Village of Bashirkha, near Mossul. December 2002.
Yessidi is ancient religion mostly practiced by Kurds in Northern Iraq, Syria and Armenia. It is also referred as "Devil worshippers". 3 days after the funeral of an old man, the Yessidi community of the village visits the temple, and women gather. The Yessidis, mostly ethnic Kurds, have been armed by the Iraqi governement, in case of an attack from separatists. US backed Kurdish forces which control the 3 Northern Provinces of Iraq. All pictures in Iraq were taken under the control of an Iraqi Information Ministry minder.