Yezidi survivors, activists both handed Mother Teresa Awards for social justice

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Yezidi survivors Layla Taalo and Idris Bashar Silo Taha were both awarded Mother Teresa Awards for social justice at a ceremony in Mumbai, India, on Sunday.

Taalo and her family were taken captive when Islamic State (ISIS) swept through northern Iraq in the summer of 2014. She was sold several times to different ISIS fighters during her captivity, endured years of sexual abuse.

Taha has been a vocal campaigner for the Yezidis since escaping the genocide, drawing the world’s attention to their persecution.

The plight of the Yezidis was highlighted earlier this month when Nadia Murad was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.

In a speech after accepting her award, Taalo shared her story.

“On August 3, 2014, Daesh attacked Shingal. Nineteen members of my family and I were taken captive,” she said.

“Daesh (ISIS) took us captive. When they took as captive, we saw how Daesh was killing the people. They would kill innocent people for no reason. We had done nothing. They took our women and girls and made them spoils [of war] and killed all our men.”

“When Daesh kidnapped me and separated me from my family, it took me and sold me to eight Daesh [members]. All these Daesh had different nationalities. They came from every country and had come and become Daesh.”

“Daesh would rape Yezidi women, and would take their children away. They didn’t give us food. They told us that we had no other option but to change our religion.”

“There was nothing they didn’t do. They made us their servants. There was no torture left that they didn’t use on us,” she added.

Many of her family members are still missing.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani established the office for Yezidi Abductees’ Affairs, which has spent thousands of dollars to buy the freedom of ten of Taalo’s relatives.

She called on the international community to help them rescue the 3,000 Yezidis still thought to be held captive by ISIS.

“The selling, raping, and killing of Yezidi women and girls is continuous,” she said.

“I say it again, I am thankful for this award. It is a very big thing that you honor us and that you have given us this award. But the bigger thing we want from you is to rescue us from Daesh’s hands. It would be the greatest award.”

Accepting his award, Taha also took the opportunity to commend the work of the KRG in helping to find and pay ransoms for Yezidi captives.

“Today our eyes are only on Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani. No one besides him has come to our rescue. No one has responded to our calls. No one, besides PM Nechirvan Barzani, helped us. I am very thankful to him,” Taha said.

Hussein Qaidi, who heads the office for Yezidi Abductees’ Affairs, also attended the ceremony.

“From the start of our work up to now, we have been able to rescue 3,332 individuals from the hands of Daesh terrorists,” he said from the podium.

“Some work has been done for those rescued, but the psychological state of our families isn’t good and they need international and your help.”

“It is deeply saddening that no individual, or side, neither the Arabic, Islamic, European, American or international community for the topic of the kidnapped have helped us, except for the office of Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Region,” he added.

The Mother Teresa Awards, given in honor of Roman Catholic nun and missionary Mother Teresa, are awarded to celebrate individuals and organizations that promote peace, equality and social justice, and aim to encourage the cause of justice and peaceful coexistence.

Yezidi survivors, activists both handed Mother Teresa Awards for social justice

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