Yazidi UPDATES genocide has occurred and is ongoing

[Anthea]

11 years and counting:

Yazidi’s demand justice for Sinjar massacre victims

On Friday, displaced Yazidis in Zakho, within the Kurdistan Region, commemorated the 11th anniversary of the 2014 Sinjar genocide, when thousands were killed or abducted by ISIS.

The ceremony was held in the Jam Mishko camp at the tent of Shami Diro, known as Day Shami, who lost 33 family members in the massacre and has since become a symbol of Yazidi suffering. The memorial included displays of photographs of victims and missing persons, alongside traditional mourning rituals.

“This day is a deep wound that will never heal,” Day Shami told Shafaq News. “I lost 33 relatives. Eighteen were freed, eight were killed, one girl took her own life in captivity to avoid abuse, and the rest are still missing.” She urged the Iraqi government and the international community to intensify efforts to locate the missing and return the remains of the dead to their families.

Yazidi lawmaker Mahma Khalil said the anniversary sends a clear message to the world, “What happened to the Yazidis was a genocide against a peaceful community.” He criticized Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government for “failing” to rebuild Sinjar, implement the Sinjar Agreement, or return displaced Yazidis to their homes.

Khalil revealed that more than 2,300 Yazidis remain missing, and 52 of 93 documented mass graves in Sinjar have yet to be opened, calling on international organizations to intervene and ensure justice for the victims.

https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/11-year ... re-victims

[Anthea]

Yazidi commander says hand Shingal
security over to Peshmerga

A Yazidi commander on Friday called for Kurdish Peshmerga forces to be put in charge of security in the Yazidi-majority Shingal (Sinjar) district of northern Iraq where multiple armed groups and forces operate, impeding the return of thousands of residents who fled when the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked 11 years ago

“Until Shingal’s security file is handed over to the Peshmerga, the multiple forces and security problems will continue and the displaced will not trust to return to their homeland, and life in Shingal will not normalize,” Haider Shasho, commander of the Ezidikhan Protection Forces that are a Yazidi division within the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Ministry, told Rudaw.

In 2020, the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) signed the Shingal Agreement to restore governance, security, and stability to the district and resolve a number of issues that have prevented the return of its inhabitants. Under that deal, Baghdad was to assume responsibility for security, expelling all armed groups and establishing a new armed force recruited from the local population.

The agreement has never been fully implemented and
thousands of Yazidis are still unable to return home

“There are many conspiracies against Shingal and there are political parties in Iraq conspiring against Shingal. That’s why the Shingal Agreement has not been implemented until now and the crisis and problems of the district remain ongoing,” Shasho said, calling on international actors to intervene and exert pressure on Baghdad to implement the deal.

Shingal is part of the disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil. The areas stretch across several provinces, including Nineveh, Diyala, Salahaddin, and Kirkuk. Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, which remains unimplemented, provides a process for the KRG and the federal government to settle their disputes.

“We wish that if Shingal’s security file is not handed over to the Peshmerga, at least those Peshmerga who are Yazidis should have their duties transferred to Shingal,” Shasho suggested, explaining that “would provide important psychological assistance” to the Yazidis, “most of whom are displaced and living in camps.”

The Yazidis are an ethnoreligious group in northern Iraq that were subjected to countless heinous atrocities, including forced marriages, sexual violence, and massacres when ISIS captured the city in 2014, bringing destruction to many villages and towns populated by the minority group and committing genocide.

They were forced to flee to displacement camps, mainly in the Kurdistan Region. Political disputes over the region between Baghdad and Erbil, as well as the presence of armed groups like the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), have disrupted reconstruction of the city that suffered heavy destruction during the war against ISIS.

International actors, such as the United Nations and the United States, have repeatedly called on Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to implement the agreement and “break the political deadlock” in the city.

Shasho said the PKK forces in Shingal “should also lay down their arms” after the group dissolved itself and announced it was ending its decades-long armed conflict with Turkey.

“While the PKK is recognized as a banned organization in Iraq and has now dissolved itself, its armed members continue in Shingal and the Iraqi government supports them,” Shasho claimed.

The Yazidi Shingal Resistance Units (YBS) and Ezidkhan Asayish were formed by the PKK to oust ISIS. They control parts of the district.

The PKK and its proxies have rejected the Shingal Agreement.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/020820252

[Anthea]

Kurdish Diaspora Marks
Yezidi Genocide Anniversary

The Kurdistan Diaspora Confederation on Sunday organized remembrance events in more than 20 cities across Europe and North America to mark the 11th anniversary of the Yezidi genocide, aiming to raise international awareness about the atrocities committed by ISIS in the Sinjar region in 2014

In a statement issued to commemorate the occasion, the KDC said the events included candlelight vigils, exhibitions displaying photographs of victims, and informative presentations detailing the scale of the genocide and the current plight of the Yezidi community. The activities took place in cities including Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Nashville, Oslo, Tbilisi, Vienna, Stockholm, and Vancouver, among others.

