DAHUK — The inauguration of Hazim Tahseen Bek as Yazidi prince caused a rift within Yazidi society due to the way the new prince was appointed, and it sparked controversy over his proper representation of different Yazidi classes and groups. Meanwhile, two others proclaimed themselves to be Yazidi princes — the first in Sinjar and the second in Germany — thus threatening more division among the Yazidi minority following the 2014 Yazidi genocide.
As soon as Bek was inaugurated July 27 at the Lalish temple in Sheikhan east of Dahuk, his appointment provoked division within the family of deceased Prince Tahseen Said. Young elites also objected to the way the new prince was imposed upon them and doubted the legitimacy of the process. They dismissed the appointment as “a step that does not respect the will of Yazidis and does not enjoy the approval of Yazidis in general. It also does not fulfill the wish of late Prince Tahseen Said who recommended that the inauguration have Yazidi approval.”
