Who are the 'Yezidi' people?

The Yezidis (also known as Yazidi and Ezidi) are an ancient people group from the Mesopotamian region. Most Yezidi people that still live in the Middle East are based in Iraq and Syria, their estimated population is 400,000 – 600,000, but exact figures are difficult to pin down.  Traditionally farmers, they lived in isolation and had their own villages. Many of these were destroyed however by the Saddam regime in an attempt to ‘arabise’ the Middle East, and they were forced to move to collective villages. While the majority remained in agriculture and close to their holy sites, others became professionals and moved closer to the city.  After Saddam’s ousting, the Yezidis were targeted by al-Qaeda which killed approximately 800 of them in a series of bomb blasts. The Yezidis are no strangers to persecution however, they have suffered multiple massacres and attempts at forced conversion to Islam by Muslims over the centuries and are proud survivors.

If their religion isn’t Islam, what is it?

The religion of the Yezidi people is Yezidism. It has some similarities to the other Abrahamic religions - Christianity, Islam and Judaism, as well as some unique beliefs.  They have many of the same stories like Noah’s Ark, and they see Jesus as the greatest prophet. They believe that God is the creator, and that he, along with seven angels created the world, as well as Adam and Eve.  When God asked the angels to bow down to Adam, one refused and fell to the earth, becoming a peacock. Despite (or because of) his refusal to bow to Adam, God eventually put him in charge of the angels and humans on earth.  

One who is not a Yezidi cannot become one, this is an important point because it means they don’t attempt to convert anyone to Yezidism.  The only way to be a Yezidi is to be born to parents who are both Yezidi. If someone marries a spouse from another faith, they are considered to have converted to that faith and their children can’t be Yezidi either.  

How have they ended up in Australia?

August 3, 2014 is burnt into the collective memory of the Yezidi people as the day Islamic State (IS/ISIS) stormed their homes in Sinjar and marked the beginning of an active genocidal campaign against the Yezidi people.  IS had the direct intent of removing as many Yezidis as possible – executing many and taking the others into enslavement. Some 10,000 Yezidis were killed by IS during their reign of terror. Young women and girls who were kidnapped were sold or given to IS members as sex slaves, the boys forcibly trained as jihads.  Yezidis who have made it to Australia have escaped, or been liberated from IS. The trauma they’ve suffered is unimaginable.

If IS/ISIS has been defeated, why can’t they go home?

While Baghdad has declared victory over IS, Yezidis do not feel safe in their homeland, particularly after the Kurdish armed forces failed to protect their community in 2014. They don’t feel safe because the IS attack, while the worst, was by no means the first persecution or attempted genocide they’ve endured.  Many Yezidis fear it isn’t their last targeted attack, and feel like there’s no one to protect them in their homelands.

IS not only committed atrocities against the Yezidi people, they also destroyed their homes, properties and religious sites, severely hampering prospects of the surviving Yezidis returning to their homeland swiftly.

Many families have resettled in countries as far as Germany, the U.S. and Australia, while others are still trying to seek asylum. 

How can you help Yezidis?

Toowoomba is now home to more than 1000 Yezidi people, most of whom arrived in the last 2+ years after being granted humanitarian VISAs through the Australian government. More than 95% of youBelong’s current programs are catering for newly arrived Yezidi people. So every time a Welcome Picnic is hosted, or a GROW Trauma Recovery Program is facilitated, or a youBelong volunteer visits a home, Yezidi people are being seen, heard, connected and welcomed in the community. By volunteering with us, making a donation, or fundraising your way, you can be part of this vital work of love, acceptance and healing for Yezidis.

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Written by Jessica Schultz