Shafaq News- Duhok

The Yazidi Spiritual Council has canceled all public gatherings and ceremonies for the Yazidi New Year, known as Red Wednesday*, at Lalish Temple this year due to security concerns, an official told Shafaq News on Monday.

Khaled Narmo, advisor to the Yazidi prince and member of the council said that the decision applies only to public ceremonies at Lalish and does not affect traditional practices observed in private settings. Religious rituals and traditions within villages and homes will continue as usual, including egg coloring and other customary practices, but on a smaller scale with limited gatherings.

Narmo said the move aims to protect the safety of citizens and visitors amid the current situation in the Kurdistan Region and surrounding areas.

The faith, which belongs to the broader Yazdani religious tradition, has historical ties to the Yazidi and Yarsani communities. According to the Minority Rights Group, Iraq is home to an estimated 110,000 to 200,000 Kakais, with most living in areas southeast of Kirkuk, the Nineveh Plains, and provinces such as Diyala, Erbil, and al-Sulaymaniyah.

The Yazidis, an ancient monotheistic religious minority in northern Iraq, were targeted when ISIS attacked Sinjar in August 2014 in an assault later classified as genocide by the United Nations and its investigative body, UNITAD. Thousands were killed or kidnapped, according to UN documentation, while Amnesty International —citing the Office for Kidnapped Yazidis in Duhok— estimates about 2,600 remain missing; Save the Children reports more than 1,300 children are still unaccounted for.

Read more: Between ritual and remembrance: Yazidis mark Ezi Feast

*Red Wednesday marks the Yazidi New Year and is the most important religious occasion for the Yazidi community, traditionally celebrated at Lalish, their holiest site.