Realizing the threat of the disappearance of Yazidis as a result of mass Christianization, few people today offer effective recipes for its prevention. Although every year the situation is becoming more complex and somewhat irreversible.

What helped the Yazidis to survive for centuries in the foreign environment – in the information society with the development of social networks ceases to operate. It is impossible to forcibly "isolate the young Yazid from peers of other nationalities and religions as well as from other Yazidis who have already converted to Christianity and therefore are engaged in proselytise "with knowledge of the situation" within the Yazid community.

It is clear that the Yazidi information resources, where you can get information about the uniqueness and antiquity of the Yazidi religion, about the life of the Yazidi community, its achievements and problems play a role in the preservation of Yazidi identity. But these resources are not enough.

In addition, for example, those Yazidi resources that are finalised by Kurdish organizations (including in the Autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan) focus on the community of Yazidis and Kurds and in General almost do not pay attention to the preservation of the Yazidi religion.

And it is also possible to understand. Many Kurdish ideologists, especially leftists, generally consider religion a "thing of the past" so expect them to care about the preservation of the Yazidi faith is not necessary. In principle, with great respect for the religion of the Yazidis is the Republic of Armenia which does not seek to "merge the Yazidis with the Kurds" – but the resources of the Armenian state are cut, it can not always support in due measure even the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The specificity of the Yazidi religion is still such that it has a lot of sacred, intimate, mystical, open to only a few. Those who, in their duty as clergymen (sheikhs and pir) are obliged to take care of both the spiritual heritage of the Yezidis and the spiritual and moral health of the yezisk community. Yazidism is a treasure that has been cherished for centuries.

Sheikhs and peers not to rip the secrets of the wisdom of the Yezidi tradition of the "first comer", in order to avoid the profanation of creeds – and in principle they are right. After all, the enemies of the Yazidis have always sought reasons for mockery and sacrilege against the faith of the Yazidis.

In addition, even Yazid himself is very persistently interested in the secret Yazidi creed (if he does not belong to the sheikhs and pir) – sometimes interested in "not just". There is a risk that he figuratively speaking "touches" other religions and compares them with his own. Thus, there is a possibility that such a person has already "one foot" on the path of apostasy.

If you open him the secret – then perhaps he sincerely repent of his attempts to change the faith of the fathers. But can be and contrary – he will find mystical the beginning of in other religions "more persuasive." Will it turn out that the secret was shared with the apostate, who just trampled it?

On the other hand, how to be when young Yazidis, pure in heart and eager to learn about the faith of their fathers, want to get information at least to prevent the conversion of their friends and relatives to Christianity – and they cannot. Especially if these Yazidis live in small villages.

Often among their closest neighbours there are no authoritative sheikhs and peers, in social networks there is no possibility to contact the Yazidi clergy and get an answer to spiritual questions. Especially to go with these questions to another village or city – it does not always work.

The fact that the faith of the Yazidis is largely "closed", "secret", access in its entirety a little – it helped her survive for centuries. But in today's world, the reverent attitude of the Yazidis to their spiritual wealth comes into conflict with the information shaft, which falls on the Yazidi community.

The way out of this can be – if we take the analogy with Christianity – the so-called "catechism" (it is usually carried out by priests with young parishioners explaining to them the basics of the creed and sacred services).

That is, there should be an explanation to the young Yazidis of the most important foundations of the Yazidis religion – but initially without opening the entire depth of the Yazidis spiritual heritage, which in principle unprepared for this young people are not able to perceive – so deeply. It is also necessary to analyse and accumulate "experience of discussions" with representatives of other faiths, including former Yazidis, to know what arguments are most often used for proselytise, and to be able to resist them.  We need resources and groups in social networks de defenders of the Yazidi faith could coordinate their activities.

It is hoped that those Yazidis, who as a result of this imbued with a sincere "spiritual impulse" to the faith of the fathers, will try to do everything to protect the unstable members of the yazidi community from apostasy, so that Yazidi families were strong and they indulged in the spiritual heritage of previous generations of Yazidis.

Ezdin Safari

Yazidis.info