Free Êzidî Women's Movement (Tevgera Azadîya Jinen Êzidî, TAJÊ) released a statement regarding the attacks of gang groups affiliated with Turkey's AKP and South Kurdistan's KDP on Shengal's Khanasor town and following developments.

TAJÊ stressed that they will never trust those that abandoned Êzidîs to ISIS and fled on August 3, 2015, nor accept their ruling and tutelage, continuing as follows: "KDP re-taking Shengal is a huge immorality which we Êzidî women in the first place will not accept. We are not the Êzidî women of the pre-genocide time anymore. Today, we feel the smell and taste of freedom, and we take our way with a commitment and claim of freedom. On this basis, we have covered a remarkable distance on the path to freedom and we as all Êzidî women have attained the awareness and organization of self-defense alongside the YJŞ (Shengal Women's Defense Units) who are our self-defense force. Even a 80-year-old mother of ours has a will and stance to defend herself today. In addition, Êzidî women have gained the awareness of freedom with the development of TAJÊ, movement of the Êzidî women organized in all aspects of life and struggle. Êzidî women should not be associated with victimization and desperateness anymore for they will be recognized with their resistance and insistence on freedom."

Recalling the KDP forces' attack on women on March 14, TAJÊ strongly criticised the KDP media's claims on Nazê Nayif Qewal who was killed during that day's attack. TAJÊ said: "On March 14, 2017 we staged a march towards the positions of the gangs, with women and our mothers in the forefront, in order to tell them that they are not wanted here, and to voice our concerns that their continued presence could deepen the crisis and result in clashes.

Our people in Rojava, Êzidîs in the first place, came to Shengal at such a time to show their solidarity with us and to state that we are not alone, to which we attach great importance. Despite the fact that we all were civilians, and we had no goal or attempt other than an expression of our disturbance over their deployment, they were afraid of the determined stance of our mothers and women, and attacked us. More than 10 women were injured and a woman friend of ours fell a martyr during this attack. The family of this young woman did not leave Shengal since the first day of the genocide. They stayed in Êzidxan and resisted despite all the difficult and challenging circumstances. Close members of her family lost 4 people in the battle against ISIS. It is indeed understandable that Naze, daughter of such an honorable and resisting family, was a young woman feeling responsibility for her society. The biggest aspiration of Naze was that our women be freed from ISIS captivity and those responsible for the genocide be brought to account. As the movement of Êzidî women, we promise Naze, Berivan and Gülçin that we will get organized on the path of resistance you have paved for us, and our vengeance will be great.

KDP's media organs label Nazê a YJŞ fighter despite the fact that YBŞ-YJŞ fighters never take part in such an unarmed and civilian demonstration, which is also proven by footage and images from the scene. Not a single explosive nor arm has been used by anyone in that crowd. It is understood, once again, that these gangs are afraid of not only YJŞ but also of the Êzidî women's spirit of resistance and stance.

Naze was not a YJŞ fighter, she was an Êzidî woman, like all the others, with sensitivity on the pains of her society and anger at those responsible for those who caused these pains.

To us, Êzidî women, the martyrdom of Naze means the same with the martyrdom of our Êzidî girl Bınevş Egal who led the popular uprising in Cizre in 1989. Just like Binevş Egal said 'enough' to the Turkish colonialist forces with her martyrdom, Naze gives us the same order today; it is time for us, Êzidî women and society to say 'enough' to those that want to dominate Shengal and claim to own our land.

We as Êzidî women did not forget August 3, 2014 and we won't forget March 3 and 14 either, nor let it be forgotten. As Êzidî women we will get organized, grow stronger and our vengeance will be great".