From Genocide to Justice - Nayef's Vision

As the 7th anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide nears, it is crucial that we listen to survivors and create space for their grief, struggles, and hopes. That’s why Nadia’s Initiative is launching a new series where Yazidis will share what they want the world to know. Learn more about Nayef’s vision for the future below.

“My name is Nayef from Sinuni. After ISIS’ attacks in 2014, we were displaced from Sinjar. But in 2018, we came back to our region.

I ask the UN and international community to help the Yazidi community directly, so that people can get help faster and easier. The government has not provided the community in Sinjar with basic life necessities like water and electricity.

Furthermore, there are different political parties in Sinjar, which are threatening the security of the people. So, I ask for international protection for the Yazidi community to prevent future genocides. Also, I ask the UN to open our mass graves because they evidence what happened to Yazidis in 2014.

Since 2014, the Yazidi community hasn’t received any tangible support, especially survivors and families of the victims. Overall, we want to stay in our city and on our lands. This is why we challenge all these difficult life conditions. However, many people could not handle the situation here and they emigrated to other countries. If the situation keeps going the way it is now, everyone might emigrate from Sinjar.

I hope the governments in Kurdistan and Iraq respect and recognize our religion as a different religion and do not use us for their own benefit.

I remember all that happened in August 2014, especially our sisters and mothers who were kidnapped by ISIS. As I always think of them, I also remember the people who were killed and those who died on Sinjar Mountain because of thirst, hunger, and hot weather.”