THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE
CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY
STATEMENTS & PRESENTATIONS THE 7TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT YAZDA I OPENING LETTER 4 METHODOLOGY 5 OPENING REMARKS 6 BABA SHEIKH 7 ABOUT YAZDA MR. HAIDER ELIAS 8 STATEMENTS 9 Yazda is a global and multi-national organization, established to urgently respond to the MR. JAHWAR ALI BAK 10 Yazidi Genocide that was instigated by Da'esh in 2014. The global team strives to bring MS. AMEENA SAEED 11 justice, sustenance, healing, and rejuvenation in support of the Yazidi ethno-religious minority and other vulnerable groups. Yazda’s main branch is registered in the United MR. HUSAM ABDALLAH 13 States under Article 501(c)(3). Yazda is also registered in Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, MS. HALA SAFIL 14 Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Australia. MR. KHAIRI BUZANI 15
Yazda-US operates out of both Houston and Lincoln in the United States. Yazda-Iraq MR. DAWOOD JUNDI 16 consists of the main office, a women’s center, a documentation facility in the city of H.E. P.M. SAIB KHIDIR 20 Dohuk, Kurdistan Region-Iraq, a mobile clinic in northern Sinjar, and a base office in MR. ALI OMER 23 Sinone, Sinjar. MR. KHUDEIDA BASHAR 25 Today, Yazda has incubated and manages a portfolio of humanitarian and community MR. LUAY ELIAS 27 development projects for the global Yazidi community. Projects are all survivor- MR. MURAD ISMAEL 29 centered and community-centric in design and implementation. This portfolio includes MS. NAGHAM NAWZAD 32 the Yazidi Survivors Network, case management, mobile clinics and medical team capacity-building, education programs, household sustenance campaigns, economic MR. NAIF JASO 33 development with special attention to enabling SMEs and economical development, CAPTAIN SHAKER MULHEM 36 as well as advocacy and justice-seeking efforts, including lobbying for the recognition MS. HOZAN QASSIM 37 of the Yazidi Genocide and acknowledging Da'esh crimes in Iraq and Syria, ensuring MR. GHANIM ELIAS 38 strong testimony management for court cases against former Da'esh fighter, and documentation of the Yazidi Genocide in Iraq. MS. SUZAN SAFAR 39 MR. FARHAD BARAKAT 41 We would like to thank all of our government, institutional, and private partners for SHEIKH BABIR ISMAEL 42 championing and deeply supporting the Yazidi Cause over the last six years. We would not be here without your generosity, deep solidarity, and humanity. CLOSING REMARKS 45 www.yazda.org MS. LYNN ZOVIGHIAN 46 MR. HAIDER ELIAS 47
ABOUT THE ZOVIGHIAN PARTNERSHIP 48 OPENING LETTER METHODOLOGY
This 12th of October, 2020 This collated documentation includes all speeches, statements, and presentations made by Yazidi community leaders during the first Yazidi leadership roundtable as part of a series of stakeholder meetings launched by Yazda with the Dear friends of the Yazidi cause, support of The Zovighian Partnership. The roundtable was publicly held on September 7, 2020 over Zoom with a Facebook Live feed to ensure transparency and engagement of the broader Yazidi public. On behalf of the Yazidi community, it is our privilege to present to you the documented speeches and statements of the first Yazidi Leadership roundtable, which was hosted on September 7, 2020. Whilst not a formal research session, the R&D team at The Zovighian Partnership used the convening to methodologically note-take, memo, transcribe, translate, and open code all statements made by the community For the first time in six years, the many leaders of the Yazidi community came together to discuss crucial matters of leaders. This methodology was determined as necessary to ensure a scientific and comprehensive capture of voice administration, security, safe return, and justice. We had the honor of receiving the blessings of our late Spiritual Leader and the diversity of voices across the many segments of the community. Baba Sheikh Khurto Hajji Ismail with a pre-recorded speech, in which he encouraged all leaders to deeply listen to each other and agree on how to move forward as one voice for all the Yazidi people. The roundtable honored and Transcripts have been documented using rigorous and methodological note-taking practices that capture the actioned these words. His wisdom will always be with us for the many Yazidi leadership and community convenings to truest representation of exchanges held throughout the roundtable. These transcripts were transcribed through come. iterative listening of the audio recordings taken in both the speaking language, which was usually Arabic, and the live interpretation language, which was usually English. The audio-recordings of the presentations along with the live In these pages, you will read the complexities and urgencies of the Yazidi cause across the multiple challenges facing interpretations and further translated transcripts were documented to ensure equitable representation in both the the Yazidi and other minority groups in Iraq today. You will also read the opportune straightforwardness for public policy Arabic and English languages. Some transcriptions were supported by written speeches submitted by speakers. and legislative action to support the Yazidi cause. Interjections and modifications to these written submissions were accounted for, with presented speeches used as the final versions for transcription. Facilitating clarifications for terms or phrases are included in square brackets in both the This public documentation sets the stage for a unified position paper that the Yazidi community leadership will publish English and Arabic versions of these transcripts. to propose an action plan that can be measured and monitored over the coming months. Following the consensus presented at the Sixth Annual Commemoration of the Yazidi Genocide on August 2-3, 2020: we will not host a seventh Following the transcription phase, the R&D team conducted an open coding exercise using the Boyatis thematic commemoration that repeats these same concerns and worries of the Yazidi people and minority communities. coding framework to extract and identify key themes and topics discussed during the roundtable, which determined the structure of the research codebook. The resultant codebook ensured a direct paralleling of the collective thought With gratitude, process of the attending community leaders. Statements were presented across four key themes, which were defined as the parent nodes for the codebook: Crimes committed by Da'esh, the current situation and challenges, proposed solutions, and aspirations for the community. As a result, this methodology amplifies how the Yazidi community at large believes their situation, cause, and required actions need to be demonstrated and presented in diplomacy and negotiations with governmental and international stakeholders. The codes and time-stamped transcriptions were collated for the attention of Yazidi stakeholders in a confidential raw data collected document that is not for public release. This private document will inform public policy briefs and reports that the Yazidi community will release to national and international stakeholders in line with their advocacy plan. It is the hope of The Zovighian Partnership R&D team that its data repositor will facilitate the communication and presentation of the multidimensionality of the Yazidi Haider Elias Lynn Zovighian President Managing Partner cause and ensure community representative decisions are made and upheld. Both the codebook and the transcripts Yazda Organization The Zovighian Partnership will help inform the advocacy and diplomacy plans and initiatives of Yazda, with the continued commitment and support of all partners, stakeholders, and counterparts, including The Zovighian Partnership.
This accompanying public documentation is published to provide transparency and serve as a resource for all diplomacy and negotiating parties. As such, this documentation is a public asset for the Yazidi cause and the Yazidi people, serving as a means to continue to push for an effective administration, robust security, safe return and needed justice for all.
4 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 5 BABA SHEIKH YAZIDI HIGHEST SPIRITUAL LEADER
I would like to welcome everyone presented here. May the Lord in the heaven bless you all and keep you safe. I hope you all a blessing session characterized with consensus of opinions. We are fraught with elation and pleasure to see the Yazidi leaders stand together. I pray to the God and Angels to open the gate of goodness and charity for everyone and the Yazidi community too. I wish you all success, contentment and satisfaction.
[End of speech]
OPENING REMARKS This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Kurmanji language and with live interpretation in the English and Arabic language.
6 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 7 MR. HAIDER ELIAS PRESIDENT, YAZDA ORGANIZATION
On behalf of Yazda and the Yazidi community, we want to thank the diplomatic missions in Baghdad for dedicating their valuable time and attending this important discussion. We also want to thank partners, supporters, and friends of Yazda and the Yazidi community for taking the time and making this a priority today. In preparing for this round discussion table, we have reached out to as many Yazidi leaders, activists, civil services, political parties, and humanitarian groups to make sure that no matter how diverse the opinions might be, the message of the Yazidi community reaches out to the international community. So, some people have excused themselves, from attending [and] for participating for this event. But we have a very impressive list of distinguished leaders and true defenders of the Yazidi communities and other minorities in Iraq.
Yazda is happy to have been able to create this platform and provide an opportunity for these leaders to explain to the world the issues and challenges facing this community. And finally, we want to thank [The] Zovighian Partnership for making this event a possibility. Thank you, Lynn and thank your team for your unconditional support for Yazda and the Yazidi community. We are going to briefly mention the agendas for today, it is:
Discussing and developing an appropriate mechanism to administer the Yazidi areas in terms of security, discussing possible solutions for local sovereign administration in Sinjar and other Yazidi areas. The other point is coordinating and joining the efforts of supporting those families in Sinjar for returning to their homes; advocacy for humanitarian services for returning families and to coordinate and cooperate and promote the accountability and justice.
[End of speech]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the English language and with live interpretation STATEMENTS in the Arabic language.
8 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 9 MR. JAHWAR ALI BAK MS. AMEENA SAEED REPRESENTATIVE OF BOTH THE YAZIDI SPIRITUAL COUNCIL & THE YAZIDI PRINCE FORMER PDK MP & HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
What Da'esh did in Sinjar in 2014 is a terrible crime that led to the displacement of 400,000 people and to the deaths I will deliver my speech in Arabic. Good afternoon to all those listening and participating with us today. Thank you of more than 6,000 people and the disappearance of 6,000 others from our people in Sinjar. As such, we call for the Yazda for hosting and organizing this session. I will not repeat what happened to us, Yazidis on the 3rd of August 2014 stakeholders in Sinjar to avoid any tensions happening in the area so as to enable the communities to live freely, in because the media has already shed light on this and the international community also has heard about and witnessed peace and stability, and to be able to forget the misery and pain that they witnessed from massacres. The federal everything that happened to the us and understood the size of the ensuing tragedy in terms of martyrs, victims and government and the Kurdistan Regional government should go back prior to 2014 and create a common force that disappeared ones. Nevertheless, I will focus on certain points that I personally think are important, and the international includes the Peshmergas and the Iraqi army forces in coordination with Sinjar protection forces in order to preserve community, stakeholders, the Iraqi government, and Kurdistan [Regional] government can implement or work on some stability and security in Sinjar. The reconstruction of Sinjar should take place with the United Nations and the European of these points. Union in addition to the humanitarian organizations. We need to work together to rescue those who were abducted and ensure their return in addition to supporting them and their families and providing them with salaries so that they As you know, around 300,000 displaced Yazidis have been living in Kurdistan for the last six years. We wonder, why can live in dignity, peace and stability under the protection of the non-governmental forces. We need to find a solution all this injustice and persecution is practiced on us and till when will this continue? In my opinion, I think we need to and to work on the mass graves and genocide issues. We need to bring back the local government to Sinjar in order find solutions so that the people can live in dignity. However, we also need to characterize the challenges so that the to cooperate with humanitarian organizations, the Iraqi government, and the Kurdistan [Regional] government in order associated stakeholders can lend support and work to solve the challenges that the community in Sinjar is facing, so to ensure the reconstruction efforts and the return of stability. they can return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors once again.
We would like to inform you that, till this day, Sinjar lacks security and stability. On a daily basis, people are being killed First, the deteriorating security situation and the control on Sinjar by some foreign groups to the region in an irregular and that is why we call upon security authorities to bring back the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi forces to establish and illegal way. There is also the absence of security there [in Sinjar] with assassinations happening every now and stability. then by certain groups that are benefitting from this state of insecurity and instability.
