First Annual PhD Colloquium to Feature Yezidi Studies Research
The Yezidi Studies Center is pleased to announce the First Annual PhD Colloquium of Prof. Sebastian Maisel’s Research Group, which will take place on 6–7 July 2026. The colloquium brings together PhD students, supervisors, and invited experts in the field of Yezidi studies to exchange research ideas, discuss methodologies, and strengthen academic collaboration. Doctoral researchers will present the current status of their projects, followed by discussions and feedback. The programme is divided into two thematic days, with 7 July dedicated to Yezidi Studies. The presentations will highlight ongoing research on Yezidi history, religion, culture, identity, and contemporary issues, contributing to the continued development of the field. The Yezidi Studies Center looks forward to two days of engaging presentations, scholarly exchange, and productive discussion.
New Publications on Yezidi Studies Presented at the 4MZ Research Day
A poster featuring two newly published books on Yezidi Studies was presented at the 4MZ Research Day, held on June 12, 2026, an academic event organized by the Munich Center for the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Central Asia (4MZ) at LMU Munich. The event brought together researchers from various disciplines to discuss ongoing projects and recent scholarly developments at the university. Within the program, the following newly released books were also introduced to the academic community: The Yezidis in Kurdish Nationalist and Islamic Discourses after the 2014 Genocide From Fatwā to Genocide: Historic and Contemporary Manifestations of the Islamic Genocide against the Yezidis The event provided an excellent opportunity to connect Yezidi Studies with a wider scholarly community and to promote future research collaborations across disciplines and institutions.
Two Scholarly Studies on the Yezidis from the Universities of Munich and Leipzig, Germany
In the aftermath of the 2014 genocide perpetrated by ISIS against the Yezidis, one critical issue has been largely overlooked: How are the Yezidis represented in Kurdish nationalist discourse within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq? And how are they portrayed in Kurdish Islamic religious discourse beyond Iraq’s borders? This book examines how the Yezidi genocide has been appropriated for political, symbolic, and strategic purposes—often disconnected from genuine efforts at compensation, justice, or the reconstruction of Sinjar. It reveals the persistent displacement of Yezidis, the failures of compensation and reconstruction mechanisms, and the ways in which survivors have been drawn into instruments of political contestation. The study also examines how Kurdish political parties engaged Yezidi individuals in their responses to Yezidi suffering and the genocide. The author argues that the future of the Yezidis—and peaceful coexistence in the Kurdistan Region—is now at serious risk. Real change can only occur if Kurdish leaders fundamentally reconsider their approach to the Yezidis and abandon policies that have demonstrably failed. The publication of this book, The Yezidis in Kurdish Nationalist and Islamic Discourses after the 2014 Genocide, in its print version was supported by a private entity and Open Access format was made possible through the financial support of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. The author expresses sincere appreciation to both contributors for their essential support, which significantly facilitated the production, accessibility, and dissemination of this work. Published by Frank & Timme in Germany, this volume constitutes the fourth book in the Yezidi Studies series of Leipzig University. Further details about the book are available at the following link: The Yezidis in Kurdish Nationalist and Islamic Discourses after the 2014 Genocide – Verlag “Frank & Timme” From Fatwā to Genocide: Historic and Contemporary Manifestations of the Islamic Genocide against the Yezidis What is the history and the present-day reality of the Yezidis? Are there enduring patterns of discrimination and persecution by Islamic communities and political authorities? And how did and do they affect women and children? In his research, Qader Saleem Shammo pays particular attention to the enslavement of Yezidi women and children and to the sûq al-sabâyâ, the slave markets established for their sale. He presents detailed eyewitness accounts of the occurrences, thus documenting events which have been so far largely absent from existing scholarship. This includes highly sensitive issues, such as the fate of children born from the rape of Yezidi women or the application of Islamic law by the states in which the Yezidis reside. From Fatwā to Genocide synthesizes dispersed and often hard-to-access material and provides a clear and compelling account of the Yezidis’ lived reality within Muslim communities. The author also situates the ISIS atrocities of 2014 within a broader historical framework and demonstrates how these crimes were committed under the banner of Islam and how fatwās issued by Islamic clerics legitimized them. The publication of the printed edition of this book From Fatwā to Genocide: Historic and Contemporary Manifestations of the Islamic Genocide against the Yezidis was made possible through the generous financial support of Leipzig University. The Open Access publication of the volume was likewise supported financially by Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. The author expresses sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to both institutions for their invaluable support, which made the publication and wide accessibility of this work possible. Published by Frank & Timme in Germany, this volume constitutes the fifth book in the Yezidi Studies series of Leipzig University. Further details about the book are available at the following link: From Fatwā to Genocide: Historic and Contemporary Manifestations of the Islamic Genocide against the Yezidis – Verlag “Frank & Timme”
