Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad arrives in Kurdistan, meets with senior Kurdish leaders

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Yezidi (Ezidi) activist Nadia Murad met with top Kurdish officials in the Kurdistan Region on Thursday to discuss the reconstruction of the Ezidi-populated region of Sinjar (Shingal).

In a meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Murad spoke about the tragedies she suffered at the hands of the so-called Islamic State (IS) as well as her efforts to restore safety and peace to Ezidis and all victims of terror, a statement on the KRG website read.

The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate called on the KRG “to play its role in the reconstruction of Shingal and other areas, and facilitate the return of displaced persons to their homes.”

The Ezidi survivor was subjected to various kinds of violence by members of the extremist group following its takeover of the city of Shingal in August 2014. Murad was one of a few women who fled from IS and has since recounted her suffering to the world.

She is also the first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking for the United Nations.

According to the Kurdistan Region’s Yezidi Rescue Office, 3,334 Ezidis have been freed but there are over 3,000 others who remain in IS captivity.

Prime Minister Barzani congratulated Murad for winning the Nobel Peace Prize and expressed his full support for her humanitarian efforts “to restore peace, and serve the Ezidi victims by communicating their voice to the world,” the statement said.

In a separate meeting, the Ezidi activist met with Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Chancellor Masrour Barzani where the two had a sincere exchange on a variety of issues, a KRSC statement said.

“In the meeting, Chancellor Barzani congratulated Ms. Murad on being awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize and her powerful work on behalf of survivors of human trafficking and victims of sexual violence, as well as advocacy for the Ezidi people,” it added.

The KRSC Chancellor and Murad “reaffirmed their shared goal of normalizing the situation in Shingal and reopening roads in coordination with relevant, government authorities.”

They also spoke about “the needs of the Ezidi people and the conditions necessary to foster the return of displaced families to their ancestral homes.”

Murad’s meeting with the senior Kurdish officials came after her visit to Baghdad where she met with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. 

Editing by John J. Catherine