Eleven years after ISIS attacked the Shengal (Sinjar) region in northern Iraq, the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Europe (TJK-E) is calling for commemorative and protest actions in numerous European cities. In a statement on Tuesday, the movement emphasized that the crimes of 2014 were not only a genocidal attack on the Yazidi community, but also constituted targeted femicide.
The TJK-E statement includes the following:
“As August 3 approaches, we, the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Europe, once again condemn the genocidal attacks carried out by ISIS against the Yazidi people in Shengal in 2014 on the 11th anniversary. We emphasize that the massacres, oppression, rape, enslavement, and policies of dehumanization directed against the Yazidis in plain sight of the entire world 11 years ago, continue to this day.
The genocide will continue until the last Yazidi is freed from captivity
The massacre committed by ISIS in Shengal, the sacred land of the ancient Yazidi people, is also a genocide against women. Thousands of Yazidi women and children were kidnapped as spoils of war, sold in slave markets, and subjected to sexual exploitation. The fate of many remains unknown. This genocide, which stands as a great shame in the memory of humanity in the 21st century, will continue until the last Yazidi is freed from captivity.
Yazidi community organized themselves as a response to the massacre
The Yazidi community, which has faced 73 genocidal onslaughts throughout their history, organized themselves as a response to the August 3 massacre that was intended to destroy their culture, beliefs, and social systems. They built self-administration and self-defense structures to end the history of massacres. Women took the lead in this form of resistance, standing against gender-based violence and genocide, and continue to do so today. In this way, they serve as an example to other peoples around the world whose existence is under threat.
Those responsible for the genocide have not yet been brought to justice
While their efforts need to be supported at the local and international levels, the Yazidis in Shengal still do not have legal status, their self-government is not officially recognized, and they are even facing various attacks. Those responsible for the genocide have not yet been brought to justice, and the perpetrators have not been revealed. Therefore, on this occasion, we reiterate our call for justice and status for the Yazidi people in Shengal. We join the demand for the establishment of an international court to hold accountable those responsible for the genocide and crimes committed against the Yazidi community on August 3, 2014. We call on everyone to unite and intensify the struggle for freedom and equality for the Yazidis and all oppressed peoples and faiths.
The ISIS mentality poses a threat under different guises
At a time of escalating war and massacres around the world, particularly in the Middle East, the significance and importance of the Call for Peace and a Democratic Society made by Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] on February 27, 2025, is strikingly evident. Especially from the perspective of women, we have witnessed how the ISIS mentality poses a threat under different guises, as has been witnessed in the recent massacres committed by HTS-affiliated mercenaries against Alawites and the Druze in Syria. Hundreds of Alawite and Druze women and children have been kidnapped and taken captive. Women and girls in Afghanistan, where NATO handed over power to the Taliban after 20 years of war, are being condemned to total captivity and slavery. International powers with dirty agendas in the Middle East are reviving the ISIS mentality and carrying out attacks and massacres through groups like HTS in pursuit of regional hegemony.
The autonomy of the Yazidis in Shengal must be recognized
The only way out in the face of this threat of genocide is a democratic confederal Middle East. The only way to combat despotic regimes is to recognize the peoples’ right to self-government and self-defense, which are essential to a democratic system of government. In this sense, the democratic autonomy of the Yazidis in Shengal must be recognized, and no people or faith should be left without status.
‘Genocide and femicide are crimes against humanity’
To this end, on August 3, 2025, under the leadership of TJK-E, we will take action in various cities across Europe under the slogan “Genocide and femicide are crimes against humanity.” We will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Yazidis in Shengal in their struggle for freedom and justice, and we will raise our voices for all women under oppression. As women, we will make it clear that we will never submit to any form of genocidal mentality and will never abandon our role as pioneers in the construction of a peaceful and democratic society.
We call on all women around the world, especially Kurdish women, our people, and democratic forces to stand with us on August 3 against genocide and femicide.”
Action plan
The action plan presented by TJK-E is as follows:
August 1
Schwalbach (Germany): Commemoration, 3:00 p.m., Rudolf-Diesel-Str. 7
Achim (Germany): Commemoration, 5:00 p.m., Am Marktplatz 1
August 2
Kassel (Germany): Stand & Commemoration, 3:00 p.m., Friedrich Platz
Hildesheim (Germany): Rally, 4:00 p.m., Central Station
Evry (France): Film screening, 2:00 p.m., DTM (Democratic Community Center)
Stockholm (Sweden): Commemoration, 1:00 p.m., Komel
August 3, 2025 – Main day of action
Liege (Belgium): Rally, 11:00 a.m., Gare Guillemins
Hanover (Germany): Rally, 4:00 p.m., Kröpcke
Frankfurt (Germany): Rally, 2:00 p.m., Frankfurter Römer
Stuttgart (Germany): Rally, 4:00 p.m., Schlossplatz
Hamburg (Germany): Rally, 2:00 p.m., Budapester Str./St. Pauli Stadium
Wesel (Germany): Panel discussion, 1:00 p.m., Mala Êzidîya (Yazidi House)
Mannheim (Germany): Commemoration, 2:00 p.m., Bad Kreuznacherstraße 36
Darmstadt (Germany): Commemoration, 2:00 p.m., FCDK-Kawa
Löhne (Germany): Commemoration, 1:00 p.m., Wasserschloss Ulenburg
Bordeaux (France): Rally, 4:00 p.m., Place de la Victoire
Drancy (France): Film screening, 2:00 p.m., Democratic Community Center
Paris (France): Demonstration, 2:00 p.m., Villers-le-Bel train station + film screening, 6:30 p.m., Ahmet Kaya Cultural Center
Marseille (France): Human chain, 10:30 a.m., Vieux Port (Old Port)
Strasbourg (France): Film screening, 5:00 p.m., Democratic Community Center
Basel (Switzerland): Theatrical performance, 12:00 p.m., Elisabethen Church
Bern (Switzerland): Commemoration, 1:30 p.m., Münsterplattform
Geneva (Switzerland): Commemoration, 1:30 p.m., Komel
Zurich (Switzerland): Rally, 4:00 p.m., Stauffacher
London (UK): Commemoration, 2:00 p.m., Democratic Community Center
The Hague (Netherlands): Rally, 1:00 p.m., opposite the train station
Helsingborg (Sweden): Commemoration, 11:00 a.m., Söndergatan 11C