Letters&Reports

Mr. Mirza Ismail and London Yezidis Community-Canada
............................................................................................................................

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!

For more information regarding the Yezidis people in Iraq, please contact:

Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International

ezidis@gmail.com or ezdae@yezidihumanrights.org

www.yezidihumanrights.org

Sincerely yours,

Mirza Ismail
Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International

Dialogue on Minority Communities in Iraq,
Washington, DC, USA, November 18,2008

The Yezidis, an 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 Yezidi's 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 since the removal of previous regime, the Kurdish question has over-shadowed the Yezidi issue. The Kurds have tried to assimilate the Yezidis, to obscure our identity and culture, has been in the area for thousands of years. The Yezidi religion developed in Mesopotamia 6758 years ago. Many other religions including Mithraism and Zoroastrianism were born in the same area. And Yezidis and Chaldo-Assyrians use the same calendar.

After the removal of the previous regime we, the Yezidis of Iraq, had high hopes that the new government would be a democratic one giving all 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.

I urge world leaders and members of international communities to act immediately, to do something about the innocent minorities of Iraq, to work toward the provincial and upcoming federal elections to deal with our plight. The Iraqi government agreed on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008, to give one parliamentary seat to each of the minority groups in Mosul/Nineveh Plain province. This is hardly democratic.

Iraqi majority groups will select members of parliament. Also, these pitifully few members will be hardly proportional to the 'minorities' populations in the province. They are approximately 70% of the province's population in the Nineveh plain. As a group, they are hardly a minority. Yezidis alone number more than one half million people.

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 Nineveh Plain province becomes a separate Administrative unit within Iraq, with direct ties to Baghdad's federal government and under UN protection.

The Yezidis' Current Problems

We are experiencing and facing oppression, conversion, and forced assimilation under the power of the Kurdish political system. Some of incidents we report include:

* Kurdish authorities force Yezidis to register as Kurds
* Kurdish militias control the Yezidis areas illegally and by force
* Two competing Kurdish political parties are preventing any development in Yezidis areas
* The KRG is expanding Kurdish settlements in the Yezidi regions illegally and by force
* Yezidi political leaders have been receiving threats since 2003
* There are not enough Secondary schools or hospitals in any of Yezidi villages in the Sinjar regions, and if there are, there are no teachers, doctors and or nurses
* There are no colleges or universities in any cities of the Yezidi, such as in Sinjar, Shiekhan, Bahshika and Bahzani
* The KRG is forcing Yezidis to study the Kurdish language in schools in Yezidi regions, and Yezidis have no right to study their own language in schools. These acts are hardly democratic and are in fact crimes against human rights
* 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 Kurd militias were partners with this terror attacks and crimes against humanity
* Dr. Kifah Mohammed, director of the Sinjar hospital, along with Officials of the local authority associated with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is threatening Yezidi Families to leave Sinjar city or face severe consequences and torture. These acts are crimes against basic human Rights and human freedom
* The horrible atrocities and injustice against the minorities such as the Yezidis, Assyrians, Sabeans, Turkmen, Shabaks etc. 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 stamps
* The Kurdish politicians block any International missions into the Yezidis region to see the truth in this areas, and if is one it has to be guided by Kurds, so nobody has the right to ask any questions. These brutal acts have been happening since 2003
* The Kurdish militias force the Yezidis to vote for KRG or face severe consequences and torture

Yezidis Urgent Demands:

