In support of Yezidi Women in Sinjar
PARLIAMENT SQUARE
3RD AUGUST 10.30am
VIGIL
IN MEMORY OF YEZIDI WOMEN VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE
AND FOR A DAY OF ACTION AGAINST FEMINICIDE.
The 3rd August 2017 marks the third anniversary of the day in 2014 when ISIS attacked and massacred the Yazidi community in Sinjar, Iraq, systematically targeting women and girls who were killed, raped and enslaved in their thousands. This amounted to feminicide, a feminicide which continues to this day as thousands of women remain captive across Iraq, Syria and the Arabian Gulf.
The United Nations has officially designated what happened in Sinjar as genocide. For the Yezidis this was the 74th Genocide that they have endured in their history and one which was perpetrated by way of feminicide. With this feminicide, the Yazidi people have to face the bitter reality that their existence, their belief and their freedom can only be secured through self-determination, self-organization and self-protection. Women in particular hold the vital role in this process of self-organization in response to genocide and feminicide. They have thrown off their victimhood and will now determine and take control of their fate organized as the Free Yazidi Women’s Movement (TAJÊ) in Sinjar and in Europe.
Come and support the call from the Free Yezidi Women’s Movement for August 3rd to be the International Day of Action against Feminicide and raise your voices in support of this self-organisation and for the freedom of the kidnapped, enslaved and murdered women of Sinjar
( https://peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/2017/07/21/call-for-an-international-day-of-action-against-feminicide/).
Called by Roj Women Assembly, Peace in Kurdistan – Women Alliance, Kongra Star.
Feminicide in Sinjar – sexual violence, conflict, and gender liberation in the Kurdish struggle
Peace in Kurdistan Campaign and Roj Women’s Association would like to invite you to
Feminicide in Sinjar – sexual violence, conflict, and gender liberation in the Kurdish struggle
[Venue]
Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS University, London WC1H 0XG
[Date/Time]
Saturday 22 November, 5-7pm
Three months after ISIS fighters attacked the Iraqi region on Sinjar, the fate of thousands of women kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery following the raids is still unknown and no international investigation into their welfare has taken place. However, just as it has done in the defence of Kobane in Syria, the Kurdish Women’s Movement has mobilised with allied organisations to take action for the missing women.
This event will bring together women activists and representatives of the Kurdish women’s organisations to give you first-hand information about how people have responded to the crisis on the ground. We’ll also discuss the unique potential within the Kurdish Women’s Movement for engendering gender liberation in the region and its role in the development of the Rojava revolution.
Come and join us for this exciting one-off event!
Continue reading “Feminicide in Sinjar – sexual violence, conflict, and gender liberation in the Kurdish struggle”
KCK: “We salute our people’s resistance”
The KCK condemns the massacres in Shengal, declares those who lost their lives as martyrs, and praises all resistance forces who are struggling against ISIS:
TO OUR PEOPLES AND THE PUBLIC OPINION
On the 14th of August 2007, our Yazidi people in the Shiba and Shex Khidir villages of Shingal suffered a bloodthirsty massacre in which 450 of Yazidi Kurds lost their lives. We vehemently condemn the perpetrators of this massacre and remember with respect the victims of the massacre. Continue reading “KCK: “We salute our people’s resistance””
HDP: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN SHENGAL, MAXMUR AND ROJAVA
The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey has released this statement on the drastic humanitarian crisis effecting Shengal, Maxmour and Rojava this week.
Download the full statement here.
12.08.14
Since the Civil War in Syria, ISIS (Iraq and Sham Islamic State) has been caused a large scale tragedy in Syria, Iraq and Kurdistan. Millions of civilians had to flee from the ISIS invasions. Tens of thousands civilians were victims of the mass ISIS executions.
Especially the rapid ISIS Occupation in Mosul Region in Iraq is the milestone for the future of the Middle East. Unfortunately, ISIS has found an opportunity for eliminate all the different religious groups, sects and opposites. ISIS gets many heavy arms and large number ammunition in Mosul. Therefore, peoples in Iraq and Kurdish Regions who live in rural areas became defenseless. Especially Kurdish Ezidi minority in Shengal and Shia Turkmens who escaped from Tel-Afer to Shengal had surrounded by ISIS forces. More than 50.000 people including children, women and elders have sheltered to Shengal Mountain without water and food for nearly 1 week. Due to the ISIS Siege around the Shengal Mountain, the people had no way to escape to secured areas and hundreds of children and elders died of thirst there. Thousands of civilians who couldn’t flee were executed by ISIS in Shengal Town and its villages.
Because of the urgency, Syrian Kurdistan’s (Rojava) armed People Protection Units (YPG) mobilized to protect the besieged people by ISIS in Shengal Mountain. Although the hard clashes with ISIS militants, YPG Forces has succeeded to open a security corridor for transferring the people to the secured areas. So, more than 20.000 Ezidi civilians transferred to the Syrian Kurdistan. Thousands of Ezidi are on way. Administration of Cizire Canton in Rojava Region has started to establish a refugee camp in Derîk region in order to providing their necessary needs.
It is clear that, tens of thousands people needs international support. Therefore, we kindly ask you to take initiative to organizing the aid activities and necessary diplomatic interventions. On the other hand, Turkey should provide a corridor for transmitting the humanitarian aid from Turkey to Rojava Region. So, we ask you to encourage Turkish Government to provide easiness for aid organizations. Especially the transition region Şenyurt-Dirbesiye immediately keeps open for humanitarian aid transfers.
We hope that your efforts for enforced migrated people will create a hope for the peoples in the region.
Respectfully yours,
Selahattin DEMİRTAŞ Co-President of HDPFigen YÜKSEKDAĞ Co-President of HDP