As the prince’s representative of the Yazidis in Iraq and the world, I call upon you all to work together with hope and Second, lack of trust and the need to rebuild it. This is one of the major challenges. How can we bring justice, hold loyalty so that the people of Sinjar and the displaced would return. More than six years have passed by, and they [the the perpetrators accountable in courts, prevent the repetition of what happened, stop the receival of any threats displaced] are still living in terrible conditions in camps facing the winter’s cold and the summer’s [heat]. every once in a while from groups in the neighboring villages to Sinjar without enforcing the law? Unfortunately, the administrative situation in Sinjar and the multiple and dual administration is depriving the area from a budget that We denounce the murder of two of our brothers from the Shammar tribe. We denounce this act and we wish our covers its damages and losses. As such, the government of Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional government need Shammar brothers would work with us to find a solution to those who have committed this crime against these two to solve this problem and take the appropriate measures in this regard that benefit Sinjar and its people. The victims innocent people. We stand with our Shammar brothers. Any person, whether an Arab or a Kurd, who has not been in Sinjar and their families do not deserve all this misery and sacrifices in a war that does not have anything to do with involved in crimes and killings is our brother. We thank our neighboring villages for helping us save our brothers them. The people of Sinjar are paying the highest price and they are the greatest losers in all these armed conflicts and and sisters from the hands of Da'esh. Even though some of our Arab brothers have been involved in killings, these the tragedy that keeps on happening. problems can be resolved under one condition which is to deliver those who have stained their hands with blood. As for the abducted people that I still did not tackle, hundreds of Yazidis were abducted as per the news that we hear Concerning the issue of reestablishing peace and conciliation between us and the Arabs, this goes back to our from Turkey and by Da'esh groups that fled Iraq and Syria but are still freely moving right now in Turkey in total impunity brothers and sisters in Sinjar to work on [...] specific to them and particularly to the families of the victims. So, they can as if the Turkish government and the security authorities do not care about what is happening. Da'esh has committed coordinate with the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan [Regional] government and also directly coordinate with the crimes against all components of the Iraqi community, and not just the Yazidis. Moreover, there also tens if not United Nations and the European Union so as to solve the pending problems between the Yazidis and the Arabs in the hundreds of women in Al-Hawl camp in Turkey that some Kurdi forces and [...] forces control. However, because some neighboring villages whose hands are not stained with blood. We also call, as people of Sinjar, for support from the Da'esh women have control over the camp, some women are afraid to announce that they are Yazidis which makes it United States, Europe and the European Union, the Iraqi government, and the Kurdistan Regional government. difficult to [identify and] reach them there. We also heard from the media that until now, there are children in Mosul and other regions in Iraq and unfortunately, there is no follow up on this issue. Therefore, this requires international efforts What happened in Sinjar is the most horrendous crime that has ever been witnessed throughout history because we and coordination of the involved parties and the Turkish and Syrian embassies with the Iraqi Ministry of Exterior to are a religious minority. We, as Yazidis, call upon all organizations, civil society, European Union, and the United Nation follow up on the issue of the abducted persons in Syria, Turkey, and even locally [in Iraq]. to put an end to this genocide, which we would like to emphasize is still ongoing till this day. We ask you, brothers, to put an end to these crimes that are being committed against the Yazidis, and we call on the Iraqi government and Another issue the Sinjar people are encountering when they are returning back to Sinjar [is] the economic and the Kurdistan [Regional] government to rescue our sisters who are abducted in the Al-Hawl camp in Syria. Also in service situation which is one of the major challenges for the people in Sinjar, and it is considered to be an old issue Iraq, there are families, daughters and children who are still abducted and therefore we call for the Iraqi government to not a recent one. In case security was established, people need an income that allows them to carry on in life. But seriously work find and save them. We thank you brothers and sisters. unfortunately, the majority suffer from unemployment and the absence of job opportunities and which in itself is the biggest challenge. [End of speech] In addition to that, the region also suffers from poor services and unprecedented neglect. Even some villages and compounds until now suffer from absence of water networks in addition to the lack of other services such as hospitals, schools, institutes and many institutions that might, if they existed, encourage the youth in Sinjar to return to the area,
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
10 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 11 MR. HUSAM ABDULLAH DIRECTOR & FOUNDER, YAZIDI DOCUMENTATION ORGANIZATION
on one hand, to serve his region and on the other hand, to be and live there. Unfortunately, these challenges do not Thank you Yazda for this opportunity. It is a wonderful platform for a Yazidi-Yazidi dialogue and communication. In encourage the citizens to return to their areas. view of my limited time, I won’t delve into the challenges, but I will focus on other issues highlighted by the previous speakers. I will focus on what should be done in the light of these challenges following this genocide. Also, after six years and after all these atrocities that occurred to the Yazidi citizens, the society as a whole was suffering from psychological trauma and trauma that made them lose confidence even in living wherever they are now. Through this platform, and through sharing our opinions during our interventions, we need to end up with outputs and However, living in camps for six years increased the psychological trauma of the community. To clarify, we currently topics that can be discussed, one by one, later on, like the issues of: security and potential solutions, the safe return, hear some suicide cases every day, and this means that the society can no longer tolerate it. Therefore, I believe that the services, prosecution and justice, internal dialogue and other issues. the international community, and even the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, must take the matter seriously and find a solution to put an end to this tragic situation that the displaced azidisY are experiencing in After highlighting the need to have future topics to be discussed one by one, and given that we have with us today the event of returning home, and to provide what the citizen need to live in dignity like any normal citizen in any region our brothers in Yazda and the international organizations that are working on this cause, I would like to highlight that of the world. as Yazidis and as members in the Yazidi community who are active through our institutions and organizations, there is a need for us to start and intensify the Yazidi-Yazidi dialogue. We desperately need to have this Yazidi-Yazidi dialogue In fact, there are many obstacles and many problems that we suffer from, but due to the lack of time, I tried to because of the many existing challenges that the Yazidi community are suffering from and because of the trauma focus and highlight some points regarding our major problems which I hope the international community and the that affected them as a result of this genocide that took place in Sinjar. We need to have this Yazidi-Yazidi dialogue stakeholders listening to us now will take into account and work on them seriously. We also hope that they translate that will produce the basic principles paper. This document will be the first step in any future dialogue with any party, their compassion into actions and solutions on the ground. We, as a religious minority, today need every friend and whether it is a dialogue at the national level or the international level, to deliver the demands of the Yazidis. It is true that everyone concerned about our cause, and we extend our hand to everyone who would like to help. To keep it short, Yazda, the working authorities, the international organizations, the existing local organizations, and Nadia’s initiative these are the main problems in my opinion. I will leave the microphone to you and, once again, thank you for this have conveyed what can be delivered to the international community. Nevertheless, we need to have a Yazidi-Yazidi opportunity. dialogue that is away from any political stances or any vetted interests for any political party.
[End of speech] After having the Yazidi-Yazidi dialogue, another demand is to put an end to the political exploitation of the Yazidi cause. We are demanding this because from our monitoring and documenting of the events in Sinjar and the Yazidi areas, there is a political exploitation even to the issue of the return and its modality because there are many political factions that are disagreeing on several principles. As such, we were able to identify that there is a clear political exploitation of the issue of the return and the Yazidi victims in Sinjar.
Furthermore, when we initiate the Yazidi-Yazidi dialogue and come up with a unified Yazidi principle paper, we can start working on the dialogue between the Yazidis and their neighbors [neighboring tribes] on the condition that they hand in their members, whose hands were stained with Yazidi blood, to be prosecuted and held accountable whether within the legal accountability frameworks that exist at the national level or the frameworks used by the UN Investigation Team [known as] UNITAD [United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh] for data collection to reach the international investigation stage in the future.
Also, in order to summarize in one minute, there are some demands which I hope that they will be one of the outputs of this platform and this dialogue, and they are: Calling for the formation of an international fund to support Sinjar and the affected Yazidi areas; Working to support the draft law on [protection of] the survivors from sexual violence; Activating Law No. 20 to compensate the families of victims who died during military and war operations; and Working to declare what happened to the Yazidis as a genocide by first the Iraqi parliament as it is a national responsibility, and second by the international community through the Security Council declaring what happened is a genocide which takes the path of international recognition.
This is a compilation of the recommendations that I liked to share with you. I would like to thank again Yazda organization for this opportunity and for this dialogue, and I hope that this dialogue yields a set of recommendations or a future road map that we can collectively work in cooperation with all the political groups and stakeholders that disagree in politics but agree on [and support] the Yazidi cause. Thank you.
[End of speech]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language. in the English language.
12 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 13 MS. HALA SAFIL MR. KHAIRI BOUZANI YAZIDI ACTIVIST & GENOCIDE SURVIVOR GENERAL DIRECTOR OF YAZIDI AFFAIRS, KRG MINISTRY OF ENDOWMENT & RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
Thank you for this opportunity and thank you Yazda for organizing this roundtable. My name is Hala Safil, a survivor Good evening everyone. I welcome all attendees and thank you very much to those in charge of this distinguished and a member of the Yazidi Survivors Network. I am glad to be part of this discussion and to express my thoughts session, and my greetings and respect for all the opinions expressed in this session. In fact, I would like, due to on the challenges and problems that the Yazidi community is facing. After six years of the genocide, it is a good the time constraints and out of respect for your time, to rapidly address three main topics that you mentioned with opportunity sometimes to meet together, to listen to each other, to share our views pertaining to the issues related to something brief also about the abducted Yazidi abducted or forcibly disappeared who are still missing till today. We can our community, and find solutions for it in the hope of voicing out our concerns to the major stakeholders concerned say the missing and “not missing” because the residence place of many of them is known to us. with helping the Yazidis. Regarding the appropriate mechanism for managing the Yazidi regions from a security perspective, I think that the Iraqi After six years since the genocide, a lot of Yazidis, especially the victims and survivors, who are sitting in camps have government and the Kurdistan Regional government should coordinate with one another when it comes to the Sinjar lost hope that their situation would improve. Consequently, they decided to return to their areas despite the lack of region and especially in the security aspect. This is because when it comes to the security situation in that region, there services and the huge size of destruction. As such, the government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional government, is unfortunately almost a breakdown in the security as the region is not governed by one security authority or due to and the international organizations need to work on the reconstruction, the provision of services such as water and the lack of coordination between the existing bodies. I believe that the forces that should be there to establish security electricity, the rehabilitation of hospitals and schools, the reconstruction of medical centers in addition to cleansing all and have control over these areas are the Iraqi forces and also the forces of the Kurdistan region given that Sinjar is unexploded ordnances left by Da'esh. within the Iraqi territory and not within the territory of another country. Moreover, by virtue of the Iraqi constitution, the Iraqi army and the Peshmergas and the only forces that have the right to be in control and have sovereignty of the After what happened to us, we lost trust in everyone and consequently we need to stick together and be united to security situation there. serve our people and we need to call upon the Iraqi government and the international coalition to protect us and to pledge [this security] so that we can live in our regions in security and to prevent a similar genocide in the future. Furthermore, concerning resolving the issue of local administration in Sinjar, there should be a strategic agreement between Erbil and Baghdad with regards to governing those regions, especially that this issue has been ongoing for a I call upon the United Nations team and the government to resume the exhuming of mass graves and to erect one very long time and is associated with the constitution’s article 140. mass grave in Sinjar for all victims. Till now, there are more than 2,800 disappeared or abducted whose whereabouts is still unknown. Therefore, we should call upon all stakeholders to create committee or a team to reveal the destiny of Regarding the provision of support to those returning to Sinjar and facilitating the process to those who wish to return, those [disappeared or abducted], specifically those in the Al-Hawl camp in Syria and other neighboring countries, and and before asking the Sinjar people to return to their land, the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Regional government, especially that two Yazidi children have been found in an orphanage in Turkey a couple of days ago and we think that the coalition forces headed by the United States, and the international organizations dealing with the Yazidis and the there are many more in Turkey. displaced Yazidis; we invite them all to consider and give priority to the following points: First, Sinjar area is fully considered a military area. It is not only a military area but is also witnessing a military I think we should agree that Sinjar should be governed by its people. We call for the opening of departmental branches conflict and a political strife. Putting an end to the excessive military presence and stopping the political specialized with abductees, survivors, victims and compensation in Sinjar, in order to facilitate the process of reparation strife in Sinjar would create some reassurance to its people especially that the region is exposed to Turkish for those affected and encourage families to return to their homes. Thank you very much. bombardment every now and then. Second, cleansing the area from mines. In fact, Sinjar area is a heavily mined area, and any area previously [End of speech] occupied by the terrorist Da'esh is filled with many IEDs [Improvised Explosive Devices] and explosive materials. Furthermore, the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Regional government, and all stakeholders that I've already mentioned need to join forces in this issue and send technical teams to the Sinjar area [for demining purposes] because it is a heavily mined area as I previously said. Third, the infrastructure of Sinjar needs to be reconstructed and rehabilitated. Before the Da'esh invasion, Sinjar was already an afflicted area. We all know, especially the people of Sinjar and the stakeholders concerned with Yazidi affairs, that the infrastructure in Sinjar as well as the service sector was in very bad shape. Therefore, the Iraqi government and all the stakeholders that I have mentioned earlier need to rehabilitate the infrastructure in Sinjar and to provide the daily services needed by any human to survive. Another point is the need for reconstruction of the areas and buildings that are damaged or prone to collapse as there are a lot of areas that are totally or partially damaged as a result of the coalition's bombings or the Da'esh explosions. Therefore, there should be efforts exerted in order to rebuild such areas. The need to preserve the area from the security aspect to prevent the repetition [of the previous events]. I mean, Da'esh exists, the ideology of Da'esh is present, the dormant cells are also present, especially after the return of the Arab brothers who were present in those villages. However, unfortunately, many of them have their hands stained with the blood of the people of Sinjar and have committed many crimes when they joined the terrorist Da'esh. This constitutes another challenge and hindrance for the return of the people to Sinjar. And from that, there’s another challenge which is the coexistence issue. In other words, if the United States, Iraq, Kurdistan region and the international community implemented all the obstacles mentioned above, there
