The Yazidi Women’s Renaissance Conference, organized by the Yazidi Women’s Freedom Movement (TAJÊ) under the slogan “We will be the pioneers of a democratic and free society through organization and struggle,” began in the Kers Valley of Shengal (Sinjar). Around two hundred Yazidi and Arab women are participating in the conference.
Delivering the opening speech, Sûham Şengalî stated that Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan had allocated leadership and responsibility to Yazidi women, saying, “We, as Yazidi women, want to develop a free dialogue with Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] and live freely. We demand the physical freedom of the leader, and we will be an important part of Leader Apo’s struggle for freedom.”
A message sent by Öcalan to the conference was screened on a video presentation. The message by the Kurdish leader, who is held in İmralı Island Prison in Turkey, reads as follows:
“First of all, on behalf of my comrades here, I greet you and wish you success in your work.
History does not only tell the future; it also contains the pain, resistance, and truth that have been experienced. The Yazidi community is one of the most ancient and honorable bearers of truth. Possessing one of Mesopotamia’s oldest faiths, the Yazidis have preserved their existence for thousands of years despite oppression, forced migration, and being ignored.
Yazidism is not merely a faith or tradition; it is an expression of a peaceful life in harmony with nature and a sacred devotion to its leaders. This is why oppressive systems have always targeted the Yazidis who have carried forward a vision of a free and equal life to the present day.
Faced with great oppression, the Yazidis did not retreat; they took refuge in the mountains of Kurdistan, clinging to their history and their belief in freedom. When their faith and language were threatened with prohibition, they preserved their culture; when they were threatened with annihilation, they reemerged.
Yazidi women have been the true pioneers of this struggle, becoming the target of the most brutal attacks, yet they never surrendered. With their resistance in Shengal, they rebuilt the hope for a dignified life, both for themselves and for all peoples.
Today, the struggle waged by the Yazidis is a guide for us all. Their voice is the voice of those who seek freedom. Therefore, protecting the Yazidi people is defending the conscience of humanity itself.
The most fundamental right of the Yazidis is to establish their own system and live freely according to their identity and faith. Neither oppressive states nor narrow nationalist ideologies can grant this right. This right can only be realized through the establishment of their own will, based on equality and the free coexistence of peoples.
Everyone should know that the Yazidi community is not alone. It has overcome the pain of 73 genocides through resistance and brought it to the present day. With the Peace and Democratic Society process, these genocides will now come to an end. The existence of the Yazidis is a matter of honor for everyone who desires peace and brotherhood in this region.”
After the video presentation, the women chanted the slogans “Biji Serok Apo” [Long Live Leader Öcalan], “Bê Serok jiyan nabe” [No Life Without the Leader] and “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” [Woman, Life, Freedom].
The conference continues with seminars on the sociology of Yazidi women, the impact of genocides on women, and the role of women in the renaissance of Yazidi society.
Messages from outside Shengal will also be read during the conference, which will last all day.