SITÎ ROZ

Shengal- KDP forces withdrew from Shengal ahead of genocide committed by ISIS in the town. After the liberation of the town, Yazidis formed their own defense unit and built a democratic Shengal. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) showed its intolerance against the will of people in Shengal in both political and military areas. It planted a seed by supporting the agreement signed between Iraq's Federal and the Kurdish Regional governments to hide its plan for the occupation of Shengal through laws. The KDP forces tried to enter Shengal but the people didn’t allow them. On October 2, the KDP claimed that they would carry out an electoral campaign in Shengal to position the Peshmerga forces in town but the people didn’t allow the forces to enter. On October 4, the KDP forces surrounded Shengal and tried to enter the town again but the people of Shengal didn’t allow them. We interviewed Sabiha Sabri, the spokesperson of the Yazidi Women's Freedom Movement (TAJÊ), about the attempts of the KDP to enter Shengal.

“Thousands of Peshmerga members withdrew from Shengal”

What was the role of the KDP in the genocide against Yazidis? After 7 years, the people rebuilt their lives and have a democratic system in Shengal. Why did the KDP forces try to enter Shengal?

The Yazidi community knows that the KDP forces left them alone ahead of genocide committed by ISIS. Before the attacks on Shengal, the Peshmerga forces protected Shengal, at least they claim this. Aşti Koçer was the commander of the Peshmerga forces. The whole world saw how the Peshmerga forces withdrew from Shengal just before the genocide. Yazidi young people were fighting ISIS but the Peshmerga forces run away from Shengal. The Peshmerga members sacrificed all Yazidis to save their lives. Aşti Koçer was the commander of the 17th Peshmerga Brigade. Everyone knows who supported ISIS and from where ISIS carried out its attacks. There were thousands of Peshmerga members in Shengal but they disappeared in the morning. Most Yazidi women suffered from the genocide, it is the most brutal genocide in history and Yazidi women experienced such a brutal genocide in the world.

“Their aim was to annihilate the Yazidis and their faith”

We should also talk about the resistance of the people and fighters. They liberated Shengal from ISIS and taught the people of Shengal how to defend themselves. Seven years have passed since the genocide committed against us and the people of Shengal have defended themselves without any support. The aim of the alliance between ISIS and KDP was to annihilate the Yazidis and their faith. But they failed when the fighters arrived. Thousands of Yazidis were martyrized while fighting. After the liberation of Shengal, the Yazidis began to return to their homeland.

How was the policy of the KDP against the will of the people reflected in Shengal at that time?

After the liberation of the Southern area of Shengal, the defense force of Yazidi children gained strength. Everyone knew the KDP forces left them alone. The KDP could not tolerate the gains of Yazidis when Yazidis rebuilt their lives. In 2017, the KDP forces attacked the will of Yazidis in Xanesor and Sinune. They took the control of Sinune at that time and they didn’t allow people to pass from there. They oppressed and attacked the resisting people without being ashamed of their betrayal. They didn’t allow the people even to leave their villages.

After the genocide, the KDP forces attacked the people rebuilding their lives, and took the control of some areas. How did they leave these areas?

After the referendum held in 2017 in Başur Kurdistan, the KDP continued to plant more seeds of its betrayal. The KDP forces withdrew again and left the Shengal area to the popular mobilization units Hashd al-Shaabi. They left their weapons and withdrew. The KDP betrayed Yazidis once again.

“The October 9 agreement was signed as a result of the dirty politics of the KDP”

Aşti Koçer and the 17th Peshmerga Brigade withdrew from Shengal in 2014 but they have positioned near Shengal. Why?

Seven years have passed since the genocide was committed against Yazidis. The Yazidi community organized themselves and now they have a system and their forces. We, as the Yazidi community and Yazidi mothers, say that we can govern ourselves with our own strength and will without any support. We are organized in every village and town. Today, the Yazidi community doesn’t need anyone else. But the KDP has carried out a dirty policy against the Yazidi community. They aim to put the Yazidis under their control. The October 9 agreement was signed as a result of the dirty politics of the KDP. The KDP tried all ways to return to Shengal to annihilate Yazidis. They made an agreement with the Iraqi government and created laws in order to enter Shengal. Yazidi mothers, women, and the community have carried out a great struggle to fail them. The agreement has been partially halted. But now, Aşti Koçer, Viyan Dexil, and Mihemme Xelil want to attack Shengal with their Peshmerga forces. They claim that they will carry out an electoral campaign in Shengal but the Yazidi community doesn’t believe them. The KDP aims to position Aşti Koçer and the Peshmerga forces in Shengal by using elections.

“Yazidis don’t want the Peshmerga forces in Shengal”

Their attempts to enter Shengal again show their shameless. They make statements and say, “If we don’t return to Shengal, there will no peace.” Shengal was the most peaceful place in Iraq before the attacks of ISIS. Iraq has no system now but Shengal is different, it has a system. Yazidis know very well that this system will never betray them. The Yazidi community, particularly Yazidi women, will stand against all attacks against them. The Yazidis are not old Yazidis now.

“We will not hand over Shengal to anyone”

Yazidi women have clearly shown their attitude against the attempts of the Peshmerga forces to occupy Shengal. How Yazidi women will struggle against the KDP forces?

We will never forget the crimes committed against Yazidi women, and we will not allow the forces causing these crimes to be committed to enter Shengal again. The blood of our martyrs is still on the ground of Shengal. The KDP forces have no space in Shengal. As Yazidi women’s movement, our attitude against all kinds of attacks against the will of the Yazidi community is clear. We have built a common life with different communities in Shengal. We haven’t attacked any forces until now. But we, as Yazidi women, will stand against any attack against the will of the people. We will not hand over Shengal to anyone.

The KDP tries to attack Shengal using Yazidis. What does the Yazidi community think about that?

Some Yazidis become a party to the dirty policy against Yazidis. For instance, Viyan Dexil and Mihemme Xelil are two of them. Before the genocide, Mihemme Xelil was the governor of Shengal and Viyan Dexil was a member of the parliament on behalf of the Yazidi community. They did nothing for the Yazidis. They have done nothing for the Yazidis until now. The people know them very well.

Call for solidarity

What do Yazidi women think about the return of Aşti Koçer?

For Yazidi women, the return of Aşti Koçer is similar to the return of ISIS. He was the leader of the Peshmerga members when ISIS attacked Shengal. But they didn’t support Yazidis to fight ISIS and they fled. The wounds of women haven’t been healed yet. Thousands of Yazidi women have been still held captive by ISIS and Aşti Koçer is one of those who are responsible for what happened to the Yazidis. He has no shame that’s why he wants to return Shengal. The only aim of the KDP is to destroy the will in Shengal. Hundreds of our people were executed by the Peshmerga before the attacks of ISIS. What we had faced becomes an experience for the Yazidi community. We know them (The KDP forces) very well. They want to annihilate the Kurdish community by attacking Yazidis. Everyone should know very well that If Yazidis are annihilated; the Kurdish community will be also annihilated. Kurds should be more sensitive about this issue. They should turn their faces to Shengal. Everyone should know that we, as the Yazidi community, will not accept the dirty policy against us and we will stand against it. The KDP works with MIT (National Intelligence Organization) and they will attack not only Shengal but everywhere. The Kurds should be in solidarity with us.