Yazidi in Georgia


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Ethnic Religions (Prakriti)
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Yazidi are a Kurdish people who follow an old religion related to Zoroastrianism, but which has elements of Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Those who live in Georgia were fleeing from the Ottoman Empire in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They constructed a Yazidi temple that opened outside Tbilisi in 2013. Three years later they added the Yezidi Academy of Theology where classes were taught in Kurdish, Arabic or Russian. They had a ritual in 2012 of “reconversion” from Orthodox Christianity back to the Yazidi religion.


What Are Their Lives Like?

They are a closed community which avoids prolonged contact with non-Yazidis, accepts no converts and might even kill those who marry outside the religion. They are mostly monogamous, though chiefs may take more than one wife. In Georgia they are very poor.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Yazidis believe God created the world and then created 7 archangels to rule it. One of them, the Peacock Angel, passed a test by God in which he would not bow down and worship Adam. As a result he was made the "god of this world." This story is similar in Islam regarding Satan. However, the Muslim belief is that Satan was punished for not bowing down. The Peacock Angel is "Melek Taus" or "Shaytan". The latter is the name in the Koran for Satan. Yazidis are forbidden to speak the name "Shaytan." They are often misunderstood by Muslims for this reason.

Their world view revolves around angels. Besides praying toward the sun, they will fast for certain angels who control the affairs of this world. They aren't supposed to wear the color blue or eat lettuce. Their holy day is Wednesday and they aren't supposed to take showers on that day. They celebrate New Year's Day as the first Wednesday in the month of Nisan. This is the day they believe the Peacock Angel comes to the Earth as God's representative.

During their pilgrimage to the valley shrine at Lalish, 55 km east of Duhok in Northern Iraq, they will kiss the sacred stone black snake and enter the temple. There they baptize their children, tie colorful cloth to the tomb of the 12th century Sufi mystic who reformed the Yazidi religion, hug pillars, light fires and perform other rituals. If possible, they will carry dirt from Lalish with them and conceal it behind a veil in their home.

Yazidis believe that they are descendants of Adam, but not of Eve. Instead, they have descended separate from others through Adam's other wife, Jar or Jer.


What Are Their Needs?

They believe Christ is the light of God but are more focused on angels and pleasing them. Any of them who embraced Christ with all their heart would be considered a cultural traitor. They need to hear the gospel and see the lives of true believers.


Prayer Points

Pray for the light of Christ to shine upon the Yazidi people in Georgia drawing them to Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Pray for Georgian believers to reach out to them, disciple them and teach them to disciple others.
Pray for Yazidi elders to have dreams of the risen Christ.


Scripture Prayers for the Yazidi in Georgia.


References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidism_in_Georgia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurds_in_Georgia


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Yazidi
People Name in Country Yazidi
Pronunciation yah-ZEE-dee
Alternate Names Yezidi
Population this Country 12,000
Population all Countries 797,000
Total Countries 10
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 20455
ROP3 Code 116305
ROP25 Code 308985
ROP25 Name Yazidi
Country Georgia
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Country Georgia
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions (Prakriti)
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
100.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Kurdish, Northern
Language Code kmr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
Georgian
Primary Language Kurdish, Northern
Language Code kmr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
  Georgian
People Groups Speaking Kurdish, Northern

Primary Language:  Kurdish, Northern

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1856-2016)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1872-2005)
Bible-Complete Yes  (2008)
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Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Kurdish, Northern Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
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General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kurdish, Northern YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Photo Source manothegreek 
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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