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Dear friends,
Please read below for July news and updates. Thank you for your solidarity with our community as we approach the eight-year Yezidi Genocide commemoration.
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TURKISH AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE
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As we have reported in the past months, Turkish airstrikes continue to target Yezidis and others in northern Iraq. Several Yezidis were killed outside of Mosul this month. A few days later, dozens of civilians were killed or injured by a Turkish airstrike in a tourist area in Zakho. Iraqi authorities reacted forcefully, raising the issue in an emergency session of the UN Security Council. Turkish airstrikes continue to pose security threats to Iraqi citizens. FYF and other Yezidi activists have consistently called for Iraq and the international community to halt airstrikes in Sinjar.
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FYF PARTICIPATES IN ATROCITY PREVENTION EVENT
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FYF joined a high-level event on atrocity prevention at the US Institute of Peace, organized by the US Holocaust Museum and featuring a number of senior US government officials. In an off-record panel discussion with minority community members, FYF stressed the need to support civil society and discussed several matters with government stakeholders.
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THE ONGOING PURSUIT OF JUSTICE
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A German court this month sentenced an ISIS female member for a number of violations, including aiding and abetting genocide in reference to crimes perpetrated against Yezidis. This is only the second genocide conviction eight years after the Yezidi Genocide. FYF and other Yezidi activists and civil society organizations continue to pursue justice in all possible jurisdictions.
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MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - LONDON
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FYF joined a panel discussion as part of the ministerial conference on religious freedom held in London. The panel included members of parliament and leading experts. FYF highlighted the failure to prevent the Yezidi Genocide and the need to punish perpetrators.
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FYF's 2021 Annual Report is now available online. Click to read inspirational stories, learn about current projects, and find more about challenges and opportunities for the Yezidi community.
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STILL TIME TO REGISTER - YEZIDI GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION
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The Free Yezidi Foundation will be commemorating the eighth anniversary of the Yezidi Genocide by co-hosting an in-person event at our facility in Khanke, in Iraq, and also holding a virtual multi-panel event.
To participate in the virtual event on 3 August, please register. Topics and speaker for the virtual panels can be found on our website and social media platforms.
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Thank you all, as always, for keeping up with our news and work, and for your steadfast support of FYF and the Yezidi community.
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Sincerely,
Pari Ibrahim
Executive Director
Free Yezidi Foundation
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IN THE NEWS
The Sunday Times (UK) | Kidnapped, drugged, and forced to fight: the forgotten child victims of ISIS | Eight years after ISIS killed and captured thousands of Yezidis, more than half the population are still in camps. Most forgotten of all are the Yezidi boys who were forced to join ISIS.
Toward Freedom | Yazidis in limbo as Iraqi forces and armed militants fight in northern Iraq | Amid chaos, Yazidi women can be found learning skills at the Enterprise & Training Center (ETC) run by the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF).
The Spectator - Australia | Labor to 'rescue' ISIS brides? | This article quotes FYF regarding the crimes committed by female ISIS members.
FORB Women's Alliance | Genocide's lingering tragedy: the 8th anniversary of Yazidi sorrow | The FORB Women's Alliance includes reference to the Free Yezidi Foundation to mark the 8th year commemoration of the Yezidi Genocide.
The Catholic World Report | Women worldwide face sex-based religious persecution | At the recent International Religious Freedom Summit held in Washington, D.C., FYF joined other human rights advocates to speak about persecution of religious minorities.
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