Yazidi House in Sheikh Maqsoud to respond to massacres, protect religious teachings

ROZANA DADO /ALEPPO

The Yazidi people were subjected to 74 firmans and massacres that aimed at eradicating the Yazidi religion and the Kurdish culture. These massacres caused the loss of thousands of Yazidis to their lives and forced thousands of others to abandon the Yazidi religion, while many of them remained on their religion and some practiced it secretly.

Rojava Revolution, which broke out on July 19, 2012, served as a ray of freedom for the components and religions that suffered from persecution and marginalization by the Baathist regime. The teaching of the Islamic religion was imposed on the Yazidi students in schools and they were prevented from opening their religious centers.

The Yazidi people in al-Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo, like thousands of people in Syria, suffered from persecution and marginalization.

With the opening of the Yazidi house in al-Jazeera region and the Yazidi community in Afrin which organized the Yazidis' affairs, the Yazidi families in al-Sheikh Maqsoud also sought to find a destination for themselves to organize and preserve the teachings of religion.

On August 3, 2018, in conjunction with the fourth anniversary of Şengal massacre committed by IS mercenaries, the Yazidi House was opened officially in al-Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, and 300 Yazidi families are existed in the neighborhood.

With the opening of the house, the officials assumed the task of organizing the families and supporting them.

The House adopts the joint presidency system, in addition to the presence of six committees; the Women's Committee, Finance, Reconciliation, Media, Youth and the Training Committee. The number of each committee's members is 3 members with the exception of the Women's Committee which is consisted of 5 members.

The neighborhood of al-Sheikh Maqsoud is known for its mosaic and its embracing the Christians, Muslims, Yazidis and Turkmens. The Yazidi House coordinates with the religious and social institutions in terms of religious events and matters.

The Yazidi families go the house to perform religious rites and to learn the teachings of religion through the lectures that are held there on Fridays.

Every Wednesday, candles are flamed at home, as it is considered one of the holy days for the Yazidi community.

The co-chair of the Yazidi House, Rasool Musa, said, "The house has achieved the goals of the Yazidi people in learning about the teachings and performance of their religion."

Within the home, more than 30 Yazidi children between 7 and 14 years old receive religious lessons and learn about the history of the firmans and the massacres that they have been exposed to, as well as songs from the Kurdish religious and cultural heritage.

The member of the Yazidi House, Nesrin Kelali, also pointed out that they are teaching the Yazidi children to learn about their religion and rituals, which have been subjected to many genocide attempts throughout history.

The Yazidi girl Awash Jameh, who constantly visits the Yazidi House, said that the house and its opening at this time is of great importance, through which they learn about their traditions and customs, and this is a positive step for the youths to understand their religion better.

A.H

ANHA