Escaped ISIS prisoner asks Knesset to recognize murder of Yazidi people
Nadia Murad, who fled ISIS after enduring torture, speaks at special Knesset session, calling on Israeli government to hold a memorial day for the Yazidim and integrate their story into the education system; 'The people who went through the Holocaust must not stand aside,' she tells Ynet.
Nadia Murad, who managed to escape ISIS return to Iraq after suffering severe torture, called on the Israeli government to recognize the Yazidi genocide at the hands of the terror organization at a special Knesset session on Monday.
Nine Knesset members from various factions submitted a bill calling for the recognition of the Yazidi genocide, which includes a memorial day on August 3, a study program and a central rally in memory of those killed.
In the summer of 2014, the Kurdish-minority Yazidi community gained international recognition for becoming the target of the Islamic State throughout Iraq and the region. ISIS proceeded with the an attempt to eradicate the Yadizis, which included mass murder, serious abuse, rape and the trafficking of women due to their beliefs.
Murad is a UN goodwill ambassador and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in the world on behalf of the Yazidi people and her efforts to get the governments of the world to recognize the genocide of her people. She is visiting Israel for the first time in conjunction with the IsraAid and the Society of International Development (SID) Israel, and at the initiative of MK Ksenia Svetlova (Zionist Union).
"I feel very happy to be in Israel for the first time, and I feel that this country, which has gone through things like the Holocaust, will show an understanding of the crimes committed by ISIS against the Yazidi people and against many minorities in Iraq and Syria," she told Ynet. "The Yazidi people are in a state of collective annihilation after the rule ISIS rule for three years. I ask people to support us so we can receive our rights and achieve justice."
During her visit to Israel, Murad will try to convince the government to recognize what happened to the genocide victims. "Many countries and the European Union have knowledged this is genocide, said Murad. "I want people to recognize that this is a collective extermination and to provide medical and humanitarian assistance to the victims," She added that "I hope they will give something special to the Yazidis."
News of the fall of ISIS in Mosul makes Murad happy. She currently lives in Germany and hopes to one day return to Iraq. "The Iraqi government has been fighting the Islamic State for three or four years, sacrificing casualties, but we want to see the people of ISIS stand trial. We, as Yazidis, see our future in Iraq in the hope that it will be better, that we will be protected and receive our rights. "
MK Svetlova, who also serves as chairperson of the lobby to strengthen the connection between Israel and the Kurdish people, said that as the people who passed through the Holocaust, Jews must not stand by in the face of the massacre in Yazidis. "It is the moral duty of the State of Israel to recognize this terrible crime, both because of our history and because of our forefathers' commitment to stand by all the world's peoples in such difficult times, which is why I submitted this bill," she said. In addition to Svetlova, the bill is co-signed by MKs Merav Michaeli, Nachman Shai, Zouheir Bahloul and Mickey Rosenthal (Zionist Union), Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, Tamar Zandberg and Ilan Gilon (Meretz), and Yehuda Glick (Likud).
Tel Aviv University Yazidi researcher Idan Barir told Ynet that Israel should listen to Murad and reach out to the Yazidi people. "Nadia has come here to continue to raise awareness of an issue she has been working on for years—the recognition of the Yazidi genocide and finding a solution for kidnapped women who have been released. Frankly, this is something I have been trying to do with her for three years. Israel has a moral obligation to help the Yazidis. On the one hand, I'm sad that the Knesset waited three years with this, but it's better late than never."
