BEHDINAN – KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency made a written statement on the occasion of the anniversary of the Shengal massacre.
KCK said, “We once again condemn the massacre against our Yazidi people in Shengal, on its 8th anniversary, and commemorate those who lost their lives in the massacre. The Kurdish Freedom Movement, the Kurdish people and the people of Shengal will never forget this massacre and will continue to hold the perpetrators to account, as they have done so far.”
The statement said, “This massacre carried out by ISIS against our Yazidi people has been one of the heaviest and most painful massacres in the history of humanity.” faced with massacre. The Shengal Massacre is a great shame for humanity, especially for the region. The only and right way to get out of this situation and to be cleansed is to stand by the struggle for freedom and existence of the Shengal people who came out of the massacre, to ensure that the people of Shengal are not exposed to massacres again and to live their faith, identity and culture.
The following points were also included in the KCK statement:
“The Yazidis have been subjected to great massacres throughout history. As a result of these massacres, which our Êzidî people define as Ferman, massacres occurred every time, the people were displaced from their homeland, and great suffering was experienced. The reason for these massacres against our Yazidi people was that the Yazidis had a different belief and culture and wanted to live accordingly. Throughout history, Yazidis have never harmed any community, put pressure on anyone, or forced anything. He just tried to live his faith and culture freely and maintain his existence. As this is the most natural right of every people, it is also a requirement of being a society. As a matter of fact, Yazidis have not established a state throughout history, and therefore, the understanding of oppression and sovereignty has not found a place in their traditions. Unfortunately, states and collaborative forces acting with a monist and sovereign understanding have imposed genocide on the Yazidis throughout history and massacred the people. The Yazidis, who were exposed to dozens of edicts in history, sought refuge in the Shengal mountains and tried to survive in order to avoid massacres and to protect their faith, language, culture and identity as a people. For this reason, Yazidis see the Shengal mountains and its geography as a sacred homeland.
73rd Edict WAS THE GREATEST ÊZidi Edict
The massacre, which was started by ISIS on 3 August 2014 and defined by the Yazidi people as the 73rd Ferman, was a continuation of the massacres carried out throughout history, and in this massacre, the Êzidî genocide was sought to be completed. In this respect, the 73rd Edict was the biggest Yazidi Edict and Massacre in history. Despite the tens of massacres that took place, the Êzidî people were able to maintain their existence by spreading to Shengal geography and managed to carry their faith to the present day. Since the massacre forces knew the importance of Shengal for the Yazidi people, they planned to attack Shengal directly. If this attack had taken place as planned and had achieved a result, all the people would have been massacred and then they would have turned to other areas where the Yazidis lived, especially Shexan and Laleş, where massacres would have been carried out and the Yazidi community would have been completely wiped out. As the KDP had decided and prepared before, when the massacre started, the people of Shengal fled, leaving them alone and faced the massacre. The Iraqi State and its army did not claim their responsibilities and did not protect the people against massacre. However, the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla intervened in this situation and prevented the people of Shengal from going through a whole massacre.
KDP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHANGAL MASSACRE
The KDP is responsible for the Shengal Massacre. Everyone knows that ISIS is a tool and gangs used to murder. KDP and KDP dominated Shengal. This situation gave the KDP a responsibility in terms of protecting the people. However, the KDP did not act as required by this responsibility and fled, leaving the people alone. After the KDP fled, leaving the people of Shengal defenseless, ISIS gangs massacred thousands of Yazidis, confiscated Yazidi women and sold them like slaves in the markets. The one responsible for this situation, which is also very serious for humanity, is undoubtedly the KDP, which, while it was responsible for defending the people, left the people face to face with massacre and fled. However, instead of making a historical questioning and self-criticism in the face of this situation, some sections of the KDP and its collaborators act as if this situation does not exist. It has the audacity to speak on the people of Shengal and the Yazidis. Undoubtedly, this recklessness has no value or value in the eyes of the people of Shengal and the Kurdish people. The people of Shengal and the Kurdish people will never forget this historical shame and disgrace.
The fact that the KDP fled without firing a single bullet, leaving the people face to face with the massacre, reveals that it was aware of the massacre in advance. This is a very clear situation. If this were not the case, some peshmerga would certainly have fought or at least left the arsenal to the public while they were fleeing. However, such a result emerged because the KDP was aware of the massacre and the escape plan and decision were predetermined. Already before the massacre, meetings were held on how to capture Shengal and other places by ISIS, and it is known that the KDP also participated in these meetings. Therefore, the forces participating in these meetings are the real perpetrators and partners of the Shengal massacre.
GUERILLA INTERVENE WITH ISIS ATTACKS, STOP THE MASSACRE
The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla’s intervention in the ISIS attacks prevented the emergence of a more serious situation. Seeing that the guerrilla stood against ISIS and tried to prevent the massacre, the Yazidi people started to stand with the guerrilla and fight, and the massacre was stopped in this way. YPG and YPJ forces also came to the area as an important intervention and support force and played an important role in preventing the massacre.
