Iraqi PM affirms continued efforts to secure full Yazidi rights

Shafaq News/ Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani attended, on Monday, the commemorative ceremony marking the tenth anniversary of the genocide against the Yazidis and other Iraqi communities, perpetrated by ISIS.

According to the PM’s media office, “In his speech, the Prime Minister emphasized that the invasion of Yazidi villages and towns in Sinjar and Kocho, revealed a conspiracy targeting the diversity and peaceful coexistence of all Iraqis. The brutal atrocities inflicted on the Yazidi people led to their displacement, with many becoming martyrs and victims. The terrorists perpetrated unspeakable acts of enslavement against women and children, creating a scene of unimaginable cruelty, as survivors would later testify”

The Prime Minister highlighted the resolve of the security forces, bolstered by the blessed fatwa for jihad issued by the Supreme Religious Authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al- Sistani. This call to action rallied all Iraqis to liberate the land and its people in other regions of Iraq. He recalled the heroic martyrdom of Major General Pilot Majid Al-Tamimi, who gave his life to save the besieged Yazidis, sharing their suffering in the ultimate act of solidarity.

“Prime Minister Al-Sudani drew parallels between the genocide committed against the Yazidis and other communities by ISIS and the ongoing atrocities against the people of Gaza by the Zionist occupation forces. He stressed that both perpetrators share a common ideology of enmity towards humanity and a lack of conscience and morals,” as per the media office.

Key points from the Prime Minister's speech include:

- Yazidi women have exposed the brutality of terrorism and are now a symbol of resilience, strength, and dignity worldwide.

- The world now recognizes that the Iraqi woman, especially the Yazidi woman, is a symbol of indomitable spirit.

- Our government has committed to justice for all Iraqis, as a fundamental mission of the National Service Government, and has enshrined support for all Iraqi components in the government program.

- We have made numerous decisions and directives to ensure a dignified life for the Yazidi people, starting with appointing a special advisor on Yazidi affairs in the Prime Minister's Office.

- We established the Sinjar and Nineveh Plains Reconstruction Fund and allocated ownership of 14,500 housing units to the residents of Sinjar.

- We have recently directed that all segments of the population in Sinjar and the Nineveh Plains be included in the mortgage and housing loan programs of the Real Estate Bank, Housing Fund, and Central Bank housing initiatives.

- We have instructed the expansion of the master plan for Sinjar without causing demographic changes, preserving the rights of the Iraqi components that were denied during the dictatorship years.

- We have supported the affirmation of the Yazidi presence in their historical areas through service decisions for reconstruction and rehabilitation, aiming to facilitate the return of displaced persons.

- We have directed the opening of branches of most state service, financial, and banking institutions in Sinjar and allocated job positions for the district's residents.

- We have issued directives to establish Sinjar University to advance the district in all areas.

- We have launched compensation program for the destroyed homes of displaced persons and the devastated areas, in line with the scale of destruction, years of deprivation, and population density.

- We have activated the provisions of the Yazidi Survivors Law and formed specialized committees to address all Yazidi-related issues, including the search and rescue of abducted individuals.