Yazidis in Armenia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Yazidis in Armenia are the largest ethnic and religious minority in the country. The Yazidis are mostly ethnic Kurds who live in the west of Armenia and follow an ancient religion, influenced by Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, that is often misunderstood as devil worship[1]. Relations between the Yazidis and the ethnic Armenian majority have varied from cooperation to persecution by the latter.
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[edit] Early Twentieth Century
Many Yazidis came to Armenia and Georgia during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to escape religious persecution, as they were oppressed by the Ottoman Turks and the Sunni Kurds tried to convert them to Islam. The Yazidis were massacred alongside the Armenians during the Armenian Genocide, causing many to flee to the Russian held parts of Armenia[2]. There was some measure of solidarity between the Armenians and Yazidis, as Yazidis of Mount Senjâr helped to shelter Armenians during the Armenian Genocide[3]. The first ever Yazidi school opened in Armenia in 1920.[4]
[edit] Nagorno-Karabakh War
Due to the ethnic tension created by the war with Azerbaijan, the Yazidi community has renounced its ties with the mostly Muslim Kurds that fled the country and tried to establish itself as a distinct ethnic group. The Yezidis showed Armenian patriotism during the Nagorno-Karabakh war when many died in service.[5]
[edit] Situation Today
According to the 2004 U.S. Department of State human rights report, the Yazidis are subjected to harassment in Armenia, including the hazing of Yazidi army conscripts and poor police responses to crimes committed against the Yazidis. The Union of Armenian Aryans, a quasi-obscure, ultra-nationalist group, has called for the cleansing of Yazidis from Armenia. A high percentage of Yazidi children do not attend school, both due to poverty and a lack of teachers who speak their native language[6].
