Construction of Yezidi Identity in Syria: Attitudes towards reform from the bottom of society The Yezidis are a religious minority group of Kurdish origin who predominantly live in Northern Iraq, the Caucasus and Syria. Throughout history the Yezidis were accused of devil-worship and heresy by their Muslim neighbors, and thus persecuted and discriminated by Arab and Kurdish groups alike. However, the Yezidis were able to maintain their special identity and are currently finding their position in a changing Middle East. This paper will focus specifically on the Yezidis of Syria, who nowadays live in two separate areas, one in the Afrin area and another in the Syrian Jezira. The local separation led to the development of two different identities based on the current status of the community in the local social hierarchy and their different approach towards social integration. My objectives for this paper are to show how deeply the Yezidis once were rooted in the local society, why they were marginalized, what led to the development of different cultural and religious customs, and how they responded to changes and reforms imposed on them by others. It is argued that the Yezidis of Syria underwent drastic changes in their status, perception and position within the Syrian minority context from a once strong and solid level to the verve of extinction in modern times. The two group reacted differently, one favoring assimilation and the other emigration. In discussion of these subjects, this paper will also consider how discourses of historical and religious-doctrinal memory have developed in recent years, in view of the changes which have taken place since Bashar al-Asad became president. This paper reviews analytical concepts of Yezidi identity and community building in Syria. In particular, the paper discusses the contextual historical framework that is crucial in understanding the past and present of the Yezidis as an evolving and transforming community. Sources evaluated for this study include interviews with Yezidis from different social and religious groups, educational levels, and regional backgrounds. In addition to oral narratives, official Syrian, German, and Yezidi documents from governmental and private archives were analyzed to supplement the empirical data.