1 Day with Iraq’s Disappearing Religion | The Yazidis

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TODAY'S VIDEO

Discovering an ancient religion in the mountains of Iraq. Sign up for my FREE book preview & you'll receive 3 crazy stories from my adventures to EVERY COUNTRY in the world. Check it out:

I’ve found that the places around the world that people tend to fear the most are the ones we should spend the most time learning about. This area of Northern Iraq, also called Iraqi Kurdistan, is one of the most unique, off the beaten path places I encountered as I traveled to every country. Once you lean in past the modern tensions, everything from the people to the foods and the rich history leaves you wanting to discover more.

I recently had the opportunity to travel back to Iraq and explore this complex country deeper with my friend Drew Binsky and Thomas and Cory from Yes Theory. We were documenting our experiences for an epic Yes Theory video, you’ll be able to see our full adventure through Iraq on Yes Theory’s Youtube Channel next year so don’t forget to subscribe and keep an eye out for that coming soon:

The Yazidis are also known as the People of the Peacock Angel. Their way of life is rooted in ancient, indigenous Mesopotamian beliefs. Its estimated to be only 500,000 Yazidis living in Iraq today. To truly be a Yazidi, both of your parents must also be Yazidi. It is impossible to convert to Yazidism and Yazidis are not allowed to marry outside of the religion. This makes them an inherently peaceful people because the Yazidis aren’t invading forgein land to convert followers and wipe out people who don’t share the same beliefs. The holiest of all places for Yazidis is Lalish. They believe it is the Garden of Eden where Adam and humanity began making it the oldest place in the world. It is expected for every yazidi to make pilgrimage to Lalish at some point in their lives and be cleansed by the holy waters. The ground is so sacred here, it is forbidden to wear anything dirty ‘[[on your feet so the first thing we did when we arrived was remove our shoes…

Yazidism is an oral religion, passed down through word of mouth for generations. The Yazidis believe in 1 God who has created 7 angels to help guide humanity, the most important being Melek Tawus or the Peacock angel. Yazidis believe they are descendants from the first man, Adam, and that the Peacock Angel was present when Adam was still in the Garden of Eden. Malak Taus is a fallen angel, sent down to earth, to lead their people. A fallen angel has negative connotations in other religions, as the devil is also often perceived as an fallen angel. This cultural misunderstanding has given the title of “devil worshipers” to the Yazidis for centuries. This is also inaccurate because the Yazidis don’t actually have an all encompassing evil spirit in their mythology but regardless, this dispute has justified centuries of violence and forced conversions against the Yazidis.

To see my adventures in real time, follow me on Instagram:

Check out more from Cory Martin on Instagram:

Check out Drew’s other videos from Iraq:

Sinjar Videography by Levi Clancy

Resources to Learn More about the Yazidis:











Kurdish & Yazidi women fighting ISIS:

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By: Lexie Limitless
Title: 1 Day with Iraq’s Disappearing Religion | The Yazidis
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPgE0fT2L8E