* The Nineveh Plain must become a separate Administrative unit within Iraq and has direct tie with 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 minorities, ethnic and religious groups, this would be the only solution
* An immediate construction projects to Sinjar regions to build hospitals, high Schools, and water projects as there is no clean drinking water in these regions, under UN supervision
* We demand urgent College and University building projects in three major Yezidis cities, one in Sinjar city, Sheikhan city, Bahshika-Bahzani city. Nearly 3000 Yezidi students are waiting to attend Colleges or Universities for more than two years. As you might know in the past 2 years the Yezidi students received threats from terrorist groups in Mosul and other Iraqi cities that the Yezidi students would have 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
* Those Yezidis who have accepted and consider themselves of Kurdish ethnicity and receiving financial and militia 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 Kurds must be stopped
* The Yezidis also have the right to study their language in schools in the 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 their job more seriously
* The Yezidi lands and other properties that were taken by the previous regime and were given to the Arabs must be returned to the original owners
* 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 this incident, take all possible measures and remove the Kurdish authority from the Yezidi regions. The Yezidis can then live in peace and freedom
* An immediate pullout of all Kurdish militias from Yezidis regions of the Nineveh Plain and from Sinjar, Bahshika, Bahzani in regions in particular. The Kurds must be able to obey Democratic and International laws. The Nineveh Plain is not a part of KRG region
* 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
* Restoration of Article 50 of the Iraqi constitution, which was removed from the Iraqi constitution by the government in September of 2008, and that it gave the rights to the minorities to participate in the provincial election
* A fair part of the Iraq's national wealth on the basis of residency, to apply to the all minority groups and including the Yezidis
* An immediate permanent UN Office to be based in Sinjar city and Bahshika-Bahzani (the Yezidis region)
* The Iraqi elections must be monitored by UN and International Communities, so that all Iraqis can have fair elections in Federal, Provincials and Municipal. And also that the KRG teams won't be able to force people and make fraud as they did in 2005 election, that one person voted more than 10 times while oiling their finger, so the ink doesn't stick to it
* As the Yezidi ethnic and religious minority in Iraq, we need URGENT humanitarian from US AID; we believe US AID has been given to some of the minorities group, but has never reached the Yezidis in Sinjar region and Bahshika and Bahzani. US AID should deliver to the Yezidi regions and to the Sinjar region in particular, through the UN and other International agencie. such as the Red Cross, Christian Peace Maker Team or the Assyrian Aid Society, and work with our people and to give the AID equally to all needy Yezidis in these regions. There are many Yezidis who cannot go to doctors, buy medicines, obtain clean drinking water and food for their families, and send their children to schools, obtain school supplies, etc. As the families have to pay for most of these services, the Sinjar region has been ignored by the governments of Iraq as well as by the international community. Sinjar should be considered as Dar Fur not Sinjar. Note: If the Aid goes through KRG and their political tactic teams, the Aid will not reach the innocent Yezidis, unless they are Kurdified and join their political parties. So please make sure the KRG doesn't get into this AID in anyway
* The Nineveh Plain and Sinjar in particular must be free of KRG militias, and then the International peace keeping urgently needed for the Nineveh Plain and Sinjar region in particular to take over the security of this region while the young men of minorities, including the Yezidis in this region, get police, security and military training by US coalition and UN peace keeping mission and as they get ready to take over the securities of the region, then US and UN peace keeping mission can go back to their bases where they are needed the most.

By Mirza Ismail

London Yezidis Community
P.O.Box 39045
London, Ontario
N5Y 5L1
________________________________________________________________

The Situation of the Yezidis Refugees in Greece‏

December 03, 2007

Kalliopi Stefanaki
UNHCR BO Athens
Protection Officer
23 Taygetou Street
Paleo Psychico
15452 Athens

Dear Stefanaki,

On August 14, 2007, the terrorists and other extremists with four suicide trucks full of explosives attacked two of the Yezidis' villages of Kahataniya and Al-Jazeera in the district of Sinjar-Mosul in Iraq, that cost the innocent Yezidis hundreds of lives, including: children, women, men, and elderly people, as it has been more than 1000 years, the innocent Yezidis have always been victims in this Middle Eastern Regions and or since the Islamic expansion started in these regions long time ago, whether they are Kurds, Turks, Iranians, Arabs etc.

After the attacks in those two villages, the Yezidis are extremely afraid and can see the Iraqi governments are failing and can not protect them from terror and extremist groups, so some of the Yezidis sell whatever the goods they own, so they can flee to some European countries for their children's future and safety such Germany, Netherlands, France, Sweden etc. to be able and live in peace and freedom.