“This year’s commemoration had a noticeable impact, particularly in Western countries where it helped shine a light on the suffering endured by the Yezidi community,” the statement said. “As the KDC, we will dedicate all our efforts in Western countries to advocating for the Yezidi Kurds, aiming for broader recognition of the Sinjar genocide by the international community.”

The KDC also urged both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi federal government to work together to reach a lasting and practical agreement that would allow displaced Yezidis to return to their ancestral lands in Sinjar with safety, dignity, and access to essential services.

The genocide of the Yezidis began on August 3, 2014, when Da’esh militants launched a brutal assault on the Sinjar region in northwestern Iraq. Thousands of Yezidis were killed, and an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 women and children were abducted, many of whom were subjected to systematic rape, forced conversions, and slavery. The United Nations has recognized the crimes committed against the Yezidis as genocide, citing clear intent to destroy the group in whole or in part.

The offensive caused tens of thousands of Yezidis to flee to the Sinjar Mountains, where they were trapped without food, water, or shelter in scorching summer temperatures. The siege prompted international outrage and led to a US-led humanitarian airdrop and military intervention to protect those stranded on the mountain.

Despite the defeat of ISIS in the area and the liberation of Sinjar by Kurdish forces in 2015, the region remains largely unstable. Security vacuums, political rivalries, and the lack of a unified administration have hindered reconstruction and the safe return of displaced families. More than 2,700 abducted Yezidis remain missing, and thousands continue to live in camps across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Over the years, Yezidi leaders and advocacy groups have repeatedly called on the international community to recognize the 2014 atrocities as genocide, prosecute perpetrators, and support the survivors—particularly women and children—in rebuilding their lives. Efforts have also been made to document the crimes and preserve evidence for future trials.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/891163

[Anthea]

Yezidi Kurds Injured in Knife Attack

Two Yezidi Kurds were injured in a knife attack at a meat processing plant near Hamburg, German media reported, in what police say may have been a religiously motivated assault

The incident took place in the town of Quickborn, where a 45-year-old Iranian-born man working as a butcher allegedly attacked his two Kurdish Yezidi co-workers with a meat-cutting knife. One of the victims is from Shingal, Iraq, and the other from Northern Syria (Western Kurdistan), according to German news agency DPA.

Authorities said the three men were employed at the same facility and that the assailant used a work-issued knife in the attack. Despite efforts by the victims to defend themselves, both sustained injuries before other staff intervened and restrained the attacker. Police later arrived at the scene and arrested the suspect. The knife was confiscated.

Hamburg police are investigating the motive behind the assault and said there are indications it may have been driven by religious animosity. No official charges have yet been announced

The attack has sparked concern within Germany’s Yezidi community, which numbers over 150,000, many of whom resettled in the country after fleeing ISIS atrocities in Iraq and Syria. Advocacy groups have called on authorities to ensure workplace safety and address threats facing religious and ethnic minorities.

Germany has seen occasional acts of religiously or ethnically motivated violence in recent years, prompting debates over integration, extremism, and hate crimes.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/891248

[Anthea]

German court rejects
deported Yazidi family's return

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Potsdam Administrative Court has rejected an emergency application from a Yazidi family seeking to return to Germany after their deportation to Iraq, ruling that their removal was legally valid despite growing political pressure and public outcry

According to DW, the family—two parents and four children—are members of the Yazidi minority targeted by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in a 2014 genocidal campaign, officially recognized by the German parliament in 2023. They had lived for years in the town of Lychen, Brandenburg, where the children were integrated into local schools.

In its Thursday decision, the court upheld a March 2023 ruling by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) that rejected the family’s protection claim as “manifestly unfounded” and found no legal barrier to deportation. Judges stated they saw no evidence of “individual persecution” or current large-scale group persecution of Yazidis, nor a significant individual threat such as ISIS-related targeting.

The court also noted that the deportation order had been enforceable since 2023. While another court had suspended the family’s obligation to leave in a July 22 emergency ruling, that decision was delivered only after the deportation had already taken place.

The deportation was carried out on a charter flight from Leipzig to Baghdad carrying 43 people. German authorities initially claimed that only single men—some with criminal records—were on board. But according to DW it later emerged that this was not the case, and the Yazidi family had been among the deportees.

Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Rene Wilke described the situation as “deeply concerning” and said he had requested federal authorities to explore bringing the family back—if legal grounds emerged to do so. The BAMF, however, defended its position, citing the earlier failed asylum claim and current security assessments that classify Iraq as posing no recognized danger to the family.

