Yezidis

Yazidis
Êzidî

Yazidis on the mountain of Sinjar, Iraqi–Syrian border, 1920s.
Total population
500,000–1,200,000
Regions with significant populations
Iraq	650,000
Germany	100,000–120,000
Syria	70,000
Russia	60,586
Armenia	35,272 (2011 census)
Georgia	30,843
Sweden	7,000
Religions
Yezidism
Languages
Northern Kurdish, (historically Ezdiki) & Arabic (Latin script)

The Yazidis, or Yezidis (/jəˈziːdiːz/ ( listen) yə-ZEE-dees) (Northern Kurdish: Êzidî, IPA: [eːzɪˈdiː]), are a Kurdish religious minorityindigenous to a region of northern Mesopotamia (known natively as Ezidkhan) who are strictly endogamous. Their religion, Yazidism, is linked to ancient Mesopotamian religions and combines aspects of Zoroastrianism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Yazidis who marry non-Yazidis are automatically considered to be converted to the religion of their spouse and therefore are not permitted to call themselves Yazidis. They live primarily in the Nineveh Province of Iraq. Additional communities in Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Syria have been in decline since the 1990s as a result of significant migration to Europe, especially to Germany. According to the UNCHR reports, it is disputed, even among the community itself as well as among Kurds, whether Yazidis are ethnically Kurds or form a distinct ethnic group.