YAZIDIS
	An strange dualist sect found amongst some Kurds in northern Iraq, but also in Syria, Iran and Turkey.  Present estimates put them at 100,000 in number.  The main site of their religion is the tomb of Shaykh Adi just north of Al Mawsil in Lalish.  He is the author of the book Kitab al-Jalwah (The book of the Emergence.)  Yazidis generally refuse to discuss their faith, which in any case is known fully by only a few of them.  This article will describe what is known of these heretical beliefs.
					The peacock is the sign of the fallen angel Malik Taus in the Yazidi sect,
	The yazidis call themselves the Dawasin.  The yazidi religion has elements of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as well as some paganism.  They consider the bible and the quran to be sacred.  They are also well known as 'devil worshipers' by other people who live near them.  The 'Peacock Angel' is their symbol for a fallen angel Malik Taus, who is their euphemism for evil or the devil, who they fear and seek to appease.  According them evil is part of divinity as is good.  The Peacock Angel is used in their festivals where they carry out strange and very secret rituals.  They also believe that evil is found in lettuce, and are very careful around lettuces. The Yazidis put God on the top, but only as a creator, he is no longer seen as an acting force.  This responsibility is taken by Shaykh Adi and the Malik Taus.  Malik Taus is said to have repented for his sins, and cried for 7000 years filling 7 jars full of tears, which were used to put out the fire in hell, thus there is no hell in Yazidism. Yazidis pray twice a day towards the sun, making sure there are no non-Yazidis around them, dedicating their prayer to Malik Taus.  In August they go on a pilgramige to Adi's tomb for six days.  Here, they practise many strange rituals, such as sacrificing an ox, which they all eat.  They also wash figures of Malik Taus, dance and sing songs.  Many of their rituals here have never been seen by outsiders, and are thus unkown.  They also have a three day fast in December. The yazidis are organised in a tribal system each with a chief.  They don't talk to other kurds, and marrying of non-yazidis is forbidden.  They come up with the pathetic story, that they are the only descendants of Adam, while all the rest of mankind descend from women, and are thus inferior.  Noone would want to convcrt to Yazidism, but they would not be allowed to if they wanted to anyway, you have to be born yazidi.  The worst punishment in yazidism is expulsion from the community, which they say means your soul is lost forever.  If a married yazidi man stays abroad for more than a year he is divorced from his wife, and is not allowed to remarry a yazidi woman. All their children must be baptised, male circumcision is also performed, but is not compulsary.  When they die they are buried immediately with their hands crossed pointed in an Eastern direction. The Yazidis have therefore, some very dangerous heterodoxies, which has led to them being called either Kuffar (non-muslims), or those who say they are muslim, Munafiqeen (hypocrites).  They have never beeen ruled to be Ahul-l-kitab (people of the book) and thus many caliphs treated them as heretics, for which they were punished.  They should be dealt with as non-muslims, and non people of the book.
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