Politics

German parliament’s Yezidi genocide recognition is a crucial step: German FM

“We know that no parliamentary decision can eradicate their suffering. But I deeply believe that this decision will make a difference.”

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2023/01/19 22:09

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Photo: AFP)

USA Yezidi Genocide Germany Bundestag Annalena Baerbock

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday evening underlined that the recognition of the Yezidi genocide by the German parliament is a “crucial step in acknowledging their suffering and justice for survivors.”

The German Parliament on Thursday recognized the Yezidi genocide carried out by ISIS in August 2014, a step that was welcomed by Kurdish leaders.

https://twitter.com/ABaerbock/status/1616046618339414019

“Three years ago, I saw Yezidi women in northern Iraq: kidnapped, enslaved, raped. Their pain still haunts me. The Bundestag (German parliament) has decided to call ISIS's crimes against the Yezidis as what they are: a genocide,” Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a tweet in two dialects of Kurdish and German.

“We know that no parliamentary decision can eradicate their suffering. But I deeply believe that this decision will make a difference: a crucial step in acknowledging their suffering and justice for survivors,” she added.

Thousands of Yezidis fled to Germany after the Yezidi genocide. As a result, the largest Yezidi diaspora today lives in Germany, where they have their own temple.

“Today, our country is home to the largest Yazidi diaspora in the world. We also owe today's vote to their tireless commitment,” she also said.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday welcomed the decision by the German Parliament to recognize the Yezidi genocide, adding he hopes practical steps will be taken to compensate for the suffering of the religious minority.