Çaklin Hisên: Victory will be ours

 

Cîlan Roj

 

SHENGAL - Speaking about the edict that has left 10 years behind, Çaklin Hisên, Deputy Co-Chairman of the Shengal Autonomous Administration, said: "Today, the Yazidi community, which has taken up arms, is defending itself, educating its children, raising itself and ensuring its security. We know that victory will be ours."

 

The Shengalis, who liberated their cities with the struggle after DAIS invaded and massacred thousands of Yazidis, kidnapped thousands of women and subjected them to inhumane practices, are now protecting the life they have built against Turkey's attacks.

 

Why Shengal?

 

Shengal has a geopolitical importance in the Middle East. Like a gateway to Mosul and Kirkuk in the south of Kurdistan, it starts from Hesekê and opens towards Rojava Kurdistan. Shengal is an important transit line from Syria to Iraq and the Turkish border. The forces that want to dominate Kurdistan have always tried to dominate Shengal from past to present. Therefore, Shengal is such a region that it was also attacked by the Ottomans. With these attacks, the Yazidis living in the region went through 73 massacres.

 

Maintaining control in the Middle East 

 

When the date showed 1 June 2014, a meeting was held in Amman, the capital of Jordan. This meeting, attended by the USA, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel and KDP, was the beginning of the attack on Sinjar. Not only Shengal, but also Rojava, Iraq and South Kurdistan lands were made open to ISIS attacks. It soon became clear that Turkey's expansionist policy, KDP's plan for a "small Kurdistan", Israel's desire to eliminate the "danger" coming from the Arab countries, especially Syria, Saudi Arabia's project to take the Arab countries under its control, and the USA's project to ensure control in the Middle East geography by forming a force against Taliban and Iran were discussed. 

 

Mosul was handed over to DAIS in 6 hours

 

Immediately after the meeting held in Amman, ISIS launched an attack on Mosul on 10 June 2014. The Iraqi army and KDP forces in Mosul surrendered Mosul to DAIS in just 6 hours without any resistance. There was also a message: Firstly, no power can stand in front of DAIS, "including the states". The aim of this was to spread fear and create a perception in public opinion. The second was to prevent the revolution in Rojava, to liquidate it and to open space for DAIS.  This became clearer in September 2014 when DAIS attacked Kobanê for the first time. The ground was prepared for the plan to liquidate the revolution where it started.

 

Shengal targeted

 

After Mosul was given to DAISIS, this time Shengal was targeted. Shengal, which has resisted for thousands of years to live and keep their beliefs alive and has been subjected to edicts, has been made open to the attack of DAIS. The KDP forces left the city shortly before the DAIS attack instead of the Iraqi army, which had left the city before. The images of KDP forces collecting all the weapons of the people and fleeing, leaving the people face to face with the ISIS attack and a new edict were reflected to the public. These images went down in history as a new betrayal against the Kurdish people. As a result, on 3 August 2014, DAIS launched its attack on the Yazidis in Shengal. Thousands of Yazidis were forced to leave Sinjar and thousands were massacred. Yazidis defined this as the 74th Edict. Thousands of Yazidis, including women and children, were kidnapped. Women were kidnapped to many countries of the world, especially in the Middle East, sold in markets and raped.

 

Unexpected resistance 

 

After the attack on Sinjar, the world public saw that the organisation and struggle of the Kurdish people were not taken into account. Unlike the Iraqi and KDP forces that abandoned Shengal, the PKK took action to protect the Yazidi people from new attacks and to create their own self-defence. Despite the KDP's obstruction, 12 PKK fighters headed to Shengal. People's Defence Units (YPG) and Women's Defence Units (YPJ) fighters from Rojava overcame DAIS attacks and reached Shengal. YPJ and YPG forces protected the Yazidi people, opened corridors and led the people to safe areas.

 

The freedom move has begun

 

The first step of the freedom move initiated by PKK, YPG and YPJ fighters to liberate the people of Shengal from DAIS was taken with the organisation of the people. Firstly, the Shengal People's Assembly was declared on 14 January 2015 and the people were organised against the edict. Afterwards, YBŞ, YPJ-Shengal and Shengal Defence Forces (HPŞ) made a joint statement that they established a joint command called "Yazidi Command for the Freedom of Shengal". Later on 8 October 2015, the first step of the Shengal Resistance Forces was taken in Shilo Valley. On 31 October 2015, the move to liberate Shengal started with the liberation of the villages in the west of the city.

