ŞÎRÎN SALIH

Sulaymaniyah- Nine years have passed since ISIS carried out genocidal attacks on Shengal on August 3, 2014, resulting in killing of thousands of people and abducting thousands of women and children. After the genocide against the Yazidi community, an autonomous system was established in Shengal (Sinjar) based on the Democratic Nation paradigm led by women.

 The Yazidis of Shengal, who have been targeted by many countries, especially the Turkish state, struggle to live in their homeland. NuJINHA spoke to Sazgar Abdullah, member of the Gorran movement, about the struggle of Yazidi women and the genocide committed against the Yazidi community by ISIS in 2014.

‘Genocidal attacks continue’

Highlighting that August 3 is a dark day for the Kurdish people and it will be never forgotten, Sazgar Abdullah said, “The Yazidi community experienced a brutal genocide in history. Daesh tried to annihilate the Yazidi community by killing and enslaving Yazidis. The Yazidis have been subjected to many genocidal attacks throughout history. On August 3, Yazidi women were killed or sold in slave markets. In all parts of Kurdistan, the Kurdish people have always faced genocidal attacks. Now, Yazidis build a new life and organize themselves.”

‘Women should unite’

Sazgar Abdullah thinks women are especially targeted in the attacks on Shengal and North and East Syria. “We have been going through a period in which women play a leading role. When women face injustice practices, we, as women, we should raise our voices and stand against them. We should see violence against women in every part of Kurdistan as our problem. The Iranian regime has been trying to silence women by using all kinds of brutal methods. Although some of the women in Southern Kurdistan participate in politics, political parties do not give importance to women’s rights. However, the Yazidi people have achieved success and become a role model for the women of Kurdistan and all around the world.

“The women of Southern Kurdistan struggle for freedom to achieve success like Yazidi women and the women of Rojava. Women members of all political parties should unite by organizing a women’s congress. We must unite to end all genocidal attacks.”