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
14 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 15 MR. DAWOOD JUNDI PUK MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL & MEMBER OF NINEVEH COUNCIL
will remain another challenge. As Yazidis and other Christian minorities, our problem does not lie in the land; Thank you brother Haider. Thank you Yazda. Thank you for all those attending this roundtable. I heard my dear it lies in the prevailing terrorist mindset and ideology. The Yazidis and the Christians are threatened wherever brothers and sisters who spoke before me and I believe that they have highlighted the details and the challenges they are; they are threatened, wherever they are, in our East. The Arab villages surround the Sinjar region, and encountered by the Yazidis and the return of the displaced to their homeland which is Sinjar. The previous speakers many of the people of these villages joined Da'esh and are now in these villages, and so their danger exists. talked from a specific cultural, political, or professional background. We need to be objective and stay away from all our affiliations. Have you introduced me? [...]. Thank you. My name is Dawood Jundi Suleiman, a member of the Another point, in a minute or less, is the fact that Da'esh left many Yazidi families, women and children behind in the Central Leadership Council in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [PUK], a member of Ninewa Provincial Council which is villages it occupied, whether in Iraq or Syria. Therefore, the kidnapped Yazidis were and are still present in Mosul and currently inoperative by a parliament order. I was one of the founders of the Sinjar Protection Force following Da'esh’s its suburbs, Al Raqqah and its suburbs, Deir Ez-zor and its suburbs, and so on, but they cannot [escape]; they are invasion on Sinjar. And in such dialogue sessions, we need to speak with the Yazidi voice and spirit and to stay away afraid of the families that they are living with [in those regions]. So, the missing Yazidis are now present in every area from any cultural, political and, in some cases, professional backgrounds [affiliations] and principles. Whoever talks that was occupied by Da'esh, whether it was a village, a city, or a palace. about Sinjar needs to be knowledgeable about Sinjar [and] needs to be a resident of Sinjar to be able to convey correct and accurate information, so as to enable the attendees and the panelists to benefit from all the information Second, many of the kidnapped Yazidis are now in Al-Hawl camp, which from a security perspective, is under the being disseminated. control of the Syrian Democratic Forces. From this platform, we ask the brothers in the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration there to extend their hands and help us so that we both liberate these poor people Regarding the security situation which have been discussed by the previous speakers, I think everyone, including who are in Al-Hawl camp. Everyone knows that there are Da'esh members in Al-Hawl camp; in other words, its forces myself, have no right to assess the security situation. There are security bodies such as the Ninewah Operations have shrunk and now exist in this camp. From this platform, we once again appeal to the brothers in the Autonomous Command, West Ninewa Operations Command, the Ministry of Defense, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, the Police Administration, as well as to the brothers in Qasada and Syrian Democratic [Forces], to extend a helping hand to these Command and other relevant security bodies. They are the ones who have the right and are eligible to assess the poor people to return to their families in Sinjar and the rest of the regions. Thank you very much once again to the security situation in any area, not only in Sinjar only. organizers of this roundtable and thank you for your kind attention. Thank you very much to brother Haider and the other brothers and sisters. Regarding the service situation as well, they talked a lot about the issue of services. Certainly, Iraq in general and including Kurdistan, or in other words, the entire region needs services. An area like Sinjar certainly needs more and [End of speech] extensive services as well. As a member of the Ninewa Provincial Council, the main problem following the invasion of Da'esh on Ninewa Governorate in general is the general budget of Iraq which has turned into a budget for war efforts. In addition to that, the general budget of the governorates that were occupied by Da'esh also was not inclusive of the regional development budget, where the [general] budget law required governors and also the provincial council to spend this budget on issues of accommodation and relief only. In other words, the issues of investment or regional development were not accounted for [in the budget].
I don’t want to be repetitive and discuss the same topics discussed earlier by my sisters and brothers, but there are several topics that are important and might be significant as well to the listeners are interested, one of which is the issues of social responsibility. This responsibility is divided between the responsibility of the international community and the responsibility of the Iraqi government, in addition to…. Mr. Haidar, our electricity is cut, so I think that the picture will not be clear. This is proof that electricity is weak in Sinjar.
Anyways, I will continue. As a Yazidi community, we should show responsibility. Since more than 1,300 years, there were attempts of genocide and invasions of Islamic beliefs on many regions. These invasions reached China and Europe and many other countries. For the past 1,300 years, the Yazidi community has been subject to invasions and genocides consistently and persistently. But what affected us the most was the land problem. I emphasize the problem of land that was robbed of us more than the killings. It is true that the killing and genocide is a very big problem, however, when you are confined to [only have] a certain land, and when your land is taken from you, you will definitely no longer have a history and even a future. The Kurdistan region of Iraq that we see, and Great Kurdistan also, whether it was in Syria, in Turkey, in Iran, all of the residents of these areas at one point in time believed in the Yazidism. However, unfortunately, they converted, and these lands were usurped from the Yazidis. Sinjar is the main cradle of Yazidism, meaning it is the true identity of the people of the Yazidi religion, with all due respect to all other areas inhabited by the Yazidis. Therefore, as a Yazidi community, as decision-makers in the Yazidi community, as civil activists, as organizations and so on, we are supposed to work to encourage everyone to return. It is true that we need services, but even before the Da'esh invasion, the provided services were in a very poor condition. But even before the invasion of Da'esh, these services were really deteriorating. However, I would rather not discuss the reason behind this
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
16 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 17 topic. I want to highlight a very important issue which is that the Iraqi army at that time was not an ideological army, sometimes sympathizing with us, but unfortunately, there was no real translation of these good feelings and sympathy was not a national army and was not an army with national affiliation. It was an armyelying r on monthly salary and towards us. Maybe the reason was that we, as Yazidis, lacked a unified stance in order to promote our cause and wait to receive his salary at the end of every month, regardless of the ethical and national responsibilities towards the genocide with the international community. Nevertheless, there is an ethical and humanitarian responsibility on the Iraqi citizens to conserve and defend the land. Therefore, the first responsibility lies on us, as Yazidi decision makers, international community to support the Iraqi people in general, and the religious minorities in particular, and give special partisans, senior governmental employees, civil activists, officials, developmental organizations working in diverse fields support to the Yazidis specifically. If the international community is serious about helping us in rebuilding our area and to encourage Yazidis to go back to Sinjar. pressuring the Iraqi government, political leaders and political decision makers to amend the laws and grant us, as minorities, the needed guarantees, the situation will improve a lot. Thank you. The second responsibility which is an important one is the responsibility of the Iraqi government. Sinjar has a special situation. By virtue of Article 140 of the Constitution of Iraq, Sinjar has a special status and this issue has not been [End of speech] settled by legal mechanisms. This is may be attributed to the fiasco of diplomatic attempts or of the Kurdish politicians working in Baghdad who were unable to settle this issue within the expected deadline. Nevertheless, since the Iraqi government is currently the one in control of the land of Sinjar, its ethical and national responsibility requires it to provide services in a good manner to Sinjar.
Moreover, we need concrete guarantees. Yazidis want to live with dignity, but they need guarantees to continue living in this spot of land and in this nation that murder us and has not embraced us at all times despite the fact that we embraced this country and have made a lot of sacrifices for the nation. The guarantees, in my opinion, should be legal guarantees, administrative guarantees, and security guarantees at the same time.
As for the legal guarantees, there is a major shortcoming in the Iraqi constitution when it refers to the Iraqi components where it considers the Yazidis, as a component. I believe that this term is maybe an intentional shortcoming done by the Iraqi lawmakers so those who have worked in the Iraq Constitution drafting committee, where there is no legal protection for the components. In other words, as a Yazidi, I am considered a component and the Iraqi Sunni or Shi’a is also a component. Therefore, there is no legal protection or cover by the international law for the components, but it is rather for religious minorities. As such, the Iraqi constitution needs to be amended accordingly. Moreover, there are several articles in the law such as the personal status laws and the national card law, there was an influence or perhaps the legislator was trying to create or set a big trap for the Yazidis and non-Muslim minorities as well in the future. This is a direct threat and seriously a terrifying one for the non-religious, non-Muslim minorities in Iraq. Ensuring that laws are amended or in other words, giving real guarantees to the non-Muslim religious minorities in Iraq is very necessary.
Regarding the issue of administration or the issue of autonomous administration, in other words, the administration of the people of Sinjar to the Sinjar region, and even to the rest of the areas inhabited by the Yazidis, is also very essential. It must be addressed and must be taken into consideration by the central government. The central government should not control the fate of a whole nation or the fate of the people who were affected by the most horrendous genocide and [their cause] should not be sold in the market of the higher bidder with other political bodies. There should not be any negotiations or meetings between Erbil and Iraq without the presence or contribution of a Yazidi person or without the presence of even observers from the Yazidi religious minority or the people of Sinjar, especially from relatives who are concerned with the matter.
Speaking of guarantees, we also need security guarantees. I previously spoke about the security issue and the fact that there are some stakeholders or competent authorities that are the most suitable and eligible to assess with the issue of security in any area. Nevertheless, what happened to us as Yazidis is a kind of shock and lack of trust. Therefore, in my opinion, the central government should ensure the return and incorporation of any previous Yazidi member of the military, and especially the ones in Sinjar, to the army and the departments of the Ministry of Interior and should train them extensively to be part of the military and security units in the Sinjar region.
The third responsibility, if I may add it Mr. Haidar, is the international responsibility. The international community was
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
18 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 19 H.E. M.P. SAIB KHIDIR YAZIDI QUOTA MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
Good evening everyone, thank you everyone for joining us today. Of course, thank you so much Yazda for hosting this So we asked him why are you hindering the procedure; he said that he cannot because of the security situation. How conference and for showing interest and support in this topic. Of course, it was really nice to make this event happen is the security situation unstable, what does a stable situation mean to you? If there are outlaw forces, then discuss which we have previously discussed. I would like to extend my greetings to my brothers and sisters, and I hope that it with Baghdad. I think Baghdad is falling short. If you have outlaw forces, get rid of them. We need to name the we, as Yazidis, we maintain and continue with these discussion and dialogues because it is needless to say that we problems by their names. Bring it to us as we need to know. But we will not accept to see you hindering the issues of need to maintain our dialogue and coordination and we need to keep on exchanging ideas and reaching final solutions Sinjar. The problem of the district commissioner or, in other words, the administration in Sinjar should be solved, but and results. The Yazidi cause requires our communication, ideas, commonalities. As I always say, we need a common how can it be solved? I have several parties in Sinjar and it is improper to have someone that would refuse every single ground that gathers us. The political aspect, of course, may be a source of tension and separation not only for Yazidis, thing and does noy accept to coordinate. It is not considered correct from a logical and legal perspective. but also for many political parties. The Kurdish home [family] is politically divided, which also applies to Shi’a’s and Sunni’s. Therefore, it is normal for Yazidi Christian , and Sabian homes to be politically divided. Hence, the Yazidi Hence, we demanded to appoint a fair, balanced and independent governor who can speak to everyone at least to be home is a product of the Iraqi society and its political divisions. How do we search for commonalities? Are there Yazidi able to surpass this phase. Some of our people don't have tiled streets. If you just know the budget allocated to Sinjar, commonalities? What is the influence of the political and partisan component on the azidiY identity? if you know the services allocated to Sinjar, if you know the large number of grants allocated to Sinjar. Why? We don’t need a governor. If you, Baghdad and Erbil, really love Yazidis, kindly nominate a mutual governor for us. We don’t This problem was and still is an obstruction to Yazidis. If we go back in history, if you will, there were several obstacles someone who is either black or white [politically affiliated to a certain party]; we want someone who is intermediate when the Communist Party took control followed by other parties whether Arab nationalism or Kurdish nationalities or and who is close to everyone. However, the most important thing is that you name [assign] this person. We don’t want other parties that have continued to influence our regions as it did to other societal components. What was its impact someone to come and dictate that he wants a person who is black or white [politically affiliated to a certain party]; we on the Yazidi community? want someone who is close and can communicate with everyone. This was and still our vision for the Yazidis.
