RONAHÎ ZERDEŞT

Shengal (Sinjar)- It was 3 a.m. in the morning of August 3, 2014 when death and betrayal reached Shengal. ISIS attacked Shengal protected by thousands of Iraqi soldiers and KDP Peshmerga. They carried out brutal attacks on children’s dreams. Those who managed to flee from falling into a death trap took shelter in the arms of the Shengal Mountains.

Nofê Telo, one of the people from the village Gir Zerk, located south of the Shengal Mount, resisted on the day of the genocide and prevented death and betrayal. Being a witness of the genocide, she described the arrival of ISIS, their escape to the mountains, and how children died of thirst and hunger in the mountains.

 Gir Zerk: A village becoming a shield against death, betrayal

Nofê Telo began to tell us what had happened on August 3 with great sadness and pain in her face. “We knew that ISIS had already entered the city of Tal Afar and its surrounding areas. On August 3, 2014 at 3 a.m., we heard gunshots in the village of Gir Zerk. All men went to the village. The clash between ISIS and the people of the village continued until 8 a.m. in the morning. When ISIS attacked the village, I told my husband to leave the village; however, he refused. In the morning, we saw that there was no one left in the village. Since all had already fled to the mountains, we also fled to the mountains. We took shelter in the Shengal Mountains for 18 days.”

Children having cracked lips

Nofê, her family and thousands of Yazidi people took shelter in the Shengal Mountains for 18 days until the freedom fighters arrived. The freedom fighters gave them water. Due to dry weather and the lack of water, the mouths and lips of children were cracked. Hundreds of children and adults died of thirst in the mountains.

Nofê Telo told us that the story of the arrival of the freedom fighters was like “a story of sacrifice and betrayal”. “On the first day of the genocide, the Peshmerga fled and left us alone. But the freedom fighters came to our rescue, they protected us, and gave us water and food. They carried old people on their shoulders. They saved us from dying and opened a humanitarian corridor for us. We will never forget the genocide and the betrayal or the sacrifice of the freedom fighters.”

Facing death

The angel of death is seen by those who are about to die. But on that day, the angel of death was not seen by those who were about to die because those who had a dirty mindset took the place of the angel of death, killing dreams and destroying the roots of life.

“We saw death with our own eyes,” Nofê Telo said while talking about the death faced by them. We saw children and adults dying of thirst. Our children were left thirsty and hungry in the extreme heat. We took shelter in the mountains for days. We will never forget those painful days and the genocide. I will never forget those who were killed and abducted on that day.”

Return to Shengal

After 18 days in the Shengal Mountains, Nofê and her family went to the Kurdistan Region and stayed there for three years. Then, they returned to their holy homeland, Shengal.

“We must protect our homeland and not allow any genocide to be committed in our homeland,” said Nofê. “We will protect ourselves and our homeland by supporting our defense forces. Our martyrs will always be in our hearts and we will always follow in their footsteps.”