Yezidi MP: 5,000 May Have Died in Shingal, Many Children

 

by Nasir Ali & Yousif Ahmed

DUHOK, Kurdistan Region – The number of dead and missing Yezidis from last month’s Islamic State (IS) attack on Shingal is estimated at 5,000, with 25,000 left homeless, the religious minority’s MP in the Kurdish parliament said.

“My estimation is that there are 3,000 dead and missing people, and including the children this number might rise to 5,000,” Sheikh Shamo told Rudaw in an interview. He said 2,000 girls were kidnapped.

The jihadis regard Yezidis as “unbelievers.” After storming the Yezidi town of Shingal in northern Iraq early last month, the militants went on a spree of murder, rape and looting, witnesses say.

Young girls and women were taken as war booty, with first-hand accounts from survivors saying they were sold into sex or marriage to the group’s fighters, the prettiest going to the leaders.

“Few of the girls survived. I don’t believe they are more than 50,” he said.” The number of boys who survived is somewhere between 100 and 200.”

The MP said that 25,000 were displaced from Shingal and its outskirts of Sharya.

Thousands fled to the Kurdistan Region, many now in camps or makeshift facilities, as they wait for Peshmerga and other Kurdish forces to push the militants out of their home regions.

Shamo called on the Kurdistan Region not to politicize the tragedy.

“Let’s not politicize this catastrophe that has befallen us. It is unacceptable and will harm our unity,” he said, referring to the complaints by some MPs that the house has dedicated no more than a single session to a tragedy that has resounded around the world.

He said one session was not enough to discuss the tragedy, because “the wounds are deep.”

Shamo said Yezidis have formed a brigade of 600 members, under the Ministry of Peshmarga at a military base in Atrush, and a second special force of 800.

“Most of them have served in the Iraqi army or the Peshmerga forces. We are planning to send them to Zakho military academy for training,” Shamo said.

“This is only the beginning, and I expect this number to increase once we achieve victory,” he said, suggesting Shingal would tend to its own defense once the IS has been evicted.

Shamo said that once Shingal is liberated it would be impossible for Yezidis to coexist with the Arab populations of the area. Yezidis have accused many Arab neighbors and villagers of taking part in the atrocities against them by the IS.

“It is impossible, because they have all betrayed us. A small group of Muslim Kurds also betrayed us.”