Prof. Celîlê Celîl welcomes the YSC for a work visit at the Institut für Kurdologie – Wien
Today the Yezidi Studies Center with Prof. Dr. Sebastian Maisel, Dr. Qader Shammo and Sami Shamo went to visit the remarkable scholar of Kurdology, Prof. Celîlê Celîl at the Institut für Kurdologie-Wien, where he established an amazing research library and archive on Kurdish folklore. The library is named after Casimê Celîl, one of the pioneers of Kurdish studies from Armenia and father of Prof. Celile Celil. When talking about the accomplishments of the Celîl family, we shall not omit Ordîxanê Celîl, himself a noted scholar and co-author of many books on Kurdish language, folklore and culture, as well as Cemîla Celîl, the voice of the Kurdish program of Radio Yerevan and ethno-musicologist. This intellectual powerhouse was instrumental in the collection, documentation and publication of Kurdish songs, hymns, poems, dances from many regions, but especially from the Caucasus area. Prof. Celîlê Celîl is working on the edition of his complete work Zargotina Kurda, an encyclopedia of oral Kurdish folk music and songs. One of the remaining volumes is devoted to the qewl û beyt, the Yezidi religious oral literature. The textualization of Yezidi oral literature was one of the topics we discussed with Prof. Celîl in addition to the complex question of Kurdish-Yezidi identity. With his devoted team, Prof. Celîl works on a tight agenda of completing his works, and the Yezidi Studies Center discussed with them how to best accomplish this goal and how the YSC can assist and collaborate in this effort, especially in the field of digitization and publication.At the end of this very warm and friendly work visit, Prof. Celîl accepted an invitation by the YSC to deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the center in the summer of 2026.
Documenting Yezidi Sacred Sites: A New Mission to Welat Sheikh and Lalish
For more than three years, the Yezidi Studies Center at Leipzig University has been carrying out a comprehensive project to document Yezidi holy sites. The initiative aims to preserve this invaluable religious heritage and make reliable information about Yezidi tangible heritage accessible to researchers, communities, and the wider public. These sacred sites form a vital part of Yezidi identity and play an essential role in maintaining the community’s presence in its ancestral homeland. As part of this long-term effort, the team has conducted extensive fieldwork in Armenia, Germany, and Iraqi Kurdistan region, documenting a large number of Yezidi religious sites. Despite significant progress, the team emphasizes that much work remains due to the vast number of sites located both in the Yezidis’ original regions and across the diaspora. The team’s latest field visit to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, conducted on November 19, 2025, marked an important milestone. Professor Sebastian Maisel, Dr. Qader Saleem Shammo, and Sami Saleem Shammo visited key religious locations in the Walat Sheikh area, on the slopes of Mount Maqloub, and in the surrounding regions leading to the Lalish Temple. During the visit, the team continued its documentation efforts and held discussions on the historical and spiritual importance of these sites. They also explored strategies to strengthen the project and ensure its long-term completion, an effort they view as crucial for safeguarding Yezidi religious heritage.
Leipzig and Duhok Polytechnic Universities Advance Yezidi Studies Collaboration
Leipzig University and Duhok Polytechnic University discussed expanding their scientific and academic cooperation through the development of new projects focused on Yezidi studies. The discussion took place during a meeting between a delegation from the Yezidi Studies Center at Leipzig University, comprised of Professor Sebastian Meisel, Dr. Qader Saleem Shammo, and Sami Saleem Shammo, and the President of Duhok Polytechnic University, Professor Aree Adel Abdulqader. Also in attendance were Dr. Muayad Barakat Hassan, Vice President for Administrative and Financial Affairs, and Dr. Yaman Sami Shareef, Vice President for Scientific Affairs and Postgraduate Studies. The two sides explored programs for launching new research projects, strengthening scientific and academic exchange, and supporting Yezidi students at Duhok Polytechnic University, particularly displaced students, by enhancing their skills and providing opportunities to pursue postgraduate studies in Germany. The meeting also addressed additional collaborative scientific projects that will be announced upon implementation. A joint research project between the two universities, in partnership with Bundeswehr University Munich, is in its final stages, with results expected to be published in the coming months. The discussions took place in the office of the university president in Duhok on November 17, 2025.
