On 2 August 2014, the sun set over the ancestral homeland of the Yazidi people in the Sinjar district of northern Iraq. It was a vibrant day of celebration—a religious holiday marking the end of a solemn fasting period. Under a blistering summer sun peaking above 40°C, families slaughtered sheep, shared sweet treats, exchanged local […]
Roja Reş: Why the Yazidi People Commemorate the Horror of August 3 Read More »
As an English teacher, my classroom has become more than a place to learn grammar or vocabulary. Over the years, it has become a sanctuary – a space where trust, once shattered by the most profound of atrocities, is slowly and meticulously rebuilt. When my Yazidi students sit before me, they are not just students;
The Unhealed Wound: Stories of Survival and the Trust That Remains Read More »
The 2014 genocide perpetrated by the Islamic State (ISIS) against the Yazidi people in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq led to the violent displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, systemic sexual enslavement, and the tragic loss of countless lives. In response to this catastrophic humanitarian crisis, Australia opened its doors, specifically focusing its
For those of us working in education and advocating for displaced populations, the classroom—or the writing desk—is never neutral territory. When teaching Yazidi students, we are working with individuals whose primary language, Kurmanji, has become an act of defiance against a history of erasure. Understanding why many Yazidis harbor a deep aversion to the Arabic