As the hunger strike launched in Strasbourg, France with the demands that Kurdish People’s Leader be met with urgently and Shengal’s international status be recognized enters day 11, the activists’ resolve is alive and well. Hunger striker Shengal Diaspora Assembly Chair Fikret Igrek’s family issued a call for awareness for Êzidî Kurds.

Five of Shengal Diaspora Assembly administrators had started an indefinite-irreversible hunger strike and starting from today, a group from the Ciwaka İslamiya Kurdistan (CİK) administration will join in for support. Groups from Alevi and Êzidî federations had joined in with 5-day long hunger strikes before.

As support from visiting Kurdistanis grows every day, families of hunger strikers also come to Strasbourg in support. Hediye and Mejdin Igrek, Shengal Diaspora Assembly Chair Fikret Igrek’s parents, have shown support for the activists and asked for an awareness from the Kurdish people for the demands in the hunger strike.

“ÖCALAN IS A COMRADE TO THE POOR, THE OPPRESSED, THE PEOPLE”

Mejdin Igrek pointed out that the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been imprisoned under isolation for more than 17 years, said “Mr. Öcalan is a comrade to the poor, the opressed, the people,” and asked for more efforts to end the isolation.

Mejdin Igrek spoke of the ISIS massacre in Shengal, known as the “74th Firman” and pointed out that the efforts of the Kurdish Freedom Movement was what stopped the genocide in that time. He underlined that the Êzidîs were aware of this fact, but they must never forget, and called for unity for all Kurdish organisations.

Igrek said they promised support to the Kurdish Freedom Movement leaders and the guerilla, and called KDP Leader Mesud Barzani to “make politics as a leader of his people” and to put the interests of the Kurdish people to the front. Igrek called on the democratic forces of the world to stand against the isolation and the genocide against Êzidîs.

HEDİYE İGREK: “NO PERSON WITH HONOR SHOULD FORGET WHAT THE PKK DID FOR THE PEOPLE”

Êzidî-Kurdish mother Hediye Igrek called for Shengali Êzidîs in particular and said: “If it wasn’t for the PKK, maybe those living today would also be gone. No person with honor should forget what this party (PKK) has done for the people.”

Hediye Igrek asked Shengali Êzidîs to continue supporting the PKK.

Igrek saluted all the hunger strikers and all those who showed support and underlined that the aims of the demonstration were valuable.

Hediye Igrek said they wanted to “hear good news” from Öcalan as soon as possible, and voiced her hopes for the freedom of the Kurdish people.