Terrifying retreat
"The number of Yazidis in Syria was more than 75,000 people, but 85% of them migrated outside the country, which led to a decrease in their numbers to less than 8000, in areas where Yazidis exist, such as the cities of Aleppo, Afrin, Hasaka, Amuda, Derbasiyah, in addition to other regions in northeastern Syria, according to the statistics issued by the "Yazidi House" in the city of Hasaka," said Jaber Jindo, a Syrian Yazidi journalist.
In his statement to “Al-Hal Net”, Jindo confirmed the Syrian government's insistence on not recognizing Yazidism, as it is an independent religion from Islam, and insists on considering its members as Muslims. He believes that the Syrian government's position is “primarily political, and there is great injustice”, in same time he defined the Yazidi religion as an independent religion on its own, and not a sect of another religion, and it has its own culture and beliefs.
"I am a Yazidi, I invite you to get to know me"
"Through Hope project, which we launched at the beginning of August of this year and will continue for a period of three months, we seek to promote the culture of brotherhood among all religious and national components in the regions of northeastern Syria, in addition to the strengthening of the Yazidi role in the region, after all they had been through such as marginalized for decades. We also focus more on issues related to hate speech and violence,” said Ali Isso, Director of Ezdina Organization.
"The purpose of the introductory seminars was to introduce the local communities to the culture, customs and traditions of the Yazidi religious community, in order to remove the stereotype towards the Yazidis," Isso added.
Isso mentioned that the Yazidis suffered marginalization because of the bad stereotype against them. They were afraid to declare their religious identity, so that they would not be persecuted. This stereotypes also were reasons extremist terror organizations, which took advantage of the matter and promoted the idea that Yazidis worship Satan. Today, in the Ezdina Organization, we are fighting those misconceptions that were the reason for targeting the Yazidis and depriving them of their civil rights.
About Ezdina’s upcoming activities, Isso said: “In the coming days we have other activities, including a dialogue session for clerics, to discuss hate speech and the announcement of a draft law "to protect the Yezidis", which would be a legal umbrella to protect the Yazidis in areas where they distribute.
Inside the former capital of ISIS
Journalist Jaber Jindo, stressed the importance of the seminar that took place in the city of Raqqa, and believes that it was very necessary, because it discussed the violations committed against the Yazidis, which reached its climax, when the city was under the control of ISIS.
“The city of Raqqa was a witness to the suffering of the Yazidis, especially their women, ISIS sold more than 3000 Yazidis, most of them women, in that city, because ISIS tried to paint a distorted picture of the Yazidis to the local population, and because we realize that the residents of Raqqa suffered like us of the extremist terror organization, so that we held a seminar in the city, in order to introduce its residents to our religion and our culture," said Jindo.
For his part, Ali Isso mentioned that ISIS wanted to make Raqqa its capital, but it failed to do, and today it is the turn of civil society organizations to restore the city to its true colors, through activities.
As for Mohammad Al-Sayed, the administrator in the team of Adrenaline Initiative, which sponsored the seminar in the city of Raqqa, said: “We held this seminar to prove to the world that the people of Raqqa are innocent of all the violations committed against the Yazidis by ISIS. He explained that the seminar was held to introduce the culture and religion of the Yazidis in the region, and also to bridge points of view between the various components of Syria.
Al-Sayed also added in his speech to “Al-Hal Net”, that the seminar was well received by activists from the city of Raqqa. About eighty civil society leaders in the region participated in.
"New seminars will be held in other regions, such as Deir Ezzor and Manbij, especially after the past seminars were met with great interest and great response from the attendees," said Jaber Jindo.
Source: Al-7al Net
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