This is why we need right now a unified speech or at least a common vision. Many of you have already mentioned I would like to focus on another issue, we don’t have a common vision. I remember when we had to nominate a several approaches to these problems. Of course, we have many problems due to several considerations that I governor, seven different parties nominated candidates. Choose two, choose one common candidate that we all agree always used to list, and they are: identity consideration, geography consideration, and political division consideration. on to at least move forward. Today, for example, our brothers and loved ones publish random posts on Facebook However, forcibly gathering and unifying these commonalities, or these identities, or our geography, or our politics about Sinjar such as “Yazidis have budgets to re-build Sinjar, but some parties are trying to hinder the process.” We might be difficult in my opinion. Hence, we must find a common ground that affects and supports the Yazidi identity. have departments, we have offices to compensate those affected. This is a right and not an act of kindnessom fr Today, finding the “kidnapped” is a common identity [cause], solving the Sinjar problem is a common identity, “Lalish” Saib Khidir or someone else! Those affected by terrorist attacks have the right under law to have a department that is a common identity, “Al Barar” is a common identity, many of our causes are a common identity. However, the other takes care of their compensation and this department should be divided into offices. They would argue that they topics are not a big deal and therefore I must distinguish between them. would not approve opening a department unless the procedure passes through them. Why don’t we open such department in Sinjar? Why do we have to beg and argue with others to open Sinjar? Why do we have obstacles? I ask The problem is that we must look at the commonalities of the Yazidi identity. Coming back to our problems, of course our brothers, who are present today from political parties to cooperate because we are suffering, and we are publicly Sinjar is the baseline, it is the main pillar, it is the Yazidi identity. How do we preserve it? Are Yazidis seeking to preserve and transparently discussing our sufferings. I won’t stay in this position forever. Today, I am in this position but once it? And, how? my cycle is done, someone else will replace me. It is important to remember that “If it lasted to you, it would not have reached others.” But we should be transparent with our people, how? By serving them. Why do we have to argue Today we have three main problems in Sinjar that we always keep proposing: administration, security, and return of the with others? If we want to open a veterinary clinic, it’s subject to political divisions and conflicts. How is Zain Abu Al- displaced. And, I would like to add another which is balance among constituents. Of course, I do not accept that, if Ghanam related to politics for example? I hope that we will pressure our political parties to come together and solve we have 24 administrative positions in Sinjar that are under its control, the Yazidis would only be holding four of these the Sinjar issue. Then we have to address the Yazidi mentality. The mindset of the Yazidis and the Sinjar people should positions. There should be balance in the allocation of these positions and our leaders, elites, and people should work change from what it was before 2014. The genocide that happened to the Jews has changed their minds, and this is on striking this administrative balance. This is our right! We must have administrative balance in Sinjar the same way normal. The psychology of societies, the spirit of humanity, the spirit of people, must change and this is normal. We this balance applies between the various political parties in Erbil, in Baghdad, and in Southern Iraq. I would not accept shouldn’t allow the people to live in ideological demagoguery, we must focus on specific principles. No, this thing is not that we are eligible for 24 administrative positions whilst Yazidis occupy only four of them. permissible. [...] people, the origin of these things is freedom and honorability.
Going back to the issue of administration, it should not be JuHa’s nail [[proverb people use for when someone uses I believe that in the issue of administration, we must unite our decision to choose patient, and competent candidates, unreasonable excuses to keep nosing around]. Appointing a governor is as complex as appointing a prime minister. and of course we nominated respectable ones, but there were real objections, unfortunately. They are still hindering Actually, appointing a prime minister is easier! Erbil and Baghdad intervene. Why? We need new elections; we are this issue in attempt to disband it. hoping to have lecture-council elections’ soon. In all cases, the governor will not last one year, let him facilitate matters. Today we have various obstacles. Why are public institutions hindered because of political reasons? We have studied Going back to the security issue. We support the enforcement of state authority and law. This mission is our mission, the law of administrative rights, and it’s our right to have an administrative department. This right is legitimate and the Yazidis mission, I think that any other conflicts that we are close to will [affect us]. The Yazidis are not tools in the shouldn’t be tied with political considerations. The citizens of Sinjar have the right to have a municipal department or hands of others. If we’re united, then that’s great. However, we won’t accept to be tools in the hands of others, no, a water network department, the same applies to the citizens of Bashiqa and so on. If these departments are being because the logic of politics is, “using the other to hit your own brother”. This is normal in politics. “Use several spears opened, there will be some improvements; or it is not opened for specific reasons. We had a recent visit to Sinjar, the while you are far away.” This is called proxy war or proxy conflict. deputy governor of Ninewa is hindering the procedures for the veterinary department; I am mentioning them by names.
20 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 21 MR. ALI OMER DEPUTY OF NINEWA GOVERNATE
I wish from my family and my people not to take part in any proxy conflict. We should accept neither to be a shield for Thank you very much, Ali Omer Khidir, I am the deputy of the Ninewa governate, my tribal name is Ali Omer Jaboo. others nor others to be shields for us. We should have our own identity, vision, and independence. This is enough; we Frankly, I would like to discuss several points, however I will be concise to make sure I remain on time. have a lot of sufferings and we all care about our issues. If Sinjar falls, then Bashiqa will falls, then Lalish, and Shekhan. Today we have a central position; it is important to have one discourse on this aspect. I have been in this position for almost five years, and I worked with four different administrations. The problem in Sinjar was always- the governors used to say that the solutions are in Sinjar. I have submitted several studies, the latest one The security aspect, we should have a common vision within the framework of law and state authority, as mentioned was submitted two months ago to Mr. Najim Al Jabouri who then submitted it to the new prime minister. It included 17 earlier. As for the displaced, I think it is important that we work on solving this issue and helping them return back to points, and I would like to discuss only four of them. Mr. Saib already mentioned these points, however I will re-mention their homes. Of course, our problems are many, and I really would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to all them from an administrative perspective. We have three problems under consideration currently in the proposal the participants and to my sisters and brothers in Yazda for all their efforts and I really wish that these discussions will submitted to the prime minister, and the fourth problem, which concerns us as Yazidis, is not mentioned in the study. continue because they should reach solutions. And we should all be aware that the Yazidis are more important than any other consideration. Thank you very much, and sorry for taking too long. We have the problem of dual administration that Mr. Saib Khudur discussed in-depth earlier and [...] I think other participants also mentioned it. This is really a challenge to solve the problem of Sinjar. [End of speech] First, if we want to solve the problem of Sinjar, there should be an administration in Sinjar. We have a so-called legitimate administration in Kurdistan that is non-existent in Sinjar, and another illegitimate one in Sinjar that we cannot work with [...]. And, this is really an obstacle to provide all the necessary services by the government or by organizations. This is a huge problem that needs to be solved.
Few days ago, the governor and I had a meeting with UNAMI along with the director of national security in Mosul and the Ninewa health director. They said that their problem was that they do not know with whom to deal. Administration is an obstacle to providing services in Sinjar.
Of course, we discuss the issue of Sinjar in every single meeting. So, I went to the governor and told him, Mr. governor, the problem of Sinjar is very easy and at the same time very complicated. It is very complicated because the intentions of solving the problem are not honest neither in the province nor in Baghdad. The intentions are not honest. Baghdad wants to resolve the problem of Sinjar based on their own vision and interests, and the province wants to do the same based on its vision and interests. And, the problem cannot be solved in this way. This problem could be easily resolved if the intentions were honest. And, I think that the interest of the majority of the political bodies in Iraq, being it the federal government or the province, lies in leaving the situation as is.
The second point, which everyone agrees upon, is the multiplicity of security bodies. I am from Borek, a Yazidi from Sinjar from Borek. Along the five kilometers between the Borek junction and the compound, there are four checkpoints for four different entities, and we are talking only about this checkpoint! How can a displaced Yazidi who is returning back feel safe? Of course, we are very grateful to all the security bodies who defended us and who are currently present for us. But the multiplicity of the security bodies would not help in imposing security and stability in Sinjar. This specific issue has already been discussed, and I won’t re-discuss it however it should be resolved!
Few days ago, we visited Sinjar. A delegation from Baghdad came headed by Abdulamir Al-Shamri’s team and the counselor of the prime minister, and we have been told that any security presence in Sinjar should be limited to the internal security forces. I think that is a good decision, but we asked for an increase in the number of the internal security forces from Sinjar, from the Yazidi component specifically. We asked for the formation of either two additional regiments or the recruitment of 3,000 fighters, meaning, Yazidi policemen and soldiers. However, the policemen should be located inside the cities, and the forced army and any other security service providers should be located outside the cities. This is a solution that, if implemented, will be accepted by everyone.
The third point is related to the safe return of IDPs, and the implemented mechanism to encourage this return. I think that this point is much related to the first and second points, being solving the issue of administration and the multiplicity of security bodies. This is because the return of IDPs is associated with the provision of services in Sinjar
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
22 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 23 MR. KHUDEIDA BASHAR YAZIDI MUKHTAR IN SINJAR & COMMUNITY LEADER
which is directly linked to the lack of a proper administration and the inability to provide basic services in Sinjar. Greetings to all. We would like to present, on behalf of the Yazidis, the needs of our community [after] all the The fourth point is [our] main problem. Mr. Mansour Al-Merhi had a meeting with Mrs. Martha, the Representative of destruction that happened in 2014. We invite all coalition countries and humanitarian organizations to coordinate and the Security-General in Baghdad; and they discussed the issue of Sinjar which is the subject that every UN delegation to work closely with the Yazidi community [against those who] killed, destroyed, abducted, and raped women and always discuss as their first point. Mr. Mansour Al-Merhi asked, [this discussion] came with the death of the late children, and who sold our people in the slave markets of Da'esh, those who have no religion or worship. Prince Tahsin Bey may God have mercy on him, and he asked, ‘if the Yazidi hierarchy has changed, the Yazidi religion in Sinjar, will it help you in solving the issue of Sinjar? And, what services and solutions can you provide to Sinjar?’ We hope from the coalition countries and humanitarian organizations, that the demands of our people, the Yazidi Professor Mansour said that, ‘as far as services and government efforts are concerned, I am capable of discussing people, who suffered from injustice, murder, and rape, we want these countries and the United Nations to [prosecute that with you, however with regard to changing the Yazidi religion’s hierarchy, my brother Ali Mouaweni , who is from those] responsible for this injustice, the rape of girls, women, men, and children, the killing the Yazidi people, young the Yazidi component, can answer you.’ [Mrs.] Marta smiled which we call [...]. So, [Mrs. Marta said that] our problem and old, the plundering of money and property, the destruction of residential homes and properties. We lost the with the Yazidis is that we don’t really know with whom to speak and what they really want. economic and agricultural lands for six years, and we migrated, and got displaced, destroyed, and left [our lands] in the hands of the infidel Da'esh, the non-Islamic Islamic state. We call upon the coalition countries to rescue and Our big problem, as Yazidis, is that we are not unified, and we do not have a reference. Mr. Al Shamri pointed out this support the abducted [Yazidis] in Al-Hawl camp and other neighboring regions and districts in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. issue yesterday, and it’s true, how do we deal with the Yazidis? Who represents them? We ask all the countries of the coalition, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations to help them and rescue If we unify our ranks, we will be able to gain the empathy and support of the international community. Believe me, them from the hands of those infidels [Da'esh]. They were there while we were getting destroyed, and we can witness if we unify our vision, Sinjar would be re-established within one year with the help of the international community this lasting injustice. We want from human rights [organizations]- we demand that you rescue and help kidnapped and through the expert support that people are willing to provide to Sinjar. However, unfortunately, we don’t have a women and help their innocent families, give them justice until they are satisfied and until they acknowledge that there reference or a leadership that could help us communicate our message to the world. I think my time is up, I really had is something called human rights. And, I recall also from our people that we have been [deported] since 1975 to leave a lot to share, but unfortunately my time is up. Thank you. our villages, to leave our lands. And, we were held in 12 camps under the term of Saddam Hussein under the pretext of “Arabization”, and since then, our human rights were violated. Our people are lacking, up until today, the basic [End of speech] services such as electricity and water. Our villages were occupied and violated by Da'esh following the deportation. Is this fair for a community to suffer in this way? Is this fair for an innocent community to be violated in this way? Since the beginning, our human rights were forgotten and not respected. And, what we want from you is to please help us, help the kidnapped women and men and to not forget their rights.
We want from you, dear UN, dear coalition countries, dear human rights organizations and activists to review our case since we are still in the “Arabization” camps. Three camps were 45 kilometers away from the stronghold of Da'esh. And, until when we will remain silent to this horrendous crime? We have been victims since the reign of Saddam Hussein, when we were sent to three “Arabization” camps and not anyone, any UN agency, any international community organization, or any international organization actually supported us or lifted a finger for us and supported us and those deported through the destruction. 95,000 people were living in Qahtaniyah camp in addition to Aljazeera camp which was previously known as Basha Khodor and was renamed under the reign of Saddam Hussein as part of the “Arabization” process.
