HESNA MIHEMED

Shahba- North and East Syrian city Afrin was occupied by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions on March 18, 2018. The occupation displaced hundreds of thousands of people from Afrin to the Shahba Region. Those still live in Afrin have been subjected to violations such as torture, kidnapping and murder. The Yazidis living in Afrin have also been subjected to violations. According to recent reports from Afrin, many Yazidis were forced to convert to Islam. The aim of the ongoing attacks on Yazidis is to destroy Yazidism and the Yazidi culture. In the interview with NuJINHA, Ayşe Sîdo, head of the Yazidi Union in the Afrin Region, pointed to the ongoing attacks of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions on Yazidis living in Afrin.

 ‘Yazidis are forced to convert to Islam’

Noting that they were subjected to persecution and forcibly displaced because they did not the Turkish occupation, Ayşe Sîdo said, “Kurds are subjected to torture every day by the occupying Turkish state and its mercenaries. They want to annihilate the Yazidi community because the Yazidis are ethnically Kurdish. All governments try to annihilate the Yazidis. In Afrin, our holy places were looted, our villages were evacuated, the families of armed factions were placed in our villages and mosques were built in our villages. The Yazidis are forced to learn Turkish and to convert to Islam.”

‘Our unity will prevail’

Noting that the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions occupied Afrin because they had been defeated in Shengal, Ayşe Sîdo said, “The Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions were defeated in Shengal. That is why they now want to oppress the Yazidis in Afrin, but they will never achieve their goals. They will be defeated in Afrin as they were defeated in Shengal. Most of the Yazidis left their country and dispersed all around the world to escape the genocide. NO matter where they are now, all Yazidis must protect their homeland, belief and language. We know that our unity will prevail.”

 Call on the international community

Ayşe Sîdo concluded her speech by calling on the international community to stand against the occupation. “The international community should take a stand against the genocidal attacks on the Kurds, especially the Yazidis. We condemn the silence of the international community against violations. Their silence means that they support the genocidal attacks. Although our people are subjected to inhuman practices in Afrin, the international community remains silent. Despite everything, we will continue to unite and report the inhuman practices, genocidal attacks against us. We have existed for thousands of years and we will always exist.”