About 250 Yezidis from Iraq sold all their belonging goods to be able to afford smugglers to get them to some European countries then they can sleep in peace and without fear. After having such a hard life during their journey to Turkey and then on their way to Europe, some where in the sea close to Greece, unfortunately, some mechanical failure went on, and their ship was stuck in the sea. The innocent Yezidis were very scared after this long journey of hope and what they have faced, for few days in this horrible situation. Some of Yezidis heard the two smugglers whispering to call their colleagues and bring a small boat for their save return and leave the Yezidis behind in this hard condition. Luckily couples of them have their cellular phone with them, they called some friends in Greece, and as the Greek government heard they hurried and brought them all to Pirgos-Greece. After questioning them, the Greek government transferred about 200 of them to Avanti Alexander o Polis-Greece, and they are in some places underground, and the government plans to deport them back to Turkey and then to Iraq, the innocent Yezidis do not want to see that happen, as you can see it very clear "Torturing innocent people" are very simple in those Middle Eastern countries. Furthermore these Yezidi refugees in Greece have lawyers, but unfortunately, they said in cases like this, we are unable and this is beyond our power, but UNHCR shall be able to solve this problem.

This is a very sensitive and important situation for the Yezidis, and as the Yezidi Canadian, we are urgently require the UNHCR to solve this problem of the Yezidi's refugee cases in Greece and protect them by placing them in any European countries, where the refugees are accepted by their government.

The Yezidis community is the most indigenous to Iraq, but without human rights, during previous regime of Saddam Hussein, the government forced Yezidis to register as Arabs in ethnicity, after United States and Great Britain removed Saddam and his regime out of power in 2003 and he is gone. We (Yezidis) hoped for a real democratic freedom system for all Iraqis regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture etc. But unfortunately now the Kurdish Authority is carrying a policy much worse than the previous one. Since 2003, the Kurdish Authorities have forcing the Yezidis, Assyrians, Chaldeans and other non-Muslim ethnic groups to register themselves as Kurdish in ethnicity.

Sincerely Yours,

Mirza Ismail

London Yezdis Community-CANADA

ezidis@gmail.com
..........................................................................................................

By London Yezidis Community
August 25,2007

Dear Members of International Communities; Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, United Nations, Canadian Parliament and US coalition forces in Iraq.

As many of you were aware about the Terror Attack on two Yezidis villages of Kahataniya and Al-Jazeera in the district of Sinjar-the Yezidis Homeland for thousands of years, which our calendar date goes back to 6757 years now, and we are sure that the International Communities know that and our history very well, but we don't know why are they silent? Or the Yezidis may not be accounted of human being in the UN charter of Rights, this is the only possiblity we can think of !!!

According to innocent eye witnesses and phone calls prior to the explosion by 1/2 an hour the local K.D.P. leader Mr. Serbast Taranishi sent his undercover militias to the market areas and gathered more than 98% of militias of Mr. Barzani or KDP. that they were told they are having an emergency meeting at the local Kurdistan democratic party(KDP) head quarter, if he said there are four trucks of explosion, he was afraid because he knew some of the Kurdish militias were Yezidis and so some of them might have told the crowded Yezidis to run away.

The Kurdish militias (violence creator) of Mr. Barzani should understand that we (Yezidis) do not welcome them in our regions of Sinjar, Bahzani, Bahshiqa and Shaykhan,as it was very clear that the Kurdish Authority was a partner with the crimes of the Terror Attack in the two Yezidis' villages of Kahataniya and Al-jazeera on August 14,2007.

As our history shows that there have never been any attacks against the Yezidis and Christians' Faith, Ethnic, Culture, etc. in Middle East unless the Kurdish are the leading team or frontiers.

In February of 2007, the Kurdish public and their militias attacked the Yezidis of Shaykhan, looted several variety stores, shot and damaged many houses. Not long time after that many Yezidis were captured and tortured in Kurdish jails in Northern Iraq those who tried to rally and make the International communities aware of what is going on in Yezidis region.

In April of 2007 the Kurdish militias captured two Officials of the Yezidis Movement for Reform and Progress, their names; Saeed Mando Hamo and Khalil Rasho Hasse and both are in jail till now.

After the recent terror attack in Kahataniya and Al-Jazeera, hundreds of innocent Yezidis have been beaten and threaten by Kurdish militias.