As for Al Qahtaniyah, it was called Bar Aziz, before the “Arabization” process. The third camp used to be known as Golzaraq, in the Golzaraq town, and it was renamed Al-Adnaniyah. So, enough, enough violation of human rights.
So, these Iraqi camps, and there were also two other camps such as Tal Qasab and Tal Banat camp in south Sinjar and they were close to Kairouan, Bleesh in the Arabized term, the leader of Sinjar was around 15 kilometers away and 45 kilometers from Bleesh, 50 kilometers from Qahtaniyah is this acceptable? This “Arabization” of the regions’ names is persistent till this day. This is what happened to these innocent people, the Yazidi people. And [everyone] was really against respecting our rights. Why is that? Our towns, cities, and villages are legitimate while the Yazidis remain oppressed. And we urge you, we urge you, please, to check these camps, and to provide basic services to these camps because they are absolutely absent. Moreover, those seeking to return to Sinjar have no access to electricity, water, services, education, or administration, there’s nothing. So where would these people live? Where would they live if there’s no place to live in? There’s no place except for the camps in their villages. And, the Iraqi government and the coalition countries are not supporting them. Some organizations used to provide minimal support up until now. They would come once and give us 400 to 500 Dinars to buy four sheep. This won’t help those shattered people
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
24 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 25 MR. LUAY ELIAS MEMBER AT THE SOCIAL COUNCIL OF BAHZANI
whose lives got destroyed and whose women are still being raped by Da'esh. Coalition countries have not supported I am not that beloved here since I became one of the last speakers. And, this is not important. However, sorry if these abducted women. Their families have suffered greatly under all of this death and destruction. They are living in some points or demands were repeated. Ladies and gentlemen, dear organizers of this digital session from Yazda hell. Should they keep living in hell? Until now, [...]. Until now, the people of Sinjar have witnessed destruction at the organization, thank you for providing us with this opportunity to discuss the challenges encountered by the Yazidi level of services and administration, we lack administration in Sinjar. Sinjar won’t be built without the presence of an cause. administration. Don’t we have a constitution in Iraq? Aren’t we like other religions and people in Iraq? All the Iraqis have district commissioners. Can’t we have a governor? A district commissioner until they specify a budget? Can’t they In order to avoid the repetition of genocides and crimes against Yazidis in Sinjar, Bashiqa, and Bahzani, we say that: provide services? Allow people to work? coexistence amongst the social Iraqi components requires first and foremost full protection from any element or factor that might strip any social constituent from its ability to coexist. The bitter facts that struck Iraqi societies have So, the Yazidi community is always requesting first and foremost, to release the kidnapped in Al-Hawl Camp and other shown that the greatest enemy to coexistence is fanaticism in all its forms, especially religious, sectarian fanaticism, neighboring cities in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. We really want this suffering to end. This is first. and chauvinism accompanied by religious discourses that result in the intolerance of others. What happened in the 3rd of August 2014 is considered as a turning point for Yazidis that made them lose trust in other social components Second, you all know that we do not have an administration. If we had an administration, we would have rebuilt Sinjar. particularly with the widespread of crimes on a religious basis. Yes, stability and safety are quintessential in distressed Sinjar cannot be re-built without an administration. This main problem should be resolved. We should be part of the places especially in Sinjar and Ninewa in order to ensure a dignified return [of the displaced] to Sinjar along with the Iraqi constitution. All other Iraqi districts have district commissioners except for Sinjar. We do not have a governor or need for concrete measures and solutions at the national level whilst taking into consideration the proposals and district commissioners. Is this acceptable? Has this ever happened anywhere else except in Sinjar? So, in Sinjar, it’s suggestions of the Yazidi[s] rather than relying only on political speeches that lack any practical implementation on the chaotic. There are so many problems in Sinjar. ground and are far from the tragic reality of the situation.
We need a fair government, a democratically elected one, a legitimate one in addition to international protection. We As for the government and the international community, they can adopt the following measures: want them to provide protection to this destroyed community. Without protection, we are unable to survive. Without First, to annually commemorate the Yazidi genocide on the 3rd of August, at the societal, national, and international protection, we will not survive. The Yazidi people will be exterminated if the injustice and killings continue international levels providing, therefore a citizenship that incubates religious and cultural diversities. This will in Sinjar. Every other region in Iraq faces problems, but these problems get resolved except for Sinjar, our problems are remind us of the need for a secular state where there’s separation between religion and the state. persistent. So, thank you a lot. And, I am really grateful for this meeting, may God help us, and hopefully we will meet Second, the nation, the UN, and the international community should offer promising conditions to ensure and in other occasions. encourage the restoration of the national dialogue and cohesion through the preparation of [...] to discuss the past sufferings especially [...] in the affected zones that were controlled by Da'esh in addition to holding the [End of speech] perpetrators accountable to avoid the repetition of such crimes. Third, the need to create a committee under the supervision of the UN, with the help of the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan province government regarding the fate of the abducted and disappeared. Fourth, the need to enact a law to redress the Yazidi survivors while also compensating and accounting for the children of the abductees that are still in captivity or passed away, and the need to not grant a general amnesty to the perpetrators. Fifth, the implementation of laws that preserve the demographic diversity in Sinjar and Bashiqa in order to stop the waves of suffocation in these areas and protect their religious and cultural identity. Sixth, the payment of indemnities to the victims and those affected in line with the size of the damages. Seventh, to create municipal forces specific to Sinjar and Bashiqa, and to ensure the good distribution of lands, and services in an equitable manner. Eighth, to increase the Yazidi integration in military and civil institutions and in diplomatic missions at the national and international levels in line with the community’s demographic diversity and the Yazidi competencies. Nineth, to adopt the needed decisions in order to ensure the safe return to Sinjar in addition to providing the needed services and promoting security and stability. Tenth, to involve the Sinjar people and the Ninewa people in the control of the security situation in their own areas and to join the factions that participated in liberating the region from Da'esh to the ministries of defense and interior. Eleventh, to adopt compulsory decisions to unearth the mass graves in Sinjar in an ethical and a professional manner with the help of the international organizations under the supervision of the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan government. Twelfth, the necessity of reconsidering the educational curricula in state schools to achieve peaceful coexistence between the various religious and national components away from the tense religious discourse that results in the intolerance of the other.
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
26 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 27 MR. MURAD ISMAEL CO-FOUNDER & FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YAZDA ORGANIZATION
Thirteenth, to reconsider the electoral law in order to include the right of religious minorities to be represented Good evening to all of you. I would like to commend Yazda’s efforts for preparing this event. After six years of the in line with the community’s demographic composition. genocide, it is important for the Yazidis to be gathered around one table and to discuss their issues in a [civilized] Fourteenth, to adopt the law on genocide by the Iraqi parliament. manner. Of course, all Yazidi people should have been gathered here. Those representing the Yazidis need to represent them at all times. And honestly, we have reached a stage that requires from us to either work seriously for the sake of Last but not least, we will remain attached to our land, to our authenticity, to our heritage, and we will contribute to the the Yazidi cause, or to not work at all. As such, this gathering is very important and should be inclusive of all parties, all rebuilding of our nation. Thank you for your attention. God bless you all. stakeholders as no side is considered more important than the other. We are all Yazidis; we need to gather together, discuss our issues, and find the necessary solutions. I won’t be discussing many of the problems because they have [End of speech] been already addressed [by other participants].
However, the major problems are related to administration, security, accountability, and, in particular, the passage roads between Sinjar and Ninewa on one hand and the Kurdistan region on the other hand.
Of course, all these problems are related to one main point, being: Yazidi areas are disputed areas which have been subject to coercive change of power and security from 1990 or 1991. The strongest parties hold these zones under their control, whether it was Baghdad or Erbil which reflects negatively on the Yazidis and other minorities. We are right now in a new period in Iraq, and we are trying to push the Yazidi cause outside the political struggles. It is important, in the impermanent issues under discussion, that we reach a sustainable solution, an administrative solution and a sustainable security solution for these areas, because frankly, you can’t put one million Yazidis in a conflict-ridden area where the natural resources of their regions such as oil and gas, their wealth, and their voices are being stolen or squandered. And, when we talk about responsibility, Erbil says that it’s not responsible, and Baghdad the same. Of course, Yazidis are part of this nation but the state running this nation has failed to take into consideration the aspiration of all the Iraqis. We have succeeded in promoting the Yazidi cause at the international level, we succeeded in creating an international team, we succeeded in getting five international parliaments’ recognitions of the Yazidi genocide, or even ten, however we did not succeed to highlight the Yazidi cause at the national level. When it comes to Iraq, to be honest, there’s no step that we are able to take because the state does not consider the Yazidi cause an important issue that should tackled. Moreover, the cause has become a “adjournment” strategy, and the Yazidi community is being delt with as a periphery community and not as a central component. It is definitely not that. The Yazidis have been subjected to genocide and they should be treated based on that fact. Why they are not trying to solve the Yazidi [problem]? From a Yazidi standpoint, our problems are disagreement and lack of mutual understanding. We disagree on everything to be honest. We disagree on our identity and where we should be, we disagree on who is going to talk on our behalf, we disagree about our demands, and we disagree on all the details.
What we need as Yazidis today is a negotiation delegation that goes to Erbil, that goes to Baghdad, that goes to Sulaymaniyah, to all areas to talk on behalf of the Yazidi community. What about post genocide? What about post 2020? We need a sustainable solution, an administrative solution, a security solution in these regions. This should start with the Yazidis, and I am in favor of a negotiation delegation that goes to such parties. We asked the UN and other embassies to mediate with regards to the Yazidis and Sinjar, and this demand is still on the table. We hope that the international community hears our call by gathering us with Erbil, with Baghdad, and the other stakeholders.
Today, I received a list of the names of the security bodies and forces that are present in Sinjar. More than 200 military groups affiliated to four internal and external forces are working under different agendas and tare rying to control the situation on the ground. You can’t build a region and establish its security in view of four different forces, with different agendas, and various sources of financial and military support. Sinjar shouldn’t be a passage for smuggling and settling international and regional scores or accounts. The Yazidi cause should be an internal Iraqi affair. As such, we need to put an end to all external affiliations, in particular with neighboring countries.
There should be a Yazidi delegation that goes to Turkey for direct negotiations. There should also be one that negotiates with the PKK or the other forces in Sinjar in order to open the roads. There should be an honest discussion
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
28 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 29 with them and there should be a discussion with the Kurdistan region to identify the relationship between Sinjar and whether you were a prince, a farmer, or a poor human or whether you were the head of an organization? Regardless of Kurdistan; what is the relationship between the Yazidis and the Kurds following this period. Also, these discussions your affiliations, if you are not ready to be part of the Yazidi cause and part of the discussions, it’s better not to work on should be held with the Sunnis in the region. We are calling for justice to be applied to all. Yesterday, two innocent the issue at all… Thank you once again for this opportunity and greetings to all. young people were killed. [End of speech] The Yazidi community should also oppose revenge in this case. Instead of seeking revenge, we need to seek justice, we need to talk with the Sunnis in the region, we need a sustainable relationship based on justice, based on mutual trust, and this requires a true legitimate Yazidi representation. There is another important issue that we need to discuss with the Kurdistan government. We need to have a free and open road with Kurdistan for all the Yazidis. There is a problem with the Peshmerga; there are 8,000 Yazidis in Sehayla. There is a problem with militias and unorganized / organized military groups. There is the sectarian group X, the sectarian group Y, the sectarian group in Sinjar, in Bleesh, in Rabi’a. The state should seize control of these regions. And to be honest, I am with the establishment of two federal police brigades to contain all forces in Sinjar under one umbrella. And whoever does not belong to these forces, must leave. I mean, the Yazidis should be a clear and should have explicit choice. We do not need militias, neither from Najaf, nor from Basra; neither from Qandil nor from anywhere else. We need Yazidis to protect their areas under the Iraqi constitution with the forces that work under the authority of the prime minister. This requires a strong Yazidi initiative to be honest.
We have problems on the economic front and the educational front as well. If you don't develop the Yazidi individual, you won’t be able to defeat and endure the persecution that have been practiced on him/her and you therefore cannot build a nation or a cause. You need to build the Yazidis from the foundations which are the economics and the education. The Yazidi experience was not built on economics and education, but rather on killing, revenge, militias, weapons and wars. This needs to change inside Iraq. The strategy must be to build strong educational institutions at the preparatory level, elementary level, higher education level, and build a university in Sinjar. This topic is also very important. Are we going to develop and build the Yazidis of today to become like the Yazidis of 1991 to 2003, who relied mostly on agriculture and farming? Or will you build them in such a way that they have the financial capacities and capabilities to build his region and remain abreast with the development, technology and economy in the region? This thing also requires intervention.
