Shingal — On July 15, the Karse Valley in Shingal hosted a conference under the slogan "Transitional Justice is the Foundation of Democratic Integration," with wide participation from intellectuals, clerics, tribal sheikhs, politicians, journalists, and activists coming from the cities of Sulaymaniyah, Makhmur, Mosul, Baghdad, Kirkuk, Erbil, and Duhok.

The conference discussed a range of fundamental issues through three main axes, and participants confirmed to our agency the importance of the conference in shedding light on transitional justice issues and the historical rights of affected communities.

"We Shared the Same Suffering"

Sadiya Farouk Musa, head of the "Watan" Association for Fayli Kurds, who participated in the conference from Kirkuk, said that Fayli Kurds and Yazidis shared the same suffering as a result of the crimes and persecution they endured.

She added: "We lost 22,000 of our young men, whose fate remains unknown to this day. What the Fayli Kurds experienced is no different from what the Yazidi people endured, and that is why I participated in this conference, because our pain and destiny are one. Among the most prominent issues that must receive attention are the crimes of kidnapping women, assaulting them, and selling them."

She affirmed that the Kurdish people have been subjected to systematic policies of repression and persecution for years. "The Kurds have suffered injustice beyond description, and there are still parties trying to continue the same policies aimed at erasing their existence and annihilating them, but they will not succeed, because the Kurdish people remain and will not be erased."

She added: "What the Fayli Kurds suffered in the past is being repeated today in Shingal, where Yazidis were targeted because of their Kurdish identity and religious belief. It is necessary to document these crimes in the pages of history, so that future generations can learn about them and preserve their language and Kurdish identity. Official recognition of the genocide committed against Yazidis must also be secured, and their rights guaranteed, because the Yazidi faith will remain alive despite all attempts to target it."

"We Will Hold Our Enemies Accountable"

Kani Khidr affirmed that Yazidis will ultimately achieve their goals. "This conference was held to discuss the genocide, massacres, and ferman to which Yazidis were subjected. The world remained silent about what happened to our people, but we will not remain silent. From today onward, we will not weep; we will demand accountability for our enemies."

She addressed the reality of the ferman and genocide: "The Yazidi community was subjected to a ferman that did not distinguish between young and old, and we will not forget what happened. The anniversary of the 74th ferman is approaching, and we consider this day a black day. We call upon Tawûsê Melek to make this black day a dark night for our enemies, from which no sun will rise for them. All Yazidis, from children to the elderly, must unite and come together in a spirit of brotherhood so that we can secure the world's recognition of the genocide and massacres committed against the Yazidi community."

On mass graves and the missing, she said: "Twelve years have passed, and the bones of our children are still scattered in those deserts. Today, mass graves are being exhumed, and the remains of martyrs are being lost. We will continue to demand our rights and our struggle, because no one will defend us if we do not defend ourselves. All Yazidis must unite and defend their cause, their women, and their girls, because to this day, our women and girls are still being sold in markets. The Iraqi government does not look at our suffering with a sense of responsibility."

She added: "Twelve years have passed, and we have seen neither justice nor fairness. Tens of thousands of our children were killed and beheaded. The elderly who took refuge in religious shrines were blown up by terrorists with the shrines over their heads and thrown into ovens. We must never forget this ferman. Every person with a conscience will not forget what happened. Forgetting the ferman is a betrayal of our victims, and a day will come when those responsible will be held accountable. We will hold accountable everyone who assaulted our women and girls, abducted them, and sold them."

Kani Khidr drew attention to the Iraqi government's failure to recognize Yazidi identity: "There is no real government in Iraq, only an authority steeped in corruption. We are part of Iraq, we have our rights, and we must be recognized just like all other components. We want, like other religions and communities, to live on our land and obtain our rights. Our demand is simple: to be treated like other citizens. For twelve years, our sons have carried weapons to defend their land, yet we still do not receive recognition, simply because we are Yazidis."

She affirmed: "We will not abandon our cause, whatever the circumstances. We will remain attached to our Yazidi identity, and we will continue to defend our land, our martyrs, and our rights until the end." She noted that "during the ferman, 12,000 Peshmerga forces withdrew, and today they claim that Shingal belongs to them. But Shingal does not belong to any party; it is the land of martyrs and their families, and the land of the Yazidis who defended it and made sacrifices for it."

She called for the prosecution of perpetrators: "Legal cases must be opened against everyone who committed massacres against Yazidis, beheaded people, assaulted our women and girls, abducted them, and sold them, so that they can be tried before the judiciary. We were subjected to this genocide only because of our Yazidi identity. Although the Yazidi community has been subjected to 74 fermans throughout history, we have never abandoned our faith or our land. We have a strong will, and our sons bear arms to defend their people and their land. They managed to defeat ISIS in Shingal and recorded a great resistance."

Kani Khidr concluded her address with an appeal to the Yazidi people: "I call on all Yazidis to unite for Tawûsê Melek. If we unite and do not remain silent, we will secure our rights and take retribution from our enemies who shed our people's blood. I also call on everyone to support the Genocide and Democratic Integration Conference, and to work through any institution or framework to secure international recognition of the genocide committed against Yazidis. Victory will be for the Yazidi community."

"We Must Strengthen Our Shared Struggle"

For her part, Sumaya Saddam, who participated in the conference from Baghdad, said: "We came from Baghdad to participate in this conference, to make this day a starting point toward success alongside our Yazidi brothers and sisters. We will not leave the Yazidi people alone, because they have suffered great injustice. The Iraqi state and ISIS have caused immense suffering to the Yazidi community. Therefore, it is our duty to stand by them and support them so that they can reclaim their rights."

She affirmed: "Women's rights must be guaranteed—not only for Yazidi women, but for all women in the world. It is our duty as women to stand in solidarity with all women and support their struggle to obtain their rights."