Women tell us the Shengal Massacre

Îlham Hecî- Xensê Xidir/JINHA

SHENGAL- Êzidî people faced the atrocity of ISIS in front of world on 21st century. "We won't forget women held captive, massacred people and the pain we suffer. We'll resist even if one of us live." said Êzidî women.

Êzidî people have faced many edicts throughout history. Many of these edicts haven't been known because they were never written. Only edicts took places in recent history are known. The explosion occurred in Girizêr and Sîba Şêxidir in 2007 was the beginning of August 3 edict. Êzidî people were tried to be annihilated that time. That's why we recognize this explosion as an edict and we say that Êzidî people have suffered 74 edicts. August 3, 2014 was the day of death. This day claims its place in history as a black day. The world became deaf and dumb against the pain of Êzidî women. No one heard their screams and no one see killed children. We know no one can tell other's pains. Therefore, we talked to Êzidî women about the darkness days and we share their stories with you.

'Soil became our bed and stones our pillow'

Hundreds of Êzidîs those who have taken refuge on Shengal Mountains, have continued to build a new life despite all difficulties. We came across Esmer Qero and her husband Mamê Eliyas while walking between the tents. Deep creases on their faces are almost the traces of the edict they faced. First Esmer began to talk: "I told Eliyas let's go. There wasn't water and it was extreme hot. Before leaving, I filled two bottles and put them inside the sock. We arrived to Qeraç and then departed to Kandil village. We arrived there at night. My niece brought me five-liter water. We passed days on the road. Soil became our bed and stone became our pillow. No matter what troubles we faced, we won't forget children, women and men held captive. We have begun to maintain our lives step by step. I just want the people those who taken captive be saved."

Then, Eliyas began to talk: "Êzidî people have been under the pressure of Turkish and Arab people since 1166. Their purpose was to annihilate Êzidî people but they won't annihilate us. Thousands of people were killed, abducted and forced to change their religion in each edict. We passed three days and three nights on roads at the last edict. They must understand that we will never our lands."

Xezal Seedo is another woman, who has the pain of massacre. Xezal said that August 3 was like the end of time: "My brother's wife took her children and went to Zeytûnî village by walking while we went to Shengal city center by car. Then, we went to Geliyê Elî Sorka and began to climb to mountain from there. I didn't have energy to climb more but we managed to arrive to Çilmêra. After reaching there, my nephew came and took us to Serdeştê. We had very difficult times but I cannot forget the mothers, girls and women, who were held captive by ISIS. We will never forget what we experienced."

'Tahlê becomes the mother of us all'

Êzidî people on Shengal Mountains talked about a mother named Tahlê. "Tahlê becomes the mother of us all" said people. We listened to the story of Tahlê Mother from Leyla Afrid and Xewla Alî: "We came here on the edict day. Tahlê looked after us. She had a garden and all people those who survived from the edict, went to her garden collected whatever they needed. If there wasn't her garden, many people would die of starvation. There 300 families and Tahlê mother did her best for these people. She cooked bread for days for people and the fighters. She is still helping people."

'I saw children those who died of starvation'

Each Shengal person told us their story from a different point of view. Whatever they say their pain hasn't reduced and they had difficulties to tell us what happened during the edict. Elîf Silêman tried to explain what happened on August 3 with these worlds: "The most painful thing I've seen with my own eyes was that women didn't make milk for their babies due to food shortage and their babies died of starvation. They were very small and couldn't survive by only drinking water. We had very bad situation that time. Our children hadn't clothes and food; however, we preferred that life than being in the hand of ISIS. This edict was against our religion. Forcibly being suspended from your religious belief is the worse than dying. ISIS must understand that we practice our religion even if they kill us or impose oppression on us. We'll resist with our belief even if one person lives. We weren't annihilated in the 74th edict and we'll never be annihilated."

We'll end our second file with the story of an Êzidî woman, who was took hostage for six months by ISIS and managed to flee from them. We don't want to use the name of Êzidî woman. She had been taken hostage on the massacre day as a result of a car accident. The woman and her two-month-old daughter Lorin were separated from each other after this accident. Mother hadn't known if her daughter was alive or not for months. After six months, she managed to flee from ISIS. When she was Lorin, she forgot all her pain she suffered.

Lorin's mother told us what she faced: "When attacks began, we got in our car and tried to flee from ISIS; however, we had a car accident. Many members of our family were injured. ISIS took us hostage that time. I lost Lorin in the meantime. ISIS held us for six months. They tortured many people in front of me. The worst thing I've seen was that they took small girls and they forced her to marry. The cry of mothers was shaking the earth and sky. Then, they gave back these sallow girls to their mothers. We were forced to stay in Koço for three months and then they took us to Tileferê. There were mothers and their girls wherever we were taken. They tortured these people if they didn't want to go with them. I came together with Lorin after I fled from ISIS while I couldn't believe that my daughter Lorin was still alive."

Another group tried to flee from ISIS during car accident. One woman among the group named Xezal Birhîm found Lorin. Xezal said that Lorin was weak when she found her, "I took Lorin and started to walk again. Lorin was hungry and she cried when we reached the mountain. I tried to find something to give Lorin. I found a bowl of soup; I couldn't remember who gave me it. I gave the soup to Lorin. I have a son and I didn't make milk. The nights were very cold. Only I know what difficulties we had. Lorin's grandmother came and took her. I hope all our people held captive be free soon. We want to die on our lands; we don't want to live on another land."

Tomorrow: The YJŞ commander Hêzda Şengal and Êzidî Women's Assembly member Nurê Xidir talked about the organization works of Êzidî women.

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