The case has stirred alarm among Yazidi advocacy organizations, including Nadia’s Initiative, which warns that similar removal orders have been issued to other Yazidi families in Germany. They argue that many Yazidis still cannot safely return due to the destruction of villages, ongoing insecurity, and the presence of ISIS remnants in Iraq

Politicians from the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Left Party have joined calls for the family’s return, citing both Germany’s recognition of the Yazidi genocide and its moral responsibility toward survivors.

The ruling comes amid broader concern over Germany’s new deportation policy, which allows for the removal of refugees to their countries of origin under expanded criteria. According to official German data, more than 800 refugees were deported to Iraq last year, many from the Kurdistan Region.

Yazidi refugees say the policy places them in grave danger. Qasim Jamil, a young Yazidi in Germany, told Kurdistan24: “We came to Germany to build a future for ourselves, to work and study. We cannot be forced back because we do not know when another disaster will strike Sinjar. We have many enemies in Iraq, and terrible things are being said about us.”

Jamil Ismail, deputy head of the Yazidi House in Germany, described the decision as deeply troubling. “We are very saddened by Germany’s decision. Refugees endure dangerous journeys, often crossing more than 30 kilometers by water and facing countless hardships to reach safety here. Returning them now places them in a dire situation,” he said.

He urged Berlin to reverse course: “The German government should review its decision to deport refugees and refrain from implementing it.”

The case has reignited debate in Germany over how asylum policy should treat communities that have endured mass atrocities. For many critics, the court’s strict legal reasoning stands in sharp contrast to humanitarian obligations arising from genocide recognition—exposing a deep divide between the letter of the law and moral responsibility.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/85 ... lys-return

[Anthea]

Persecution of Yazidis

The persecution of Yazidis has been ongoing since at least 637 CE

Yazidis are an endogamous and mostly Kurmanji-speaking minority, indigenous to Kurdistan, who had also been persecuted when they followed Adawiyya, the predecessor of the Yazidi religion, which has historically been regarded as "devil-worship" among the followers of Abrahamic religions, primarily among Muslims and is still described as such by some, especially by Islamic extremists.

Yazidis have been persecuted by surrounding Muslim state entities and groups since the medieval ages, most notably by Ottomans, neighbouring Muslim Arab and even some Kurdish tribes that had converted ti Islam.

After the 2014 Sinjar massacre of thousands of Yazidis by ISIS, which started the ethnic, cultural, and religious genocide of the Yazidis in Iraq, Yazidis still face discrimination from the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government

After some Kurdish tribes became Islamized in the 10th century, they joined in the persecution of Yazidis in the Hakkari mountains.

Due to their enforced religion, Muslim Kurds persecuted and attacked the Yazidis with particular brutality.

Sometimes, during these massacres, Muslim Kurds tried to force the Yazidis to convert to Islam as they themselves had been forced to do.

Massacres by Muslim Kurds and Turks in the 19th century nearly eradicated the Yazidi population.

In 1254, Sheikh Adī’s grand-nephew al-Ḥasan b. ‘Adī together with 200 of his supporters were executed by Badr al-Din Lu'Lu, who was a Kurd convert to Islam and Zangid governor of Mosul, Sheikh Adi's tomb at Lalish was then desecrated

In 1415, a Shāfi‘ī theologian, ‘Izz al-Dīn al Hulwānī, with the military support of the Sunni Kurds of the Sindi tribe and the lord of Ḥiṣn Kayfā, attacked Lalish and burnt down the temple. The Yazidis later rebuilt their temple and the tomb of Sheikh Adi.

The Geli Ali Beg Waterfall in Iraqi Kurdistan is named after the Yazidi leader Ali Beg who was killed there in 1832 by the Kurdish prince Muhammad Pasha of Rawanduz.

In the year 1585, the Yazidis in the Sinjar Mountains were attacked by the Sunni Kurds from Bohtan.

In the year 1832, about 70,000 Yazidis were killed by the Sunni Kurdish princes Bedir Khan Beg and Muhammad Pasha of Rawanduz.

During his research trips in 1843, the Russian traveller and orientalist Ilya Berezin mentioned that 7,000 Yazidis were killed by Kurds of Rawandiz on the hills of Nineveh near Mosul, shortly before his arrival.

According to many historical reports, the Bedir Khan massacres can today be classified as a genocide.

In 1831, Muhammad Pasha massacred the people of the Kellek village. He then went northward and attacked the entire Yazidi-inhabited foothill country which was located east of Mosul.

Some Yazidis managed to take refuge in the neighboring forests and mountain fastnesses, and a few of them managed to escape to distant places.

Many Yazidis from Sheikhan, who had fled from the Kurds but could not cross the Tigris river, gathered on the great mound of Kouyunjik, where they were persecuted and killed by Muhammad Pasha's men.

In 1832, Muhammad Pasha and his troops committed a massacre against the Yazidis in Khatarah. Subsequently, they attacked the Yazidis in Shekhan and killed many of them.

