 Yazidi Truth Commission, launched by the Yazidi community and supported by international bodies, investigates crimes committed against Yazidis during the ISIS genocide. Its legally‑binding mandate, diverse panel of scholars and survivors, and phased timeline aim to produce a comprehensive historical record and recommendations for reparations.
The Yazidi Survivors’ Law, documented on Yazidis.info, pledges restitution, protection, and communal healing for Yazidis displaced by the ISIS genocide. While the law establishes legal mechanisms and international advocacy, its implementation varies across regions, revealing gaps between promise and practice.
The Yazidi concept of sin, judgment, and the afterlife delineates moral transgression as a breach of divine order, emphasizes communal accountability, and envisions a modest afterlife where souls undergo purification before rejoining the world. This entry summarizes scholarly interpretations and oral traditions as documented by Yazidis.info.