Since the beginning of human history, countless stories have been told. But until now, few have spoken seriously about the genocides and massacres targeting Kurdish identity and the Yazidi faith. Either words failed to capture the truth, or history was so painful that even the conscience could not carry it. Yet humanity must be able to write about the truth of what happened, the genocides, the enslavement of women in markets, the burying of people alive. Throughout history, those in power have repeatedly said: “This people must be annihilated.” In stark contrast, the Yazidi faith, ancient and sacred, has carried on its cultural legacy from generation to generation. Because it was understood that if this ancestral belief were to be abandoned, no culture founded upon sacred meaning would remain for the future.
That is why, on 3 August 2014, ISIS gangs carried out a barbaric and inhuman assault on the villages of Shengal. The people were left unprotected and forsaken. Women were dragged through the dirt. Young women were dressed in black shrouds under the guise of religion and sold on the streets of Mosul. Parents, unwilling to see their children fall into the hands of these gangs, threw them from the cliffs. Their cries were answered by the freedom fighters of Kurdistan, the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) and the Free Women’s Units (YJA Star).
But was a spark of hope or strength born out of these cries filled with pain? Yes, the freedom fighters made it possible. Those who listened to the voices of Yazidi mothers and women were the fighters of Abdullah Öcalan. Martyrs such as Dilsher Herekol, Egîd Civyan, Nûjîn Amed, Amargî, and many others joined this struggle with conscience and selfless resistance. They gave their lives for a cause shaped by the thoughts and philosophy of Öcalan.
In the 21st century, Yazidi self-sacrificing fighters, warriors and commanders like Dijwar, Bêrîvan, Arîn, Çeko, Deyndar, Agir, Azad, Mahîr Teyawî, and hundreds of other heroes, rewrote history with their blood. This time, there was no surrender. Arab and Yazidi children stood shoulder to shoulder on sacred lands, vowing to defend their homeland, their faith, and their humanity against a mindset that thrived on destruction. As martyr Zerdeşt once said, “The Yazidis are not afraid.” And indeed, with the founding of the Yazidi Freedom Forces (YBŞ) and the Free Yazidi Women’s Units (YJŞ), this ancient people shattered centuries of fear and resisted with all their strength to survive. Eleven years have passed since the Ferman (Shengal genocide). Yazidism has been revived. Every drop of sacred blood spilled on the soil of Shengal continues to fuel the resistance of Yazidi youth. Young fighters walk in the footsteps of Mam Zeki, Mam Beşîr, Têkoşer, Tîrêj, Arîn, and Cîhan. This anniversary of the Ferman was not met with sorrow, but with a salute from Abdullah Öcalan. With the strength they draw from him, they will continue to expand their self-defense and carry the struggle forward.
Enlightenment and self-defense on these lands are only possible by honoring the sacred blood of the martyrs, standing in unity, never forgetting the fermans, and strengthening the alliance between the Yazidi and Arab peoples. The Ferman of 2014 showed us the need to grow, both in consciousness and in self-defense. The path to this growth lies in standing strong against all fermans targeting peoples, and especially our own faith.
Source: ANF News
