We must ensure Yezidis return to Sinjar, says PM Barzani
“We are proud and pleased to have the opportunity to visit the Lalish temple and meet the Emir of the Yezidis and the spiritual council,” Barzani added.

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani during his visit to Lalish town on Monday told Kurdistan24 that they must ensure that the Yezidis who were displaced from Sinjar, return to their homeland with “pride and dignity.”
The Prime Minister hoped they could serve the Yazidi "brothers and sisters" more and emphasized that they are original Kurds.
“We are proud and pleased to have the opportunity to visit the Lalish temple and meet the Emir of the Yezidis and the spiritual council,” Barzani added.
The premier also stated that Yezidism is one of the original religions of Kurdistan.
Moreover, he stressed that the Yezidis must be compensated and provided with basic services.
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.