President Barzani: Yazidis Targeted for Their Kurdish Identity and Religious Beliefs

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a powerful and historically resonant message marking the 11th anniversary of the Sinjar catastrophe, President Masoud Barzani has declared that the genocide committed against the Yazidis is an "extension of the series of catastrophes" that have historically afflicted the people of Kurdistan, issuing a resolute demand for the Iraqi state to compensate the victims not only of Sinjar but of all genocides committed against the Kurdish nation.

The message, released on Sunday, framed the ISIS atrocity within a long and painful narrative of persecution, while simultaneously hailing the heroic sacrifice of the Peshmerga who liberated the region.

"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," the President's message began. "The crime that the terrorists of ISIS committed eleven years ago against our Yazidi sisters and brothers was a crime that surpassed all limits of cowardice and brutality. This is a pain we will never forget."

President Barzani situated the 2014 genocide within the broader arc of Kurdish history, describing a recurring pattern of suffering. "The fate of the Kurdish people has been to always have cruel and ruthless enemies, and catastrophe after catastrophe has befallen the people of Kurdistan," he stated. "What happened against our Yazidi sisters and brothers is an extension of the series of catastrophes that have been committed against the people of Kurdistan."

The President was unequivocal in identifying the motives behind the attack, asserting that the Yazidis were targeted for their dual identity. "It is clear to everyone that the Yazidis were subjected to genocide and the assault of hatred and ruthlessness from the criminals of ISIS because of their Kurdish identity and their religious beliefs," the message read.

In the face of this brutality, President Barzani highlighted the unified response of the Kurdish nation. "Following this catastrophe at the hands of ISIS terrorists, the people of Kurdistan and the Peshmerga stood with their sisters and brothers with heart and soul and did everything in their power to rescue the displaced and liberate Sinjar and Mount Sinjar," he recalled.

The message paid special tribute to the armed forces of Kurdistan, whose actions, he said, etched a new chapter in the nation's history. "Here, we highly value the role of the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan and all those heroes who recorded a glorious history, shed their blood to liberate Mount Sinjar and Sinjar, took revenge on the ISIS terrorists, and brought the heads of the terrorists under the feet of the Yazidis."

Gratitude was also extended to international allies. "We also greatly thank the coalition forces, who played a significant role in assisting the Peshmerga and defeating ISIS," the President added.

The core of the President’s message was a direct and firm demand placed upon the Iraqi government. "The Iraqi state must compensate the victims of the Sinjar catastrophe and all the genocides committed against the people of Kurdistan," he declared.

This call for compensation was linked to a demand for a fundamental change in political culture and ideology within Iraq. President Barzani insisted, "There must be an end to the chauvinistic thoughts and behaviors that, time and again under various pretexts and with an inhuman and denialist mentality, inflict pain on the people of Kurdistan."

The message concluded with a solemn tribute to all victims of persecution. "On the eleventh anniversary of the Sinjar catastrophe, we send tribute to the souls of the martyrs and victims of that crime and all the crimes and massacres that have befallen the people of Kurdistan."