KCK Calls For Solidarity With Yazidis In Face Of ISIS Attacks

(ANF/BEHDİNAN) 15-5-2014 – In a statement from the Co-Presidency of its Executive Council, the KCK has called for all the peoples and faith groups of Kurdistan to stand in solidarity with Yazidis following attacks against the community by units with the Islamic State or Iraq and Sham (ISIS) in South Kurdistan.

The KCK statement also confirmed the body’s commitment to protecting the Yazidis and all other peoples in the region, reading, “We declare that we are prepared to fulfil all of our our responsibilities and duties as regards defending our Yazidi peoples.”

According to the statement, “in recent days six Yazidi Kurds were killed in two separate attacks by ISIS in Sinjar (Kurdish: Şengal), and two women were also kidnapped by the gang members.” The KCK statement went on to stress that despite similar attacks in the past neither the Central Iraqi Government nor the KRG has taken sufficient precautions to protect the community, and argued that organization was the only way to protect communities against such attacks in the future.

The statement continued by arguing that “whatever the dimensions of the attacks against the Yazidi people they should not live their own lands under any circumstances” and called on other people of other faith and ethnic backgrounds to stand in solidarity with the Yazidi community.”

“Those gangs in the Middle East who claim to be affiliated with al-Qaeda are continuing to wage a dirty war against any community who is not of the same ethnic and religious background, and against Kurds, Alevis, Yazidis, and Armenians in particular. Every day the care out the most inhuman, savage attacks and they do so in the name of Islam.  Growing stronger with the material and logistical support of the colonist AKP government, they are directing attacks against the gains and the very existence of Kurds in Rojava. Although these gangs have been dealt serious blows by the people and defense forces of Rojava – in Kobanê most of all – they continue their attacks in various places. In recent days ISIS gang members attacked two of our Yazidi people at the workplace in the region of Mosul. They were subjected to  attack only for being Yazidi. One of these two was killed, and an a total of four Yazidis were savagely murdered in a series of attacks. We send our condolences to the families of the victims and the Yazidi people, and we stress once more that we will always be on their side.”

The Yazidis Have Been Left Defenseless In the Face Of Attacks

“Since 2007 there have been numerous massacres directed against the Yazidi people in the areas of Mosul and Sinjar. Neither the Central Iraqi Government nor the Government of South Kurdistan have adopted a the proper attitude in response to these attacks, nor taken precautions, nor pursued the killers. In fact they have looked the other way in face of the massacre of Yazidis and have left the Yazidis defenseless in the face of massacres. These gangs, which exploit the religious beliefs of the people of the Middle East for their evil ambitions, are attempting with these massacres to drive the Yazidi people from their own lands and carry out a genocide. These massacres are not the first or last carried out in keeping with the nation-state mentality that wants to create a one-state, one-nation, one-religion, one-language [system]. There is no other road or way except for an organized struggle against these fascist, inhuman gangs which have no other thought or penalty other than to destroy all other national, communal, faith and culture groups in the region outside of their own. For this reason whatever the dimensions of the attacks against the Yazidi people they should not live their own lands under any circumstances.”

“The Yazidi people, no matter where or whom they come from, must develop unity the capacity for self-defense through organization in order to defend themselves against all kinds of attacks, and they must respond. All cultural and faith groups living in Kurdistan should stand in firm solidarity with them against these gang attacks. Breaking such attacks, they should guarantee the security and freedom for the cultural existence of all peoples and faiths. They should aim to eliminate these genocidal and fascist gangs.”

Call For Unity and For Taking Ownership

“We as the Kurdish Freedom Movement announce to everyone that we are renewing our call that such unity be established, that the Yazidi people are not alone in the face of such attacks, and that we are prepared to do whatever necessary to fulfil our duty and responsibility to defend the Yazidi people.”