Moreover, we need to rebuild trust between the Yazidis and between the other societal components. We are a minority in Iraq, and we should be treated as such. We can take a look at the way they deal with the Christian minorities, or other minorities in Iraq. We should be treated as such, (explaining in Kurmanji). We need to rebuild trust with the Sinjar people based on justice and human rights in order to avoid the replication of revenge, like the one that just happened.
With regards to Erbil and Baghdad, if they really want to build a secular state, a secular nation, they should give priority to the Yazidi cause. As indicated by my brothers and sisters, the Yazidis are an integral part of the Iraqi nation like all other components, like all other clans, but we were affected by a collective genocide. What we went through is totally different. And, the way we should be dealt with, from Iraq and Kurdistan, is on this basis, on the basis of justice, adopting laws, and allocating the necessary budgets to rebuilding Sinjar. There are families that want to return to Sinjar, but they cannot rebuild their homes. There should be a budget at least, around half a billion dollars at least, to rebuild Sinjar. We need half a billion dollars to rebuild Sinjar. You need around one billion dollars to rebuild Sinjar properly or to at least rebuild it as it was in 2014. There should be one billion dollars well spent to rebuild the region.
Very honestly, I am for the creation of a Yazidi delegation with the presence of the attendees and panelists [here] and other[s] who are not involved in this session.
If you're not able to talk with the Yazidis, how are you going to address the Yazidi cause international[ly] or national[ly]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
30 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 31 MS. NAGHAM NAWZAD MR. NAIF JASO DIRECTOR OF HOPE FOR WOMEN ORGANIZATION YAZIDI LEADER IN KOCHO
Basha I will speak in English. Thank you Yazda for inviting me to speak in roundtable as a Yazidi woman and I would like to start by condemning and stigmatizing the horrible incident that targeted yesterday our innocent brothers gynecologist woman that worked to treat the survivors of ISIS for about five years. Really, I will not repeat because my from Al Shammar tribe. Allow me to use this opportunity to express my stance and that of all the honorable Yazidis. colleagues covered every subject. But really though, the role of the woman in the Middle East in the presence of the We denounce and condemn the crime against Al Shammar tribe. Al Shammar tribe and the Yazidis have historical religious extremism and the work of the woman in the masculine society that doesn't respect the rights of the woman ties given that we are both residents of this region. When I met with His Excellency the Prime Minister, I called for the is a big challenge and [...] for the establishment of the [...]. Unfortunately, the woman in my country is still in view of stability of Sinjar since it is a prerequisite for the stability in the entirety of West Ninewa extending to the Syrian border. many people is nothing but like a domestic servant and has no value more than [a] piece of furniture in the house. So, We, Yazidis, condemn this horrendous incident that happened [yesterday]. We totally reject it, condemn it, denounce it; the development of the country depend on the development of the women in the country. As everyone know[s], at third we are people who care and work for peace, security and stability in our region. [of] August when ISIS attack[ed] Sinjar in 2014, and they killed the men and kidnapped the women and children. They kidnapped about more than 6,500 women and children and took them as sexual slaves. Since September 2014, I Allow me right now to delve into the crux of the matter. First, I would like to thank Yazda organization for this kind dedicated all my life to support the survivor victim women and follow up with them and treated them medically through invitation to this roundtable on a very important topic related to the challenges encountered by the Yazidi cause. many projects, by supporting them medically in women survivor center by project of transporting of the one thousand women to Germany to be treated there psychologically and supporting orphans whose parents were killed by ISIS, and We extend our greetings to all the guests and panelists participating in the session, starting with the representative also transfer of their suffering to the national and international committee to motivate them to support Yazidi community of the United Nations, the representative of the world government, the representative of the United States and we are thankful for many countries by giving decision to transport the survivor to their country like Germany, government, the European Union, representatives of the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional government, France, Canada, and Australia. all representatives of international organizations and diplomatic missions and all participants. Greetings to all the participants and attendees who have joined us from every region. Needless to say, the Yazidis are a small but integral Through my work, I met 1,200 cases and treated them and followed up [with] them, and I heard their painful stories. All component of Iraq. Their population does not exceed around 750,000 people. Even though we are a group who seeks stories are horrible and unbelievable. They were subjected to the different type[s] of violence, torture, rape, trafficking, good and peace, we are subjected to danger in our country, and we feel that our fate is uncertain in our country. The and different types of violence. And, some of them committed suicide because they couldn’t tolerate the torture where most important challenges that we face are huge and structural. It is not tied to our present exclusively, but it extends their human dignity was insulted. None of us can imagine the physical and mental trauma that this atrocity has caused. back to our painful history. It includes: So, the physical and psychological state of the survivor are very difficult because they cannot forget what happened First, the military invasions. Yazidis suffered from 74 horrendous genocide campaigns and armed attacks under the to them In ISIS captivity [and] when they migrated. They became more and deeply traumatized because they lost name of the Islamic caliphate and it aimed to end the Yazidi existence, civilization and culture that extends back to their relative[s] who were killed in front of their eyes, and [they are] living in that economic state, in poverty and nobody several centuries. The last one was the occupation by Da'esh of all Yazidi areas in Ninewa Governorate in August 3, supported them, and the important thing is no trust with the surrounding community. Despite my work as a physician 2014 in addition to committing the mass genocide against the Yazidis. in many hospitals and dealing with the difficult physical cases throughout my experience with them, survival is more difficult than physical cases because dealing with the sexual violence cases is much more difficult than physical patient. Second, the intellectual invasion. In our country, we suffer [from] the spread of the extremist ideology, abhorrent sectarianism, and the intolerance of the other and the loss of [...] that we paid a high price for in terms of thousands of I cannot imagine till now that women would be insulted in the 21st century where scientific, education, and social victims. (silence for few seconds). development especially in the presence of the Women Rights Organization which has been approved by UN. These things guarantee the dignity of the women and guarantee her descent life according to the international law, while We denounce the wide popular welcome by the majority of Sunnis, from Arabs and Kurds to Turkmen, in the Ninewa Yazidi women are subjected to this moment to rape, trafficking, and insulting in front of all the world. The Yazidi Governorate in addition to the collapse of the military organization during the terrorist Da'esh occupation where most of genocide was not only on the third of August 2014 and stopped; our genocide is still going till now. We have more than Da'esh members were welcomed despite their committing the biggest crimes of genocide against us which included 2,900 still missing of women and children. Despite of liberations of all areas under control of ISIS, we have 200,000 of mass killings of hundreds of men, tens of massacres, and the enslavement of thousands of women and children. the Yazidis living in bad economical state in the camps [and] lack of services in Sinjar and Bashiqa, and most important things till now no justice and accountability of ISIS for what they committed against [the] Yazidis. The popular welcoming from the majority of Sunnis during the Da'esh occupation of our region and their committing the genocide crimes against us is a tangible proof on the prevalence of the fanatic and extremist ideology and the We ask international committee[s] to help us to rebuild Yazidi community, to live peacefully in the community and intolerance of the other. The village of Kocho is considered the biggest victim as 2,250 Yazidi members of this village secure safe future for the Yazidi. This is done by Iraqi government. It is very important that Iraqi government should were killed within few hours on the 15th of August as part of the mass killings of men, massacres and enslavement of recognize Yazidi genocide. Justice and accountability to all who committed crimes under ISIS must be assured and women and children. It is key to point that all these crimes committed against us were done under the false pretexts bring them to court because it is very important to heal the injury of [the] Yazidi community [in addition to] looking for of the Islamic caliphate. Article two of the Iraqi constitution, which stipulates that the officialeligion r of Iraq is Islam and the fate of the thousands of the women and children despite of the liberation of all the area under ISIS control. The Islam being Iraq’s main source of legitimizing laws, is inconsiderate of our presence and restricts our freedom. It also draft of law for women survivors need[s] to be adjusted before [being] pass[ed]. rejects the secular civil state where personal freedoms and human rights are respected and that establishes a solid foundation for the culture of peace, love, and personal freedoms. Therefore, we call on the Iraqi government to amend Living conditions of the IDPs and survivors need to be improved because they are living in poverty, and they need to the constitution to resemble that of the secular state that separates religion from the state and respects all components be supported, and to meet the basic human rights. And I believe that the international community and civil society are of Iraq and treats them equally by one standard in practicing their religious rights and rituals according to their religious required to find a real solution and give guarantee[s] to the Yazidi community that what happened will not happen again and sectarian beliefs. The secular state constitution also safeguards individual freedoms, human dignity, and preserves in the future. Thank you, sir, so much. the human right to a decent life, peace, security, stability which ends the spread of this ideological fundamentalism.
[End of speech] We place the biggest and most important solutions for the cause in the hands of international decision makers in
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the English language and with live interpretation in the Arabic language.
32 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 33 the International Security Council to recognize that what happened to the Yazidis on the hands of Da'esh on the 3rd catastrophe of all. The Iraqi government and Kurdistan regional government treats us as if we are the accused through of August, 2014 as a genocide while also ensuring that there will be no replication of such events and prosecuting neglecting our cause and their inability to agree on someone who would serve the region. the criminals who took part in the genocides and its crimes. Moreover, we call them to punish these perpetrators in international tribunals so that justice can be served. In addition, we call them to ensure the preservation of the security, We are not satisfied by these actions. We really hope that there will be an agreement on establishing an administration safety, and stability and the reconstruction and rebuilding efforts. in Sinjar for the sake of its people with all its components and minorities. The Yazidis are not the only residents of Sinjar; Sinjar is for its people, and the services are for all Iraqis, and we are Iraqis in the first place. Like all Iraqis, our The Iraqi government and the international community must realize that our areas in Sinjar are neglected in all “Iraqism” is important as it is our ideology. We pin high hopes on our government, on good-faith people to take into administrative, service, construction and security aspects and know that they are dominated by political conflicts which consideration the catastrophe in Sinjar and the condition that its people live in. hinder administration and stability. After six years of continuous practice of genocide and mass displacement have passed, we found no real support or intention from the international community, the Iraqi government or the Kurdistan I repeat once again. Those who go against the law, like those who committed the crime of yesterday undermine the Regional government to lend a helping hand and to practically support our regions. We really feel marginalized and importance of our cause and disparage the huge size of our catastrophe, and this is considered dissatisfactory. In what we are saying is a genuine expression of the reality that we live in and suffer from. conclusion, thank you for this opportunity. Thank you, dear brother Haider.
As for governing the Yazidi regions in terms of security and administration, it requires a governmental effort and an [End of speech] international support to impose the rule of law, end the existing political conflicts, and impose the state’s rule and its sovereignty away from partisan quotas or apportionment for any political body. In terms of security, we cannot accept that our fate and existence be exposed to an expected upcoming danger again, and the Yazidis must lead the security file for their regions themselves, alongside the Iraqi or international armed forces.
As for the local administration in Sinjar, many have discussed this issue during this session. Our biggest problem is the administration. We need people who are competent and independent from all political representation and apportionment. We need people with professional expertise in their fields who are originally from the residents of the area and member of the Yazidi component and especially someone from the victims’ families and who suffered from the mass displacement during the past years. This requires a serious stance by the Iraqi government and Kurdistan Regional government as well as international support to resolve the administrative issue immediately, for it is the main problem. We believe that if the Iraqi government is serious about resolving the administrative issue in Sinjar, it can implement the proper solution away from the destructive apportionments done by the political parties.
As for the return of the IDPs [internally displaced people], we call upon the Iraqi government, Kurdistan Regional government as well as the international community to immediately work on ensuring the proper conditions for the return of the displaced through first speeding up the reconstruction efforts, providing services first and then encouraging the displaced to return to their area and providing them with support and urgent aid during their return. We are in a dire need as indicated by my dear brothers and sisters for an administration. I told the Prime Minister that the administration issue is the main problem, and especially that the district commissioner cannot be appointed without the approval of Erbil and Baghdad. In all of Sinjar without any exceptions, all Yazidis, Arabs, and Kurds, suffer from the administration issue. It is the thread head [the first and most important step] as without it, Sinjar won’t exist. Without an administration, there are no agreement and any organization or any group cannot cooperate with any unofficial body.
