Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "you", or "your") and Yezidi Community ("we", "us", or "our") governing your access to and use of the Yezidi Community website at yezidicommunity.com and the Yezidi Community mobile application (collectively, the "Platform").

By creating an account, accessing, or using the Platform in any way, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and all applicable laws and regulations.

2. Eligibility

To use the Platform, you must:

• Be at least 13 years of age. Users between 13 and 18 must have parental or guardian consent.
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract in your jurisdiction.
• Not be prohibited from using the Platform under the laws of your country of residence or any applicable jurisdiction.
• Not have had a previous account terminated by Yezidi Community for violating these Terms.

In certain EEA jurisdictions, the minimum age for consent to data processing may be higher than 13. Please refer to your local laws.

3. Account Responsibilities

3.1 Account registration

When you create an account, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration.
• Keep your account information up to date.
• Choose a username that does not impersonate another person, organisation, or entity.
• Not create an account on behalf of another person without their explicit permission.

3.2 Account security

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must immediately notify us at security@yezidicommunity.com if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.
• We recommend enabling two-factor authentication for enhanced security.

3.3 One account per person

You may only maintain one active account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent bans, restrictions, or platform limits is prohibited and may result in all associated accounts being terminated.

3.4 Account deletion

You may delete your account at any time through the account settings or by contacting us. Upon deletion, your data will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

4. Community Conduct Rules

Yezidi Community is built as a safe, respectful, and dignified space for the Êzîdî people and their allies. We have zero tolerance for abuse, hate, or harm.

4.1 You MUST NOT:

• Harassment and abuse: Harass, bully, threaten, intimidate, or engage in harmful or abusive behaviour toward any user or group.
• Hate speech: Post content that promotes, glorifies, or incites hatred, discrimination, or violence based on religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
• Violence and harm: Post content that threatens violence, promotes self-harm or suicide, or depicts graphic violence.
• Misinformation: Deliberately spread false information that could harm individuals, the community, or public safety.
• Spam and manipulation: Send unsolicited messages, create fake engagement, use bots, or attempt to manipulate the Platform's features.
• Impersonation: Pretend to be another person, organisation, public figure, or Yezidi Community staff member.
• Illegal content: Share or promote any content that is illegal under applicable law, including but not limited to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which will be reported to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• Privacy violations: Share another person's private information (including photos, location, contact details) without their consent ("doxxing").
• Intellectual property infringement: Post content that infringes on copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights.
• Platform abuse: Attempt to hack, disrupt, reverse-engineer, or interfere with the Platform or its infrastructure.
• Commercial exploitation: Use the Platform for unauthorised commercial solicitation, MLM schemes, or spam advertising.

4.2 Context and cultural sensitivity

We recognise that discussions around the Yezidi genocide (Ferman), displacement, and human rights abuses are important and must be preserved. Factual, documented accounts of historical and ongoing injustices are permitted and encouraged. Content that denies, trivialises, or celebrates atrocities against the Yezidi people is strictly prohibited.

4.3 Reporting violations

If you encounter content that violates these rules, please use the in-platform reporting tool or email moderation@yezidicommunity.com. We take all reports seriously and aim to respond within 48 hours.

5. Content Guidelines

5.1 Content you post

You retain ownership of content you create and post ("User Content"). By posting content on the Platform, you grant Yezidi Community a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content solely for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform.

5.2 Content standards

All content posted on the Platform must:

• Be truthful and not deliberately misleading.
• Respect the dignity and privacy of all individuals.
• Not infringe on third-party intellectual property rights.
• Comply with applicable laws in the poster's jurisdiction and the Platform's host jurisdiction.

5.3 Cultural and religious content

We deeply respect Yezidi religious traditions, including references to Tawûsî Melek, Lalish, Sheikhs, Pirs, and the sacred Yezidi faith. Content must treat these topics with appropriate reverence and accuracy. Deliberate misrepresentation or mockery of Yezidi religious beliefs is prohibited.

5.4 Content moderation

We reserve the right to remove, restrict, or moderate any content that violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines, without prior notice. We use a combination of automated systems and human moderators. You may appeal moderation decisions by contacting moderation@yezidicommunity.com.

5.5 User-generated content disclaimer

User Content does not represent the views of Yezidi Community. We are not responsible for content posted by users, but we are committed to moderation and enforcement of these guidelines.

6. Intellectual Property

The Platform, including its design, code, logos, trademarks, the Yezidi Community name, and all original content created by us ("Platform Content") is the exclusive intellectual property of Yezidi Community and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from Platform Content without our express written permission. Nothing in these Terms grants you a licence to use our trademarks or branding.

The Yezidi sun symbol and traditional Êzîdî cultural symbols belong to the collective heritage of the Yezidi people. We use them with respect and do not claim exclusive ownership over traditional cultural symbols.

7. Privacy

Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Platform, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy. Please read it carefully.

8. Third-Party Services & Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not owned or controlled by Yezidi Community. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party services.

We may use third-party service providers (cloud hosting, analytics, push notification services) to operate the Platform. Use of these providers is governed by our Privacy Policy and relevant data processing agreements.

9. Account Suspension & Termination

9.1 By us

We reserve the right to suspend, restrict, or permanently terminate your account at our sole discretion, with or without notice, if we determine that you have:

• Violated these Terms or our Community Guidelines
• Engaged in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Posed a safety risk to other users or the Platform
• Repeatedly infringed on intellectual property rights

For serious violations (CSAM, credible threats of violence, terrorism), we may terminate accounts immediately and report the activity to relevant law enforcement authorities.

9.2 Appeals

If you believe your account was terminated in error, you may appeal the decision within 30 days by emailing appeals@yezidicommunity.com. We will review your appeal and respond within 14 days.

9.3 Effect of termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases immediately. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including intellectual property, disclaimers, liability, and indemnity) shall remain in effect.

10. Disclaimers

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YEZIDI COMMUNITY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
• Warranties that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components
• Warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any content on the Platform

We do not guarantee that the Platform will be available at all times. We may suspend or discontinue any aspect of the Platform at any time.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YEZIDI COMMUNITY AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• Damages resulting from your access to or use of (or inability to access or use) the Platform
• Damages resulting from conduct or content of third parties or other users on the Platform
• Damages resulting from unauthorised access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content

IN JURISDICTIONS THAT DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES, OUR LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

12. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Yezidi Community and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in any way connected with:

• Your access to or use of the Platform
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party right, including intellectual property rights or privacy rights
• Any content you post or transmit through the Platform

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law. For users in the European Union, your statutory consumer rights under EU law remain unaffected.

13.1 Informal resolution

Before initiating any formal legal action, we encourage you to contact us at legal@yezidicommunity.com to attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will use our best efforts to resolve any dispute within 60 days.

13.2 EU Online Dispute Resolution

If you are an EU consumer, you may also use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform, available at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

13.3 Class action waiver

To the extent permitted by applicable law, any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action.

14. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify you via the Platform or by email (for material changes)
• Provide at least 30 days' notice before changes take effect (except where immediate changes are required by law or to address security threats)

Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using the Platform before the effective date.

15. Contact Us

For general enquiries about these Terms:

Yezidi Community — Legal
Email: legal@yezidicommunity.com
General: contact@yezidicommunity.com
Website: www.yezidicommunity.com

These Terms were last reviewed by our team on 1 January 2025. They are written in plain English to be as clear and accessible as possible to our global community.