Conference on Iraqi religious minorities at the State Department

24-07-2010

Conference on Iraqi religious minorities at the State Department

July 14, 2010

BY: Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International

Office of International Religious Freedom,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The Yezidis, an Iraqi ethnic and religious minority, suffered greatly for decades under the dictatorial and brutal regime of Saddam Hussein. His government's policy aimed to replace Yezidis with Muslims of Arabic ethnicity, driving us from our agricultural lands with the aid of an embargo. This campaign, as one might imagine, severely affected Yezidi social and economic institutions. The Yezidis’ plight has been largely ignored by mankind and in recent years particularly by the West. Under the Kurdish political system, which has been in place in the northern region since the removal of previous regime, the Kurdish authorities have been doing the same thing. If a Yezidi family or individual leaves voluntarily that is fine otherwise he/she is forced to sell his/her land and leave, or faces severe consequences, as Saddam did during his regime and worse; the Kurds are taking over Saddam’s unfinished work towards the innocent Iraqi religious and ethnic minorities. And also the International communities can see the Kurdish question has over-shadowed our (Yezidis) issue. Our history shows that whenever the Kurds get a chance and power, they always plan their first steps to destroy non-Muslim religious minorities in these areas not just in Iraq, but also in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Iran.

However, since 2003, the Kurds have been trying to assimilate us (Yezidis), to obscure our identity and culture that we (Yezidis) have been in the area for thousands of years. The Yezidi religion developed in Mesopotamia 6760 years ago. Many other religions including Mithraism and Zoroastrianism were born in the same area.

After the removal of the previous regime of Saddam Hussein; we, the Yezidis of Iraq had high hopes that the new government would be a democratic one giving all religious and ethnic minorities' equal rights and freedom to participate in the new government of our native land. We hoped that we would have equal cultural, political and religious rights and freedom to participate as the majority of Kurds, and Sunni and Shiite Arabs do. Unfortunately these hopes have not been realized. We remain stuck in the middle, without even basic human rights. We urge the world leaders and the members of international communities to act immediately, to rescue/save the innocent religious minorities of Iraq, to work toward the creation of separate “Political Administration” from the minority groups to run in the disputed areas and with a direct ties with Baghdad’s federal government and to deal with our plight.

According to the Iraqi constitution one parliamentary seat has been set for every 100,000 people. Therefore, the population of Yezidis in Iraq now at least more than 650,000; there should be at least six seats for the Yezidis in Iraq and they got only one parliamentary seat. This is hardly democratic, and this is a fact and a proof that Iraqi government and Kurdish authorities discriminate against the innocent Yezidis in Iraq.

Iraqi Kurdish, the majority groups in the north of Iraq, will select members of parliament. Also, these pitifully few members will be hardly proportional to the 'minorities' populations in the province. Iraqi “minorities” are approximately 70% of the province's population in the Nineveh plain; therefore, as a group, they are hardly as a minority. Yezidis alone number more than 650,000 people.

The minorities' situation is extremely dangerous in the Nineveh Plain Province because the three new governments in the newly federated Iraq (which is emerging) will be hardly able to give them equal human, religious, cultural and political rights. This is because the Kurds and their militias (under whose power Nineveh plain will fall) do and shall see the other governments in the federation as weak, and under no international pressure to rectify the situation. The Kurdish government has been waiting for their opportunity to force Yezidis and Chaldo-Assyrians to assimilate into Kurdish culture. We foresee that those who resist will suffer discrimination, torture and even annihilation. Such policies are discussed openly in public places and political meetings by chiefs of Kurdish militias in the Sinjar regions; there are several Yezidis from Yezidis’ political parties in jails and others live in Baghdad, they are from Sinjar, they are unable to come and live with their families in Sinjar because of Kurdish military chief in the Sinjar base. The question is that why the military generals/chiefs in Sinjar regions should come from Dohuk, Arbil and Sulaymaniah? While there are thousands of young Yezidis in these regions and are ready serve their country. Whose responsibility is this? What are USA, UK, EU and UN’s responsibilities in Iraq, while these injustice, atrocities, intimidation are taking places by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and other extremists against innocent Iraq’s religious and ethnic minorities? Where is the Iraq’s Central government?

It should be clear to the international community that the newly emerging federated Iraq of Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite political entities will do nothing about injustice and atrocities perpetrated on Iraq's indigenous minorities. Overall, one may say that the minorities' situation in Iraq will not be solved in a manner consistent with human rights and dignity, democracy and freedom unless the disputed areas and Nineveh Plain province in particular become a separate Administrative unit within Iraq, with direct ties to Baghdad's federal government and under UN, and International Community protection.