In another attempt he and his troops occupied over 300 Yazidi villages. The emir kidnapped over 10,000 Yazidis and sent them to Rawandiz and gave them the ultimatum of converting to Islam or being killed. Most of them converted to Islam and those who refused to convert to Islam were killed.

In 1832, Bedir Khan Beg and his troops committed a massacre against the Yazidis in Shekhan. His men almost killed the whole Yazidi population of Shekhan. Some Yazidis tried to escape to Sinjar.

When they attempted to escape towards Sinjar, many of them drowned in the Tigris River. Those who could not swim were killed. About 12,000 Yazidis were killed on the bank of the Tigris river by Bedir Khan Beg's men. Yazidi women and children were also kidnapped.

In 1833, the Yazidis who lived in the Aqrah region were again attacked by Muhammad Pasha and his soldiers. The perpetrators killed 500 Yazidis in the Greater Zab. Afterwards, Muhammad Pasha and his troops attacked the Yazidis who lived in Sinjar and killed a great many of them.

In 1844, Bedir Khan Beg and his men committed a massacre against the Yazidis in the Tur Abdin region. His men also captured many Yazidis and forced them to convert to Islam. The inhabitants of seven Yazidi villages were all forced to convert to Islam.

Many Yazidis also defended themselves against the attacks. So did Ali Beg, the Yazidi leader in Sheikhan. The Yazidi leader Ali Beg mobilized his forces in order to oppose Muhammad Pasha, who mobilized the Kurdish tribes which lived in the surrounding mountains in order to launch an attack against the Yazidis. Ali Beg's troops were outnumbered and he was captured and killed by Muhammad Pasha.

After the Ottomans had given the Yazidis a certain legal status in 1849 through repeated interventions by Stratford Canning and Sir Austen Henry Layard, they sent their Ottoman general Omar Wahbi Pasha (later known as "Ferîq Pasha" in the memory of the Yazidis), in 1890[35] or 1892[34] from Mosul to the Yazidis in Shaikhan and again gave the Yazidis an ultimatum to convert to Islam.

When the Yazidis refused, the areas of Sinjar and Shaykhan were occupied and another massacre committed among the residents.

The Ottoman rulers mobilized the Hamidiye cavalry, later founded in 1891, to take action against the Yazidis. Many Yazidi villages were attacked by the Hamidiye cavalry and the residents were killed.

The Yazidi villages of Bashiqa and Bahzani were also raided and many Yazidi temples were destroyed. The Yazidi Mir Ali Beg was captured and held in Kastamonu. The central shrine of the Yazidis Lalish was converted into a Quran school. This condition lasted for twelve years until the Yazidis were able to recapture their main shrine Lalish.

During the Armenian genocide, many Yazidis were killed by Hamidiye cavalry. According to Aziz Tamoyan, as many as 300,000 Yazidis were killed with the Armenians, while others fled to Transcaucasia.

Many Yazidis found refuge in Armenia as they fled from Muslim Kurds and Turks. Despite the fact that the Yazidis hid 20,000 Christians from the Ottomans in the Sinjar Mountains during the Armenian genocide, the Yazidis faced discrimination in Armenia. Yazidi children tended to hide their identities in schools so they would not be discriminated against.

The term "Yezidi" is often used by non-Yazidis as an insult.

According to Arbella Bet-Shlimon, in 1935 the Iraqi Army attacked eleven Yazidi villages, placed Sinjar under martial law, and then sentenced many Yazidi prisoners to death or to long sentences because they had resisted mandatory conscription; some of the prisoners were even paraded in front of a jeering crowd in Mosul that killed one of the captives.

In the 21st century, Yazidis faced targeted violence from insurgents during the Iraq War, including an April 2007 massacre that killed 23, and the Qahtaniyah bombings, which killed 796, and the Yazidi family massacre (2008) killing seven.

The Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) was set up to defend Yazidis in the aftermath of these attacks.

The genocide of Yazidis by ISIS, which began with the 2014 Sinjar massacre, led to the expulsion, flight and effective exile of the Yazidis from their ancestral lands in Sinjar.

Thousands of Yazidi women and girls were forced into sexual slavery by the Sunni fundamentalist majority-Arab terrorist group ISIS, and thousands of Yazidi men were killed.

Five thousand Yazidi civilians were killed during what has been called a "forced conversion campaign" being carried out by ISIS in Northern Iraq. The genocide began after the withdrawal of the KRG's Peshmerga militia, which left the Yazidis defenseless.

Peshmerga's retreat was due to Sunnis refusing to fight fellow Sunnis

ISIS's persecution of the Yazidis gained international attention and led to another American-led intervention in Iraq, which started with United States airstrikes against ISIS. Kurdistan Workers' Party, People's Protection Units, and Syriac Military Council fighters then opened a humanitarian corridor to the Sinjar Mountains.

