The European Kurdish Women’s Movement (TJK-E) will be holding demonstrations throughout the world on the anniversary of the August 3 attacks in 2014 in Shengal.

The demonstrations led by the women’s movement will be held under the motto, “Freedom of Shengal’s women is freedom of humanity”. On the same day at 18:00, there will be a minute’s silence for the murdered.

In a written statement, TJK-E mentioned the massacres of 4 years ago: “On August 3, 2014, the Yazidi (Êzidî) people in Shengal were subjected to an attack by ISIS gangs in front of the whole world to see and faced a grand genocide. The true purpose of the attacks was to wipe the ancient Yazidi faith off the face of the earth. That is why they systematically targeted Yazidi women. It was a femicide, as well as a genocide. ISIS gangs massacred over 3.000 Yazidis, most of whom were women and children. Tens of thousands of people were forced to abandon the lands they lived in and take to the roads. Some who managed to seek refuge in the mountains lost their lives due to hunger and thirst, mostly children. Some 5.000 children and women captured alive by the gangs were systematically tortured and raped, and sold in markets as slaves. The fate of thousands still at the hands of gangs is still unknown.”

TJK-E said this attack identified by the United Nations as a genocide was the 74th Firman (decree of genocide) in Yazidi history: “The 74th Firman was written in blood, like the rest of them. What remains from this great catastrophe is a grand genocide, a femicide, an infanticide and migration. After the genocide, it was understood once again how necessary and inevitable self-government and self-defense are for the Yazidi people to protect themselves and their faith, and for the first time in Shengal, under the lead of women, a democratic autonomy was declared in Shengal.”

TJK-E stated that femicide is a great threat throughout the world still: “Everywhere in the world, women are subjected to systematic attacks and are violently murdered due to their sex, on top of facing immense pressure daily. Harassment, rape, psychological and economic violence against women continue at full intensity, while the perpetrators are not truly brought to justice. Just like in the genocidal attacks, femicide goes on with impunity in the national and international arena.”

TJK-E issued the following call for women throughout the world: “We will be holding demonstrations everywhere on August 3, 2018 under the lead of women’s movements to have August 3 recognized as International Day of Action Against Genocide and Femicide, with the motto ‘Freedom for Shengal’s women is freedom for humanity’. There will be a minute’s silence at 18:00 to honor the victims.

Starting with our organized women in Europe and all four parts of Kurdistan, we are calling on all people who consider themselves to be revolutionaries and democrats to support these demonstrations and increase the solidarity.”