After the 2014 Genocide: Islamic Scholars’ Perception of the Yezidis and Yezidism

What are the origins of Islamic hostility towards the Yezidis and their religion? Can the historical cycle of Islamic violence against them be resolved? And have Islamic jurists and scholars reconsidered their views on Yezidis and Yezidism after the genocide of 2014? All these are valid questions—to which this work seeks some answers. For centuries, Muslim attitudes towards Yezidis have been shaped by Islamic scholarly decrees and fatwās. They in turn set the stage for subsequent religious rulings. The author compares historical and contemporary Islamic attitudes and actions with a focus on the perspectives of Muslim jurists and scholars. In his study he analyses the principles behind Islamic fatwās and other official statements regarding the Yezidis. He explores not only the motivations behind them, but also their impact on the religious minority. The author wishes to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the past in the hope of thus paving the way for a peaceful coexistence of Yezidis and Muslims.