‘People of Shengal are now organized and a people with military power’

2021-08-02 12:08:56


	 

	Ronahî Nûda

	 

	QAMİŞLO - Hediye Şemo, Co-chair of Tirbespiyê Democratic Union Party (PYD) affiliated with the Qamişlo Canton, condemned the edict made on the Ezidî people and said: ‘’Seven years have passed since the edict and the people of Shengal have preserved their existence, identity and established their organization with their strength and faith.’’

	 

	It faced the attack of ISIS on August 3, 2014. Although it is recorded in the pages of history as the 74th Edict, dozens of edicts applied on the Êzîdî people have not been recorded. Finally, while thousands of  Êzîdîs were killed by ISIS in the edict in Shengal, nearly 7000 Êzîdî women and children were forcibly detained by ISIS. 450,000 people had to emigrate. While the abductee Êzîdîs are sold in bazaars in different countries, the fate of 2800 women and children is still unknown.

	YJA-STAR/HPG (Free Women’s Units/People’s Defence Forces) showed great resistance to liberate the Yazidi women and Shengal who were forcibly detained. As a result of the resistance, Shengal was liberated and Shengal residents began to return to their lands. While local military units were established, efforts were started especially for women's organization and self-defense.

	 

	Hediye Şemo, Co-chair of Tirbespiyê Democratic Union Party (PYD) affiliated to Qamişlo Canton, evaluated the attacks and resistance of the people of Shengal.

	 

	‘It is impossible to forget the painful days’

	 

	Hediye also saluted the people of Shengal by commemorating those who sacrificed their lives to liberate and defend Shengal, those who paid the price, and expressing that she bowed respectfully in front of their memories. Indicating that seven years have passed since the edict, Hediye noted that the traces, pain and destruction of the edict still continue. She stated: ‘’The Iraqi peshmerga and military said, ‘We are defending Shengal,’ but they left Shengal alone and fled. They left thousands of Shengal people to die. 6000 Ezidî women were abducted by the ISIS gang. Hundreds of women still have not been found. Their fate is unknown. Unfortunately, we do not know whether they were killed or sold, or what their situation is.’’

	 

	‘Rojava has opened its doors’

	 

	Stating that the people of Shengal live in mountainous areas to protect themselves and their land, Hediye stated that the people of Shengal faced a great massacre on the night of 3 August. Stating that thousands of Shengalese migrated and walked for days without food or water in the mountains, hediye stated that dozens of them lost their lives from hunger and thirst, dozens of them got sick on the way to migration, and many of them were killed by ISIS. The Hediye said: ‘’It was Rojava that took care of the people of Shengal again. They opened their doors and thousands of Shengalese crossed into Rojava. At that time, there was a resistance, there was a revolution. They were under attack from all sides, but despite this, they did not leave the people of Shengal out.’’

	 

	‘The people of Shengal are now protecting their land’

	 

	Stating that the people of Shengal have rebuilt life and organized in the past seven years, Hediye said: ‘’The people of Shengal preserved their identity and existence and established their organization with strength and faith. They formed their military units. They have learned to defend and protect themselves against a new edict and are now much more organized. The Shengal Autonomous Administration was established and it was a great success. Again, the Ezidi Women's Movement announced its establishment to respond to the edict. Seeing that Shengal has risen to its feet and reached its own power, the countries of the world now accept the status of Shengal again and want to attach it to the Iraqi Government. However, we have not forgotten how the Iraqi government left the Shengal people alone. We have not forgotten that he left the people in the hands of ISIS and fled. The people of Shengal stood on their feet with resistance, and the people of Shengal who migrated still continue to return to their lands. No force can destroy them. The people of Shengal are now protecting themselves and their land.’’

	 

	‘Not a single ISIS member was tried’

	 

	Hediye continued: ‘’Until now, no country, state, institution, party or administration has accepted the Shengal edict. None of them confessed to this massacre. None of them accepted the Shengal edict. They massacred the Armenians 100 years ago, and they have only now accepted this massacre. We want the Shengal edict to be accepted and recognized, just like the Armenian massacre. Those responsible must be prosecuted and held to account, but before it's too late. Not 100 years from now, it should be today. Just as all states have a hand in the Armenian massacre, it is also present in the Shengal edict. Not a single ISIS member has been tried yet. They should know this very well, the people of Shengal are no longer the same as before. The people of Shengal are now lay claiming their will. Now a people with organized and military power. The people of Shengal will never again be defenseless against such an attack. Ezidi women go to the Iraqi parliament with their local clothes and culture and say, ‘We are Ezidis’. They are defending their identity.’’