Nubihar Akademi

Abstract

There is a natural tendency in dealing with the Yezidism of becoming overwhelmed by

the fascinating and complex details of its present situation, oral tradition, and sacred texts

that, however, it is safe to say, defy simple comprehension and adequate explanation. My

purpose here, however, is possibly much simpler and that is to suggest what role the

Muslim Kurds played against the Yezidis in the 10th/16th century Kurdistan. In part the

comments that follow here are especially about the Kurdish Muslim polemics against the

Yezidi religion. And depend on an earlier study of mine entitled “The Fatwa of Mala

Salih al-Kurdi al-Hakkari”, which may be consulted for the background and sources

(Dehqan, 2008). What is provided in the present essay has two sections: i. some notes on

the newly-found manuscript of a commentary by Mawlana Muhammad al-Barqal‘i who

has written it on the fatwa of Mawlana Sallih, and ii. the edition and English translation of

the text which is given here for the first time.