Oxi Day Battle of Crete Award Speech

Mr. Vice President, Joe Biden, Ambassador Haris Lalacos, Mr. Andrew Manatos, Mr. Mike Manatos

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor to be here tonight with you.

I came here because I can clearly see why it is important we look back at history, and that we learn from this past and reflect on the important work happening in our time for justice against injustice, and for humanity against tyranny.

The history of human tragedy should teach us how to shed light on tragedy and suffering, as the brave Greeks did during the holocaust. I was in Greece and I saw this very same courage, love, and support for refugees. I also met a survivor of Holocaust in Australia and could connect to her soul in a moment.

As the Jewish people found themselves facing a machine of death and evil, Yazidis found themselves facing today’s Nazis - “ISIS”.

ISIS came to destroy. They came fueled with hate and evil to kill, enslave, rape, destroy civilization as we know it.

Daesh killed and enslaved Yazidis because they were Yazidis, Daesh forcefully displaced anyone who did not accept its tyranny,

When we are faced with such a great challenge and horror, we have to make hard choices We have to choose. We can give up and submit to evil.Or we can choose to stand up.The Greeks said Oxi to the Nazis

And we said No to ISIS

When we say no to barbarism, we often pay a precious toll. When men in my village said no to forced conversion, they were killed one after another.

When I said no to ISIS, they threatened me and perhaps one day I might pay a heavy price too.

But this is what defines us as humans. We have to stand for what is right. We have to say no to rapists, murderers, racists, and anyone or any regime wishes to deprive us of our humanity.

What defines us is our responsibility as humans toward one another. Oxi ISIS , Oxi barbarism and hatred, Oxi enslavement