Feleknas Uca: Shengal people resisted and developed self-defense

Şehriban Aslan / JINHA

AMED - Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Feleknas Uca stated that people have protected their lands under the leadership of women, "I wish Shengal Mountains had tongue and told us how Devreşê Evdê's grandchildren are defending themselves now. Elderly mothers and young women have protected their homelands by taking up arms. Shengal people aren't victims on the contrary; they have developed self-defense after the recent attacks."

Shengal people were subjected to attacks of massacre carried out by ISIS gangs but they never leave their homelands despite all these massacres. Êzidî people, who were faced to edicts for 73rd time when ISIS began to attack Shengal on August 3, 2014, walked for days to take refuge on Shengal Mountains. Hundreds of people died due to the lack of water and food after they reached to Shengal Mountains. They have maintained their lives on the mountains since then. After difficult long days, the Êzidî people have been organizing and founded their council under the leadership of women. The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Feleknas Uca emphasized that Êzidî people have never surrendered, "Êzidî people gave their heads but not surrender."

'They killed many women and all men'

Feleknas said that August 3 is a black day for Êzidî people and, "Êzidî people faced a massacre on August 3 in front of whole world. Then, the people migrated from Shengal. 150,000 people have been forced to take refuge on Shengal Mountains and they didn't have water and food for days. 7000 people were caught by ISIS. Almost three thousands of women were taken prisoners by ISIS. Women were beheaded in front of their children and children were beheaded in front of their mothers. They took people from villages and they took women in a building. Many women and all men were killed. Very few women escaped from ISIS in Koço village. Today, Êzidî women are still being sold in Antep and Urfa as slave."

'The name of woman was Hayat and she was 17 years old'

Feleknas stated that she talked to a young woman during ISIS attacks and she tried to convince the woman to not commit suicide. Feleknas said, "The name of woman was Hayat and she was 17 years old. Her brother came to me and asked me to call her sister and convince her to not commit suicide. I talked to Hayat almost 10 minutes; however I couldn't convince her. She only told me, "I will kill myself to save my honor and not being captured by ISIS." I wish Shengal Mountains had tongue and told us what happened on August 3 and how women took each other by the hand and jumped from mountains to not being captured by ISIS. If the mountains had tongue, they would tell us how children, who lost their mothers and fathers, lived on mountains without food and water and how Devreşê Evdê's grandchildren are defending themselves now."

'They raise their struggle'

"Thousands of Êzidî people, those who fled from ISIS, have maintained their lives in camps in the North Kurdistan." said Feleknas and she continued, "But women have organized by taking a firm stand on all difficulties. They have applied self-defense and raised their struggle. Shengal people shouldn't be seen as victims, they aren't victims. Thousands of grandchildren of Devreşê Evdê have been protecting Shengal now. Êzidî people have faced 73 edict but they gave their heads but not surrender. We'll rescue all women in the hand of ISIS."

'Everyone should protect Shengal'

At the end, Feleknas called for rebuilding the life, "Shengal is being rebuilt. Everyone should gather and protect Shengal. We'll observe a minute's silence on August 3 at 11 a.m. in Kurdistan, Turkey and Europe. We'll commemorate those who lost their lives in Shengal Massacre in Shengal camp. We'll begin a march at 3 p.m. in the camp. The HDP Mardin MP Ali Atalan and I will demand for parliamentary commission investigating the status of the Êzidî people on August 2."

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