The Official members of Head Quarter of Yezidis Movement for Reform and Progress in Sinjar have been threaten to death. Because they know that the Yezidis Movement is the only political party that represents the Yezidis in Iraq... And the other two trusted Yezidis' representatives are; Yezidis Cultural Association and Sinjar Mountain Humanitarian Organization. It is very clear that the Kurdish Authority is breaking all the Rules of International Communities, such Human Rights, Human Freedom, Democratic, Federalism' Rules.

The International Communities Must wake up and do some before it is too late!!!

The Yezidis of those two villages partially destroyed by the terror attack on August 14, 2007, thousands of them are living in tents without fair public services such; clean drinking water, electricity, food shortages, no schools, shortages of medicals, no hospital, only one general walk-in-clinic, no compensation, those innocent Yezidis are in urgent need of housings and fair Medical Care before the winter start, overall they human being...

Note: Any of those International Communities should not interview any clan leaders of the Yezidis' regions, as you may know they are Traitors, they are clan leaders by Kurdish Authority and their forces, and they are the enemy of humanity and human rights.

Peace and Freedom Always,

London Yezidis Community
...................................................................................................................................

URGENT HELP IS NEEDED!

By London Yezidis Community

August 19, 2007

Christian Churches ,

Dear Fathers, Pastors, Priests, Ministers, and Sisters,

On August 14, 2007 the Yezidis of Kahataniya and Al-Jazeera in the district of Sinjar-Iraq (Yezidis Region) have gone through a disaster terror bombing, in these two towns more than 750 innocent children, women, Adults, and elderly of Yezidis have been killed and more 600 Yezidis have been injured and many others still missing. As a Yezidis, we have been attacked 72 times by Islamic extremist and terror group in the past 800 – 1100 years ago and their attacks continues against this small innocent ethnic and faith group of the Yezidis throughout the Middle Eastern region. As the Yezidis we have lost millions of innocent Yezidis by those extremists and terror group.

As the Yezidis, we urgently ask for your assistance and help to let the world know what hard life we have been through and put pressure on Western Governments to protect us from those Islamic extremists and terror group attacks against this innocent and ancient nation.

As a small London Yezidis Community here in Ontario- Canada , we are urging you for any humanitarian aid and peacekeeping mission to the Yezidis region in Iraq .

Note: If there is any humanitarian aid to this region, please make sure that the aid to be given out to those victims’ families and relatives by International and Church organizations, otherwise if it given out by Kurdish Authorities and local government those innocent Yezidis won’t get 5% of the aid donations, as this act has already happened in this region, and if somebody speaks out about their rights they would be gunned down by Kurdish militias.

On behalf of the London Yezidis Community, I would like to thank you very much for your time and considerations.

For more information, please contact the following:

Peace always,

Mirza Ismail Kheder Dakko Dawood Dawood Hadji Khalil
(519) 951-7047 (519) 453-4952 (519) 451-1238 (519)455-0795

Sincerely yours,

London Yezidis Community

Iraq’s Yezidis Face Repression and Assimilation

10/5/2005

By Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq recently met with members of the Yezidi Academic & Cultural Association and the Yezedi Political Movement for Reform and Progress. The Yezidis are very concerned because they feel they are being forced to assimilate into Kurdish culture and identity. They experience injustice in very specific ways, from elections tampering, to threats, to constitutional questions. They fear that their rights as a separate culture and ethnicity will disappear in the new Iraq.

The following is a summary of their experience and concerns, as told to CPT.

History:
The Yezidi community is indigenous to Iraq, with religious practice dating back to the Sumerian period in Mesopotamia, circa 2000 BCE. They are a unique ethnic group, with a religion, language, and culture distinct from the Arab and Kurdish cultures among whom they live. According to Islamic belief, they are classified among the “unbelievers,” and have been attacked by religious extremists at different times in their history. In 1700 CE, Yezidis numbered more than one million, but today there are only about 650,000 Yezidis in Iraq, 90% of whom live in Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq near the city of Mosul.

