Yezidism in Europe: Different Generations Speak about their Religion

Abstract

In their new environments, they take on multiple minority identities, not only as "Turkishâ[euro] or "Iraqi' migrants (depending on their country of origin) but also as "Kurdsâ[euro] and "adherents of Yezidism,â[euro] a faith that is as radically different from Christianity as it is from the Sunni Islam that is practiced by Muslim Kurds. Because Yezidi religion is based not on books but rather on oral tradition, it does not fit into the confines of either Islam or any other of the religions of so-called "Peoples of the Book.â[euro] This difference was the cause of considerable persecution in the past and led to Yezidis living on the social peripheries of their respective homelands. [...]traditional norms and values formerly associated with the religion are increasingly hard to preserve in the new environment, where the "religiousâ[euro] and the "secularâ[euro] spheres are sharply differentiated. [...]the transformation of the Yezidi religion also impacts numerous traditional social institutions and behavioral rules closely intertwined with it. Arranged by topic, they explore such fascinating and controversial issues as religious authority, ways of transmitting religious knowledge, the caste system, the problems of marrying out, intercaste marriage, bride price, elopement, blood feuds, the role of elders in the community, ethnic and tribal identity, the serious constraints on communication between different generations, the status of women, personal freedom, and the desirable extent of contact with non-Yezidi society.

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Contemporary Social Identities

Philip Kreyenbroek's Yezidism in Europe is the third volume in what could be termed a "series on Yezidi religion.â[euro] Yezidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority that originally lived in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia. In the past few decades, political upheavals and economic difficulties have forced many members of the community to migrate to Western Europe (primarily Germany) and the states of the former Soviet Union. In their new environments, they take on multiple minority identities, not only as "Turkishâ[euro] or "Iraqi' migrants (depending on their country of origin) but also as "Kurdsâ[euro] and "adherents of Yezidism,â[euro] a faith that is as radically different from Christianity as it is from the Sunni Islam that is practiced by Muslim Kurds. Because Yezidi religion is based not on books but rather on oral tradition, it does not fit into the confines of either Islam or any other of the religions of so-called "Peoples of the Book.â[euro] This difference was the cause of considerable persecution in the past and led to Yezidis living on the social peripheries of their respective homelands.

The first two volumes published by Kreyenbroek (Yezidism: Its Background, Observances and Textual Tradition [Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1995]; and God and Sheikh Adi are Perfect: Sacred Poems and Religious Narratives from the Yezidi Tradition [Wiesbaden, Germany: Harrassowitz, 2005]) introduced the academic public to the Yezidi religious oral tradition, complete with the translation of a number of Yezidi sacred texts from Iraq. This third volume concentrates more on the diaspora communities living in Germany and the former Soviet Union and their far from homogenous perceptions of contemporary Yezidi religion. In collaboration with Z. Kartal (from Turkey), Kh. Omarkhali (from Armenia), and Kh. Jindy Rashow (from Iraq), Kreyenbroek presents a comprehensive view of the Yezidi community and gives voice to Yezidis of different ages and from a range of home countries, educational backgrounds, and socioreligious strata.

Readers expecting an initiation into the esoteric secrets of the Yezidi religious belief system are bound to be disappointed. Most of the interviewees, even those belonging to the hereditary "priestlyâ[euro] castes, have little formal knowledge of the Yezidi religion, mythology, and texts. The reader instead gets an insider's look into how members of the community experience their religion and religious identity vis-à-vis a non-Yezidi (and non-Kurdish) culture surrounding them. In addition to the usual dilemma faced by diaspora communities, that of assimilation versus maintaining traditions, Yezidis face a less common challenge. They--in particular the younger generations that have been socialized among their Christian peers--have to adapt an orally based religion to the intellectual demands of a society that is familiar only with scripture-based religious traditions. In the lands of its origins, the Yezidi religion is absorbed as part of the culture and experienced as a way of life rather than as a rigidly fixed belief system and theology acquired through formal learning and books. Rather than demanding the profession of abstract concepts, being a Yezidi is characterized by ritual observance and by conformance to certain norms and values that govern social behavior and determine one's place within the Yezidi community. These range from affirming key values such as "shameâ[euro] and "honor,â[euro] to respecting and obeying (hereditary) religious authorities and one's elders, to giving preference to the interests of the family/group over that of the individual.

As Kreyenbroek explains, Yezidis in the diaspora are confronted with a need to present their religion to both outsiders and German-born Yezidis in new ways that are compatible with religious traditions based on scriptural authority. This has led to considerable confusion within the community as to what constitutes the Yezidi religion and to a growing realization of the necessity to (re)construct and represent this religion according to the conditions of a culturally complex, modern society. More and more educated Yezidis feel the need to develop a corpus of canonized texts and what Kreyenbroek calls "a unified, authoritative, and essentialist form of religionâ[euro] (p. 44). This has set off a process of scripturalization, which includes attempts to formulate a set of clearly defined concepts that can be debated intellectually and explained to outsiders. At the same time, traditional norms and values formerly associated with the religion are increasingly hard to preserve in the new environment, where the "religiousâ[euro] and the "secularâ[euro] spheres are sharply differentiated. Thus the transformation of the Yezidi religion also impacts numerous traditional social institutions and behavioral rules closely intertwined with it.

After a brief but concise introduction to the Yezidi religion, religious observances, and social rules and the history of the diaspora communities, this volume is largely devoted to the voices of the Yezidis interviewed by the researchers. The carefully selected passages offer firsthand insight into the main concerns of diaspora Yezidis. Arranged by topic, they explore such fascinating and controversial issues as religious authority, ways of transmitting religious knowledge, the caste system, the problems of marrying out, intercaste marriage, bride price, elopement, blood feuds, the role of elders in the community, ethnic and tribal identity, the serious constraints on communication between different generations, the status of women, personal freedom, and the desirable extent of contact with non-Yezidi society.

The interviews are divided into two chapters. One of these chapters is devoted to the older generations that represent the traditional mores of their homelands and the other to the younger ones socialized in Germany. On occasion, however, the sections include quotations from the interviews with the other generation for comparative purposes. Encountering this juxtaposition of voices representing different views on sensitive issues, the reader feels that s/he is taking part in an ongoing conversation concerning the way the future of the community should be shaped in the diaspora.

The concepts "diaspora,â[euro] "transnational communities,â[euro] "cultural hybridity,â[euro] and "identity (re)constructionâ[euro] have attracted increasing attention in cultural and social studies. This book fits into this new academic discourse, exploring these themes from the perspective of an oral religion. It is recommended not only to the aficionados of Yezidi studies but also to those interested in minority studies, migration, diasporization, and assimilation. It is an important documentary work that may offer raw comparative material for a new generation of researchers.