But the discovery of new information reveals what they were previously unaware of. That is why they say that the dead do not know they are dead, nor are they aware of the weeping of those around them or the funeral and burial arrangements. But everyone around them knows that they have passed away. A foolish or ignorant person often does not know that he is a fool, but everyone around him knows it. I have recently finished reading a wonderful novel by the internationally acclaimed Turkish- British author Elif Shafak, titled “There Are Rivers in the Sky.”
The novel revolves around the Epic of Gilgamesh, the discovery of the clay tablets that tell the century-long suffering of the Yazidi people in Iraq, and many other fascinating topics. The novel is of the encyclopedic type, blending fact, fiction, and emotion. Some aspects of the novel prompted me to research the culture and history of the Yazidis. I found that the origin of the name is a matter of debate among scholars, but the most prevalent opinion attributes it to Yazid ibn Mu’awiya. I don’t see a connection to the Yazidis, though they are not Muslim. Others believe the name is derived from an ancient Persian word like Yazd or Ezid, meaning “holy,” “devoted,” or “God.”
This might suggest that their origins trace back to the ancient Persian province of Yazd. However, there is no definitive proof. The Yazidis adhere to a monotheistic religion with ancient roots, believing in one God, the creator of the universe. They do not allow conversion to this religion, as it is non-proselytizing, and they do not have a prophet or messenger like those in the Abrahamic religions. Some scholars view the Yazidis as an extension or a blend of ancient religions in Mesopotamia and Iran. Perhaps their origins lie in Islamic sects, from which they later separated, as did the Druze.
The Yazidis are of Indo-European origin, like the Persians and Kurds, and their language is Kurdish. Their dialect is called Kurmanji. Historically, the Yazidis have lived in northern Iraq and have a unique understanding of good and evil. Due to their beliefs and practices, they have been subjected to genocides throughout history, the most recent being in 2014 at the hands of ISIS, particularly in the Sinjar region.
This occurred after the Kurdish Peshmerga forces abandoned them by suddenly withdrawing from Sinjar before the attack, leaving them without adequate protection. This event reinforced a sense among some of the need for the Yazidis to return and assert their distinct identity, separate from the broader Kurdish one. The Yazidis perform their prayers individually, facing the sun. One of their holy holidays is the Yazidi New Year, which they celebrate in their holy city of Lalish. Their population is estimated to be between 500,000 and 1.5 million, and they reside in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and Germany. In short, the novel “There Are Rivers in the Sky” is worth reading.
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