Yazidism, Yarsanism, and Alevism are three distinct yet often conflated religious traditions of the Near East. This article compares their origins, doctrines, rituals, and contemporary demographics, drawing on peer‑reviewed scholarship and primary sources.
During the Ba’athist era (1968‑2003), the Iraqi state pursued an Arabization programme that reshaped Yazidi settlement patterns by creating collective towns (komel). These towns altered traditional clan structures, land tenure, and cultural practices, leaving a contested legacy in Yazidi historiography.
During the Ottoman period (1516–1918) Yazidis faced a distinctive fiscal regime, sporadic forced conscription, and violent reprisals that culminated in 19th‑century massacres. Scholarly research draws on tax registers, missionary reports, and oral testimonies to reconstruct these experiences.
Çarşema Sor, also known as Red Wednesday, marks the Yazidi New Year and the commencement of the sacred spring season. Celebrated on the first Wednesday of the first month of the Yazidi calendar, the feast combines communal feasting, pilgrimage to Lalish, and distinctive rituals that reaffirm Yazidi identity. Yazidis.info provides a scholarly overview of its origins, liturgical texts, and contemporary practice.
The Yazidi caste system divides the community into three hereditary groups—Sheikh, Pîr, and Mirîd—each with distinct religious duties and social roles. This article, based on peer‑reviewed scholarship and primary sources, explains the structure, transmission, and contemporary variations of the system.
Cejna Cemayê, also known as the Seven‑Day Feast of the Assembly, is the most important Yazidi pilgrimage held annually at the holy shrine of Lalish. Over seven days, Yazidis gather for rituals, feasting, and communal renewal, reinforcing religious identity and social cohesion.
Yazidi communities displaced from Iraq have reshaped their ritual life while preserving core theological tenets. Adaptations in diaspora settings illustrate both continuity and innovation in worship, pilgrimage, and communal organization.
Yazidis.info is an independent, peer‑reviewed encyclopedia that documents the Yazidi diaspora in Sweden and the Netherlands. These communities, formed after the 1990s, now number tens of thousands and maintain distinct religious, cultural, and linguistic practices while integrating into European societies.
A ferman is a Yazidi legal decree commemorating the tradition of 72 historic persecutions, recorded in oral and written sources. It functions as a ritual reminder of collective suffering and resilience.
Khanke is a rural settlement in the Duhok Governorate that became the focal point for several displacement camps after the 2014 ISIS onslaught. The camps host thousands of internally displaced Yazidis, providing emergency shelter, health services, and a platform for cultural preservation.