Current Problems:

Kurdish authorities continue forcing Yezidis behind the seen to sell their agriculture lands to Kurdish families; if they refuse to do so, they face severe consequences.
Kurdish militias control the Yezidis areas illegally and force them to register as Kurds.
Two competing Kurdish political parties are preventing any developments in Yezidis regions such as drinking-water projects, building new Schools, Hospitals, Cultural Community Centres, etc.
The KRG is expanding Kurdish settlements in the Yezidi regions illegally and by force, particularly in Sinjar and Shaykhan regions.
The Yezidi political, ethnic and community cultural leaders have been receiving threats since 2003
There are not enough Elementary and Secondary schools in any of the Yezidis villages.
There are no Colleges and Universities in Sinjar and Shaykhan (Yezidis’ regions)
The KRG is forcing the Yezidis to study the Kurdish language in schools and the Yezidis have no right to study their own language in schools. These acts are in fact crimes against humanity and human rights being committed by KRG.
Since the terror attacks in the two Yezidi villages of Kahataniya and Al-Jazeera on Aug. 14, 2007, many Yezidis have been held in a Kurdish detention. Numerous other Yezidi public officials have been tortured and jailed when they told the Kurdish militias to leave the Yezidi areas, because there are documentary evidence that Kurdish militias of junior mullah Barazani were partners in this terror attacks and crimes against humanity
The horrible atrocities and injustice against the minorities such as the Yezidis, Assyrians, Sabeans, Turkmen, Kakais and Shabaks. These are crimes against humanities and must be put to an end
Food products have never reached to the Yezidis in Sinjar region in the right amounts based on their residency and food ratios
The Kurdish politicians block any International Investigation Team and Humanitarian Aid into the Yezidis’ regions of Sinjar to see the truth in these areas in the Nineveh Plain. And if there is one in Yezidis’ regions in Dohuk province it has to be guided by Kurds officials, so no Yezidi person has the right to ask any questions. These brutal acts have been happening since 2003 and International Communities keep silence, this is just not right!!!
The KRG and its militias force the Yezidis to vote for KRG in every parliamentary, provincial and municipal elections since 2003 and if the Yezidis do not vote for the KRG, they face severe consequences and torture
And over all the “West believes and see the KRG as a democratic system,” but in fact the “KRG’s system is a dictatorial and brutal regime behind the seen” against the innocent Iraqi religious and ethnic minorities in Northern regions

Recommendations and our Urgent Demands:

The disputed areas and particularly the Nineveh Plain must become a separate Administrative unit within Iraq, with direct ties to Baghdad's federal government, and under the protection of UN peace keeping mission, if the International community wants to solve the problems of Iraq's religious and ethnic minorities; this is the only solution!!!
An immediate release of Mr. Komo Avdal Aami, Saado Kassem Eido Minat with 10 members of his family, Waad Hamad Mattw and all other Yezidis who are in KRG’s jails/detention Centres
An immediate construction projects in Sinjar regions to build hospitals, high Schools, and drinking water projects as there is no clean drinking water in these regions, and must be under UN supervision
We demand an urgent College and a University building projects in three major Yezidis cities, one in Sinjar city and Sheikhan city. More than 4000 Yezidi students are waiting to attend Colleges or Universities for more than four years. As you might know in the past four years the Yezidi students received threats from terrorist groups in Mosul and other Iraqi cities, therefore, the Yezidi students had to leave or die. And in the Kurdish cities of Erbil, Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah, they don't accept the Yezidi students unless they are Kurdified and join their political parties. So what is happening against this indigenous people of Iraq are great crimes against humanity and human rights
The Yezidis must be identified as Yezidis, not as Kurds or Arabs, and their rights must protected in the Iraqi constitution and by International law
Those Yezidis who have accepted and consider themselves of Kurdish ethnicity and receiving financial and militias’ supports are attacking the innocent Yezidis by psychological wars on the daily basis. There are thousands of innocent Yezidis who rather die and not to convert into Kurdish ethnicity. These acts by KRG and its militias and secret service agencies must be stopped
As an indigenous people of this land (Iraq) for thousands of years, we Yezidis must have the right to study our own language in schools in our (Yezidis) regions and be supported financially and equally by the Ministry of Education in Iraq
The security and police forces of the Yezidi regions must be from the Yezidi people, so they can take full responsibilities of the region
Our (Yezidis) lands and other properties that were taken by the previous regime and were given to the Arabs must be returned to the original owners, these problems must be solved by UN and other International Communities; this is clear that the Iraqi government is unable to solve it
An immediate United Nations Investigation team of the two Yezidi villages that were attacked by terrorists on Aug. 14, 2007 that killed hundreds of innocent Yezidis. There are documentary evidences that the local Kurdish authority was a partner in these crimes against humanity. The U.N. and International communities must be able to investigate those attacks, take all possible measures and remove the Kurdish authority from the Yezidi regions. The Yezidis can then live in peace and freedom
A fair part of the Iraq's national oil wealth on the basis of residency, to apply to all religious and ethnic minorities.
An immediate permanent UN Office to be based in Sinjar city, therefore, when a Yezidi person has a complain he/she can find the necessary help
In all minorities’ regions, the police, military units, public security and secret services must be formed from the minority groups. E.g.: not from mullah Barzani’s militias and Maliki’s Shiite from Basra.
The UN, US should be able to put pressure on Iraqi government to give the right numbers of “Seats” to the Yezidis based on the constitution; the populations of the Yezidis at least more than 650,000 and got only one seat instead of 6 or 7 seats!