Therefore, we hope and call for an administration and to take that decision in any way possible and appoint a competent person to head the administration and to serve Sinjar and its people. Sinjar is most affected egion,r and this is something we repeatedly mention in our meetings and discussions. Thousands of martyrs, enslaved people, and missing people have paid the price. All the lands have been freed as the former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has indicated when he declared victory over Da'esh. However, the land has been freed from Da'esh, but not our families and dignity. Our families and dignity are still in the hands of criminals. It’s true that our lands are freed, but our families and dignities are still captive. After this painful catastrophe and after all the victims, the abductees, and the missing, we are still witnessing injustice through neglecting Sinjar and not establishing an administration that would serve the interests of the region and its people. Therefore, we consider ourselves marginalized. We are treated as if we aren’t the ones who paid the highest price from thousands of missing people and martyrs and as if we didn’t witness the biggest
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
34 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 35 CAPTAIN SHAKER MULHEM MS. HOZAN QASSIM CAPTAIN REPRESENTATIVE OF EIGHT YOUTH GROUPS IN SINJAR (NORTH SINJAR MT)
I believe the ambassadors and the presidents who attended the previous conference are attending this session as Good evening everyone. I would like to thank everyone and especially Yazda organization for organizing this well. I would like to thank Yazda organization. His Excellency the President of Iraq, Mr. Barham Saleh, their excellencies conference. Thank you for all the participants and the attendees. I am Hozan Qassim Darwich, a Yazidi from the Sinjar and eminences, dear participants, good evening and thank you for your participation in this important conference to district. I am the representative of the Youth Groups in the Northern part of Sinjar. I am also the public relations officer discuss Yazidi-related issues and atrocities, such as the killings, captivity, displacement, and genocide. I would like to at the Center of Opportunity for Brilliant Future. I'm speaking today as a representative of youth centers in Sinjar and as talk about two issues. First, the security [and] second, the administration. a Yazidi who survived 74 genocides. I really hope that everything discussed in this conference is considered a priority for the parties concerned with the genocide, and specifically the attendees, and not a speech or dead letter [empty First, the first topic is the security and the necessary solutions to the security problems, and how to keep Sinjar promises] but is translated into actions on the ground as soon as possible. Given the fact that I live in Sinjar and I am aside from the internal and regional conflicts including the multiple forces in Sinjar. The solution to this problem is the closer to and fully aware of the suffering and the plight of my people and my community, I have compiled a list of points responsibility of the Iraqi government by forming two brigades as part of the Iraqi army from the people of Sinjar. And which represents the demands of the Yazidi community and a message to them: in case there is no budget for this matter, we have fighters from the Yazidi component in different groups of the Iraqi First, we need to establish a security force composed of Sinjar residents only. army. The government can move these military officers that are present in these different army groups, organize them Second, we want the administration to be led and elected by Sinjar people. and link them directly with the Ministry of Defense, noting that there are several brigades and regiments present that Third, we demand the establishment of checkpoints by the security forces in Sinjar to maintain are directly linked to the Ministry of Defense and are not linked to the Iraqi army formations. For example, there are security and to guard the border strip with the neighboring Arab villages in the district. two presidential brigades, two brigades associated with the president and linked directly to the Ministry of Defense, in Fourth, we demand the speeding of the reconstruction process for the destroyed parts of Sinjar, addition to 44 independent regiments linked to the ministry since 2003 who are responsible for protecting personalities and the process of redressing the victims and guarantee the safe return of the families. since Al Sayyed Al Ja’afari era until now. Here, I would like to clarify these two points, [I mean] the two brigades, one Fifth, we demand the provision of basic needs and services such as water, health, and electricity in the north and another in the south of the mountain. The government can organize these soldiers and officers and all projects in addition to establishing hospitals, institutes, university faculties, and other services. levels in the Iraqi regiment units into two brigades in Sinjar with direct relation with the Ministry of Defense without the Sixth, we demand the provision of job grades for the university graduates in Sinjar communities to need to refer back to army formations or processes that exist here and there. fill all vacant positions in schools and administrative departments. Seventh, we demand the provision of job opportunities for the unemployed and ensuring decent Second point is related to the administration of Sinjar. There is a statement from the former governor of Sinjar, Mr. livelihood for persons with disabilities or special needs. Mansour al-Mareed saying: “Sinjar is out of my control, and there are regional interventions from Turkey and Iran. The Sinjar’s file is in the hands of the advisor to the Prime Minister, Mr. Falih Al Fayyadh. Mr. Al Fayyadh is negotiating this I also have something to add regarding the kidnapped. I really hope that the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan file with the regional forces.” And, there is also another statement by the current governor of Sinjar, who said: “If Sinjar’s Region of Iraq government intervene in this matter and cooperate with one another to find the kidnapped and secure administration had been appointed in one of the Arab regions, I could have appointed a new administration within their return to their families whose lives have been shattered. Thank you very much. four hours”. Since Sinjar is outside the control of the Ninewa governorate, I suggest that a Yazidi military officer be appointed to keep things going until the elections are held, who is also in direct link with the prime minister, to spare [End of speech] the Sinjar people these matters. Brother Haider, we, in Sinjar, are suffering from these two problems.
The third point is related to the safe return of internally displaced persons which is also associated with the administrative issue. If there is no administration, then there is no return. When there’s an administration, the return of the people will be continuous, and the provision of services will be continuous as well. Without further ado, I do not want to talk about points that were already raised. Thank you very much. Thank you for all the participants. I just want to raise the point related to the internal security forces and the law present in the Iraqi Ministry of Defense pertaining to the national balance. Through this national balance law, the Iraqi government can gather all the enlisted in the military forces and units and the existing formations in Iraq in two brigades in Sinjar. Thank you very much.
[End of speech]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language. in the English language.
36 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 37 MR. GHANEM ELIAS MS. SUZAN SAFAR DIRECTOR, OLIVE BRANCH ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR, DAK ORGANIZATION FOR EZIDI WOMEN DEVELOPMENT
Firstly, I am Ghanim Elias, the Director of Olive Branch Organization for the youth. I would like to thank Yazda and Hi everyone. My name is Suzan Safar. I am the director of Dak Organization for Ezidi Women Development. I will the organizers of this valuable event. First of all, I would like to introduce myself. Of course, we are in dire need of present my speech in Arabic. I would like to first thank Yazda for hosting this conference and for giving me the this Yazidi-Yazidi dialogue to unify our points of view and this dialogue is considered one of the solutions to our opportunity to participate in this roundtable. I would like to introduce myself. I am Susan Safar from Dak Organization problem, if not the main solution. Of course, we need to objectively and honestly characterize and identify the existing that was founded in 2015 from the core of the tragedy. Our demands originate from the Yazidi cause. We have been challenges to be able to find permanent solutions instead of temporarily treating or patching the problem. The previous working for the past five years with Yazidi women in general and the female survivors in particular. Thank you for all the participants have already talked about several issues and therefore I will not repeat what have been discussed. I would brothers, sisters, and participants who already tackled the most important issues and recommendation related to the rather focus on simple and brief issues. administrative and security situation.
One of these issues is ensuring justice and arresting the perpetrators who committed the crimes of the genocide However, as a woman, and as an activist in the women realm, I am more biased towards concerns related to the reality and mass murder, the majority of which are in the neighboring villages of the Yazidis. The Yazidi citizen does not see of Yazidi women. Frankly, in this webinar, we really want to voice our concerns to all the stakeholders. We want justice any justice or equity or accountability and does not feel any cooperation from the neighboring villages to support the to be achieved by enacting the law pertaining to the Yazidi survivors [in the Iraqi parliament] so that these survivors can investigation. On the contrary, there are indications that they are hiding some names. And this is one of the factors that get their basic rights and to be compensated for the oppression that they have been subjected to. exacerbates the conflicts every once in a while. We see murder cases here and others there. There are people who are fueling these conflicts and consequently, we witness new conflicts but different mechanisms. It is also very important to establish a security team to reveal the fate of the kidnapped and their whereabouts till this day are unknown. Another important issue is redressing the survivors, achieving justice for them, providing them with treatment and psychosocial support, all of which are considered an important national and international responsibility. A draft law for It is also important to work more seriously on the issue of compensation and reparation for the affected families. As an the survivors has been submitted and there have been several trials to deviate this law from its original goal. This law organization, we work on the issue of reparation, however, the dual administration and the security situation that our has been discussed in the parliament for a long time but unfortunately, we do not see any attention or support in this people in Sinjar are living are heavily impacting the work of any organization in Sinjar and, honestly, our organization’s matter and therefore this law is not enacted yet. work. As an organization and as women, we are trying as much as possible to support our community, however, the problem is so huge that it cannot be held as an organization level only. Unfortunately, the main problems that we are A third important point is returning the map [geographic area] of Sinjar. Of course, a lot of the lands have been facing today are problems out of our control. The main problem should be solved beforehand. In other words, there removed from Sinjar. This was improper and it split the Yazidi opinion and the Yazidi cause. It was a curse for the should be coordination between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq government to be able to solve Yazidis on so many aspects, one of which is the elections. all of these issues. I sincerely hope this webinar will lead to a positive outcome because we have been participating in several roundtables since 2015. The Iraqi government is aware of our problem and knows everything, but no concrete I will also discuss an important issue which is the issue of the economic support. There is a high potential in Sinjar actions are taken. However, this marginalization, carelessness, and negligence of the Sinjar cause practiced by the to economically and financially support the Yazidi community and to end unemployment and one of which is government makes us feel and gives us the impression that unfortunately we are not first-degree citizens, but second- establishment of crossings. This is important because one of the main challenges faced by the Yazidi community, degree ones. This is what we are sensing from the actions that we are witnessing from the Iraqi government. nowadays, is unemployment. The universities and institutes in Sinjar, unfortunately, are graduating skilled people and there are a lot of Sinjar graduates from all universities of Iraq. Why then aren’t they establish a university or an institute And of course, women should be more involved at the decision-making level and especially in the upcoming phase. I in Sinjar like all other cities? Unfortunately, the Yazidi citizen always feels that he is neglected and not being taken demand that the Yazidi woman is involved and plays an active role in the decision-making process and in any decision care of in this country. And even if he is taken care of or if there is a plan to reconstruct Sinjar, this plan would not be related to the reality in Sinjar, in consideration to the humanitarian aspect of all fields. The women should have a true strategic and fully conducted. And unfortunately, these reconstruction efforts and plans would be based on personal role in the [...] in the peace negotiations and even in the security issues [...] related to the Yazidis and, therefore, it is effort by some people who are concerned with the Yazidi cause and are close to it. mandatory to involve the women in all of these fields.
Another issue, which I consider is the most important and impactful on the mental health of the Yazidi citizen, and Women should also be empowered and supported economically. Today, we witness a lot of projects and there are a lot especially the families of the massacre or mass murder victims, is the issue of the mass graves. We do consider that of women with capabilities, who benefited from these projects that are done at an organization level. However, these the mass graves are one of the profound proofs of this genocide. Unfortunately, only few graves have been opened projects will not be as effective as any effort done or any attention paid to the aspect of women empowerment by the and we would like to thank the people who are close to the Yazidi community for showing attention and care to this Iraqi government through establishing factories and big enterprises in Sinjar. Such efforts and attention would benefit issue. However, this issue is not grasping the needed attention and the exerted efforts are not sufficient. Despite the and empower women. fact that six years has passed since this cause, which is one of the main pillars to the genocide, it is still not given the needed attention. And we really hope that the matter of the Yazidi survivors and capacity building them gets the needed attention. For instance, why cannot we have a female district commissioner or director? We always see conflict between political So, again thank you Yazda for this roundtable. The first prerequisite and demand to secure the success of the Yazidi parties, and we always see that women today, unfortunately, are marginalized. Nowadays, women have gained a lot cause is the Yazidi-Yazidi convergence of viewpoints. When we are closer, our voice will be unified, and we will of capabilities. The experience that we have passed through and what the Yazidi women have experienced in terms not allow anyone to dictate who represents the Yazidis. When we solve this problem, we will be at the forefront to of captivity have affected our existence as Yazidi women. As Yazidi women, we feel that we have strong women. everyone. Thank you very much, and greetings to all. The Yazidi woman is a symbol of pride for every woman in the Middle East. The Yazidi woman is the first to go to international forums and events and speak with pride and dignity about what she has been through and, at the same [End of speech]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation in the English language.
