'Painful reminder': UAE President shares message on 9th anniversary of Yazidi massacre in Iraq

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has underscored the importance of peaceful coexistence and rejection all forms of discrimination based on religion or ethnicity, as the world observes on August 3 the 9th anniversary of the crimes committed by Daesh against Yazidis and others in Iraq.

In August 2014, Daesh carried out a systematic attack and invaded the historic Yazidi homeland, Sinjar, in Iraq. According to reports, the terrorist group killed 1,268 people on the first day (August 3); and 6,417 Yazidis were kidnapped – 3,548 of whom were women and underage girls who were thrown into sexual slavery and forced labour – throughout the weeks that followed.

Yazidis are ethnic Kurdish-speaking religious minority living in Iraq’s north-west region considered “infidels” by Daesh due to their religious and sectarian beliefs.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Sheikh Mohamed categorically said: “The 9th anniversary of the crimes committed by the Daesh terrorist group against the Yazidis and others in Iraq is a painful reminder of the importance of embracing peaceful coexistence and rejecting all forms of discrimination based on religion or sect or ethnicity.”

Displaced and scattered

Every August 3, Yazidis around the world come together to mourn their families, friends, loved ones, and compatriots who were massacred by Daesh. More than 65 per cent of Yazidis have been displaced and scattered around the world since 2014.

Yazidis have been advocating to bring Daesh to court for their crimes against humanity. The British government on Tuesday recognised as genocide those crimes committed against them by Daesh in 2014.

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