The Movement for a Democratic Society (Tevgera Civaka Demokratîk‎, TEV-DEM),- the political coalition governing the democratically autonomous areas in Rojava- has condemned the Shengal genocide at its anniversary and vowed to continue giving full support to Êzîdî people in the town. TEV-DEM stressed that they would continue to wage defence for Êzîdî people in order for them to return to the lands inherited to them by the history.

TEV-DEM recalled in its statement ISIS gangs that launched their attacks aiming an annihilation of Êzîdî people on August 3, 2014, carried out savage methods in the massacre and attacked the culture of humanity by also targeting and aiming to destroy the thousands years old cultural history of the Êzîdî people and lands.

Recalling that the Êzîdî people faced 72 times massacre attempts in the history, TEV-DEM noted that the 73th was carried out by the ISIS gangs which were chosen by the international hegemonic powers and their collaborators as their trigger men for the restructuring of the entire map of the Middle East.

TEV-DEM said the aim was to destroy the entire region and to eradicate the authentic cultures of the region in order to leave it without a history devoid of historical values of humanity. The statement further pointed out that the Shengal genocide in which people were killed, abducted and even sold in slave markets was carried out in the age of what is being called 'development and democracy'. “This is an annihilation of nations” stressed the statement of TEV-DEM, adding that the wound is still fresh. The statement pointed out that the massacre perpetrated against the Êzîdî people for the 73rd time was a result of the chaotic environment created in Iraq and the Middle East.

Unity of Êzîdî people is essential

The Movement for a Democratic Society pointed out in its statement that the bombardments, killings and all the other attacks are rather a warning, saying that the first thing that has to be done against the attacks is to form the unity of the Êzîdî people. TEV-DEM recalled the previous efforts to provide this unity, adding that some circles worked against these efforts as they have been distressed with the idea of the unity of the Êzîdî people. TEV-DEM said the terrible disaster that took place on August 3, 2014 occurred as a result of these policies which left the Êzîdî people without a unity and therefore vulnerable to attacks and the massacres.

TEV-DEM, according to whom what was suffered by the Kurdish people and other communities has proved that only an organised society with a free will can wage its own defence, recalled that the formation of TEV-DEM as well as the YPG/YPJ forces has been realized on this basis. The statement emphasised that it was only through the formation of the self-defence forces that the end of ISIS gangs and their allies who perpetrated the massacre on the Êzîdî people could be prepared.

“We could never be able to live together with these dark forces in the same region. This is why we waged resistance against these gangs, which became an epic one while the regular armies of the states could not sustain a struggle against them”, stressed TEV-DEM.

TEV-DEM further drew attention to the fact that the attacks were an attempt to annihilate the authentic cultures developed in Shengal, Ninaveh, Kobanê, Serêkaniyê and Til Temir throughout the history by using the gang groups in the region, and added that it was the Syriacs, Assyrians, Êzîdîs and the Kurds in Rojava who were targeted by these attacks.

The Movement for a Democratic Society stressed that the aim of the dark forces was to disrupt the common life and the unity developed among the peoples and remarked that defending a common life of the peoples in unity is vital to confront these attacks. It went on saying that these attacks were hindered owing to self-defence forces and through the formation of primarily Democratic Autonomous Administrations jointly by political parties and civil society organisations, as well as the formation of Asayish units and the YPG/YPJ forces.

TEV-DEM vowed to continue giving full support to Êzîdî people in Shengal and wage defence for them in order to ensure their return to the lands inherited to them by the history, adding; “Development of unity and partnership among formations is the true way to get organised and thus to attain free will and equality."