Under the pro-Arab Saddam regime, Yezidi towns and villages suffered from repression and neglect. Often they lacked basic services such as water, electricity, healthcare and education. As a result, they found themselves in a severe state of poverty and illiteracy. In addition, Saddam’s regime required the Yezidis to register themselves as Arab in ethnicity. They resisted this classification, wanting to maintain their unique cultural identity.

Current Problems:
After the 2003 invasion, the Yezidis placed high hopes in the creation of the new Iraq, and fought successfully for their inclusion among the cultural and religious groups protected by section 1, article #2 of the new constitution. They dreamed of sharing in the freedom and democracy of the new Iraq.

However, they report that they are experiencing similar repression and forced assimilation, this time under the power of the Kurdish political system. Some of the incidents they report include:

* Kurdish authorities forcing Yezidis to register as Kurdish.
* Peshmerga troops control Yezidi areas near Mosul.
* Yezidi political leaders receive threats, and one was assassinated in the spring of 2005.
* Two competing Kurdish political parties are preventing development projects in Yezidi areas. Apparently $12 million was approved for projects in Yezidi areas in Sinjar, but a political leader in Mosul intervened and blocked the projects from moving forward.
* The Yezidi representatives specifically accuse Kurdish government officials of diverting funds slated for the Yezidi town of Sinjar (pop. 20,000) to a smaller Kurdish village (pop. 1,000). The Yezidi representatives reported that the government funds wells to be drilled in Muslim villages, but does not drill wells in higher-populated Yezidi areas. In addition, Yezidi areas suffer from a lack of schools. In the village of Al Jazeera (pop. 25,000) there are only two elementary schools and six teachers for 1,000 students. Students must go to school in three different shifts. There is no secondary school.

Elections:
During the elections in January 2005, Yezidi villages experienced interference and injustice. Yezidi representatives reported that some Yezidi villages received no ballots. Other villages that received ballots did not receive the boxes in which to place the ballots. In other areas, the promised buses for voter transportation failed to appear. In one place, the polls opened from 11AM to 2PM only. In other places, ballot boxes were found stuffed before voting even started. Yezidi leaders submitted claims concerning these incidents to a UN representative, Kurdish leaders, the Iraqi president, and the independent electoral commission in Iraq.

Constitution:
Yezidis are mentioned as one of the minority religious groups protected by section 1, article #2 of the new constitution. However, the Yezidi representatives report that the name “Yezidi” is misspelled in its Arabic form. It is misspelled in such a way that it is identical to the name of an Islamic tribe that exists in Yemen. The Yezidi representatives feel that this is a deliberate attempt, by political leaders, to blur the ethnic and religious lines between Arab and Yezidi and Islamic and Yezidi. They fear assimilation, and demand recognition as a separate ethnicity, neither Arab nor Kurdish. In addition, they request the right to have a quota established of independent Yezidi representatives (i.e. not from Kurdish political parties) to ensure that Yezidis are represented in the new Iraqi Council of Representatives.

Yezidi Hopes:
As the October 15th deadline for approval of the new constitution approaches, Yezidi cultural and political groups are reaching out to the international community. They request that the international community put pressure on the Iraqi government to:

Allow Yezidis to identify themselves as Yezidi in ethnicity, not as Arab or Kurdish.
* Recognize Yezidis’ political and religious rights by protecting these rights in the constitution (with their name spelled, in Arabic, as they would choose to spell it):
الديانة الإيزيدية
* Establish a quota of independent Yezidi representatives (i.e. not from Kurdish political parties), so that there will always be Yezidi representation in the Iraqi Council of Representatives (Iraqi Parliament).

Contact:
For more information or to establish contact with the Yezidi community in Iraq, please contact:

Mr. Ali Rasho, Yezidis Academic and Cultural Association, IRAQ
(rashoali@yahoo.com -- English speaker)

Mr. Waad Mattw of Yezidis Political Movement for Reform and Progress, IRAQ (eyziedysalam@yahoo.com -- Arabic and Yezidi speaking only)

Mr. Mirza Ismail, London Yezidis Community Center, CANADA
(yezidi@londonagainsthate.org - English speaking)