KDP President emphasized his commitment to supporting Yezidis

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – During his meeting with Hazim Tahsin Beg, the Mir (Prince) of the Yezidis, and the Supreme Spiritual Council of Yezidis on Sunday, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani, emphasized his commitment to supporting the Yezidis.

The delegation of Yezidis thanked KDP President Masoud Barzani for his consistent support of the Yezidis and his interest in their unity and solidarity.

Additionally, the delegation requested that KDP President Barzani continue to support their demands and prevent any attempts to divide the Yezidis.

Meanwhile, President Barzani stressed that the Yezidis are an integral part of the Kurdish people. He urged the Yezidis to preserve their traditions and resist the influence of unfamiliar voices. Furthermore, he encouraged them to remain in their ancestral homeland.

President Barzani referred to the attempts of certain parties to appoint a Yezidi Emir in Baghdad and interfere in the affairs of the Yazidis. He emphasized his commitment to supporting the Yezidis and made it clear that he would not allow foreign issues to be imposed upon them.

In Aug. 2014, ISIS militants attacked the Yezidi-majority town of Sinjar and nearby villages, killing at least 5,000 Yezidis as well as enslaving about 6,000 women and minors. Around 400,000 others were displaced by the offensive.

Most of the religious community fled to the Kurdistan Region, while others resettled in neighboring countries or Western states.

Others were not as lucky and remained stranded in the war zone, where they experienced atrocities and mass executions at the hands of the extremist group for years. Militants subjected women and girls to sexual slavery and human trafficking kidnapped children, forced religious conversions, and executed scores of men.

Over the nine years since then, much of Sinjar remains in rubble, and very few of its former residents have returned to their homes.

The Kurdish-Kurmanji-speaking community has suffered at least 72 genocides.

European countries, including Germany, have hosted a significant number of Yezidis fleeing violence. Nearly 10,000 Yezidis were killed or kidnapped by ISIS.

The United Nations later recognized the atrocities against the Yazidi people as genocide.

More than 3,500 Yezidis have been rescued so far, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government.