MEPS Forum to Engage with Special Yezidi Panel
The Yezidi Studies Center was invited to participate at The Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) Forum 2025 which was held at the American University of Kurdistan in Duhok. The MEPS Forum is a great opportunity to share and connect with many high-ranking international decision-makers, experts, academics and activists. This years topic was Managing the Chaos – The New Middle East, and the Yezidi Studies Center took that opportunity to engage with the participants about topics that are important to the Yezidis, in particular issues related to higher education, fair access to education (or the lack of access), and international cooperation in the field of academic research. Among the speakers who addressed the Yezidi issue was Mohammad Al Hassan, special representative of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. It is planned for the Yezidi Studies Center to participate in next year´s MEPS with a special panel dedicated to the Yezidi cause.
Statement and Report on the Yezidi Diaspora Conference in Hannover
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Maisel on behalf of Yezidi Studies at the University of Leipzig The Yezidi Studies Center at Leipzig University Leipzig is dedicated to advancing academic research on the Yezidi community, its religion, history, culture, and heritage. Established in 2021, our center aims to provide accurate, impartial knowledge and a neutral platform for researchers and those serving the Yezidi community, free from political, personal, or partisan conflicts. We emphasize our commitment to supporting the Yezidi community as a whole, promoting solidarity and self-determination without discrimination or alignment with any specific group, in the old and the new homeland. The Center does not participate in or endorse conferences or activities that deliberately exclude or marginalize any Yezidi faction. Our academic and ethical responsibility is to remain an independent, scientific institution focused on serving the Yezidi community without politicization. We welcome collaboration with any entity or project that aligns with these principles and serves the Yezidi community. However, we urge organizers of Yezidi-related events to accurately represent our university’s position and avoid exploiting our reputation for purposes that do not benefit the Yezidis. We reserve the right to withdraw from any event that deviates from its stated goals or harms the community. Our observations reveal concerning trends within some Yezidi initiatives, including personal disputes, partisan affiliations, and the exploitation of Yezidi issues for fame, political gain, or commercial purposes. Such practices undermine the community’s interests, particularly at a critical juncture in its history marked by past injustices and an uncertain future. Additionally, some individuals claim to represent all Yezidis, disregarding others’ perspectives, which fosters division and chaos. We believe no single party should speak for the entire community. Inclusive events with diverse specialists, including non-Yezidi researchers who support Yezidi causes, are essential for constructive dialogue and unity. The Center advocates for integrity, impartial debate, and meaningful collaboration to achieve positive outcomes for the Yezidi community. We are committed to supporting initiatives that uphold these values, whether we participate directly or not Members of the global Yezidi community got together in Hannover, Germany on September 13-14, 2025 to hold a diaspora conference under the slogan Through Dialog – Towards Reorganization and Institutionalization. Considering the current dispersion of Yezidis across many countries and continents as a result of multiple genocidal attacks and persecution this offered an opportunity to unify the various segments of the Yezidi community who share a common belief in the Yezidi religion, but represent multiple geographical, cultural and political identities. Of the approximately 800,000 Yezidis worldwide, half of the population resides in Iraq, the old ancestral homeland. In Syria, also considered part of the traditional Yezidi homeland, only about 6,000 remain as well as a few hundred in Turkey. Some 50,000 Yezidis live in Armenia and Georgia where they have established their faith and culture for over 100 years. That leave the remaining Yezidis to live away from the homeland, in exile or the diaspora. Germany is now home to over 200,000 Yezidis, while Russia hosts about 50,000. Smaller groups settle in other European countries in addition to ca. 5,000 Yezidis in the USA and 4,000 in Australia. In some cases, Yezidis live in their new home country for two or three generations, integrating into the society and often acquiring citizenship. The reasons for the mass exodus are simple: constant discrimination and fear of oppression by state authorities and the majority Muslim population, which at times led to genocide. In their oral historical memory, Yezidis speak of 74 fermans (genocide) they endured by fanatical Islamic armies, mobs, neighbors, and governments. The last ferman was the 2014 genocide, when the so-called Islamic State and other related militants attacked the Yezidi communities in Iraq and Syria, killing or enslaving thousands, destroying the land and the religious sites, brainwashing children with the ultimate goal of eradicating Yezidism