Tuğba Akyılmaz/JINHA

ŞENGAL - Êzidî living in the mountains of Shengal, survivors of a Daesh attack in which thousands of Êzidî women were kidnapped and raped, have finished their first Women's Assembly meeting.

When Daesh attacked the Êzidî people of the city of Shengal on August 3, 2014, the attackers killed men and boys and kidnapped and raped women and children in the thousands. Almost all of the population of Shengal fled the city. Around 10,000 Êzidîs have resisted Daesh attempts to occupy and destroy their city. These people live on the slopes of Mount Shengal under harsh conditions.

Now, women in the mountain camps have held the first meeting of theÊzidî Women's Assembly. Women chose representatives and executives, as well as forming committees on organizing, diplomacy and alliances.

Xoxe Cindi will be serving on the alliance committee. The role of the committee, she explained, was to secure solutions and reconciliation among the community.

"As a society, when we've been subjected to this many attacks, it's not right for us to fight with each other. At a time like this, we need to be unified," said Xoxe. She said the women's assembly aimed to create peace in Êzidî society through women's leadership.

Muhbet Salih Faris is a member of the diplomacy committee.

"Until now, someone else always spoke for us," said Muhbet, who said that the committee will ensure that the women of Shengal tell the world their own story. "As the Êzidî people, we have never had the right to express ourselves autonomously. Then as women, we were subjected to wholesale silencing. After this much pain, we can't be silent any longer."

The final committee formed was the organizing committee. Member Besê Xidir Murat described self-organizing as "women's only guarantee of life." The committee will strengthen the commune structure being built in the camps, as well as securing self-defense and weapons training for women.

(fk/cm)