The fact that Êzidî girls and boys came together to defend Shengal after the massacre and formed a defense organization was a very important and historical step taken for the people of Shengal. The expulsion of ISIS from Shengal and the liberation of Shengal were also the result of the struggle of Shengal forces. Many great heroes such as Martyr Zerdeşt, Sait, Mam Zeki, Dijwar, Nazê, Gülçin and Berivan pioneered in taking this historical step and in the liberation and defense of Shengal. Êzidî women, on the other hand, took the lead in the liberation and rebuilding of life by organizing at all levels, especially military and political, and held the massacre and the perpetrators accountable and gave them the most meaningful and correct answer.
IT IS A MANDATORY FOR THE PEOPLE OF SHENGAL TO DEFEND AND ORGANIZE
As a people who have faced massacres throughout history and who have been subjected to massacres in the 21st century, it is not only a right but also an obligation for the people of Shengal to defend themselves and organize politically. As the Kurdish Freedom Movement, we see that the people of Shengal have a say over their own will and their self-defense attitude is meaningful and correct. This attitude is legitimate and the most natural right. Therefore, everyone should support the people of Shengal to have a say in their lives. Supporting this attitude is also a requirement of being respectful to the Shengal people. The intentions of those who make this a controversial issue are certainly bad. However, those who do not want the will of the Shengal and Êzidî people can make these legitimate demands a subject of discussion. The KDP adopts such an attitude and approach.
The attacks against Shengal aim to continue and complete the massacre committed by ISIS, which could not be completed. Using the PKK as a justification for the attacks is a great distortion and lie. Everyone knows very well that after Shengal was liberated, the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas withdrew their forces from Shengal. There are YBŞ and YJŞ forces in Shengal, formed by the Iraqi Army and the sons of the Shengal people. The discourse that the PKK is in Shengal is deliberately put forward by the KDP. Since the KDP is in cooperation with the Turkish state, it cites the presence of the PKK as a reason for the invasion of Southern Kurdistan. In this way, the KDP is trying to legitimize the Turkish state’s occupation and collaboration. But the Kurdish people know how the KDP cooperates with the Turkish state. The reality of the KDP for Shengal is well known by the Kurdish people and the people of Shengal. The Turkish State is hostile to the Kurdish and Yazidi people. Because of this hostility, it attacks Shengal. The KDP also encourages and supports these attacks. It was the Turkish state that attacked ISIS in Shengal, Kobanê and other places. The KDP wants to re-establish its dominance over Shengal by attacking the Turkish state and taking advantage of these attacks. The KDP also encourages and supports these attacks. It was the Turkish state that attacked ISIS in Shengal, Kobanê and other places. The KDP wants to re-establish its dominance over Shengal by attacking the Turkish state and taking advantage of these attacks. The KDP also encourages and supports these attacks. It was the Turkish state that attacked ISIS in Shengal, Kobanê and other places. The KDP wants to re-establish its dominance over Shengal by attacking the Turkish state and taking advantage of these attacks.
The KDP is holding the Shengal people in the camps as hostages and is trying to take advantage of this situation. It is holding the people in the camps hostage, preventing them from returning to Shengal and trying to use it for their policies on Shengal. At the same time, it sees it as a vote depot and takes advantage of this situation. While the reality is like this, it is a big lie and distortion to say that the PKK prevented the people in the camps from returning. Our Êzidî people are well aware of how the PKK approaches them, how they are trying to return the Êzidîs to their homeland, and therefore the KDP’s rhetoric does not reflect the truth. On the other hand, Shengal forces and their representatives have repeatedly called for the return of the people in the camp, and there have been efforts for this. However, the KDP prevents the return of the people in the camps.
NOT TO TAKE ATTENTION TO ATTACKS ON SENGAL IS TO BE PARTNER
The states and international powers should not have experienced the same situation in the face of the Shengal Massacre regarding the attacks against Shengal, especially the attacks of the Turkish state. However, no stance is taken in response to the attacks of the KDP and the Turkish state. Not taking a stand against the attacks on Shengal means being a partner in the attacks. The right attitude is to support the struggle of the people of Shengal, as a society subjected to massacre, to live in safety and have a voice over their will, and to stand against the attacks against Shengal. It was stated in the parliaments of many countries that Êzidîs were subjected to genocide and decisions were taken in this direction. We see these as positive and meaningful steps. However, the belief, culture, It also has the right to live its language and identity, and this right should be demonstrated in the decisions taken in parliament and other platforms. Everyone, especially the UN, should consider themselves responsible for the freedom of our Êzidî people, who were subjected to genocide because of their culture and belief.
As the Kurdish Freedom Movement, on the 8th anniversary of the Shengal massacre, we once again commemorate all martyrs of the revolution and democracy in the person of those who lost their lives in the massacre and were martyred in the liberation and protection of Shengal to this day, and we reiterate our promise to the martyrs. We state that we stand with the people of Shengal today, as we did in the past. We see our Shengal and Êzidî people as entrusted to Leader Apo, and consider ourselves responsible and indebted for Êzidxan’s survival and freedom. Once again, we call on all Yazidis to return to their homeland and strive for the realization of the ideal of a free Êzidxan.”
