The Shingal (Sinjar) tragedy in the summer of 2014 was not merely a passing humanitarian disaster in the record of modern crimes; rather, it was a fully-fledged genocide aimed at uprooting an authentic component from its land and history. This is what prompted the European Parliament and numerous other countries to recognize this crime as a genocide targeting one of the primary components of Iraq.
Overnight, more than 400,000 Yezidis found themselves displaced, facing death atop mountain peaks, while the gangs of the ISIS terrorist organization—or what was known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria—were practicing the most horrific forms of modern ignorance (Jahiliyyah), ranging from mass murder to enslavement and dragging girls and women through slave markets from Mosul and Tal Afar to Raqqa.
Today, years after the dust of battle has cleared, the numbers stand as a testament to the depth of the wound: 96 mass graves documenting the brutality of terrorism have been recorded, 77 of which have been opened so far, in addition to 66 individual graves. The remains of 857 victims have been brought out from the darkness of those graves, including stories of living miracles belonging to 29 individuals who miraculously survived death from inside the burial pits. On the other hand, more than 2,474 kidnapped individuals remain of unknown fate out of 6,417 people abducted by ISIS, while the tragedy left behind 2,753 orphaned children.
Faced with this heavy legacy of pain, the available option was not limited to providing temporary relief aid; rather, it demanded a comprehensive strategy for reconstruction and recovery—one that restores dignity to the Yezidis, heals their psychological and physical wounds, and grants them the ability to reclaim their lives and future.
In this context, the initiative launched by the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, on July 2, 2024, represents a fundamental turning point in the governmental handling of the survivors’ dossier. This initiative should not be viewed merely as a “financial grant,” but rather as a project for re-empowerment and the preservation of human dignity.
Allocating a monthly financial grant to 3,590 male and female survivors, whether residing inside or outside Iraq, does not represent a mere response to daily needs; it also carries an ethical and official acknowledgment of the tragedy and pain endured by this group.
However, the true value of the project lies in its sustainable dimensions: returning survivors to school desks, with the government covering their educational requirements, and opening horizons for postgraduate studies—including Master’s and Doctoral degrees—for them in the universities of the Kurdistan Region. Perhaps this is the most eloquent response to the obscurantist ideology that sought to keep them in ignorance, erase their identity, and rob them of their future.
Furthermore, providing specialized medical and psychological treatment inside and outside the Region, while accommodating the needs of survivors with disabilities, reflects a deep awareness of the reality that psychological and physical recovery constitutes an essential prerequisite for reintegration into society and restoring a normal life.
Issuing a special identity card for survivors to facilitate their transactions in government institutions and security checkpoints marks another step toward reintegrating them as honored citizens who enjoy the protection and rights guaranteed by law.
Despite these appreciated efforts, the commitment of the Regional Government, and the sponsorship of the Barzani Charity Foundation—which manages 15 camps housing more than 270,000 displaced persons and has witnessed the birth of more than 70,000 children during 12 years of displacement—the bitter truth remains that the dossier has not yet been closed.
The return of only about 100,000 displaced persons to Shingal so far, along with the migration of roughly 100,000 others abroad, places the international community and the federal government in Baghdad before their historical responsibilities toward this cause.
The project of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government represents a brave step in the right direction; it transcends the “victimhood” mentality toward a mentality of construction and empowerment. However, this new hope requires a stable political and security environment in Shingal, as well as an acceleration of the identification process for the victims’ remains located at the Forensic Medicine Department in Baghdad—which exceed 500 sets of remains—in addition to resolving the dossier of the missing persons and putting an end to the suffering of their families, who still live on the hope of knowing the fate of their loved ones.
Throughout history, the Yezidis have demonstrated exceptional resilience in the face of attempts at erasure and exclusion. Today, through education, care, and the recognition of human dignity, we must ensure that the future of the Yezidis is not confined to mere “survival,” but extends to “flourishing and active participation” in shaping tomorrow.
True recovery from genocide is not achieved simply by exhuming remains from the darkness of mass graves; rather, it begins when the dignity of the survivors is restored, the path of education and work is opened before them, the displaced return safely to their land, and the future becomes truly theirs, rather than a deferred dream.
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