38 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 39 MR. FARHAD BARAKAT REPRESENTATIVE OF SEVEN YOUTH GROUPS IN SINJAR (SOUTH OF SINJAR MT).
time, remain strong. And therefore, through this roundtable, I demand all concerned parties to give great attention to I will speak in English. So, good evening to all of you. Special thanks to Yazda Organization for organizing and hosting involving women in all decision-making levels. And this is really the main work and the main goal of our organization this conference. Thank you to all the listeners. I am Farhad Barkat, a Yazidi from Sinjar city. Also, I am a representative and thank you very much. of Seven Youth Groups in the south region of Sinjar. I am a member of Future Organization in Sinjar. I am representing Rambosi group, Tel-Qasab, Evolution Group Center for development. Also, I am a member of Snabel Future, Tel- [End of speech] Banat, Tel-Azer, and Seba Sheikh Kheder as well. So, I am talking to you today as a representative of these youth centers which I told you [about]. I hope that everything mentioned in the conference will be a priority for the genocide authorities and especially to the listeners. [...] since not to be just a speech or [...] suffering of my family and my people more than you do. So, I have allocated some points as a demand from the Yazidi community and as a message from the Yazidi people to you. I will just clarify them in a brief way because of the time. So, construction of the schools, health centers and water project[s] are really important because everything, you know, was mentioned in the conference by the other speakers. Helping survivors, missing children, widows, orphans, the civil people. I just want to make one important point. We are just asking a strong appeal for the international community and whoever hears us to open an orphanage for the Yazidi survivors’ orphans. They are really needed in Sinjar. And we have more than, I think, 100. The other one is protecting mass graves is very important. In Sinjar, livelihood and deployment projects are really important for the Yazidi families who want to try to lift their children and their family because there is nothing to live with it. We have renovation of houses. IOM [International Organization for Migration] and NRC [Norwegian Refugee Council] are doing a good job in the past period. We are just asking for more and more to be done because many of the houses are destroyed and there is [...] needed to be repaired. [...] more important. Another point, and maybe the most important thing is cleaning the houses from IEDs [improvised explosive devices] which are really important because they are [...] Adnaniyah and it is considered to be the most dangerous area because even the Iraqi teams were there for demining. They were not able, I think some organizations were there and they were not able to just do it because [...] is more complex of the others. So, it needs to be protected and to be cleaned from the IEDs [improvised explosive devices]. We have construction, constructing the schools, the Yazidi shrines, rebuilding them. This point is very important. Constructing and renovating the streets elsewhere are really important.
Thank you so much. Because of the time, I just like briefed it. Thank you so much.
[End of speech]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the English language and with live interpretation in the English language. in the Arabic language.
40 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 41 SHEIKH BABIR ISMAEL SECRETARY OF THE POLITICAL OFFICE OF THE YAZIDI MOVEMENT FOR REFORM AND PROGRESS
I am Sheikh Babir or on my identification card, my name is Jundi Ismael. I am the Secretary of the political office of the fate are still unknown until today. So, this is an extremely important matter that be worked on by the Yazidi concerned Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress. I would like to first thank the organizers of this valuable roundtable where authorities. one of its aims is the public interest of the Sinjar district and the Yazidi cause, and in particular, Mr. Haida Al Barghashi. Thank you very much Mr. Haider for this kind invitation. I believe that the speakers who preceded me discussed in However, concerning the return of the displaced, there are several points that should happen on the ground for the detail the Yazidi and the Sinjar district cause. So, we need to tackle [new] points. I do not know if my voice is clear and Yazidi people or the area as a whole for the sake of the displaced. The government and the concerned authorities loud, Mr. Haider. So, there are several points that we should tackle that are related to the public interest and the Sinjar should put an end to the mass graves file, as there are more than 80 mass graves. Dear brothers and sisters, Naif cause, especially the people of Sinjar, Bashiqa, Bahzani and [...] areas. Jaso has already talked about this issue of mass graves and it was important that he tackled it because he is fully acquainted with the details of the mass graves in the district of [...] and whose total is more than 80. We have more Concerning the dual administration, exceptional elections should be held in Sinjar and a district commissioner should than 80 mass graves that were documented through an initiative by the Yazidi Movement and with the cooperation be appointed. There, the Prime Minister and even an entire government is replaced in a maximum of a three to four of representatives from the mass grave preservation and affairs and representatives from the Ministry of Defense and months. However, can’t the Iraqi government replace the district commissioner of Sinjar? Yes, for sure it can. However, Interior. More than 80 mass graves have not been worked on seriously. Their identities have not been identified and this sort of marginalization of the Sinjar district and the Yazidi people are not recent, but it has been ongoing since the DNA tests for the corpses and remains have not been performed until now except for some of the graves in Kocho the fall of the previous regime i.e after 2003. Ever since 2003, the Sinjar district and the Yazidi community have been area where some samples have been taken. marginalized and less cared for. If the Iraqi government wanted to appoint a new district commissioner or a new administration for the Sinjar district and the Al-Qahtaniyah region, it can do so in one month or even less. This is when There are several topics to be tackled. A mass grave should be formed in Sinjar, a unified mass grave. And, we really we talk about the administration, or there is another solution [which is that] all the forces, groups and political parties have to demand from the Sinjar municipality or the Iraqi government or the Baghdad Ninewa government to allocate a [...] present in Sinjar should appoint a professional, competent figure, who is independent from any political part or land for this as this would serve as a proof and an eternal memory and to explain the horrendous crimes committed by in other words, does not have any political affiliation. So, all the political parties should convene [and] should appoint Da'esh gangs on the Yazidi community on the 3rd of August 2014. We should demand the establishment of one mass a skilled and competent person who can govern the district until legislative elections are held. This is concerning the grave in Sinjar, so that the people know [and] the world knows that what happened to the Yazidi community on the 3rd administration. Also, this dual administration neglected the projects and it deprived the Yazidi community of many of of August 2014 is something horrendous and that should not be forgotten at all, but instead be worked on. their rights. So, a lot of the Yazidi displaced people who are returning today from the Al-Qahtaniyah region, Tel-Banat center or Tel-Qasab center are lacking services and needs and this is all due to the dual administration. Another important point, around 3,000 martyrs and disappeared until today have still not been given the rights usually enjoyed by the martyrs, disappeared or even the injured. In other words, there are disappeared individuals who should Another point, the Iraqi government should impose the state’s rule and apply the Iraqi laws in the areas of the Yazidi be granted their legitimate rights by the central government in Iraq. The government should also declare them as community to prevent the problems that are occurring and to put an end to indiscriminate killings between the different martyrs of Iraq similar to the martyrs that died in the battles that happened before this catastrophe. So, the martyrs’ components of the area. To clarify, two youth from our brothers from the Shammar tribe have been killed yesterday. rights should be supported, and their families should be granted housing. Some martyrs’ families don’t have a house So, from this platform, we really present our deepest condolences to the Shammar tribe, and we really condemn or even a shelter that they can return to from the displacement areas. the killing of these two innocent men. Since five or six years, we have seen several incidents of random killings and it is still happening till now. And unfortunately, there is no understanding between any security authority and there is There is also the need to reconstruct and rehabilitate the infrastructure in the Sinjar area that have been destroyed by no agreement between the security forces and the [...] both previous and current to prevent this problem. This is an Da'esh attacks. Also, the affected should receive financial reparation or compensation. important issue that we should tackle. Also, the forces in Sinjar should be removed from the center and suburbs of Sinjar and should be moved to the outskirts of the main cities. These armed forces are here to protect the civilians and There is also the removal of Da'esh remains. In the Jazeera compound and also the Al-Qahtaniyah compound, there not for the centralization of a brigade, a battalion, or a checkpoint. The military forces and the security forces are not are some explosives and [...] were not discovered till now. Also, the Al-Adnaniyah compound is no longer habitable [...]. They should really work on protecting us from terrorism, and these forces should be established on the outskirts of because there are hundreds of mines and improved explosive devices that are still present. Not even a single person the main cities. Moreover, the security file should be entrusted to the local police forces and the Yazidi forces that are can pass in the alleys in the Al-Adnaniyah compound. There is no one who is paying attention to this matter and even present in Sinjar. So, the brigade of Lalish is under the leadership of the brother, Ali al-Khalidi, another brigade is also more than that, there isn’t mechanism to coordinate with a governmental or [...] party and this all goes back to the led by the brother Naif Jaso, the local leader of the [...] tribe and a third brigade which has been urgently established dual administration. I believe that this dual administration will be the primary reason behind anything that is currently two weeks ago or even more and that is led by Sheikh [...]. So, we have around 1,000 security members, other than happening to us or will happen in the future. Therefore, we should really work on finding a solution to this problem. the military and the local police forces, who can take care of the security file in the Sinjar district and [...]. These forces that are present should be relocated [to the outskirts of the city]. Also, the political tension in Sinjar should stop Sinjar There is also another demand. We demand from the international community to help Iraq in reconstructing the area and its suburbs, and the Yazidi community should be given its human rights. areas destroyed by Da'esh. Iraq cannot reconstruct the destroyed areas alone. So, we really urge the international community, the human rights organizations, the United Nations, the [...] government and the European Union to help Another point that was already tackled by one of the participants [is that] we should request, with the approval from Iraq in the reconstruction efforts, mainly rebuilding the infrastructure in Sinjar and especially the compounds in the the Prime Minister, the formation of an ad hoc committee to search for the Yazidi women who are kidnapped inside the Southern area that are currently not fit for living. country and also outside and who were taken by the hundreds to the Al-Hawl camp and [...]. Also, they have found some kidnapped women in the Turkey. Therefore, the Yazidi community and the concerned authorities should demand Thank you very much. And hopefully, other roundtables will be held, whether by your organization or any other party, the central government and especially Mr. Mustafa al-Kadhimi to form this ad hoc committee to search for the Yazidi so that we talk openly, honestly, and frankly about the challenges. And, hopefully all these discussions will lead to kidnapped women because there are currently more than 2,000 kidnapped men and women whose whereabouts and concrete action and will serve the common goal which is the preservation of the heritage of the Yazidi people and
42 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 43 retrieval of the rights of the oppressed Yazidi community. These rights should be granted to the Yazidi community not as a preference of the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq government or any other party. They should be granted because we are a community in this country and we were marginalized, murdered, imprisoned, kidnapped, displaced, [and] we encountered every hardship that could ever exist. We should unify our ranks and participate in such roundtables to enhance the status of the Yazidi community and take it to safety. Thank you.
[End of speech]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the Arabic language and with live interpretation CLOSING REMARKS in the English language.
44 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 45 MS. LYNN ZOVIGHIAN MR. HAIDER ELIAS MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE ZOVIGHIAN PARTNERSHIP PRESIDENT, YAZDA ORGANIZATION
Thank you very much Haider and thank you to all of our Yazidi friends who were with us today. Today was a very Thank you very much Lynn. Thank you for that incredible words towards the Yazidis. Alright, you all have a great day, important occasion to hear the diversity of everybody's voices, and it is imperative that this be documented. And, great night, great evening. We are in many time zones, and we will conclude our meeting, and just to remind everybody that all of these important voices, points, recommendations, and calls for action, be integrated in a very strongly again that everyone is welcome to submit their statements via email to Yazda and ZP team to make sure that your represented methodology into a public consultative document, which I am and my team at The Zovighian Partnership opinion [and] your points are confirmed and are included in our policy paper. And, I also circulated with our partners are delighted to support Yazda in making this documentation happen swiftly for release to the public. So, thank you and friends who are supporting the Yazidis and minorities. You all have great time, wherever you are. Thank you very for this privilege to co-host you today. And, thank you for taking much extra time to be with us. I look very forward to much for attending. working with all community leaders to ensure that we work swiftly, with urgency, and imperative priority. Thank you, Haider and to Yazda, for your leadership in bringing everybody together. And, if I may just say, speaking from Beirut [End of closing remarks] this evening, it was really incredible to hear so many voices speak so eloquently and share and deeply listen to each of your views. This is something that I know in Lebanon, we are not always so naturally good at doing this, and I look up to my Yazidi brothers and sisters as a very special benchmark and reference in diplomacy, community preservation, and community building. Thank you.
[End of closing remarks]
This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the English language and with live interpretation This speech was presented at the first Yazidi Leadership Roundtable in the English language and with live interpretation in the Arabic language. in the Arabic language.
46 THE FIRST YAZIDI LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY, SAFE RETURN, AND JUSTICE: VOICES OF THE YAZIDI COMMUNITY 47 ABOUT THE ZOVIGHIAN PARTNERSHIP
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Our team of researchers, strategists, and analysts serve communities, nation-builders, organizations, and governments.
Our venture and the family re-invest our financial, political, and intellectual capital into our growing peace-building impact portfolio. The Yazidi Cause has been at the centerpiece of our efforts, in partnership with Yazda since June 2015.
On the occasion of this Sixth Annual Commemoration of the Yazidi Genocide, our operations, research, and strategic communications teams are truly honored and blessed to serve Yazda and the Yazidi people. www.zovighianpartnership.com