MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-YAZIDIS The remains of 68 Yazidis killed by IS militants are buried near Sinjar

Record ID: 144190

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-YAZIDIS The remains of 68 Yazidis killed by IS militants are buried near Sinjar
  • Date: 13th August 2015
  • Summary: PESHMERGA PUTTING STONES AROUND GRAVE
  • Embargoed: 28th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA84JO1J3MQVZU4YXO8Y23KR57Q
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The remains of 68 Yazidis, killed by Islamic State militants after the fall of their ancient homeland of Sinjar last year, were buried in the Shrine of Mazar Sharaf al-Din, north of Sinjar Mountain on Thursday (August 13).
    The remains were unearthed from three mass graves found by the peshmerga near the city of Sinjar last February.
    Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani attended the burial ceremony along with a number of Kurdish officials and members of the Yazidi minority. vowed that all of the town of Sinjar would be retaken and be part of Kurdistan Region.
    Addressing the gathering Barzani vowed that all of Sinjar would be retaken and incorporated into the Kurdistan region.
    "Whatever the price, we will liberate Sinjar and all the areas of Sinjar and it will be part of Kurdistan Region. We will bring life back to Sinjar, rebuild it and restore security. Since time immemorial Sinjar was a place of peaceful coexistence for people of different faiths, sects and nationalities," said Barzani.
    Wrapped in Kurdish flags, the coffins were laid to rest in the courtyard of the Mazar as a Yazidi band played music.
    Yazidi member of parliament Vian Dakhil criticized what she said was a lack of action by the international community to end the plight of the Yazidi people.
    "A year has passed and thousands of Yazidis are still being held captive by the terrorist network and suffering from various kinds of violence at their hands. More than 2,000 Yazidi women and girls are still being held captive by the criminal organization and more than 400,000 Yazidis are displaced in Kurdistan region, living in camps that lack basic needs for a decent life," said Dakhil.
    "This is the situation of the Yazidi people and the international community has not taken any action. It is true that at the beginning, the international community took a number of steps, sending aids and launching air strikes, but nothing has changed and the situation remains as it is," she added.
    The Yazidis, thought to number several hundred thousand in Iraq before they came under attack by Islamic State, are mostly Kurdish speakers whose ancient religion has elements of Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam.
    Islamic State militants say they are devil worshippers, an accusation Yazidis reject, and must convert to Islam or die.
    Kurdish peshmerga forces in northwestern Iraq were overpowered by Islamic State militants in August 2014 and withdrew, leaving minority Yazidis at the mercy of the extremist group.
    Hundreds of Yazidis were subsequently killed and thousands captured and enslaved by the militants.
    Tens of thousands fled to the Kurdistan region, where they are living in camps alongside other ethnic and religious minorities as well Sunni Muslims displaced by the jihadists.
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