EMÎRA ZOZAN

Shengal (Sinjar)- Some of Yazidis, who were forcibly displaced from Shengal due to the attacks of ISIS, have lived in the IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The displaced Yazidis living in these camps are not allowed to return to their homeland by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Recently, two Yazidi women were kidnapped and taken to unknown locations by the KDP forces.

‘The KDP aggravated the consequences of the genocide’

Pointing to the betrayal of the KDP during the genocide against the Yazidis, Berfê Îlyas, a woman from Shengal, said, “In 2014, ISIS committed a genocide against the Yazidi community. The KDP aggravated the consequences of the genocide by withdrawing its forces. The Yazidis, who survived the genocide, went to Bashur and Rojava Kurdistan. The Yazidis have had very bad living conditions in the IDP camps for eight-nine years. The Yazidis have the right to live in Bashur Kurdistan. However, the KDP thinks our people living in the camps should be thankful. It carries out all kinds of dirty policies against our people.”

‘We do not the location of the kidnapped people’

Underlining that the KDP aims to destroy the Yazidi faith, Berfê Îlyas said, “The people living in the camps live in fenced camps like prisoners. Our people living in the camps are afraid of speaking out. Axîn and her father were killed by the KDP forces in a camp and everyone remained silent against this massacre. Our people should not remain silent against inhuman practices against them. If they remain silent, the enemy will intensify its attacks. The KDP attacks mostly Yazidi women because it knows that women are sacred for the Yazidi community. ISIS attacked Yazidi women because it also knows this.”

‘We will grow our struggle against the attacks’

Calling on the people living in the Kurdistan Region to not remain silent against the attacks on the Yazidi community, Berfê Îlyas said, “They aimed to annihilate us by committing the genocide against us. We have been struggling for nine years to rebuild our lives. We struggle to have a free life. Since the genocide, our children have been fighting ISIS and other armed groups so that our people can return to their homeland. Today, we have our own defense forces to protect ourselves. Our people should return to their homeland and stand against the attacks. As Yazidi mothers, we will do our part; we will grow our struggle against the attacks. We call on our people to return to their homeland.”