The persecuted Yazīdīs flocked to the assembly in Lalish
The Yazīdīs experienced genocide under the IS attacks. Their story must be told, but they seem strong and flocked to the assembly in Lalish, Cenja Cemaiya (Feast of the Assembly). Most people have never heard about the Yazīdīs. The religion itself has roots that go back perhaps 6000 years. While often labelled as simply Christians for their belief in a singular god and Jesus, they have many rites, wisdom, and teachings taken from other religions and a creation story that mirrors that in Zoroastrianism. This was our first day in Kurdistan on the trip through Iraq and Kurdistan.
The last girl
That is the title of Nadia Murad’s book, published in 2017. In 2018, Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege received the Nobel Peace Prize for their fight against sexual violence in war. I read the book when it came out and again just before I left for Iraq. Since I knew we would visit Laish, I wanted to remind myself of what the Yazīdīs went through between 2014 and 2016. Islamic State militants massacred the people of Nadia’s village, executing men who refused to convert to Islam and women too old to become sex slaves. Nadia was taken to Mosul and forced, along with thousands of other Yazīdī girls, into the IS slave trade. It is an eye-opener and a book I recommend.
The Yazīdīs
The Yazīdīs are a Kurdish religious minority in northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, the Caucasus region, and parts of Iran. Although scattered and probably numbering only between 200,000 and 1,000,000, the Yazīdīs have a well-organized society, with a chief sheikh as the supreme religious head and an emir or prince as the secular head. The Yazīdī belief system is highly concerned with spiritual purity, and so Yazīdīs follow a diversity of taboos governing aspects of daily life. Marriage outside the community is forbidden.
The Yazīdīs have no strict dress code for men or women. Women do not have to cover their hair or arms. Blue is a holy colour for them, so when dressed up for a party, especially the women, they often wear blue. The Yazīdī cosmogony holds that a supreme creator god made the world, and the chief divine being is Malaks Ṭāʾūs (“Peacock Angel”), who is worshipped in the form of a peacock. That is why the peacocks are very prominent in their surroundings.
Lalish Temple
Lalish Temple is located in the Sheikhan district in northern Iraq. It is in a mountain strait surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the road leading to it is a winding mountain valley road. Lalish Temple is considered the main temple of the Yazīdīs religion, and it is a unique spot where silence and calm, fresh air, greenery, trees and domes above the heights that extend on both sides of the holy valley. UNESCO Heritage protects it.
Walking around
Even though I arrived at the assembly with the group, I wanted to walk around alone. People were very friendly, and I did not feel unwelcome. Of course, most people were young because they probably lost many people during the war and because this place is where young people meet and greet. It also became clear that not many people had grey hair. I think they are good at colouring their hair.
After what these people have gone through in the last few years, it is nice to see they have the will and strength to carry on their traditions. People who know me know that I am not much of a traditionalist; I live in the moment, and traditions are there to be broken. But I can say that because I have the freedom to choose. In small communities, they do not have the same opportunity. And I can see that when you are a tiny minority, traditions are holding it together.
These young guys were keeping the street and area clean. I asked them how to get to the toilet, and they were very helpful. They even came running after me, offering me a water bottle. All in all, I had a couple of pleasant hours in this holy place. I do not think the experience of visiting this spot on a quiet day would have given the same impression. After all, this is not a place where people live.
