NÛJÎN ÊZIDÎ

Shengal (Sinjar)- On October 23, 2024, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Riha (Urfa) MP Ömer Öcalan met Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in the prison island of Imrali; first contact with Abdullah Öcalan after 43 months. However, a new 6-month ban on lawyer visits was issued against Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on November 6. The Yazidi women of Shengal condemn the ongoing isolation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, demanding an end to the isolation.

 ‘The message of leader Apo becomes a source of strength for us’

 “The meeting with leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) after months made us very happy,” said Tewrê Xelef, member of the Assembly in the village of Borek. “We always say we will do everything that needs to be done for leader Apo. The message of leader Apo becomes a source of strength for us. On the day we received the message of leader Apo, we learnt that one of the fighters was martyred. We are proud of our martyrs. We will never forget how the fighters of leader Apo came here to save our community. Before the genocide, we were supposedly under the protection of the Peshmerga; however, the Peshmerga fled when ISIS began to attack us. The Iraqi government also did not protect us. Our mothers, sisters were abducted by ISIS because of the Peshmerga and the Iraqi government.”

‘We will never forget the resistance of the guerrillas’

Yazidi women undertake the responsibility of protecting and organizing their community, Tewrê Xelef stressed. “We salute the guerrillas and will never forget their resistance. We will always stand with them. Thanks to the guerrillas, our children defend Shengal today. Women were most victimized during the genocide. There are mothers whose children are in the hands of ISIS right now. No one gave us strength, only the thoughts of leader Apo gave us strength. We will never forget this.”

 ‘Leader Apo offered a new and free life to all women’

Noting that the Yazidi community and Yazidi women are stronger today, Tewrê Xelef said: “The ideology of leader Apo has spread everywhere. I wish we had known the ideology of leader Apo before 2014. If we had known his ideology, we would not have faced such a genocide. As the Yazidi people, we demand leader Apo be physically released and we hope to see him. Leader Apo offered a new and free life to all women. As Yazidi women, we will pass down his thoughts to the next generations. I hope everyone will unite and demand the freedom of leader Apo.”

‘We do not accept the isolation’

Wehîde Hecî, another member of the assembly, also condemned the isolation and the bans imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. “The thoughts of leader Apo have already spread all around the world,” she said. “We do not accept the isolation imposed on him and demand an end to the isolation. I will do our best for the freedom of leader Apo. The freedom of leader Apo will bring freedom to all people, especially young people and women. As the Yazidi community and women, we will fight for the physical freedom of leader Apo.”