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By Pari Ibrahim | Executive Director
MAY 2021 NEWSLETTER
Dear friends,
We hope this email finds you happy, healthy, and safe as we transition from spring into summer. This past month was full of important events that we are eager to share with you. UNITAD made an official determination of what we already know: that the extensively documented ISIS crimes committed against the Yezidi people constituted genocide. This represents a step forward in international recognition of the Yezidi Genocide and prospects for justice. FYF celebrates this step, while cautioning that such determinations must be met with concrete action in the pursuit of justice for ISIS crimes.
In the beginning of May, Free Yezidi Crafts & Enterprise, the artisan branch of the recently opened FYF Enterprise and Training Center, participated in a U.S. Consulate bazaar in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. Our intricate handwoven carpets, rugs, and crocheted pieces were an instant hit - selling more than 27 items in the span of a few hours! The event generated a buzz about our quality Yezidi-made handicrafts, which you can peruse here. Orders can be placed via email to info@freeyezidi.org or through direct message on our Instagram page linked above.On May 12th, the Free Yezidi Foundation provided testimony to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom hearing about genocide determination. In the statement, FYF's Pari Ibrahim emphasized the Yezidi community's solidarity with the Rohingya and Uyghur people and the importance of timely genocide recognition for survivor communities. Further, she cautioned that the Yezidi community's 74th genocide should be viewed as ongoing - highlighting the fact that nearly 3,000 abducted Yezidis remain unaccounted for and the effects of the genocide still impact daily life.
The following week, FYF co-hosted an event with the Wilson Center's Middle East Program to discuss geopolitical challenges faced by Yezidis in both Iraq and Syria. The panel discussion addressed ongoing needs in the Yezidi community - from mental health and psychosocial support to security and infrastructure - but also highlighted the threats faced by Yezidis and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and northern Syria. Scholars, including Amy Austin Holmes of the Wilson Center and Nadine Maenza of USCIRF in particular, emphasized the destabilizing role that Turkish airstrikes and Turkish-backed militias have played across the region in recent years. A video recording of the stimulating conversation can be found here.We hope you will find these events, conversations, and incredible handicrafts worthwhile and of interest. Thank you, as always, for your steadfast support of the Yezidi community.CONTRIBUTE
Sincerely,
Pari Ibrahim
Founder and Executive Director
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