 

DAIS defeated 

 

The liberation of Shengal was completed on 13 November 2015 with the liberation of the city centre and its announcement to the whole world. DAIS was defeated in Sinjar. After the second move, which was the liberation of the city centre, a third move was launched to liberate other villages and DAIS was defeated there as well. 

 

The development of self-defence

 

With the liberation of Shengal from DAIS, the people of Shengal strengthened their own organisation. In order to prevent further edicts, they focused on social organisation, especially self-defence. On this basis, the Shengal Women's Union (YJŞ) was established in 2016 and Yazidi women organised their own self-defence units for the first time in history. YJŞ became the symbol of resistance against DAIS.  Then, with the establishment of the Êzidî Women's Freedom Movement (TAJÊ), all Êzidî women gathered under this roof and started to lead the way from self-defence to education and economy. 

 

Step by step to organisation...

 

One of the most important steps taken as a result of the people of Sinjar organising themselves step by step was the declaration of the Sinjar Democratic Autonomous Assembly. Consisting of 12 committees including culture, art, communication, security, service, legislature, education, human rights and martyrs' families association, faith, religion and peace, economy, youth and sports, health, community organisation and council cabinet, the council started to organise the people in every aspect. 

 

Çaklin Hisên, Co-Vice President of Sinjar Autonomous Administration, spoke to our agency about the edict.

 

'We will never forget the black day'

 

At the beginning of his speech, Çaklin referred to the edict of 3 August 2024 and said the following: "As the Yazidi community, we will never forget this black day. When the edict started, I was 14 years old and I was working in the orchard. When they said DAIS had arrived, we didn't know what was happening. They said they were going to attack, and we didn't know what war was. There were explosions nearby.  My mum told us that we had to leave this place. We were 4 brothers and sisters. We left our homes and travelled to Zaxo. Two days later, news came that there was a big massacre in Shengal. The Yazidi community was not as strong as it is now. Out of necessity, we travelled from Zaxo to Turkey and settled in Êlih. We stayed in Êlih for 5 months and then returned to Sinjar."

 

'Now we oppose the attacks' 

 

Çaklin said that the massacre would not have happened if they had been organised at that time as they are now, and added, "After we returned, we started construction work with our family. We are still working. Now all Yazidi women, youth and children participate in the work. We organise ourselves according to the idea that liberated us. Today, we are able to struggle and resist attacks with the strength we have gained."

 

'We resist in an organised way' 

 

Stating that the genocide policies against the Êzidî community continue, Çaklin said, "The Êzidî community, which could not resist on 3 August, is struggling and resisting today. Today, the Yazidi community responds to the attacks in an organised manner. The genocide is still not officially recognised by the Iraqi state. Today, the attacks of the Turkish state targeting our pioneers continue. It should be known that we will always follow our pioneers and continue their struggle. We will always follow those who educate our children, liberate women and develop self-defence."  

 

'Migrants are returning'

 

Çaklin said that many Yazidi families who had migrated returned to Shengal. Stating that they are happy that Yazidi families are returning to their lands and that it is important to return after 10 years, Çaklin said, "We want to live in the land of Shengal. Today, the Yazidi community, which has taken up arms, is defending itself, educating its children, raising itself and ensuring its security, but is this enough, of course not. From now on, we should not rely on others, but only on ourselves. We need to grow our unity and resistance within ourselves."  

 

'Victory will be ours' 

 

Pointing out that the forces that came to their rescue were clear, Çaklin emphasised that these people gave bread to their children and that they were saved from being massacred. Çaklin finally added the following: "We will never forget these things. The Yazidi community is now resisting all kinds of attacks. Our identity is clear, we are Yazidis. We will follow the cause of Leader Apo's students in every way. Now young Yazidi women are taking up arms and protecting themselves. They are organising in every field. Victory will be ours. We will always stand by our people. We will continue our struggle for the genocide to be recognised."