Since 2016, many Yazidis in Syria have fled from the Afrin region to the relative safety of the secular Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, because of fears of persecution by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, an overwhelmingly Sunni militia.

All of the massacres of Yazidis were committed by Muslims

The Yazidis speak of 74 genocides of them in their history and call these genocides "Farman".

The number of 72 Farman can be derived from the oral traditions and folk songs of the Yazidis. "Farman" meant "decree" in Persian, and referenced the decrees given by the Ottoman government targeting the Yazidis, which were so numerous that the Yazidis began to interpret the word as having meant genocide. The last Farman is number 74 and denotes the genocide of the Yazidis by the ISIS terrorists.

[Anthea]

Drought continues to drain Mosul Dam

The receding water level has uncovered the grave of a Yazidi man near Khanke in Duhok province, about 26 kilometers from the city. The gravestone identifies him as Jabur Beko Ali, who died on September 16, 1961, at age 30. It also reads: “If God wills, we are Yazidi.”

Water levels at Mosul Dam in northern Iraq’s Nineveh province have dropped sharply, largely due to a dry winter and reduced releases from upstream Turkey.

The dam’s water level has fallen noticeably only three times in the past 50 years - in 2017, 2023, and again this year. In July, the receding waters also revealed a school in Khanke that had been submerged in the Tigris for more than four decades, Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

In 2023, an old Yazidi village emerged from the reduced water levels. More than 80 villages were submerged when Mosul dam was constructed on the Tigris River in 1984, 50 kilometres north of Mosul.

In June 2019, German and Kurdish archaeologists uncovered an ancient palace after water levels plummeted. The ruins were located in Kimune, where the ancient city of Zakhiku, ruled over by the Mittani Empire, is believed to have been located

The dam can store up to 11 billion cubic meters of water that is used in agriculture and residential sectors. It also produces hydropower, generating an average of 580 megawatts of energy per day.

Mosul Dam became operational on July 24, 1986

Iraq faces mounting water stress. The World Resources Institute lists the country among 25 nations at “extreme water stress,” meaning it uses more than 80 percent of its available water and risks shortages during short-term droughts.

The scarcity is also driving migration. In late July, Migration and Displaced Ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas told Rudaw that over 17,000 families have moved from Basra, Dhi Qar, and Maysan provinces in the past decade due to “drought, water scarcity, and desertification.”

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/270820254

[Anthea]

KDP Bloc Urges Baghdad to
Rebuild Sinjar for Yezidi Return

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc in the Iraqi parliament on Thursday called for urgent reconstruction in Sinjar to pave the way for the safe return of displaced families

At a press conference, Vian Dakhil, spokesperson for the KDP block, stressed that restoring services was a prerequisite for resettlement. “Before the IDPs can return, we must rebuild schools, hospitals, and public spaces in Sinjar, as well as provide electricity and water for its residents. They cannot return to live amid the rubble of collapsed buildings,” she said

The Kurdish lawmaker praised the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for continuing to provide medical staff and experts to assist displaced Yezidis, while accusing Baghdad of neglecting its responsibilities.

“What supports us Yezidis is the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The Iraqi government has done nothing for us,” she said

Dakhil affirmed that the KDP bloc would work to ensure the safe and dignified return of Sinjar’s displaced families, most of whom have lived in camps or abroad since ISIS’s 2014 assault.

On Aug. 3, 2014, ISIS militants stormed the Yezidi-majority district of Sinjar, killing at least 5,000 people, enslaving 6,000 women and children, and displacing nearly 400,000 others. The extremist group carried out mass executions, forced conversions, and widespread sexual slavery. The United Nations has recognized the atrocities as genocide, while countries such as Germany have resettled thousands of survivors.

A decade on, large parts of Sinjar remain in ruins. According to KRG figures, nearly 10,000 Yezidis were killed or kidnapped by ISIS, with more than 3,500 rescued so far. Many families remain unable to return due to insecurity, the presence of competing armed groups, and lack of reconstruction.

The Yezidis, a Kurdish-speaking minority that has endured at least 72 genocides throughout their history, continue to call for international support, accountability, and concrete steps toward rebuilding their homeland.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/893773

[Anthea]

Proposed bill threatens Iraq’s
minorities status, Yazidi MP cautions

The proposed amendment to Iraq’s religious endowments law—reclassifying Christian, Yazidi, and Mandaean communities from recognized religions to “sects”—would erode the legal status of religious minorities, Yazidi MP Vian Dakhil warned on Monday.

Yazidis, a Kurdish ethnoreligious group, primarily reside in Nineveh and the Kurdistan Region, while Mandaeans—followers of one of the oldest monotheistic faiths—live mainly in southern Iraq along the Tigris and Euphrates.