and the Yezidis. As a result, many fled internally, to camps in safe areas, and internationally, to find a place, where they can exist as humans, as Yezidis. Today, the diaspora community represents survivors, migrants, refugees and their families from different backgrounds with often traumatic experiences and tragic stories of hardship and loss. In the old homelands, the remaining communities scrambled to keep the structure and cohesion of their families and religion intact with varying degrees of success. Aside from the physical, economical and legal needs that not met, the community also seeks answers for certain spiritual and cultural issues that haunt survivors or genocide, rape, slavery and other traumas. How can they move on as a society when so many values and pillars of their world view and faith have been shattered? It is time to adjust or reform some of these rules, beliefs and practices? The diaspora community faces similar challenges and transformations. As a conglomerate of different generations, backgrounds, languages, and statuses, they too begin to question the old concepts, results, and events that led to the current situation in the new homelands. And here is where the idea of a diaspora conference comes in, as an attempt to find answers to these core-shaking questions and to find solace in the common fate and experience. Based on the initiative of several Yezidi community leaders, the organization team, led by Dr. Khalil Jindi, a well-known expert on Yezidi religion and society put together the agenda for a large, inclusive meeting of Yezidis in the diaspora to discuss these burning issues in an institutionalized setting of a conference or congress. But how do you manage to bring together a global diaspora community with varying interests and needs? This immediately leads to the important question, who speaks for the Yezidis in the diaspora? Who represents them and their agendas? One way of dealing with the multitude of representation is to invite them all and give everybody a platform to express themselves and to vote in any decision-making. That meant that the organizers decided to invite all Yezidi organizations in the diaspora as well as representatives from
Yezidi Studies Center Contributes to Summer Session 2025 at the University of Munich
As part of the cultural program of the Summer Session 2025 – organized by the Institute of Middle and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Munich in cooperation with the Munich Middle East-Mediterranean-Central Asia Center (4MZ) / Münchner Mittelost-Mittelmeer-Mittelasien-Zentrum (4MZ) and the Society of Friends of Islamic Art and Culture / Gesellschaft der Freunde Islamischer Kunst und Kultur e.V.- the Yezidi Studies Center is proud to contribute to this important academic event. Dr. Qader Saleem Shammo will deliver a presentation on May 27, 2025, titled:“After the 2014 Genocide: Islamic Scholars’ Perception of the Yezidis and Yezidism.” For further details, please visit the official program page by clicking here
The Yezidi Studies Center participates in an international research project funded by the DAAD
The Yezidi Studies Center participates in an international research project funded by the DAAD. The project “Together for the Yezidis: Minority Protection and Genocide Prevention through Interdisciplinary Dialog” addresses the historical and ongoing persecution of the Yezidis, who have faced genocide and displacement in the Middle East, with many resettling in Armenia and Germany. It aims to strengthen minority protection and prevent genocide through interdisciplinary collaboration among academics, policymakers, and civil society in both countries. The project has four goals: Researching the Yezidis’ history of persecution and effective minority protection measures. Creating an international network of stakeholders focused on Yezidi issues Empowering Yezidi civil society through cooperation with organizations like cultural associations. Improving communication strategies to counter misinformation and raise public awareness about Yezidi challenges. By fostering academic partnerships, such as those between Leipzig University and Yerevan State University, and engaging in Yezidi communities, the project seeks to enhance integration, promote human rights, and prevent conflict. It also addresses the Yezidis’ precarious social and legal status, particularly in rural Armenia and post-2014 genocide contexts in Germany. The initiative promotes intercultural dialogue, cultural preservation, and sustainable mechanisms for minority protection, contributing to social justice and global stability. Two teams from Germany and Armenia build a common framework of objectives and conduct field research in the other country with the support of the Yezidi communities. Prof. Sebastian Maisel is the principal investigator and leads the Leipzig team, Sami Shammo participates as a field researchers as does Mariam Mandeki, another PhD student from Leipzig and Dr. Gor Yeranyan from the Matenadaran Center in Yerevan, Armenia. Dr. Qader Shamo is the liaison of the German Yezidi community. The Yerevan team is headed by Professor Vardan Voskanian from the Iranian Studies Department of Yerevan State University and includes Dr. Tereza Amryan and Dr. Artyom Tonoyan, also from Yerevan State University. Mr. Khidr Hajoyan, the President of the Yezidi National Union, is the liaison to the Armenian Yezidi community.