President Nechirvan Barzani congratulates Yazidis on Ezi Feast Day

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani on Friday congratulated the Yazidis on the occasion of the Ezi Feast Day (Eda Rojiet Ezi), hoping it would be celebrated in peace and harmony.

"I congratulate the Mir of the Yazidis, Baba Sheikh, the Spiritual Council, and all our Yazidi brothers and sisters in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and across the world. I hope this occasion is celebrated in peace and harmony,” President Barzani said.

The president reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s commitment to supporting the Yazidi community.

“We want to assure our Yazidi sisters and brothers that we are committed to upholding all their rights,” he said, reaffirming his commitment to restoring “normalcy in Shingal [Sinjar], facilitating the return of refugees, and rebuilding their communities."

Yazidis celebrate the Ezi Feast after observing three days of fasting in December, during which they refrain from eating during daylight, using the time to pray and connect with neighbors.

During these days, no blood is shed, fighting and offensive language are avoided, daily work is suspended, and people devote themselves to prayer. After fasting, they celebrate with a feast.

Shingal is the homeland of Yazidis who were subjected to heinous atrocities and massacres when the Islamic State (ISIS) captured the region in 2014 and committed genocide.

In August 2014, the extremist group launched a brutal campaign against the Yazidi community in Shingal, Nineveh province, killing an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Yazidi men and older women, and abducting 6,000 to 7,000 women and girls for sexual slavery and human trafficking.

ISIS was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017, but reconstruction of Shingal has been slow.

In March, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced the launch of 14 infrastructure and rehabilitation projects in Shingal and Nineveh.

The 14 projects are part of “the first package of infrastructure and rehabilitation projects in Sinjar District and the Nineveh Plains regions, at a cost of 18 billion dinars. The projects include the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and development of main roads linking the districts and villages,” read a statement from Sudani’s office.

The Iraqi prime minister said that the special reconstruction fund was established because of the sacrifices made by the people of Shingal and the Nineveh Plains and the injustices they suffered both under ISIS and the former Iraqi regime.