Shengal Women's Assembly holds the 2nd Conference

Shengal Women's Assembly held the 2nd Conference with the participation of hundreds of delegates and guests.

Shengal Women's Assembly held the 2nd Conference with the participation of hundreds of delegates and guests.

The conference was attended by Kongra-Star members from Rojava Kurdistan, Newroz Camp, YJA-STAR guerrillas defending Êzidî people in Mount Shengal, women from Shengal, journalists from Europe and Koma Civaken Kürdistan (Kurdistan Communities Union, KCK) Co-Presidency Council Member Sozdar Avesta.

The conference which was participated by around 300 delegates began with one minute's silence in memory of those martyred in freedom struggle.

Speaking here, KCK Co-Presidency Council Member Sozdar Avesta condemned all those responsible for the massacre and displacement of Êzidî people, and saluted Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, PKK movement, YJŞ (Shengal Women's Units), Êzidî Women's Assembly, all the guests attending the conference, and all the martyrs who fell mounting resistance against massacres and genocides.

Avesta pointed out that they were holding the conference with the ultimate goal of rescuing the women enslaved by ISIS, adding: “We will free those women at the soonest time. We owe to them and we are giving a struggle to liberate those women who are enslaved at the hands of ISIS but are with us in heart and spirit.”

Avesta said the 2nd Shengal Women's Assembly Conference was aimed at not only evaluating the annual activities of the Assembly and the current situation of Shengal women but also re-organising the Êzidî women and rendering them stronger and more organised.

Avesta put emphasis on the importance of carrying on the struggle in order for the return of displaced Êzidî people, liberation of the enslaved women and ensuring their self-defense once they are back home. She stressed that: "Those who caused the Êzidî people to suffer the 74th genocide in their history are afraid of the unity of Shengal people and the struggle of Shengal women, for which reason they want to break the will of Shengal people and women. They want to enslave Shengal women and render them unable to resist atrocity and repression. With this genocide, they want to drive them apart from their land, culture and history. The struggle given by Êzidî women against all these is a sacred one. Êzidî people were massacred, suffered a genocide, suppressed, burned and tortured dozens of times but they never gave up on their cause, language, culture and history. They never bowed down the head against atrocity and cruelty."

Addressing Êzidî women, Avesta continued as follows: "You, women of Ezidxan, are not alone. Your revolution takes its roots from 40 years of struggle, labour of Leader Apo and women, women's formation of an army and party. You are a part of this labour. We need to protect and embrace the enslaved and displaced women. We need to strengthen our unity and avenge the massacred Êzidî women. I reiterate that martyrs are immortal, that the struggle of Shengal women will triumph and that the freedom struggle will develop under the leadership of free women."

Messages of PAJK, KJK, Efrin Êzidî Women's Assembly and Êzidî Women's Assembly in Europe were read out after Avesta's speech. Activity report was also read out and approved, and a committee for the organisation of women was established.

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