In a statement, Dakhil, a lawmaker of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Masoud Barzani, pledged to block the amendment, accusing several church leaders of violating constitutional protections by backing the proposal.

Faulting President Abdul Latif Rashid for “failing” to intervene, she argued, “The Yazidi population exceeds the Christian community, yet the draft advanced unchallenged.”

Dakhil criticized the reference to a “Jewish sect” as misleading, pointing out that Iraq’s Jewish community is virtually nonexistent while Yazidis and Mandaeans remain in the hundreds of thousands.

The amendment could enable the Council of Ministers to dissolve legally recognized religious groups through administrative orders, she cautioned, calling it a dangerous threat to Iraq’s delicate religious framework.

https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq/Proposed-bil ... P-cautions

[Anthea]

Iraqi Forces Take Control
of PKK Bases in Sinjar

A large contingent of Iraqi security forces has been deployed to Sinjar, where all bases and headquarters previously held by groups affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been handed over to federal control, local and regional sources reported on Saturday

Media outlets close to the PKK said the Iraqi federal government dispatched around 11,000 personnel, including units from the army, Hashd al-Shaabi, police, intelligence agencies, and the operations command, to take control of the district. Military checkpoints have been established between villages, where citizens’ IDs are being checked, while members of what the PKK referred to as its “Sinjar Self-Governing Administration” have reportedly been barred from reentering the district.

According to BasNews, all PKK checkpoints on the Syrian-Iraqi border — particularly in the towns of Sunni, Khanasur, and Qiblat — were dismantled and transferred to the Iraqi security forces.

This is not the first time PKK-linked forces have handed over positions in the area. Sheikh Mohidin Mazuri, senior member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) 14th branch in Mosul, confirmed to BasNews that a federal police brigade has been redeployed across Sinjar, Telkef, and Nimrud, in line with a long-standing plan by Baghdad to reinforce control over Nineveh province’s border areas.

Mazuri noted that the deployment aims to restrict PKK movements. “The plan is to put the PKK in Mount Sinjar, and the PKK must leave the town while the police replace them. The PKK can be cut off from Mount Sinjar and the city,” he said, denying reports of imminent clashes. “The PKK itself has agreed that the commander of operations in Nineveh, the federal police, and other units should enter Sinjar. No other forces will remain.”

He added that PKK forces have already vacated border positions around Sunni and Khanasur, with their headquarters dismantled. While PKK-affiliated groups such as the YBŞ and YBJ still maintained a presence in Sinjar until earlier this week, they are expected to fully withdraw under the new agreement.

The move comes amid longstanding tensions between the Kurdistan Region, the Iraqi federal government, and PKK-affiliated groups over control of Sinjar — a strategic district near the Syrian border and the ancestral homeland of the Yezidi community.

The 2020 Sinjar Agreement, signed between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), aimed to restore stability in the district by removing unauthorized armed groups and reestablishing federal and local authority.

The KRG has consistently argued that full implementation of the deal is essential for ensuring security, rebuilding the area, and facilitating the safe return of displaced Yezidis. However, the federal government has so far refrained from fully implementing the agreement.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/894470

[Anthea]

Ka baba-ye Zartosht
the Holy Grave of Zoroastrianism

In the heart of Naqsh-e Rustam, near Persepolis, stands the enigmatic Ka epba-ye Zartosht - "Zoroaster's Ka Iba".

This massive, cube-shaped stone monument was built during the Sassanid period (224–651 E. Kr.), an era when the Kurdish Sassanid dynasty ruled one of the most powerful empires in the Middle East.

The exact function of the monument is still disputed today. Historians and archaeologists have suggested that it could have been:

A Zoroastrian sanctuary for the holy fire.

A funerary monument where important royal texts or remains were preserved.

A treasure and document repository, a symbol of the empire's power and order.

Regardless of its origin, Ka arkitba-ye Zartosht is one of the most significant preserved examples of Sassanid architecture and religious identity.

It stands as a testimony to the central role of Zoroastrianism in the kingdom of the Sassanids - and thus also a part of the Kurdish historical heritage, as the Sassanids were one of the most important Kurdish dynasties after the Medes.
This isn't just stones and walls - it's a monument to a time when Kurdistan and Iran were the centers of culture, religion and power in the region.

[Anthea]

New Mass Grave Discovered in Sinjar
Total Reaches 93 Since ISIS Defeat

A new mass grave has been uncovered in Sinjar, raising the total number of such sites discovered in the district to 93 since the expulsion of Islamic State (ISIS) militants, a Yezidi human rights activist announced on Sunday

Tahsin Sheikh Kalo said in a press release that specialized teams found the grave in the Cezire area south of Sinjar.

The remains of one victim have already been exhumed and identified, while excavation work continues as more victims are expected to be uncovered.

The victims in those graves were women
and children who were collectively executed

He emphasized that the discoveries represent only a fraction of the tragedy, with thousands of Yezidis still missing since ISIS launched its genocidal campaign in 2014.

