The Yazidi are a Kurdish speaking religious group which is similar to Alevi and Ahl-eHaqq who are known by various terms as Yezidi, Eziditi, Êzidî , Dasinî, Azidi, Zedi and Izdi, and just as their names are diverse so are their syncretic belief systems which combines elements of various religious world views as including pagan nature worship, Islamic Sufism, Iranian Zoroastrianism and Mithraism, Judaism as well as Christianity in some of its heretical forms as encompassing Manichaean, Nestorian and Gnostic beliefs.
To begin with I think one of the ironic concepts of this whole belief system is that they have depended upon the religion of other so called polluted people who are the dysfunctional offspring of Adam and Eve to formulate their own worldview. This is further complicated as they strive to be religiously pure with a reluctance towards mixing elements and yet they have somewhat plagiarized these other religions and then presented them as their own. Thus this movement lacks the originality and foundation as building upon another mans work as symbolically bowing down to these false religions to create essentially a god after their own image and likeness which is definably idolatrous or self-serving. So as a result how can you be reassured that these corrupted movements can be reformulated into a cohesive religious narrative which depicts essential or ultimate truth?
Other controversial aspects of this group are its religious texts or holy books with such works as the Kiteba Cilwe or “Book of Revelation or Illumination” and Mishefa Res or the “Black Book” of which scholars attribute its compilation as a recent response by non Yezidis to assimilate information for the sake of Westerners to gain comprehension of this movement and therefore should not be understood as directly originating from its founder(s). Today, this groups hymns or qawls is becoming published as fulfilling a need to somehow preserve the beliefs of this diasporic people’s which had previously been a society without writing as being committed to oral tradition which in and of itself is problematic as embellishing the storyline through successive generations. This brings me to my next point in that some of these practices are becoming modernized as well which makes me wonder how can you change an enlightened procedure to meet the whimsical needs of a contemporary society which in due time is likely to change once again?
Anyway even if these texts were to somehow accurately depict their original beliefs it would still contain erroneous teachings as corresponding with the mythical content of eastern folklore with its creation myths in being a superior race as the unique offspring of Adam. Moreover they are regarded as a chosen people in the ‘Black Book’ as giving them an exclusive heritage as an ethnically privileged society through their ancestry between the union of the “Son of Jar” and a houri which supposedly came about as a result of Adam and Eve quarreling over which of them would have the creative right of birthing children at which point Adam somehow asexually produced what was to become this special offspring before the role of sexes were determined. The legend goes that each one stored their seed in a jar which was sealed and when Eve opened hers it was full of insects and other unpleasant creatures, but inside Adam’s jar there was a beautiful boy child. This lovely child, known as Shehid bin Jer is how the ancestry of the Yazidis came about. Therefore, the Yazidi are regarded as descending from Adam alone, while other humans are descendants of both Adam and Eve. Which intuitively should be enough for them to question such a belief in light of how big the world is in contrast to the size of their small and diminished fringe group? Anyway I think from the modern persons perspective it becomes obvious that this is an outlandish tale as stemming from the corruption or distortion of the biblical narrative about Adam and Eve which emphasizes Eve as the first human to rebel against God’s commands in bringing forth the consequence of evil upon the whole human race.
Other unscientific aspects of this myth depict God originally creating the world as a pearl and then over a magical period of time transformed it into its current state. Which again is an unfounded belief that is preposterous in its conjecture.
Some of the other dubious professions follow the philosophy of deism in thinking that God initially created and then became uninvolved in earthly matters as entrusting the care of the world to the agency of seven holy beings, angels or seven mysteries; the chief of whom is Melek Taus or Tawuse Melek better known as the Peacock Angel. This also contains a mythical story which is an alteration to Quranic or Islamic origins as God tests the archangels who helped construct Adam and then instructed them to bow to Adam of which Tawûsê Melek wisely disobeyed which in turn god praised him as making him the chief leader of his angels as to their rule on the earth.
Also other fanciful stories state how that the archangel Melek Taus comes down to the Earth on the first Wednesday of April as believing that this was the day he was created and is celebrated as their New Year.
Superstitions are also at the heart of their culture such as the ritual of sacrificing an ox as a means to declare the arrival of fall in asking for precipitation during the winter in order to bring the Earth back to life the next spring.
Additionally taboos and prohibitions play a role in their beliefs such as showing respect for earth, air, fire and water as abstaining from spitting on them. Some even discourage pouring hot water on the ground because they believe that the spirits or souls that may be present would be harmed or offended by such actions if they happen to be splashed by the discarded liquid. Furthermore they also refrain from wearing the color blue or possibly green which makes me wonder what a person would do if their eye color corresponded to this restriction.
Other practices show aspects of pagan nature worship as praying while facing the sun or worshipping the angelic beings through the form of seven bronze or iron peacock figures called Sanjaq, which the bible condemns as futility and foolishness.
Romans 1:18-23
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Revelation 22:8-9, Hebrews 1, Colossians 2:18
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
As far as their doctrinal beliefs are concerned, they like many other Eastern Indian religions, believe that reincarnation/metempsychosis or transmigration of the soul is a way to expiate them when they have violated the divine laws in allowing for the progressive purification of the spirit. Additionally they propose the Seven Holy Beings are periodically reincarnated in human form, called a koasasa. Anyway I have previously addressed reincarnation in respect to heaven and hell and I am even including a video clip from a medical doctor along with the testimonies of those have had near death experiences which would stand in contrast to such mythological stories as Malak Ta’us dousing the flames of hell by crying over thousands of years because of the suffering and pain of mankind.
