KNK calls for solidarity on 11th Anniversary of Shengal Tragedy

The statement read," The ancient homeland of our Yazidi people, became a deliberate target of ISIS attacks. This assault, orchestrated by ISIS against Kurdistan, was met with approval by occupying powers—Turkey, Iran, the Baghdad administration, and the chauvinistic regime in Damascus. They saw ISIS as the leading force embodying anti-Kurdish sentiments and ideologies in these centers of occupation. 

The attack aimed to destroy all Kurdish gains in South Kurdistan and Rojava, violate the Yazidi faith, and perpetrate a genocide against our Yazidi people, which our people call the '73rd Massacre.' Kurds and Kurdistanis from all regions rushed to answer the call of their Yazidi people.

Fighters from the People's Defense Forces (HPG), the Free Women's Units-Star, and the People's Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) displayed heroic and sacrificial resistance. They intervened immediately to confront the attacks and prevent their escalation, responding to the general call to action on both civilian and military fronts.

Although Shengal has been liberated from ISIS and many Yazidis have returned to their homeland, the pain of the August 3, 2014, attack persists. The fate of a large number of Yazidi women held captive remains unknown, and many Yazidis are still enduring the harsh realities of displacement. Some remain in camps and have not yet returned to Shengal. Therefore, the path must be cleared for the return of the Sinjar people, and international efforts must be made to improve their lives.

Eleven years have passed since the 73rd Massacre, yet the threats against Shengal continue. Dark, anti-Kurdish forces persist with their hateful schemes, seeking to launch new genocidal attacks to expel the Yazidi faithful from Shengal and strip it of its Yazidi identity, while also separating it from Kurdistan. It is the duty of all Kurds and Kurdistanis to be fully aware of these dangers and to work to protect Yazidkhan and Shengal."

a.k

ANHA