Freedom march from Êzidî women

  • 15:22 27 July 2021
  • News

NEWS CENTER - Seven years have passed since the massacre carried out by ISIS in Shengal, Êzidî women gathered in Suka Kevin and marched to the place known as Shengal zigzags. The women here broke the chains and set the black burqas on fire.

Êzidî women came together at Suka Kevin on the occasion of the upcoming anniversary of the massacre committed by ISIS in Shengal on August 3, 2014. Hundreds of women once again revealed what they witnessed with the photographs describing the edict they carried, chains and black burqas. Êzidîs, who chanted the slogans ‘’We want autonomy’’, ‘’Long live the Shengal resistance’’, ‘’Down with the betrayal’’, ‘’Women’s resistance and struggle will prevent the edicts’’, continued their march from Suka Kevin to the beginning of the zone known as Shengal zigzags.

Slogans mixed with tears

Recalling what happened during the march, the women carried banners and demanded that the events be recognized as genocide across the world. The women demanded the recognition of the Shengal Autonomous Administration so that new attacks would not take place.

‘We want to rule ourselves’

According to NuJINHA's report, Fehîme Silêman, a member of the Êzidî Free Women's Movement (TAJÊ), speaking after the march, said: ‘’Hundreds and thousands of Êzidî women were enslaved and walked on this street on August 3, 2014. We want to turn the genocide march that started from this street into a freedom march today.’’ Stating that they want their autonomy and that they want to govern themselves, Fehîme said: ‘’We have seen the pain of our children, our daughters and our spouses, we want to govern ourselves so that we do not experience new pains. We created our security to defend ourselves, we established our military power and our women's organization.’’

At the end of the statement, Fehîme thanked everyone who extended a helping hand to Shengal during the ISIS attacks and stated: ‘’We owe gratitude to all our people who embraced and helped us.’’

The black burqas were set on fire

After the statement, the women who wore black burqas during the march and marched with chains in their hands took off their chains and set the black burqas on fire. The action ended with applauses.