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vQ8TEGMj-jc
jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2010/02/16/hinduism-and-reincarnation/
Another questionable matter is that this group revolves around the personality cult of a Yazidi saint and Muslim mystic known as Shaykh Adi ibn Musafir who supposedly achieved divinity through metempsychosis and is considered an avatar of Tawuse Melek the peacock angel. His tomb has become a focal point for Yazidi pilgrimage as their national patron saint. Moreover, Shaykh Adi, like many other eastern spiritual teachers, yogis and gurus seems to have a fixation towards the mysticism of their character as being someone of spiritual significance or influence which categorizes many of these sort of people as being subjected to a psychosis of delusion as having religious ideations or perhaps even having an operative towards deliberate deception. This can be readily seen by such things of which he said about himself in believing that the spirit of Tawûsê Melek was the same as his own, perhaps as a reincarnation. He goes on to say, according to tradition, that he was there when Adam was living in Paradise, and also when Nemrud threw Abraham in the fire. Furthermore He goes on to state that he was present when God said to him: ‘You are the ruler and Lord on the Earth’ as God, the compassionate, has given me seven earths and the throne of heaven. In addition to this supposedly Shaykh Adi or Şêx Adî, his companion Şêx Hasan and a group known as the Four Mysteries namely Shamsadin, Fakhradin, Sajadin and Naserdin were all called into existence by God at the beginning of all things. Which I think shows signs of narcissistic behavior behind the individual as making such claims to fame.
Conclusively by taking in account all of this information this movement replicates cultish like behavior which is characteristic as focusing on certain personalities including isolating or secluding themselves from society by means of a caste system that is dependent upon a group identity as keeping outsiders from their inner circle as they predominantly reside within a Yezidi community. This isolation is further solidified and reinforced by their cultural stories and through the socialization of their religious rites and the variety of taboos governing many aspects of life as well as their prohibition against outside literary sources. This is further reinforced through the coercion of fear and intimidation so much so that it has in some instances cause them to act radically with such behavior as kidnapping, expulsion or excommunicating as forfeiting the soul of other apostate members as well as performing honor killing. This can be seen as in 2007 when a group of around 200 Yazidis beat and stoned to death a 17-year-old Yazidi girl named Du’a Khalil Aswad for falling in love with a Muslim boy. Then there is also the account of a Yazidi family living in Germany who was convicted of murdering their sister, Arzu Ozmen, who fell in love with a German journeymen baker as violating their taboo of exogamy.
When you combine this with matters such as the inability to question or challenge authority as maintaining a structural and hierarchical form of leadership such as with the secular leader as a hereditary emir or prince and the chief sheikh as the religious leader then you see that the community becomes an impregnable force much like a Mafioso. To top this off the Kiteba Cilwe makes the claim that the supreme authority, Tawûsê Melek, has been given the oversight of responsibilities, blessings and misfortunes as he sees fit and that it is not for the race of Adam to question him which brings me to an even bigger question than maintaining control of this group as to why this privileged society as a whole has suffered so much persecution under the rule or reign of these archangels? In summary when any religious group goes to such extremes to manipulate people it should be a warning sign to vacate.
In closing I know this presentation seems harsh at points and perhaps overemphasizes some questionable aspects of this belief system and I hope that I have not violated these precious people even further with my rhetorical views but rather what I desire to achieve is to respectively challenge them to the other side of the story as objectively rethinking the validity of their position with the anticipation of leading them to a new and beneficial opportunity.
Therefore I would like to share about Christianity which has been partially instrumental as originating many of their ideas. To begin with Christianity is more than just a religion or institution but rather it is about a dynamic relationship with an immanent God whom you can know personally through the intermediacy of Jesus Christ. This is not achieved by the moral efforts, works, or merits of mankind by the process of living successive lives but rather it comes through the expiation of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the human altar of the cross.
So in closing I would like to invite you to look towards Jesus as the “Son” of God arising in your hearts as being the divine incarnation of God on earth as representing mankind before the heavenly Father as the Light of the World as illuminating the path for humanity. He is the one who can take your filthy clothes of moral failures and exchange them for robes of righteousness in making you garments as purely white as snow. He has the power to regenerate mankind in making His followers heirs of righteousness both now and in the life to come. Furthermore He continually washes you as renewing your mind according to His word as setting you apart unto God.
Perhaps you have felt like you have failed in this life as not fully submitting your mind and spirit to moral excellency as confirmed by the whisper of your soul as convicting your moral conscience. Maybe you feel that you are not able to live up to the goals and expectations of your groups religious ideologies as choosing right from wrong or good from evil. However I encourage you that the person and work of Christ can give you a new nature as making you alive unto God as living a holy life for His glory thus efficaciously removing guilt and shame. This is the good news my friend of which I and many millions of others are experiencing and in closing I would like to share our testimonies with you.
www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/
Romans 7: 21-25
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Lastly Jesus welcomes you with these words
Mt:11:28-30
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
How to have a relationship with God
Other links
jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2013/09/08/yezidi-resources/
Encyclopaedia Britannica,Inc., copyright 1993, Vol.12, pg.828, Yazidi
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007