Today marks eleven years since the horrific genocide committed by the so-called ISIS terrorist organization against the Yazidi people in the Sinjar (Shingal) region on 3 August 2014. More than a decade has passed, yet the wounds inflicted by these atrocities remain open. Justice has not been served, and the Yazidi people continue to endure the consequences of one of the gravest crimes of the 21st century.
The ISIS campaign against the Yazidis was not only an atrocity of unimaginable scale—it was the continuation of centuries of targeted persecution, aimed at erasing an entire community’s identity, faith, and culture.
The Events of 3 August 2014
- ISIS forces besieged the Sinjar region, attacking Yazidi towns and villages, massacring thousands of civilians.
- Women and children were enslaved; thousands of Yazidi women were sold in ISIS slave markets and subjected to systematic rape and torture.
- Hundreds of thousands fled to Mount Sinjar, where they were trapped for days under extreme conditions of hunger, thirst, and heat.
- Villages, sacred shrines, and temples were destroyed in an attempt to obliterate the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Yazidi people.
Eleven Years Later – An Ongoing Struggle
- Hundreds of Yazidi women remain missing, with credible reports indicating continued trafficking in secret slave markets across the Middle East
- Thousands of survivors still live in refugee camps in northern Iraq, facing poverty, insecurity, and limited prospects for the future
- The trauma suffered by the Yazidi people is not solely a historical tragedy—it remains an unresolved crime against humanity.
The Significance of the Sinjar Genocide
The Sinjar genocide stands as one of the most heinous crimes of our century—carried out in the face of a shameful silence from much of the international community. It was not merely an attack on one ethnic or religious group, but a direct assault on the conscience of all humanity. Without justice, there can be no healing; without protection, the indigenous peoples of Mesopotamia will remain at risk
Our Appeal to the International Community
The European Syriac Union urges governments, international institutions, and human rights bodies to take immediate and decisive action:
- Officially recognize the 3 August 2014 Yazidi genocide as genocide under international law.
- Prosecute all perpetrators and collaborators before competent international courts for crimes against humanity.
- Investigate urgently the fate of missing Yazidi women and children; ensure rehabilitation, justice, and long-term support for survivors.
- Establish an international reconstruction fund for Sinjar, enabling the Yazidi people to return to their lands in safety and dignity.
- Create autonomous self-governance and security mechanisms to guarantee the Yazidi community’s safety, cultural identity, and religious freedom.
- Implement emergency humanitarian programs to improve living conditions, education, and healthcare for Yazidis still in displacement.
As the European Syriac Union (ESU), we unequivocally condemn the ideology and forces responsible for these genocides. We stand in full solidarity with the Yazidi people, and we reaffirm our commitment to the joint struggle for protection, justice, and the right to self-determination—for both Sinjar and the Nineveh Plains.
