On 11 July, the PKK organised a ceremony with the participation of a large number of people at the Casena Cave in the countryside of Sulaymaniyah in the Federated Kurdistan Region. 

 

A group of 30 guerrillas, including KCK Executive Council Co-Chair Bese Hozat, burned and destroyed their weapons. The ceremony, which was organised within the framework of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's call for "Peace and Democratic Society", was also attended by people from the Êzidî (Yazidi) community. 

 

This ceremony of the HPG fighters, who were the first force to rescue the Êzidîs during the ISIS massacre in Shengal in 2014, caused emotional moments among the Êzidîs.

 

 

Neam Şengal, a coordination member of the TAJÊ, who witnessed the 74th edict against the Êzidîs, said: "Those weapons kept us alive. There may be another struggle now, but it is not easy to leave this memory behind." 

 

'THEY LIBERATED SHENGAL'

 

Neam Şengal reminded that the Êzidîs were protected with those weapons and were saved from the 74th edict: "When the guerrillas came out of the cave and made a statement, we were very happy. For 42 years, they protected and defended this people, the values and identity of this people with those weapons. Therefore, as a Êzidî woman, it was that moment of burning weapons that affected me the most. The fact that they burned those weapons in front of the channels that deny and ignore us every day affected me deeply. Because it was with those weapons that they saved us Êzidîs from the 74th edict. As Êzidîs, we will never forget the good deed of the guerrillas." 

 

Neam Şengal emphasised that the democratic nation system was established during the construction process of Shengal, and that Êzidîs formed associations, parties and military forces. "The freedom movement, HPG forces descended from the free mountains to Shengal with the bags on their backs and the weapons in their arms. They reached Shengal and came to the rescue of Êzidîs. With those weapons they broke ISIS and liberated Shengal. With those weapons they gathered and trained Êzidî women and men and helped them to defend themselves. These Êzidî women and men stood shoulder to shoulder and defended and protected their identity, faith and culture against ISIS. These young people liberated the land of Shengal from ISIS. Êzidîs returned to their lands. The returning Êzidîs were also included in the new construction process and a democratic nation system was established. Without them, maybe we would not be in Shengal today, maybe there would not be a place called Shengal and a community called Êzidî. Especially the memory of HPG martyrs Dilşer Herekol and Egit Civyan will always live with us. The saviour weapons of Shengal have become a symbol of peace."

 

'WE ARE GRATEFUL'

 

Neam Şengal stated that they will never forget the great labour of the PKK on the Êzidîs and said that the Êzidîs also supported the Peace and Democratic Society process. Neam Şengal said, "Of course, there was an emotional atmosphere when the weapons were burnt and it was especially difficult for us Êzidîs. However, we know that this is a new beginning. They protected us with those weapons and by burning those weapons they promise us peace and tranquility. If there is to be a peace process, if the call of the Leadership for Peace and Democratic Society will be fulfilled, if the process will be mutual, if all the peoples in the Middle East will be involved in this process and will carry out a joint work, and if people will no longer be forced to use weapons to defend themselves, we find this important and meaningful. We Êzidîs support this process.”

 

'PEOPLES WILL PROTECT THEMSELVES'

 

Neam Şengal stated that the struggle in the new period will be carried out with democratic politics: "If there is a solution, the peoples will defend themselves with democratic politics, not weapons. They will demand rights, demand rights and carry out activities through democratic politics. Millions of Kurds live in Bakur (North) Kurdistan. Thousands of them were Êzidîs, but now there are almost none left. Êzidîs have been resisting these policies for years and will continue their struggle until there is not a single one left. We will exist with our faith, language and identity, and we will never abandon it. Our expectation from the Êzidîs outside is that they defend their land, language and existence and fight for it. However, they should do this not with weapons, but with democratic politics."

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut