THE WEST ENABLES ISLAM JIHAD AGAINST THE ANCIENT YAZIDI PEOPLE
Khishman is a 14 year old Yezidi boy. When he was nine years old he was kidnapped and enslaved by ISIS. Last week, he was one of a group of eleven children with ISIS terrorists who fled to Turkey from Syria. They told the Syrian Democratic Forces at the border that the children were Muslims. But Khishman, bravely shouted, "No! I am Yezidi and the children who came with me are also Yezidi!"
Khishman's sister lives in the GTA. A sister of one of the boys lives in southern Ontario. When will the government of Canada finally allow family reunification for them and other survivors who survived this latest Islamic genocide?
According to Sheik Mirza Ismail who is based in Canada, Chairman of the Yezidi Human Rights Organization – International, as ISIS retreats in Syria there is an even increasing danger for Yezidis especially for the slave girls kidnapped by Muslim forces four and a half years ago. With the possible withdrawal of the US forces, the Yezidisi will be even more vulnerable than they have already been.
While Sheik Mirza was trying to warn of the increased danger to Yezidi in Syria at this time, and while his Yezidi colleagues were risking their lives to get information so that warnings could be made – no one was listening or willing to help. In recent weeks, one of Sheik Mirza's colleagues sent information from Iraq that he had somehow been able to contact a ISIS terrorist in Syria. This ISIS terrorist informed him that the ISIS fighters had received orders from high ranking ISIS officers to massacre the Yezidsi in Syria and that if they knew he was talking to him (the Yezidi), – they would kill him (the ISIS terrorist) too."
While the ISIS entering Turkey have been bringing some of their Yezidi slaves with them – not all Yezidi slaves have been destined for that fate.
We know of at least fifty Yezidi sex slaves who were not brought along with their ISIS captors. These Yezidi girls, some younger than 9 years old – were kidnapped years ago and used as sex slaves after witnessing their fathers, brothers and other family members being tortured and slaughtered.. Sheik Mirza has been trying to get help for his people for years. Last week the remains of beheaded Yezidi girls were discovered in Syria.
Also in the last month reports have reached Sheik Mirza of a Muslim man who claims to have recently escaped from being held in Syria along with hundreds and possibly thousands of Yezidi men. This Muslim man said that now these Yezidi are being held captive by the Free Syrian Army. A possible US withdrawal would make it even harder to maintain contact with and be able to validate information about the Yezidi.
Due to the lack of intervention by the non-Muslim world, the 2014 Islamic Genocide against the Yezidis and other non-Muslim minorities in the Middle East – is continuing with strength. Over 3000 Yezidi girls have been sex slaves to Muslim men since their capture 4 and a half years ago. Yezidis in UN and IDP camps live in desperate conditions, abused by the Muslim authorities and pressured into converting. Kurds working for the UN in Syria have been accused of kidnapping young Yezidi men and girls. In 2016 for example, about 50 Yezidi families fled from UN facilities to Mt. Sinjar despite the horrific conditions in Mt. Sinjar resulting from the lack of international help there. These Yezidi survivors said to the Kurds, "ISIS massacred and enslaved our People and now you are continuing the same. We would rather die on Mt. Sinjar."
Dalia J. was kidnapped by PKK in Syria when she was around 15. She escaped after a year and finally made her way to Mt. Sinjar. The PKK hunted her down and killed her. She was 17 at the time of her murder. We cannot release her name or picture for fear of danger to her surviving family members. Another Yezidi slave in the same situation was saved by a Yezidi family. She has put the information on video that was privately (in order to protect her) shown to governments and other organizations. She is one of many sources who tell how the PKK forced the girls to undergo medical procedures to prevent pregnancy so that they – the girls – could be raped continuously and also used – along with enslaved Yezidi boys -as child soldiers. The Yezidi report that the PKK said to them: "We give you protection in our camp so you must give us your children to fight. Any girls or boys who escape are hunted down to be killed in order to hide these actions of the PKK.
In the most recent Genocide attack of August 2014, over 5000 Yezidi were killed and over 7000 enslaved. One escaped slave witnessed ISIS leadership reviewing their records of enslaving 7450 Yezidi. The United Nations, Canada and other world bodies have declared this 2014 Jihad to be Genocide yet today the Yezidi survivors are living amongst Islamic enemies who continue the process of annihilating the Yezidi People and stealing their land which is the most oil rich land in Iraq!
For centuries, since the advent of Islam, Islamic forces in the Middle East have waged 74 genocidal attacks against the 6000 year old indigenous Yezidi People. In Syria since the beginning of the recent civil war, anti- Assad forces – Kurdish and Turkish – assessed that there would no opposition from their Western supporters, if they stole the rich farm land and produce of the Yezidi, killed the Yezidi or forced them to flee.. This is what happened.
In Iraq, prior to the 2014 Genocide, AL Qadea (which became ISIS) was partnering with the KRG (Kurdish Regional Government) to annihilate the Yezidi and take their land . In 2007 four trucks blew up in the centre of Yezidi communities killing over 500 Yezidi. Over 1700 Yezidi were injured and 70 Yezidi are missing till now. Perhaps they were enslaved! Before the attack the Yezidi went to the Kurdish authorities at the check points pleading for help because they suspected a planned attack with trucks. The KRG said that the trucks were bringing food for the Yezidi and that they – the Kurds – would protect the Yezidis! Then half an hour before the massacre, the Kurds at the security check-points claimed they were suddenly informed of an emergency meeting for which they had to abandon their "security posts." A Kurdish man was seen by the Yezidi, the previous day, photographing the Yezidi market place where the trucks would park and explode. He pleaded guilty to participating in the plan to massacre the Yezidi because they were "Infidels!" according to Islam. The families of the Yezidi survivors were told by the Kurdish authorities that unless they withdrew their criminal case regarding this Kurdish man and KRG involvement with Al Qaeda in this massacre, they – the Yezidi survivors – would not receive any compensation and they would have to leave their villages. Yezidi survivors were told to sign a blank page in order to receive compensation for their family members killed and maimed in the attack. Some Yezidi refused to sign and others said, "There is no help for the Yezidi coming to us from anywhere. . If we sign at least we can rebuild our homes"
The KRG terrorist, Talal Ali Qasam who admitted to working with Al Qaeda in this massacre was given sanctuary. He is a relative of a high ranking Kurdish politician. The KRG not only denied any collaboration with Al Qaeda but they used the attack to justify enlarging their military presence in the 6000 year old indigenous Yezidi land of Mt. Sinjar – from a few hundred armed Kurdish forces to between 10,000 to 12,000!
There is the well-founded concern from Yezidi leadership that an understanding has been reached in recent years among the Muslim leaders of different groups and countries, in and around Iraq, to steal and divide the oil rich indigenous Yezidi homeland especially for the purpose of creating a Kurdish state. Already there are two developed oil fields run by Kurds and Iraqis on stolen Yezidi land. One oil field is only one kilometer from the Yezidi's most sacred site of Lalish Temple. The other oil field is in the Yezidi town of Bashika.
Prior to August 2014 massacre there were 12-13,000 Kurdish forces in the role of protecting the Yezidi. in Mt. Sinjar. Days before the August 2-3 attack Yezidi fighters who had been fighting for years with the Kurds, were killed by their same Kurdish "comrades." Their Kurdish murderers told the Yezidi that they were being murdered to prevent them from warning their people that ISIS was coming and that the Kurds were not going to protect the Yezid. One of these Yezidi fighters called as he was dying to a colleague of the Yezidi leader Sheik Mirza Ismail in Canada. The message from the dying Yezidi fighter was: "The KRG will not protect us – they will betray us." On the northern side of the mountain the Yezidi begged for arms from the retreating Kurds. An order from a KRG General instructed the Kurds to kill the Yezidi if they – the Yezidi – stood in the way of the Kurdish withdrawal. The Kurds then killed three of the Yezidi men who had been pleading for arms and the other Yezidi in the immediate area fled. There are numerous reports of the retreating Muslim Kurds refusing to share their arms with desperate use against another Muslim!
In mid -July – weeks before the Islamic terrorist attack on Mt. Sinjar, Sheik Mirza Ismail – Chairman of the Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International – was in Washington with leaders of the Chaldo-Assyrian Christians , David Lazar and Father Joseph Habash. These Assyrian Christian and Yezidi leaders pleaded with the State department to protect the unarmed non-Muslim minorities in the upcoming ISIS attack which they knew was coming! The State department however said that they would not be taking any protective steps because the Kurds had promised to protect the Yezidi, Christians and other non-Muslim minorities. But by July 15 -at the time when these leaders were pleading for protection from Washington – ISIS had already taken over Mosel and much other land. Mt. Sinjar and Nineveh Plain still remained under Kurdish control.
The Yezidii and Christian leaders tried to explain how the Kurds had betrayed them before. They told of the 2007 attack when the Kurds had claimed that they would provide protection and then disappeared half an hour before the Al-Qadea attack. This is exactly what the Kurds did in August 2014. Prior to the August attack, he Yezidi on Mt. Sinjar tried to flee before ISIS – and were prevented from fleeing -even at gunpoint by the Kurds. Then in the early hours of Aug. 2-3 12,000-13,000 armed Kurdish forces melted into the night while thousands of ISIS came in to massacre and enslave the Yezidi. Less than a week after this attack Sheik Mirza was in Washington again pleading for the State department to protect the Yezidi and Christians and minorities in Neneveh Plain. There was a demonstration and many meetings with US government officials and the government response was that they would look into the matter. Meanwhile, ISIS attacked the minorities in Nineveh Plain continuing their genocide.
On the night of August 2-3 by 12:00 these 12-13000 armed Kurdish forces charged with protecting the Yezidi left without a fight. They did this just as they had disappeared from their security posts in 2007 ! In the Mt. Sinjar area at this time, approximately 10% of the civilian population was Muslim. Numerous eye-witness reports relay that approximately 80% of this local civilian Muslim population participated with ISIS in the attack right from the beginning, killing, raping and stealing Yezidi properly and possessions. Yezidi survivors tell of their Muslim neighbours and co-workers throwing Yezidi into huge bakery ovens, shooting and raping them.
Before the 2014 Genocide, according to the Sheik Mirza, Chairman of the Yezidi Human Rights Organization- International. there were up to approximately 2 million Yezidi world-wide.
There were 1.2 – 1.3 million in Yezidi living in Iraq, mainly in the areas of Mt. Sinjar and the nearby Nineveh Plain.
Now there are about 700,000 Yezidi in Iraq. In the Mt. Sinjar area there are about 100,000 Yezidi and the rest are in IDP camps including one in Mt. Sinjar.
Before the 2014 Genocide there were approximately 200,000-300,000 Yezidi living in Russia, 41,000 in Armenia, and 25,000-30,000 in Georgia.
In the 1990's between 90,000 -120,000 Yezidi left Turkey for other countries. The Yezidi in Turkey now are mostly recent refugees from Iraq and slaves brought by ISIS and their supporters. In the last 6 months according to an escaped slave who learned this from her ISIS captors – 400-600 young Yezidi children have been brought in by ISIS fleeing Syria. A few days ago 11 Yezidi children were rescued as their ISIS captors entering Turkey claiming the children were Muslim as noted above. It is difficult to know the number of Yezidi in Turkey now because many Yezidi are in towns and living in fear of the great danger to them in Turkey.
There were about 100,000 Yezidi in Syria before 2014. Prior to 2012, there had been up to 400,000-500,000 Yezidi. The Yezidi living in Syria prior to 2012 were mostly farmers in and around Afrin Aleppo and Hassakeh. Various Muslim Rebel forces, especially Al-Nusri, Sunni Arabs and Kurds, attacked the Yezidi from 2012 forcing the Yezidi to convert, and to vacate their land and possessions. Many Yezidi were killed by these various Muslim forces as they – the Yezidi – tried to flee. Many Yezidi had excellent land and livestock. In Afrin the Yezidi were excellent olive farmers. Most Yezidi fled to Turkey, Lebanon and European countries. There are about 15,000 Yezidi in Syria now,
Despite the acknowledgement of the Genocide by the UN and various countries, there has been very little effort to protect and help the Yezidi, Chaldo-Assyrian Christians and other non-Muslim minorities. In the Middle East and also in countries where Yezidi have fled, they continue to suffer largely alone and helpless.
In Syria, if there were to be a US withdrawal of forces, the Yezidi Rescue Committee Executive Director, Geoffrey Clarfield, fears that we may see the Turks enter the border area between Syria and Turkey where the US were centered. Mr. Clarfield, a Canadian scholar and leader on behalf of Yezidi human rights, states that protections must be guaranteed for the Yezidi and other non-Muslim minorities by the countries involved who have diplomatic relations with the United States.
In Canada, a very small number of Yezidis have been welcomed compared to a huge numbers of Muslims who were enabled to enter as refugees yet even this tiny group of survivors cannot find protection here. Already three Yezidi women have seen their ISIS tortures in the GTA. Yezidi in the GTA are too afraid to go into the public, even to plead for their daughters who are being tortured in slavery.
Sheik MIrza Ismail conveys the Yezidi horror and the need for the international intervention:
"For the Yezidi and Assyrian Christians to survive – it will only happen if multinational force protects us in our land as in 1991 when a multinational force created a fly free zone . The Coalition forces protected Kurdish fighters and refugees, dropping soldiers from planes and dropping the best food to refugees including whiskey. I was there.
Now in the four and half years of genocide, there are no solders, no land protection and often not a crust of bread .The only hope for Yezidi and Chaldo-Assyrians and non-Muslims is if a multinational force protects an autonomous region in our indigenous land especially including our most holy lands which are firstly Lalish anTHE d secondly Mt Shingal (also referred to as Mr, Sinjar.) If we loose our holy lands – Lalsih and Mt. Sinjar – we will die as a People!. If our holy land is gone, Yezidi can not survive.
Yezidi have lived in this area since the time of Noah's ark. This is the oldest place on the planet. Throughout these long centuries they were always able to protect themselves and to also help their neighbours. For example, in the 1917 Ottoman Massacres, the Yezidi in Shingal gave safe haven to 20,000 Christian Assyrian and Armenians and when their children were grown and ready to marry, the Yezidi helped them so that their children could marry and start new families.
We must join the Yezidi Human Rights Organization- International to demand that the Canadian Government finally bring about the immediate family reunification of the small number of survivors who our country has allowed to enter. Shekh Mirza Ismail: "I hope our Canadian government does not make the same mistakes where the real victims are ignored while others benefit instead, just because of political interests."
Renanah Goldhar
co-founder Canadian Jews and Friends for Yezidis