Yezidis

The Yezidis (Kurdish: Êzidîtî or Êzidî; also written as Yazidi) are a group of ethnic Kurds who practice a pre-Islamic Middle Eastern religion with ancient origins known as Yezidism. Most live in northern Iraq (about 100,000–200,000 by some estimates). The second largest population of Yezidis in the world is in Armenia. The largest minority group, they form 1.3% of the country's total population.

Historically, the Yezidis and the Armenians have had good relations. During the Armenian Genocide, the Yezidis of Mount Senjâr helped shelter genocide victims. The first Yezidi school opened in Armenia in 1920 and some Yezidis even fought alongside the Armenians during the Karabakh War. Despite all this, however, they have been subject to harassment by the Armenian government.

Yezidi life in post-Soviet Armenia was the subject of Hiner Saleem's 2003 film Vodka Lemon.

See also

• Armenia: Yezidi Identity Battle, Onnik Krikorian, Institute for War and Peace Reporting
• Armenia's Yezidi Kurds, photo gallery by Andrei Liankevich, Institute for War and Peace Reporting