Calls to recognize genocide, protect Yazidis

On the 12th anniversary of the Shengal massacre committed by ISIS against the Yazidi people on August 3, 2014, residents of Hasakah and Kobani, along with the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Kongra Star in Zirkan and Beirut, issued a series of statements on Monday.

In Beirut, the PYD and Kongra Star issued a joint statement, while the PYD issued a statement in Zirkan, which was read by members Barin Nema and Israa Hamid. In Kobani, residents issued a statement read by Kongra Star member Joury Temi, while residents of Hasakah city issued a statement read by city council member Sara Dawoud.

The statements stressed that the crimes committed against the Yazidis by ISIS mercenaries constituted genocide targeting the Yazidi people, their identity and culture, and that the threats facing the Yazidi community continue amid policies targeting its historic presence.

They noted that Yazidi women were the primary target of the ISIS mercenaries' attack on August 3, 2014, and were subjected to systematic crimes including killing, abduction, sexual enslavement, rape, forced marriage, human trafficking, and displacement, with the aim of destroying the Yazidi community and targeting its identity and existence.

They added: "Just as the determination of women in Kobani achieved a historic victory in confronting ISIS, Yazidi women in Shengal responded with the strongest forms of resistance by establishing the Shengal Women's Units (YJŞ) and the Yazidi Women's Freedom Movement (TAJÊ), in the face of genocide and the ferman."

The statements called on the Iraqi government and the authorities in South Kurdistan to fulfill their responsibilities in advancing the pursuit of justice, rebuilding Shengal, ensuring the safe and dignified return of its residents to their homes, and stepping up efforts to determine the fate of missing children and women.

They also called on international powers, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to document violations and exert pressure to ensure the protection of Yazidis, urging swift action to protect Yazidis in Shengal. They warned of continued threats targeting their existence.

The statements concluded by reaffirming solidarity with the people of Shengal and emphasizing continued efforts to defend the rights of the Yazidi people and preserve their existence, identity, and culture. They stressed that honoring the victims' sacrifices requires establishing truth and justice, fully recognizing the genocide, holding those responsible accountable, ensuring justice for the victims, restoring dignity to the people of Shengal, and securing a future of peace and dignity.

ANHA