Orhan Kamal - Ezdina / Qamishlo
On Friday, Ezdina Organization opened a headquarter in Qamishlo/Qamishli city. It launched Hope Project in the region within an occupational and academic job that aims to increase the local community awareness about the Yazidi identity and to strengthen the rapprochement between the national and religious components in Northeastern Syria. This is by respecting pluralism and accepting others as well as rejecting hate speech and violence.
Congratulatory Text messages and Videotapes
On the opening day, Ezdina received video and text congratulatory messages from a group of institutions, organizations, also human rights, media, and religious personalities on the occasion of the opening of the office.
Below is a list of these personalities:
- Baba Jawish - a senior Yazidi cleric in Lalesh Temple.
- Hamidi Daham Al-Hadi - Sheikh of the Shammar tribe.
- Dawoud Dawoud - head of the Assyrian Democratic Organization.
- Jubair Sheikh Suleiman - Joint Head of Interfaith Affairs Office in Al-Jazeera Region.
- Khairi Bouzani - General Director of Yazidi Affairs in the Ministry of Endowments of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government.
- Pir Shamo - a Yazidi cleric.
- Hasso Hormi - President of the International Yazidi Foundation Against Genocide.
- Kawa Ido Khatari - Director of the Civîn House for Orphan Children Affected by ISIS In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
- Hussein Nasso - the Kurdish Legal Authority,
- Iman - a Yazidi social personality.
- Dr. Firas Mamdouh Al-Fahd - President of the humanitarian organization "Hope Makers".
- Suad Hasso - head of the Yazidi Union of Afrin.
- Arya Haji - Executive Director of Aso News Network.
- Thomas McGee - PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne.
- Thoreau Redcrow - International Conflict Analyst and Kurdish Studies specialist.
- Robin Rashvan - Journalist.
- Abdul Rahman Badrakhan - Member of the Interfaith Forum
- Muhammad Omar Sheikhmous - member of the Civil Peace Committee in Amuda.
- Mustafa Osso - Member of The Board of Trustees of the Justice Center for Human Rights.
- Haybar Othman - Correspondent of Al-Hurra channel.
- Yousra Zubair - Head of Free Kurdish Women Organization.
- Sheikh Mohammad Kharzani - Co-chair of the Democratic Islamic Society Conference.
- Lotti Myers -Head of Omid Organization.
- Avin Mahmoud - member of Menschen stärken Menschen eV. Organization .
The General Director of Ezdina Organization, Ali isso, said in the opening speech that Ezdina began working since 2017 with a voluntary effort of journalists, human rights activists and academics, where an online platform was launched in the name of Ezdina. He added through this online platform, we were able to highlight the nature and culture of the Yazidi community, as well as their traditions, visions, and aspirations, and monitoring the violations committed against them.
Negative Stereotype towards Yazidis
Isso explained that the reason for doing this work and these activities are the negative stereotype towards the Yazidis, as there are many misconceptions against them, which have been corrected through the website, noting the human rights aspect of the organization that relates to monitoring violations in Afrin and Girê Spî/ Tal Abyad and Serê Kaniyê/Ras al-Ain. This is by relying on a monitoring team working inside these areas to document these violations and deliver them to the concerned international organizations, whereas many of these documents were handed over to the International Investigation Committee.
Isso concluded his speech that the organization had many activities and events within the United Nations, which focused on promoting the culture of human rights.
Spreading Tolerance and Brotherhood
Baba Jawish, one of the senior Yazidi clerics in the Lalesh Temple, stressed in his message on the importance of the organization to be a place for spreading brotherhood and tolerance a gathering place for all. Also to contribute spreading goodness and rapprochement between all religions of all components. He also hoped that the organization will be for all the religious components and unite all religions and races together for the sake of knowledge, peace, security and tolerance.
The sheikh of the Shammar tribe, Hamidi Dahham al-Hadi, also stressed in his message on the importance of encouraging brotherhood between religions and ethnicities and on the importance of Yazidis obtaining their rights.
A qualitative addition to human rights organizations
The head of the Assyrian Democratic Organization, Dawoud Dawoud, explained in his message the importance of the organization as a qualitative addition to human rights organizations defending human rights and the rights of national and religious components.
He pointed out that the Syrian society is a diverse society, in which Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Assyrians, Yazidis, Armenians must gain their national, cultural and linguistic rights and even their constitutional recognition.
Furthermore, in the message of Lottie Myers, Head of Omid Organization in the United Kingdom, she expressed her support and excitement to see the results and achievements of the organization in its new project, adding that what the organization will do in the project will be the ideal basis for all the important work that is constantly being worked on.
Confronting sectarian and ethnic conflicts in society
The co-chair of the Conference of the Democratic Islamic Society, Sheikh Muhammad Kharzani, indicated in his message, that the civil and religious institutions must work together against sectarian and ethnic conflicts in the society, mentioning that the bloody conflicts that are taking place in the world, especially in the Middle East and Syria are the cause of the sectarian, ethnic and religious conflicts.
Consolidating the values of acquaintance, tolerance, coexistence and acceptance of others
The General Director of Yazidi Affairs in the Ministry of Endowments of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Khairi Bouzani, stressed in his message, the importance of consolidating the values of acquaintance, tolerance, coexistence and acceptance of others, ensuring community peace. As well as, rooting out discord and discrimination, eliminating hate speech and incitement against others, through solidarity and struggle to implement these two requirements on the ground ".
The President of the Afrin Yazidi Union, Suad Hasso, indicated in her message on the importance of the new headquarters of the organization to be the voice of the Yazidi people and Kurdish people, and that the main job of the headquarters is to serve society.
Serving all components of the region
The director of Civîn Home for orphan children affected by "ISIS" in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Kawa Ido Khatari, said in his message: "Ezdina organization is known to serve all components of different ethnicities and religions, therefore the opening of the office will be in the service of all components of the region".
The former executive director of Ezdina organization , Murad Ismail, explained in his message that the Syrian Yazidis have suffered a lot. Where a population of 80,000 Yazidis only about 4 thousand survived .He demanded the Yazidis of Syria to defend their case in order for their fate not to be like the fate of Yazidis in Turkey .
Confronting hate speech
The head of the International Yazidi Foundation Against Genocide, Hasso Hormi, confirmed in his message that they are looking forward to the field work of Ezdina Organization in order to struggle to define the concepts and manifestations of hate, confront hate speech and diminish the role of violence. As well as, limiting the role of hate in the media that works for the continuity of the existing policy of violence, tyranny and corruption.In addition to spreading the culture of intolerance and rejection of the other.
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