DUHOK, Kurdistan Region — Twenty-one Yezidi children and their relatives were overcome with emotion on Saturday after reuniting four years after the former were taken captive by ISIS.
"We were from al-Baghouz. The Syrian Democratic Forces took us to the Yezidi House with cars. From there we came to the border crossing, and then we came here," said Jihan Khdir, one of the returnees.
Most of them have lost their mother tongue and speak Arabic. They are aged 10-15.
They reunited with family members on the road between Shingal and Duhok.
"Thank God, God willing all will be rescued from the godless. Our hope is with God and with help of God, our missing ones and girls will be rescued. And with the help of God all the Yezidis in Kurdistan will rise up and rescue these girls from godless — teenagers, girls, or children, to rescue them from these bastards," said Shame Dero.
After his liberation, Mazin Salim was asked what had happened in Shingal. The issue of him being so unaware of the genocide and situation of Shingal was shared across social media.
"I am very happy as I returned to Shingal’s land. Shingal was still in my mind. I didn’t want to forget it. Shingal is our homeland. We don’t want to leave it. If there is no Shingal, there wouldn’t be Yezidis either," he said.
About half of the 6,000 Yezidis kidnapped by ISIS have been found.
Most Yezidis are yet to return to their homes in Shingal. The majority live in camps in the Kurdistan Region's province of Duhok.
Reporting by Ayub Nasri
