Baghdad: Nineveh Governorate commemorated the twelfth anniversary of the genocide perpetrated against the Yazidi community by ISIS terrorist gangs on Wednesday. Official and public ceremonies were held under the auspices of Nineveh Governor Abdul Qadir al-Dakhil, with the participation of the head of the provincial council, Ahmed al-Hasoud, members of parliament and the provincial council, university presidents, religious figures, security leaders, as well as social figures, survivors, and civil activists.
According to Iraqi News Agency, Governor Abdul Qadir al-Dakhil stated, "This occasion represents a message of unity from the city of Mosul to the world, conveying that terrorism did not target a specific group, but rather affected all the people of the governorate, regardless of their affiliations." He highlighted the atrocities faced by the Yazidis in Sinjar, including mass killings, enslavement, abductions, and forced displacement. Al-Dakhil emphasized that achieving justice for the Yazidis requires practical measures such as revealing the fate of the abducted individuals, completing the exhumation of mass graves, initiating reconstruction programs, and disbursing compensation to those affected to encourage the voluntary return of displaced persons.
He further explained that the compensation due to the people of Nineveh amounts to approximately 382 billion dinars, with nearly 100 billion dinars allocated to the Sinjar district. He stressed that disbursing these entitlements is a fundamental step towards restoring stability and consolidating security by restricting weapons to the state, thereby ensuring the return of normal life to the district.
Sheikh Abdul Karim Ali Omar, Director of the Islamic Literature Association in Nineveh, urged the establishment of a culture of coexistence and the rejection of hatred. He emphasized that the teachings of Islam prohibit aggression and uphold human dignity and societal unity, highlighting that the Yazidis' suffering constitutes a crime against religious and humanitarian values. Deputy Governor Ali Omar affirmed the local government's continued support for the Yazidi community, noting the honoring of survivors and their inclusion in the land allocations initiative by the Prime Minister, while acknowledging that limited financial resources still hinder reconstruction and service projects in Sinjar.