Kalo further noted that ongoing excavations and forensic investigations could reveal additional sites, providing greater evidence of the crimes committed against the Yezidi community in Sinjar and surrounding areas.

In August 2014, Islamic State militants swept into Sinjar, launching a brutal campaign against the Yezidi minority.
While the entire world sat back and did nothing for 2 weeks

Thousands of men were executed, while women and children were subjected to enslavement, forced conversions, and systematic abuse. The United Nations has since recognized these atrocities as genocide.

Following the liberation of Sinjar in 2015, local authorities, with support from international teams, began the painstaking process of locating and exhuming mass graves.

These sites serve as crucial evidence for documenting ISIS crimes and are key to identifying missing persons. Despite years of work, thousands of Yezidis remain unaccounted for, and the full scale of the atrocities continues to emerge with each new discovery.

The discovery of mass graves in Sinjar continues to highlight the devastation faced by the Yezidi community during the Islamic State’s campaign of violence.

In early August 2014, ISIS militants stormed Sinjar, home to the majority of the world’s Yezidis, forcing tens of thousands to flee to Mount Sinjar without food or water. The assault left thousands of men killed and women and children abducted for enslavement and forced conscription.

According to the United Nations, at least 5,000 Yezidis were massacred, while more than 6,000 women and children were kidnapped, many of whom were sold in slave markets across Iraq and Syria.

Thousands remain missing to this day. The UN, European Parliament, and several international governments have recognized the Yezidi massacre as an act of genocide.

Since Sinjar’s liberation in 2015, Iraq’s Mass Graves Directorate, along with UNITAD (the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIS), has worked to locate, exhume, and document evidence from these sites.

To date, dozens of graves have been unearthed, often containing the remains of women, children, and elderly civilians executed during ISIS’s campaign.

The process is slow and painful, as many sites remain unprotected and subject to environmental damage. Forensic teams are carefully collecting DNA samples to identify victims, offering families long-awaited closure.

Meanwhile, survivors and activists continue to call for international justice mechanisms to prosecute ISIS perpetrators and ensure lasting protection for the Yezidi people.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/895063

[Anthea]

Lalish The Beating Heart of Faith:
A Journey into the Yazidi Jama'i Festival

Erbil (Kurdistan24) – In the coming days, from October 6 to 12, Yazidis will gather in the sacred Lalish Temple in the Sheikhan district of Duhok province to mark Jama’i Festival, the longest and most important religious celebration in their calendar. The week-long rituals will bring together thousands of pilgrims, tying their prayers to the mountains and their ancient covenant with faith, sacrifice, and renewal

The Jama’i Festival, deeply woven into Yazidi religious history, stretches from October 6 to 12 according to the Yazidi calendar. For seven days, Yazidis travel to the Lalish valley, where prayers and sacrifices are offered, and ancient rites are observed. The festival is seen as a profound connection between the people, nature, and the three spiritual stages of Yazidism.

Some of the ceremonies hark back to the dawn of Yazidi faith and its divine traditions. Among the most significant is the sacrificial offering of an ox dedicated to Sheikh Shams, the greatest of Yazidi deities. Other rituals reflect links to the era of Prophet Abraham, while still others recall the time of Sheikh Adi, whose tomb in Lalish remains the heart of Yazidi spiritual life.

This layered symbolism makes Jama’i not only a religious observance but also a living testimony of Yazidi continuity, marking the passage of their community through centuries of faith, resilience, and renewal.
A picture from inside the Lalish Temple. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

Pilgrimage and Preparations

The days leading up to the festival are filled with devotion and preparation. Yazidi families and spiritual leaders travel from near and far, cleaning Lalish’s sacred courtyards, preparing homes, and welcoming guests. On the eve of the festival, pilgrims gather at the tombs of Sheikh Adi, Sheikh Fakhr, Sheikh Shams, and others, visiting the sacred springs of Kaniya Spî and Zamzam.

Every Yazidi is expected to perform these visits before taking part in the central ceremonies. Ritual foods, including the sacred samat, are prepared, while the qewals — Yazidi religious singers — chant hymns at dawn accompanied by def (frame drums) and shibab (flutes).

The Ritual of the Wishing Ribbons

One of the most unique ceremonies is Peri Suwarkan (the tying of wishing ribbons). Pilgrims dip colorful cloth ribbons into the waters of Kaniya Spî, tie them at shrines, and carry them on their heads or arms as blessings. Accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of drums and flutes, the ribbons are taken through the temple complex until they reach the tomb of Sheikh Adi, symbolizing renewal and divine protection.

These ribbons, dedicated to saints such as Sheikh Adi, Sheikh Hassan, Sheikh Shams, Sheikh Fakhr, and Sheikh Bakr, embody Yazidi spirituality across generations.

