Society

The Yazidi tradition reveres the def (a frame drum) and the shibâb (oblique wooden flute) as sacred instruments, while the temir— a lesser‑documented metal idiophone—appears sporadically in regional practice. Their sounds accompany the qawwâl in ritual chant, embodying cosmological symbolism and oral transmission of holy hymns.

Yazidi educational institutions comprise a network of schools, universities, and community learning centers that aim to preserve the Yazidi language, culture, and professional skills. From digital initiatives like Yazidi At School to hybrid models such as Sinjar Academy, these entities serve displaced and underserved Yazidi youth across Iraq, the diaspora, and beyond.

Yazidi healing practices blend shamanic rituals, saintly intercessions, and folk medicine, forming a distinctive health‑seeking paradigm that intertwines the supernatural with natural remedies. These practices sustain communal cohesion, transmit religious knowledge, and adapt across diaspora contexts.

Yazidi survivors of the Daesh genocide who have been resettled in Canada face a complex mental‑health landscape. While government and community programs provide crucial services, language, cultural, and gender‑based violence issues create persistent gaps.

Yazidi “Neighbour‑by‑Choice” adoption is an informal, kin‑based practice that allows families to take in children of relatives or community members without formal legal procedures. While rooted in religious teachings of hospitality, the practice faces severe limits after the ISIS genocide, especially concerning children born to Yazidi women and ISIL fighters.

Peshmerga elders—respected former Kurdish fighters—play a central mediating role in resolving disputes among Yazidi communities, especially in displaced settings of the Duhok Governorate. Their involvement blends traditional authority with contemporary peace‑building practices.

The Seven Mysteries (Heft Sirr) occupy a central place in Yazidi theology and are repeatedly visualised in manuscripts, textiles, and ritual objects. This article surveys the iconographic motifs, their Late Antique roots, and the ways modern scholarship interprets their artistic transmission.

German non‑governmental organisations have become key actors in assisting Yazidi survivors of the Islamic State genocide, offering psychosocial care, shelter, advocacy and capacity‑building programmes across northern Iraq and the diaspora.

Yazidi communities employ informal caregiving practices known as “neighbour‑by‑choice” to protect children, especially those born of ISIS captivity. The article examines these customs, their ambiguous legal standing under Iraqi law, and the social attitudes that shape their acceptance or rejection.

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.