KRG High Representative participates in "The Women Who Defeated ISIS"
News : 11/27/2024
United Kingdom, London, www.uk.gov.krd. The
photography exhibition "The Women Who Defeated ISIS" was organised by
the Farida Global Organisation and was hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office in their headquarters in London, featuring the stories of
Yazidi survivors.
A panel led by Haim Falconer, Minister of State for
Middle East and North African, Her Royal Highness Princess Sophie Duchy of
Edinburgh, several British civil society organizations, diplomats, and several
Yazidi Kurdish survivors emphasized the UK's steadfast support for the Yazidi
Kurds and its condemnation of the crimes committed against them by ISIS.
He emphasised that the genocide against the Yazidis
should never be forgotten and that justice and accountability for the Yazidis
and other minorities are crucial. To restore a dignified life for the Yazidis
and other minority groups, Hamish Faulconer called on the federal government of
Iraq to take additional steps to bring ISIS perpetrators to justice, aid the
Yazidis, and enact special laws for survivors.
In his overview of the exhibition's goals, Saeed
Qasim Suleiman, co-founder of Farida Global Organisation, said that the
organisation is managed by survivors of the Yazidi genocide and
conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), who have been advocating for the
rights of survivors since their escape from ISIS captivity. Farida Global aims
to give voice and support to survivors and their communities in a
participatory, survivor-centric, culturally sensitive, and psychosocially
informed manner.
Following that, ISIS survivor Mrs. Awaz Abdi told
her and her family's unwavering account of how ISIS terrorists treated them and
the effects they had on them. She also urged the international community to
stand with the Yazidi community, who have been massacred numerous times
throughout history because of their identity and faith.
Her Royal Highness Princess Sophie Duchy of Edinburgh concluded the panel by expressing
gratitude to the survivors for their bravery in sharing their stories, stating:
"As long as there is conflict, our efforts to prevent such crimes must
continue." When discussing his trip to Kurdistan and his encounters with
Yazidi survivors in the camps, she said, "I felt that they were living in
a very bad mental state and that the bitter memories and crimes against them
and their relatives had affected their lives, peace, and mental state.
She thanked the exhibition's organisers and several
ISIS survivors who attended, saying it was crucial to increase public awareness
of crimes against the Yazidis.
After the panel, KRG High representative, Minister
of State for MENA, Her Royal Highness, and the attendees visited the exhibition
that used photographs to tell the story of the Yazidi Genocide.
FCDO, London
27th November 2024