The Sacrifice of the Ox

Perhaps the most powerful ritual of the festival takes place on the fifth day at Mount Arafat near Lalish. Known as Qebax, it involves the sacrifice of an ox by Yazidi priests. The animal is slaughtered in front of crowds, its meat distributed as sacred food to pilgrims.

The event brings together qewals, sheikhs, and armed guards in solemn procession up the mountain, where they light torches and sing hymns before the sacrifice. The ox’s blood is poured on the shrine of Sheikh Shams, symbolizing renewal of the covenant between the Yazidi people and their faith.

The Shabaki Procession

Another highlight is Berê Shabakê, a grand procession involving elders, clerics, and pilgrims carrying torches and sacred objects. The ceremony begins at Kaniya Spî and winds its way through Lalish, culminating at the shrine of Sheikh Adi. Participants tie sticks to their heads and strike them against the ground three times, while chanting prayers in honor of the saints.

Over three days, the ritual is repeated with solemnity, each time reaffirming the Yazidi people’s devotion.
A picture from inside the Lalish Temple. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

Music, Dance, and Unity

Throughout the week, the temple comes alive with spiritual songs and traditional dances. Young men and women, priests and lay followers alike, gather in circles at nightfall, dancing to the music of drums and flutes. Pilgrims chant hymns of light, while torches illuminate the valleys around Lalish.

The celebration culminates with the ceremonial washing of the sacred Tawusê Melek (Peacock Angel), the holiest symbol in Yazidism, marking the completion of the festival.

Lalish: The Beating Heart of Yazidi Faith

Lalish Temple, nestled in the mountains north of Sheikhan, is not only the largest and most sacred Yazidi temple in the world, but also the anchor of Yazidi identity. Each year, Yazidis from across Kurdistan and the diaspora return to this valley of light, reaffirming their faith and traditions despite centuries of persecution.

The Jama’i Festival, with its rich blend of ritual sacrifice, prayer, music, and community gatherings, is more than a festival. It is a declaration of resilience, a bridge between ancient heritage and modern identity, and above all, a prayer carried through the mountains for peace and continuity.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/photo-st ... i-festival

[Anthea]

Yazidis gather for sacred Jamaya festival

Yazidis are gathering in Lalish for Jamaya Sheikhadi festival, the Gathering and Feast of Seven Days. The festival, held annually in early October is a sacred time for Yazidis to make a pilgrimage to their holiest shrine in Lalish

Between 25,000-30,000 people are expected to visit Lalish, each day during the festival, according to officials at the Yazidis' holy temple.

Every evening, a ritual dance is performed by men dressed in white followed by a procession behind a sacred torch.

"I came from the Netherlands. I am indeed very excited to be here," Malva Khidir, a Yazidi visitor said. "We are happy to witness how Yazidi culture is preserved. We are very happy and proud of it."

On the fifth night of the week-long festival, a bull is sacrificed. The meat is cooked and shared among the pilgrims.

The timing of the festival is to welcome autumn. Yazidis pray for good rains during the coming winter in order to have a bountiful harvest in the spring and summer.

"This is a very old and amazing feast. This is our own feast, and we will not give up on our cultures as long as one Yazidi remains," Shavin Shingali, another visitor said.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/071020251

[Anthea]

Sinjar Agreement Stalemate
Affects Displaced Yezidis

The Kurdistan Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Interior on Thursday expressed concern over the continued lack of progress in implementing the 2020 Sinjar Agreement, five years after its signing, warning that the failure to enforce its provisions has prolonged instability and the suffering of displaced residents

In a statement marking the anniversary, the ministry said that none of the agreement’s key provisions related to restoring administrative and security structures in Sinjar have been carried out.

The accord, signed between Erbil and Baghdad with support from the United Nations, was intended to normalize the situation in the district, ensure stability and prosperity, and facilitate the voluntary and dignified return of displaced people to their homes.

The KRG noted that the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement formed part of the political understandings behind the establishment of Iraq’s current government and was included in the federal government’s ministerial program.

While both Erbil and Baghdad have made efforts to enforce the agreement, “certain groups and individuals outside official institutions — those who see themselves as above the law, the agreements, and state institutions — have been the main obstacle to its application,” the ministry said. It added that their obstruction has contributed to the continued displacement of thousands, growing frustration, and increased migration abroad

The statement reaffirmed the KRG’s readiness to fulfill its responsibilities under the agreement and to help create the conditions necessary for the return of Yezidis and other original residents to Sinjar.

“The KRG continues to follow with concern the ongoing suffering of the displaced and holds accountable those who openly obstruct the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement for the ongoing instability in the area,” the ministry added.

Signed in October 2020, the Sinjar Agreement aimed to establish a unified administration and security structure in the district, which remains contested and unstable years after being freed from ISIS control.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/896519