The Êzidxan Women’s Movement (TAJÊ) has been with the Êzidîs liberated from ISIS in their adventure to return to their own people and their own lands and has shouldered many responsibilities in Shengal.
Hundreds of Êzidîs brought to Syria after falling prisoner to ISIS in their attack and massacre on Shengal on August 3, 2014 have been liberated by YPG and YPJ forces and entrusted to the Democratic Autonomous Administration authorities. The Democratic Autonomous Administration transfers the rescued Êzidîs to the Shengal Women’s Assembly.
Êzidxan Women’s Movement (TAJÊ) Administration and Shengal Constituent Assembly Member Zehra Şengali who works in the Newroz Camp in Derik talked about how they greeted the people, mostly women, and how they reintegrated them in public life.
“MANY OF OUR PEOPLE WERE SAVED FROM ISIS ENSLAVEMENT”
Zehra Şengali pointed out that thousands of Êzidîs fell prisoner to ISIS gangs with the firman and added that most of them were brought to Syria by ISIS. Şengali said hundreds of Êzidî women have been rescued from ISIS by YPG and YPJ forces up to date and added that there were many women who were rescued during the Wrath of Euphrates Operation launched to liberate Raqqa.
Zehra Şengali said: “A counter-operation against ISIS was launched a while ago in Shengal. YBŞ and YJŞ carried out this operation under the title ‘Revenge of the Êzidî Women’. YPG and YPJ also put an emphasis of avenging all women, primarily Êzidî women, when they launched the Raqqa operation. The people rescued in the Raqqa Operation were also Êzidî women. We as the TAJÊ are trying to reintegrate these women into public life.”
“WE SET UP A NEW COMMITTEE”
Zehra Şengali said that the Rojava Democratic Autonomous Administration brought the Êzidî women rescued from ISIS to Shengal Women’s Assembly on the basis of reuniting them with their land and their people and added: “Up to date, they have led many of our people rescued from ISIS back to Shengal again. We as the TAJÊ set up a committee to greet these people and reintegrate them into public life. There is also a male comrade in this committee as the representative of the Shengal Constituent Assembly. We as the TAJÊ greet our people rescued from ISIS in Syria in Newroz Camp and Hol Area. We take the people from Hol to Newroz Camp, and then we transfer them to Shengal. TAJÊ greets them along with the people in Shengal. Then the committee within TAJÊ conducts the necessary research.”
“WE TRY TO SUPPORT THEM AFTERWARDS ALSO”
Şengali stated that the committee reunited Êzidîs rescued from ISIS with their families but that isn’t all there is to it and added:
“The committee researches these people’s families and contacts them. We try to get them treatment if they have health issues. For example, there are often unaccompanied children. They stay with us for a while and we take care of them. We research their families. We contact them. We talk to them about their psychology and how we can help them.
Also, we check if there is any pressure or exclusion for them within the family after they are reunited. We try to visit and give morale to these people. These efforts are not in vain. For example, there are women among the rescued who come voluntarily to join TAJÊ efforts.”
“THE SOLIDARITY SHOULD BE STRONGER”
Êzidxan Women’s Movement (TAJÊ) Administration and Shengal Constituent Assembly member Zehra Şengali said:
“ISIS gangs are holding thousands of Êzidîs captive. We believe they will also be rescued. But even though we as the people and the women of Shengal try to reunite with life in the basis of freedom after the massacre and try to unite our people rescued from ISIS with life as well, there are still dirty policies conducted over Shengal. We also don’t believe KDP’s and the Turkish state’s threats against Shengal are justified and we don’t accept them.
We don’t forget the HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas who saved us from the massacre, and the YPG and YPJ forces who rescued thousands of Êzidîs when they opened the corridor. They are the ones who gave us the opportunity to defend ourselves, and who gave us and our people rescued from ISIS hope and strength. In this basis, I salute HPG, YJA-Star, YPG, YPJ, YBŞ and YJŞ.”
Şengali called on all the Êzidî society and the women of the world to show solidarity with the people and the women of Shengal who are seeking their freedom and rely on their own strength now.
