07.03.2026
Once again, a Kurdish media outlet has published misinformation about the Ezidi people. In a recent article about the Khidr Elias holiday, the outlet Kurdistan24 repeatedly referred to Ezidis as “Yazidi Kurds.” This is not journalism. It is propaganda.
Ezidis are not Kurds. The Ezidi people are an ancient ethnic people with their own identity, history, and the religion of Sharfadin. Labeling Ezidis as “Yazidi Kurds” is a political narrative designed to erase that identity and absorb the Ezidi people into a Kurdish national framework. When media outlets repeat this phrase, they are spreading false information.
Responsible journalism requires accuracy and respect for the people being reported on. Kurdistan24 failed to meet even the most basic standards. Instead of reporting on the Ezidi religious holiday professionally, the outlet inserted political language that distorts reality. Such reporting is not only misleading; it is deeply disrespectful.
This is not the first time such narratives have appeared in other Kurdish media platforms (among others: Rudaw). For years, certain Kurdish political actors and media platforms have attempted to portray Ezidis as part of the Kurdish “nation”. Many Ezidis have repeatedly rejected this claim, yet the narrative continues to appear in articles, speeches, and broadcasts.
Even more troubling is the growing attempt to appropriate elements of the Ezidi religion, Sharfadin, and present them as Kurdish cultural traditions. The Khidr Elias holiday is a sacred observance within the Ezidi faith, rooted in the religious traditions of Sharfadin. It is not a Kurdish holiday and it has never been part of Kurdish religious practice.
This raises a serious question: why are Kurdish media outlets trying to claim Ezidi religious traditions as their own? Why are they attempting to rebrand sacred Ezidi practices as “Kurdish”? Is it because they lack their own distinct religious traditions and therefore seek to absorb those of the Ezidi people?
Stealing the identity of a people is one thing. Attempting to appropriate their religion and sacred traditions is another level entirely. The Ezidi religion of Sharfadin has survived centuries of persecution, forced displacement, and genocide. It does not belong to any political movement, media outlet, or nationalist project.
If Kurdish media outlets truly wish to report professionally, the first step is simple: respect the truth. Stop spreading propaganda. Stop rewriting the identity of the Ezidi people. Stop presenting Ezidi religious traditions as something they are not.
Ezidis are Ezidis (ethnicity). Their religion is Sharfadin. Their traditions belong to them alone. No headline, political narrative, or propaganda campaign will change that.
