YEZID POPULATION IN NORTHERN IRAG IS FACING DANGER OF EXTERMINATION, AZIZ TAMOYAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Aug 21, 2007
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. 500 Yezids died and 1,200 were
injured as a result of violence in the north of Iraq on August 15. The
chairman of the National Union of World’s Yezids Aziz Tamoyan said
at the August 21 press conference that this act of violence was
"organized by the Iraqi and Kurdish governments".
In his opinion, the purpose of acts of violence committed regularly
by Muslim Kurds against Zoroastrian Yezids is to displace 1.2
milion Yezids living in the north of Iraq and to convert them into
Kurds. According to him, 15 thousand Yezids have already fled the
area but "their main part does not want to leave this place because
it is their birthplace, cradle, homeland".
In this connection Aziz Tamoyan has sent letters to the Council of
Europe, leaders of the US, Russia and Great Britain but there has
been no respone so far. "I dont not think that this silence is a
sign of agreement. But they must take steps to put an end to this
violence. Why are the criminals not punished? A whole nation that has
a five thousand-year history is being destroyed before everybody’s
eyes. Is this democracy?" A. Tamoyan said.
He reiterated that the state of Yezidstan under the jurisdiction of
the US and to be considered a US administrative territory should be
founded in the north of Iraq. Otherwise, in his conviction, Kurds
will continue committing massacres against Yezids – there have been
72 such massacres throughout the history of Yezids.