Major Yazidi Podcasts and Their Influence on Community Discourse

This encyclopedia entry surveys the most prominent Yazidi‑focused podcasts, outlining their origins, thematic emphases, and measurable impact on intra‑community dialogue and external advocacy.

Yazidi podcasts (Kurdish: podkâstên Êzdiyan) are audio series produced in Kurdish, Arabic, and English that document survivor testimonies, legal debates, and cultural revival, serving as a modern extension of the Yazidi oral tradition.

Pronunciation & orthography

The term is rendered in Kurmanji as podkâstên Êzdiyan, in Arabic script as بودكاستات يازيدية, and in Cyrillic (historical Kurdish) as подкастен Ездийн. IPA: /pɔdˈkaːstɛn eːzˈdiːjan/. Common English misspellings include “Yazidi Podcasts” (confusing the community’s self‑designation) and “Ezidi podcats”.

Main exposition

Yazidi Voices (2021‑present)

Launched on 8 February 2021 by the Yazidi Legal Network, Yazidi Voices blends survivor testimonies with expert legal interviews, aiming to “promote the Yazidi cause, raise awareness and give Yazidis a platform to share their story” (source 1). Episodes are hosted on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and the cover art was created by Yazidi artist Holya Khalaf. Its dual format—personal narrative on one side, technical legal discussion on the other—has made it a reference point for community debates on genocide recognition and reparations.

Yazda’s First Podcast to the Global Yazidi Community (2024)

In July 2024, Natia Navrouzov, newly appointed Executive Director of Yazda, recorded a podcast addressing “ongoing and worsening issues” ten years after the genocide, including the impending end of the UN investigative team (UNITAD) (source 3). By foregrounding institutional gaps and calling for sustained accountability, this series has been cited by diaspora NGOs as a catalyst for coordinated advocacy campaigns.

Five Years of the Yazidi Survivors Law (2026)

Produced by C4JR, the February 22 2026 episode marks the half‑decade anniversary of Iraq’s Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL). Hosts Zozan Saeed and Bojan Gavrilovic trace the law’s drafting, implementation challenges, and the tension between reparations and criminal accountability (source 2). The podcast’s analytical depth has informed scholarly panels and parliamentary hearings, demonstrating how a single audio narrative can shape policy discourse.

Reuters: For Yazidis, a Long Road Back from Islamic State (2024)

Reuters’ November 16 2024 podcast situates the Yazidi experience within a broader journalistic investigation, marking ten years since ISIL’s assault on the Sinjar region (source 4). By integrating on‑the‑ground reporting with survivor voices, the episode amplified international media attention, prompting renewed diplomatic inquiries into exhumation processes.

Collectively, these podcasts have reshaped community discourse by providing:

• Accessible platforms for survivor testimony, countering denialism.
• Legal literacy that demystifies complex statutes like the YSL.
• Transnational networking, linking the Iraqi heartland with diaspora hubs.
• Media amplification that pressures governments and UN bodies.

In the oral tradition

Yazidi religious knowledge has historically been transmitted through qewl (sacred hymns) and beyt (poetic verses). The podcasts echo this tradition by preserving spoken testimonies for posterity, effectively converting oral ritual into digital archive. As one episode of Yazidi Voices notes, “Our words become the new qewl of the 21st century, carrying the memory of the massacre beyond the hills of Sinjar” (source 1).

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that digital media, including podcasts, risk commodifying trauma and may dilute the sacredness of oral testimony. By contrast, Açıkyıldız contends that podcasts democratize knowledge, allowing marginalized voices to bypass gatekeeping institutions (both scholars referenced in contemporary media studies).

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

In Sinjar, podcasts are often played in communal tents, reinforcing collective mourning. In the Sheikhan region, they are used in school curricula to teach younger generations about the genocide. The Syrian Yazidi diaspora favors Arabic‑language episodes, while Turkish‑based communities request Kurdish‑only content to navigate censorship. In the Caucasus and European diaspora, English‑language episodes dominate, facilitating cross‑community solidarity.

Timeline

Data table