Yezidis

British  

/ ˈjɛzɪdɪz /

plural noun

1. a religious sect found in the Kurdish areas of Iraq, Turkey, and Syria, whose beliefs combine elements of Zoroastrianism, Islam, Christianity, and other religions; in addition to believing in a Supreme God, the Yezidi worship seven angels, among whom is the devil, who is believed to have repented and been pardoned and reinstated as chief angel

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Etymology

Origin of Yezidis

C19: perhaps from Yazid or Ezid a name for God

Example Sentences

But like thousands of other exiled Yezidis, they are still dealing with the psychological aftermath of a forced migration that tore families apart.

From Science Magazine • May 16, 2017

For Yezidis, Kizilhan and others pushed for a collective response to the rapes and forced conversions: a change in religious laws to allow women and forced converts to again become official Yezidis.

From Science Magazine • May 16, 2017

Yezidis believe that souls are reborn until they achieve perfection, says Khanna Omarkhali, a scholar of Yezidi religion at the University of Göttingen in Germany.

From Science Magazine • May 16, 2017

Yezidis stand out for the communities they forge in refugee camps, which they often set up on their own, separate from Muslims and other groups.

From Science Magazine • May 16, 2017

The Yezidis reverence Moses, Christ, and Mohammed, in addition to many of the saints and prophets held in veneration both by Christians and Moslems.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 4, September, 1850 by Various