FYF Monthly Newsletter

Dear friends,

The Yezidi New Year, a time of renewal, rebirth, and hope, occurs in April every year. Traditionally, Yezidis gather in Lalish, the Yezidi holy site, for a ceremony to usher in the New Year. Due to COVID-19, this was not possible in 2021. Nonetheless, FYF team members and beneficiaries celebrated the holiday and the year to come.

The Free Yezidi Foundation is thrilled to share the details of its newest initiative: Yezidi Crafts & Enterprise. A cadre of nearly two dozen women have been carefully trained in carpet-making and weaving, and they have produced brilliant pieces. To learn more, visit the Yezidi Crafts & Enterprise Instagram account or our website page. Not all images and prices are yet uploaded - we are in the process of posting more information. We are grateful to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for helping make this concept a reality.

Currently, these items are for sale in person only, in Duhok or Khanke. Soon we hope to be able to commence shipping abroad. Please contact us on the Instagram page or via email (info@freeyezidi.org) if you wish to make a purchase, an advance order, or take a tour of the facility. The proceeds of the sales go directly to the artisans and to cover the costs of the facility - all 100% not-for-profit. Thank you for your support to Yezidi-led enterprise initiatives!

On April 25th, a cohort of Yezidi women and girls graduated from the women's center. Despite COVID-19 limitations, social distancing regulations, and movement restrictions, our participants were still able to graduate. Some of them are picture here. Congratulations ladies, and we wish you success!

Earlier in the month, FYF Executive Director Pari Ibrahim spoke about the Yezidi Genocide at the University of Oklahoma's Political Science Department and Center for Middle East Studies, sharing with faculty and students the Yezidi experience and efforts toward rehabilitation, genocide recognition, and the pursuit of justice.

An unmarked grave was discovered in the southern part of Sinjar containing a man, a woman, and a child. Although this was not a mass grave, it contained the members of a small family. Continued efforts must be made to identify all the victims of the Yezidi Genocide, provide proper burial services, and advance justice and accountability through criminal prosecutions.

On 24 April each year, Armenians and others remember the 1915 Armenian Genocide, a time when many thousands of Yezidis were also killed. This year, United States President Biden recognized the genocide, a brave decision marking an important shift. The Free Yezidi Foundation stated, "The Yezidi community was also victimized through atrocities during the Armenian Genocide. Our people stand in solidarity with the Armenian community, and FYF is supportive of President Joe Biden for recognizing the genocide. Recognition matters to surviving communities. Unfortunately, Christians and Yezidis remain at risk in the Middle East. Threats to minorities remain."

Armenian Genocide, 1915; Yezidi Genocide, 2014

Thank you, friends, for your continued solidarity with the Free Yezidi Foundation and the Yezidi people.

Sincerely,

Pari Ibrahim
Executive Director
Free Yezidi Foundation

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Pursuing Justice for Mass Atrocities: Lessons from the Yezidi Experience | FYF contributed this blog post as part of a series to mark the publication of the US Holocaust Museum's new handbook about the pursuit of justice in response to atrocities.

The Armenian Institute - UK | Resilience & Recovery after Genocide: The Yezidi Community between War and Self-Organization | FYF participated in this panel discussion about the Yezidi Genocide, its aftermath, current and future needs, and reference to the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Our email address is:
info@freeyezidi.org

FYF Monthly Newsletter - April 2021