Yezidis in US plead for justice and peace
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – As the world has observed International Human Rights Day, the Yezidi community continues to seek justice for the genocidal atrocities their people suffered at the hands of ISIS.
“It's important for the world to recognize Yazidis as a minority who have gone through 74 genocide attempts for who they are and still in the 21st century are going through,” Hadi Pir, Vice President of the Yazda-USA chapter, said in an email to Rudaw English on Monday. “It's important for the world to recognize Yazidis to be able to help them.”
North America’s largest Yezidi community in Lincoln, Nebraska, home to around 3,000 Yezidis, raised cultural awareness within their community on Sunday afternoon – International Human Rights Day.
Personal stories of life under ISIS in Iraq and Syria were shared by survivors, including experiences of genocide and enslavement, rescue, and resettlement.
The event was held at the Lincoln Second Baptist Church and sponsored by the Nebraska United Nations Association (UNA-USA) in coordination with the Yezidi activist group Yazda.
The celebration shared their culture and history, including traditional music and food. Pir, along with other members of Yazda-USA presented a history of their people and explained their mission in the United States and Middle East.
Yazda-USA provides cultural classes in the Kurdish dialect of Kurmanji.
“We also provide client service, driving classes, [English as a second language] classes, youth mentorship programs, immigration services such as applying for the green card and citizenship and many other services such as holding the main Yazidi holidays,” Pir added.
He said that Yezidis are well received by their host community in Lincoln.
Pir lauded Nebraskan Congressman Jeff Fortenberry for being active in helping the Yezidi community, along with other minorities in their area and for supporting several legislation requests to help Yezidis not only in America, but in Iraq as well.
Pir also said that the Yezidis are asking the world for justice for what they’ve been suffering through for thousands of years, particularly since 2014 under ISIS control across Iraq and Syria.
Some 350,000 people were displaced from the Shingal area when ISIS militants overran northern Iraq and committed genocide against the Yezidi community, according to KRG figures.
Pir said that Yezidis have been asking their surrounding communities for thousands of years to “let them live in peace and respect them for who they are.”
“The message is still the same, let us live in peace,” Pir added.
Nearly half of Yezidis abducted by ISIS in August 2014 from Shingal and its surrounding areas are still being held captive or their fates remain unknown, according to the Kurdistan Ministry of Religious Affairs.
“Justice means taking the perpetrators to the court; it means to give the Yazidis freedom on their lands and destiny; it means rebuilding their areas and helping them to be protected; it means for the free world to open their doors for the Yazidis who want to migrate and raise their children in a less violent place where they face less discrimination,” he said.
Bringing or finding those accused of crimes against Yezidis has proven difficult as Iraqi officials have prevented Kurdish investigators from entering areas where atrocities against Yezidis are believed to have been committed — areas like Shingal which the Iraqi government has taken control of since this spring.
“Justice means for both the Iraqi [government] and KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) to respect their [Yezidis’] will and keep them away from their political and ideological wars,” Pir added.
“It's important for the world to recognize Yazidis as a minority who have gone through 74 genocide attempts for who they are and still in the 21st century are going through,” Hadi Pir, Vice President of the Yazda-USA chapter, said in an email to Rudaw English on Monday. “It's important for the world to recognize Yazidis to be able to help them.”
North America’s largest Yezidi community in Lincoln, Nebraska, home to around 3,000 Yezidis, raised cultural awareness within their community on Sunday afternoon – International Human Rights Day.
Personal stories of life under ISIS in Iraq and Syria were shared by survivors, including experiences of genocide and enslavement, rescue, and resettlement.
The event was held at the Lincoln Second Baptist Church and sponsored by the Nebraska United Nations Association (UNA-USA) in coordination with the Yezidi activist group Yazda.
The celebration shared their culture and history, including traditional music and food. Pir, along with other members of Yazda-USA presented a history of their people and explained their mission in the United States and Middle East.
Yazda-USA provides cultural classes in the Kurdish dialect of Kurmanji.
“We also provide client service, driving classes, [English as a second language] classes, youth mentorship programs, immigration services such as applying for the green card and citizenship and many other services such as holding the main Yazidi holidays,” Pir added.
He said that Yezidis are well received by their host community in Lincoln.
Pir lauded Nebraskan Congressman Jeff Fortenberry for being active in helping the Yezidi community, along with other minorities in their area and for supporting several legislation requests to help Yezidis not only in America, but in Iraq as well.
Pir also said that the Yezidis are asking the world for justice for what they’ve been suffering through for thousands of years, particularly since 2014 under ISIS control across Iraq and Syria.
Some 350,000 people were displaced from the Shingal area when ISIS militants overran northern Iraq and committed genocide against the Yezidi community, according to KRG figures.
Pir said that Yezidis have been asking their surrounding communities for thousands of years to “let them live in peace and respect them for who they are.”
“The message is still the same, let us live in peace,” Pir added.
Nearly half of Yezidis abducted by ISIS in August 2014 from Shingal and its surrounding areas are still being held captive or their fates remain unknown, according to the Kurdistan Ministry of Religious Affairs.
“Justice means taking the perpetrators to the court; it means to give the Yazidis freedom on their lands and destiny; it means rebuilding their areas and helping them to be protected; it means for the free world to open their doors for the Yazidis who want to migrate and raise their children in a less violent place where they face less discrimination,” he said.
Bringing or finding those accused of crimes against Yezidis has proven difficult as Iraqi officials have prevented Kurdish investigators from entering areas where atrocities against Yezidis are believed to have been committed — areas like Shingal which the Iraqi government has taken control of since this spring.
“Justice means for both the Iraqi [government] and KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) to respect their [Yezidis’] will and keep them away from their political and ideological wars,” Pir added.