Like any other people, Yazidis are entitled to develop their society as they wish. They must have autonomy over the areas where they have historically lived and hold administrative and defense powers. A clearly bounded region should be formed in which they would have executive and legislative authority. Each ethnic group in the area would have the right to representation in the legislature and executive branch according to its proportionality. This region could be a part of the federal state or a self-governing, independent zone.

The Iraqi-Kurdish agreement overrides Yazidi interests

An agreement on Shengal has been reached between the central Iraqi and regional Kurdish governments and aims to restore security and order to the district and return refugees to their homes. A major aspect of the agreement is the removal of the occupying Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) forces. Also, a mayor would be elected and a military force of 2,500 people would be formed that would exclude any Yazidis sympathizing with the PKK. PKK-related organizations would have no say in decision-making; instead, the Iraqi government, Kurdish government, and Hashd al-Shaabi would wield influence, reflecting the interests of Turkey and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK). Yazidis—including the Yazidis’ Central Association, women’s association, and other organizations—have expressed dissatisfaction with and protested against the agreement.

In August 2014, the central Iraqi and regional Kurdish governments failed to protect Yazidis from Islamic State (ISIS) forces, which captured Shengal and committed genocide against the defenseless Yazidi people. More than 10,000 people had either lost their lives or been taken prisoner as slaves. Now, those same authorities have created this agreement, believing that that they have found a just solution. The United Nations naively supports the agreement. The UN does not take the Yazizi genocide aftermath and its difficulties seriously. But where in this agreement can Yazidi input be found? How does the agreement accommodate Yazidi interests?

It is worth mentioning that while central government and Peshmerga forces fled Shengal in August 2014, PKK forces entered, fought ISIS in the area and the Shengal Mountain, and rescued tens of thousands of Yazidis from the Islamic State. Not surprisingly, some Yazidi organizations now support PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan’s democratic ideas.

There are serious problems with this agreement, which marginalizes Yazidi rights and places the mayor and armed forces squarely under the Iraqi government and the PDK. This will create division and conflict among the Yazidis. The vast majority of Yazidis hates the Barzani family and the KDP and also Iraqi forces who left them for ISIS. The Yazidis, for good reason, does not believe in either the KDP or the central government. Both Baghdad and Hewler authorities suffer from corruption and therefore they are not the right authorities to carry out the reconstruction of the area. There must be an international team to carry out the task of reconstruction.

Is it not the Yazidi who have say about their security and destiny? Do the Yazidis, an ethnic minority, not have the right defend themselves? Do they not have political and cultural freedoms? Why should non-Yazidis dictate their safety and future? Does the Iraqi or Kurdish government have any claim to rule over people whom they abandoned to genocide?

Yazidis have been oppressed throughout history, experiencing relentless discrimination and condescension. According to Yazidi lore, they have been subjected to 73 massacres since the 6th century, the latest of which was the brutal genocide of 2014. The prejudice they face continues, as systemic intolerance and marginalization have been ingrained into the government and dominant religion. They are under official and unofficial sanctions from both the authorities and the religious majority. Among the mainstream, a perception persists that Yazidi people are dirty or heretical. It is very difficult for a Yazidi person to be hired or sell goods outside the Yazidi community; there countless examples of bigotry.

The Yazidi people must be treated as humans with attendant political and cultural rights, not as inferior residents of a ruined city belonging to an external government. Like any other people, Yazidis are entitled to develop their society as they wish. They must have autonomy over the areas where they have historically lived and hold administrative and defense powers. A clearly bounded region should be formed in which they would have executive and legislative authority. Each ethnic group in the area would have the right to representation in the legislature and executive branch according to its proportionality. This region could be a part of the federal state or a self-governing, independent zone. The central Iraqi and regional Kurdish governments should offer financial assistance. All non-Yazidi forces—including the PDK, Hashd al-Shaabi, and PKK—should depart. In other words all militias must move from the area. Without exception, democratic ideologies, which prioritize human rights, rights that the Yazidi have not been afforded thus far, must be allowed to exist.

The Iraqi and Kurdish governments must apologize to the Yazidi community and work to regain the trust lost after the 2014 genocide. These governments are obligated to help with reconstruction, provide financial support, legitimize Yazidi culture, and eradicate discrimination and mistrust. Genocide victims should be compensated. Only then will the future of the Yazidi people be secured.

A long-term solution to the Yazidi-question must be the priority of any solution. The international community must lead the reconstruction of the area and create a safe and peaceful environment to a people who have survived the genocide. The Yazidis are entitled to develop their society as they wish and therefor have the right to self-government.

By Shakhawan Shorash

17 October 2020