Nadia Murad Press Release on the Inauguration of the Yazidi Genocide Memorial

Nadia Murad opens Yazidi Genocide Memorial and implores Iraqi government to do more to help her community.

Nadia Murad Press Release

On Wednesday I had the honor of attending the opening ceremony of the Yazidi Genocide Memorial in Solagh, Sinjar.

The memorial was built by Nadia’s Initiative in partnership with the International Organization for Migration in Iraq and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, to remember the 2014 genocide.

The slaughter of the Yazidi community was one of the most heinous acts of evil of the 21st century. Not only were thousands of Yazidis murdered in cold-blooded mass killings, but ISIS proudly and publicly enslaved thousands of women subjecting them to sexual violence, while indoctrinating thousands of children.

They attacked our land, livelihoods and cultural heritage with the the expressed intent of eradicating our entire community.

The memorial stands as a reminder of the depths humanity can sink to, but it also stands as a testament to the strength and resilience of the surviving Yazidi community as they rebuild their lives after genocide.

The memorial contains the so-called Grave of the Mothers. There, my own mother along with tens of other older Yazidi women were murdered by ISIS nine years ago. It is my hope that the memorial will provide closure and healing for those families who were not reunited with the bodies of their loved ones.

It is one step on the road to justice. However, our community cannot continue along the path to healing without more help from the Iraqi authorities.

Building this memorial should not have been left to the local community, in the same way that the rebuilding of Sinjar should not be the sole responsibility of Yazidis and the International Community. 

We need more resources from the Iraqi government and we need regional stability so displaced Yazidis can return home. I call on the governments of both Baghdad and Erbil to find a resolution to the issue of governance.

Then, in order for Yazidis to rebuild their lives we need to rescue the more than 2,000 women who are still in captivity. We need to continue to exhume the mass graves and we must start to see those who perpetrated this genocide held accountable, in court, for their actions.

Until this happens the Genocide Memorial is simply that - a reminder of our unbearable loss and suffering. However, I also want this moment to give our community hope that we can rebuild, heal and thrive once more in Sinjar.

Nadia Murad.

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ABOUT THE MEMORIAL:

The memorial site welcomes guests with a wall comprising of 73 sun sculptures, which represent the 73 events of persecution inflicted upon Yazidis and recorded in their oral history. Rings of stone walkways wrap around the 10,000 square meter space symbolizing infinity and the interconnected lives in the Yazidi community. Nearly 3,000 unmarked headstones run along the walkways in honor of the more than 3,000 killed in Sinjar in the 2014 genocide.

In the center lies an Olympic-sized pool that was the beginning of what was intended to be a fish pond. After ISIS’s insurgency in Sinjar, more than 90 older Yazidi women were found dead inside the empty concrete pool. Now referred to as the “Grave of Mothers,” it remains completely intact and has been preserved with a tempered glass cover.

Overlooking the “Grave of Mothers” is a monument of 25 concrete columns starting from 1 m to 10 m creating a mountainous shape that symbolizes the holy Mount Sinjar. The tallest column showcases the sun, one of the holiest symbols in Yazidism, that represents birth and life. Across the columns are 25 sculptures of various Yazidi community members in motion, replicating real photos of people fleeing to safety in 2014.

The memorial was designed by Yazidi architect Dersim Khairy Namo, using 3D imagery and is her gift to the community. 

The site took roughly eight months to construct, employing more than 60 workers from Sinjar. All materials were locally sourced, with most natural stone coming from Mount Sinjar. Survivors were involved every step of the way.

Nadia’s Initiative purchased and donated the land using funds from founder and president Nadia Murad’s Nobel Peace Prize.

For more information contact press@nadiasinitiative.org