Yazidism in Syria refers to people born in or residing in Syria who adhere to Yazidism,[1] a strictly endogamous religion.[2][3] Yazidis in Syria live primarily in two communities, one in the Al-Jazira area and the other in the Kurd-Dagh.[1] Exact population data of Yazidis in Syria is unavailable, but it is estimated that between 10,000-50,000 Yazidis reside in Syria.[4]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 10,000-50,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Aleppo Governorate, Jazira Region | |
| Languages | |
| Kurmanji Kurdish |
Population numbers for the Syrian Yazidi community are unclear. In 1963, the community was estimated at 10,000, according to the national census, but numbers for 1987 were unavailable.[5] There may be between about 12,000 and 15,000 Yazidis in Syria today.[1][6] Since 2014, more Yazidis from Iraq have sought refuge in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria to escape the genocide of Yazidis by ISIL.[7][8][9] In 2014, there were about 40,000 Yazidis in Syria, primarily in the Al-Jazirah.[10]
Following the extension of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria into the Kurdish-majority Afrin District, reports have emerged of Yazidis in demographically mixed villages of the Kurd-Dagh region being targeted by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) because of their religious identity,[11] as well as having their shrines desecrated.[12] As in October 2019 Turkey invaded the north eastern part of Syria; several Yazidi villages have been targeted and their inhabitants fled to the region still under the control of the AANES.[13] Kidnapping of Yazidi women and girls by the SNA is an ongoing problem.[14][15][16]
Notable Syrian-Yazidi people
edit- Ibrahim Khalil: is a Yazidi singer from Syria.[17]
See also
editFurther reading
edit- Maisel, Sebastian (2017). Yezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-7774-7.
References
edit- ^ a b c Allison, Christine (February 20, 2004). "Yazidis i: General". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
- ^ Açikyildiz, Birgül (December 23, 2014). The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9780857720610.
- ^ Gidda, Mirren (August 8, 2014). "Everything You Need to Know About the Yazidis". Time. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ^ Mosul, A. view of a Yazidi temple in Lalish some 50 kilometersnorth of the Iraqi city of; May 11; Zhumatov, 2003-REUTERS/Shamil (October 18, 2013). "Yazidis Benefit From Kurdish Gains In Northeast Syria - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
{{cite web}}:|first3=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Federal Research Division. Syria. "Chapter 5: Religious Life". Library of Congress Country Studies. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
- ^ Commins, David Dean (2004). Historical Dictionary of Syria. Scarecrow Press. p. 282. ISBN 0-8108-4934-8. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
- ^ Sly, Liz (August 10, 2014). "Exodus from the mountain: Yazidis flood into Iraq following US airstrikes". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ Chulov, Martin (August 11, 2014). "Yazidis tormented by fears for women and girls kidnapped by Isis jihadis". The Guardian. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ Krohn, Jonathan (August 10, 2014). "Iraq crisis: 'It is death valley. Up to 70 per cent of them are dead'". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved August 12, 2014.[dead link]
- ^ Khalifa, Mustafa (2013), "The impossible partition of Syria", Arab Reform Initiative: 3–5
- ^ Thomas McGee, 'Nothing is ours anymore' – HLP rights violations in Afrin, Syria (2019) in Reclaiming Home: The struggle for Socially Just Housing, Land and Property Rights in Syria, Iraq and Libya 132.
- ^ Frantzman, Seth. "Turkey's occupation of Syria slammed for ethnic cleansing". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Ahmado, Nisan (October 16, 2019). "Hundreds of Yazidis Displaced Amid Turkey's Incursion in Northeast Syria | Voice of America - English". Voice of America. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Hagedorn, Elizabeth (June 2, 2020). "'An insult to women' everywhere: Afrin kidnappings prompt calls for investigation of Turkey-backed rebels - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Frantzman, Seth (June 8, 2020). "Kurdish woman reportedly murdered in Turkish-occupied Afrin". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Kajjo, Sirwan (June 10, 2020). "Rights Groups Concerned About Continued Abuses in Afrin | Voice of America - English". Voice of America. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ سترانا "دایکا من" ئا هۆنەرمەندێ ئێزیدی "ئیبراهیم خەلیل" وێ ل نێزیک ب کلیب ئێتە بەلاڤکرن