YBŞ/YJŞ (Shengal Resistance Units / Shengal Women's Resistance Units) Command released a statement regarding the attacks targeting Shengal, land of the Êzidî people.

YBŞ/YJŞ Command stated that as Êzidî people, they do not think it is a coincidence that such an attack took place as they are going through a historic period, experiencing a deepest pain and massacres.

In its statement, YBŞ/YJŞ Command said “The planning of such an attack, which came when our people have not fully healed their wounds, many of our villages are still occupied by the gangs, and thousands of Êzidî women and children are still captive, needs to be questioned more. This comprehensive plan, which failed to reach its goal of finalizing genocidal attacks owing to the heroic resistance of Êzidî people and fighters, is the result of a dirty Turkish-engineered alliance formed by the enemies of Êzidîs. The attacks is conducted on the basis of a shared concept with the simultaneous attacks carried out in different parts of Kurdistan. Any clashes during such a period will not serve Êzidî people; on the contrary it will endanger the gains Êzidî people have made through an honorable resistance and effort, and will only benefit the colonialist Turkish state and all other enemies of Êzidî people. The efforts of collaboration and betrayal led by the ENKS, which aim to miss the history opportunity created by our people's great struggle, has no chance to succeed. Our people' struggle will defeat all groups that claim to be Kurds and collaborate will all forces that are the enemies of Kurdish people.”

“WE WILL TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS”

Recalling that the town of Khanasor had been liberated from the rapist ISIS gangs in December 2014 at the cost of sacrifices and martyrdom of many of their comrades, YBŞ/YJŞ Command said; “All forces that respect peoples' will and not adopt a stance of aggression and invasion have a ground to express themselves. On this basis, we have never born an obstructive attitude towards the peshmergas, nor acted with the intention of clashing with them. However, what they do is not democratic self-expression but an effort for invasion and elimination of the peoples' will. It is not the peshmergas but the gangs brought from outside of Shengal that are trying to attack and invade our land. What is under attack in Khanasor is Êzidî people's experience of free life based on self-force, a first in their history. We will do our part to defend the free future of the Êzidî people and our land which we liberated with the blood of martyrs. We will take all necessary precautions to answer our people's need and call for defense.”

“THOSE ATTACKING SHENGAL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH KURDISHNESS”

The YBŞ/YJŞ Command drew attention to the following points in its statement:

“In the morning of March 3, our comrades, who did not point their guns at any point in order to solve the issue through dialogue and only tried physically to prevent the passage of armored vehicles with their bodies, were cowardly massacred in a way that defies the ethics of war. It should be known that those that played a role in this massacre have nothing to do with the peshmergas. What is happening is that all the shady forces that took part in the 73rd massacre in 2014 have come together and attacked again in order to finalize the Êzidî genocide. These attacks are being conducted as part of a new plan of massacre and invasion. Therefore, those that carried out this attack have nothing to do with Kurdishness, peshmergas or Êzidî community. Those that have organized and implemented this attack are nobody other that the forces involved in the 73rd massacre.”

“INTERNATIONAL POWERS SHOULD INSPECT THE USE OF THE WEAPONS THEY SENT”

The statement pointed out that: “An international solidarity was revealed in order to support the peoples' resistance that emerged after the 73rd massacre in Shengal. A lot of military aid was delivered on this basis. It is now seen that the weapons European states gave for the fight against ISIS have been used against Êzidî people during the latest attack. It is an international crime that the weapons sent for the fight against rapist gangs are now being used against the Êzidî people. We call upon international institutions to take action against this crime and to inspect the use of the weapons they have sent.

“SHENGAL ISSUE IS AN ISSUE OF KURDISTAN”

Shengal issue is an issue of Kurdistan and therefore concerns all the Kurdish people. We believe that all Kurdish forces have the will and power to use dialogue and consensus to solve the problem in Shengal like all the problems in Kurdistan. Therefore, all forces should have a sensitive approach and contribute to the resolution of the issue at hand. Peshmerga Ministry and all relevant institutions should launch an investigation into the recent attack on Khanasor and bring the perpetrators to account. From the very beginning, we have tried to solve all problems through dialogue and consensus. From now on too, we will take dialogue and consensus as our basis in line with the interests of our peoples. We will defeat the plans that bear enmity towards Êzidî people and target the free future of Êzidî people. However, it should be known that we will do anything and take all necessary precautions to defend our people against probable attacks. We will not allow any imposition or occupant attack that ignores the will of our people to reach its goal.

“LETS ENHANCE THE RESISTANCE AGAINST OCCUPANT GANG GROUPS”

In order for the ending of the current tension, we call upon all forces to retreat to the pre-March 2 positions and to abandon occupant impositions that ignore the will of Êzidî people. It should be known that our people has no option but unity and common struggle. Any approach that does not side with the unity and shared life of our people, and imposes civil war and invasion, is bound to lose. As the YBŞ, we have always taken the unity and common struggle of our people as our basis and made an effort to approach all forces with respect and sensitivity. We salute the honorable struggle of our people who has resisted the occupational attacks all across our country and the world, took to the streets, and sent messages of solidarity. The dirty plans at play can only be defeated through our people's honorable struggle and resistance. On this basis, we call upon all Kurdish people to enhance their resistance against the occupant gang groups.”