Shingal — The passage of years since the events of August 3, 2014, highlights the continued absence of justice in Shingal, amid ongoing demands for accountability of those responsible and the implementation of practical steps for reconstruction.

On the anniversary of August 3, 2014, the manifestations of political and administrative failure that emerged during the Shingal events have returned to the forefront. Despite the passage of years, representatives of the region and the women who participated in those events affirm that serious steps toward rebuilding Shingal, returning displaced persons, and resolving the file of the missing remain absent. This year's commemoration events emphasized the necessity of accountability and achieving justice.

Dr. Yusra Khalil, who conducts scientific research on the Yazidi file and the situation of Yazidi women who remain captive, affirmed the necessity of forming an investigative committee. She also considered her participation in the commemoration ceremony an honor. "What happened is deeply painful. Yet despite this, the Iraqi government has not provided any support for the reconstruction of Shingal, nor have steps been taken for the return of displaced persons. To this day, no committee has been formed to address the file of approximately 1,700 girls and young men who were captured and have not been found or returned to their families. No information is available about their fate in the grip of ISIS. We call upon the new Iraqi government to take a positive step toward the reconstruction of Shingal, to resolve the file of displaced persons, and to enact a special law to stop hate speech against Yazidis."

She emphasized the necessity of forming investigative committees specifically for Yazidi women who remain captive, with the aim of finding them and returning them to their families and communities. Regarding those who committed crimes against Yazidis, she said: "The perpetrators of these crimes must be tried before both international and Iraqi courts. Justice is essential for our people, who have suffered greatly. I would like to add that our Yazidi people are no longer as they were before the genocide. We will resist and struggle, and we will become stronger. We hope that justice will be achieved."

"Mass Graves That Have Not Been Uncovered

For her part, mother Qimat, who attended the commemoration ceremony in the old market, stated that many injustices were committed against the Yazidi community, particularly Yazidi girls and women, in this market. "Hundreds of our young men and women were martyred here. Today, we remember all our martyrs and bow to them in reverence. We hope that our captives will be released and returned to their families. Thousands of people fell into the hands of ISIS, who made no distinction between child, youth, or elder—they took them one after another. They recognized no values or standards. Those they took were either killed or their whereabouts remain unknown."

Regarding the issue of mass graves, she explained: "There are still many mass graves on our land, and no one cares about them. Our bones are still in Baghdad. Families cry out every day demanding the return of their dead. Children were killed and the elderly were trampled to death. They entered the land of the Yazidis like bloodthirsty wolves."

 

"We Want Our Prisoners Released"

In concluding her remarks, mother Qimat called upon human rights institutions to take action: "To this day, no rights have been granted to Yazidis. You must not allow our rights to be lost. Yazidis have never had the right to harm anyone. All we demand is our rights. We demand the release of our captives and the return of our martyrs' remains. We are Iraqis—let them give us our rights. We demand that Yazidis, like other peoples, receive their rights in this country, and that this be enshrined in the constitution. They look down on us, yet we are a pure community; we do not wrong anyone nor oppress anyone. All we want is recognition of our rights and the determination of our place in Iraq."