KNK Women's Committee: protecting Yazidis begins with establishing AA for Shengal

The Women's Committee of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) issued a statement today on the twelfth anniversary of the Shengal massacre, which reads:

"On the twelfth anniversary of the genocide in Shengal, we bow in reverence to the memory of all those we lost.

On August 3, 2014, Shengal witnessed two massacres simultaneously; the first aimed at the physical extermination of the Yazidis, and the second was a cultural genocide through the killing of women, specifically targeting Yazidi women as the primary bearers of Yazidi culture and authentic identity. The goal was not merely the physical elimination of the Yazidis, but rather the complete eradication of their existence from the face of the earth.

As guardians of culture and identity, Yazidi women have carried the authentic essence of this heritage through thousands of years of resistance." They were committed to Kurdish identity and worked to preserve it. For this reason, they were subjected to the most horrific attacks of the century; they were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, tortured, and sold in slave markets, while the fate of thousands of women remains unknown to this day.

The genocide was committed on August 3, 2014, under the guise of ISIS. In recent days, new dangers have emerged around Shengal under the cover of the Shiite-Sunni conflict, but these movements are, in essence, part of new strategic objectives aimed at extending control over the region.

Sinjar, which has been a sacred land for the Yazidis for centuries, is a border region of geographical and strategic importance, as it connects the northern, southern, and Rojava parts of Kurdistan. It is also located within Mosul Governorate, which has repeatedly been an arena for conflicts between Turkish, Arab, and Persian authorities, as well as an area under the scrutiny and monitoring of global powers.

Today, Ezidkhan finds itself once again at the heart of the ongoing war between global and regional powers.

On the other hand, Successive governments and parliaments that have recognized the genocide have taken no political steps, aside from providing humanitarian aid, to guarantee a secure future for the Yazidis.

In contrast, the demand put forward by women's organizations and civil society organizations in Ezidkhan is for the region to be granted autonomous status within the Iraqi constitution.

To achieve justice in Sinjar, it is essential to uncover the fate of missing Yazidi women and to hold accountable and punish the perpetrators who instigated and carried out the massacre.

While the recognition of the genocide against the Yazidis is a positive development, the threats they face have unfortunately not yet been effectively eliminated. Successive governments and parliaments that have recognized the genocide must play their part in providing diplomatic and political support, through the Iraqi government, to ensure that the Yazidis in Sinjar are granted self-governance so they can protect themselves.

Shengal should become a self-governing region, enabling the Yazidis to protect themselves and freely practice their beliefs and culture.

Shengal should also become a region with Self-governance, so that Yazidi women can live freely without fear.

ANHA