Ezidi Women’s Union Spokeswoman: “Unity Among All Ethnic Groups is Key to Building a Free Syria”
Watch the full interview here.
In an interesting with JINHA Agency, the spokesperson for the Ezidi Women’s Union (Yekîtiya Jinên Êzîdî, or YJÊ) in northeast Syria, Hediya Şemo, reflected on the last decade of massacres and displacement suffered by the Ezidi people.
The Ezidi people have endured 74 genocides throughout history, including the devastating ISIS attacks in 2014, which aimed to erase our memory, beliefs, and cultural values,” Şemo said. She described how ISIS captured approximately 5,000 Ezidi women, destroyed villages, and desecrated sacred sites in Sinjar (Şengal), Iraq. Survivors fled to Rojava in northeast Syria, where they found refuge and solidarity within the AANES region.
Displacement Amidst Turkish Aggression
Şemo also reflected on the Turkish military offensives that displaced thousands of Ezidis and other minorities from their homes. In 2018, the Turkish state and its allied factions occupied Afrin, forcing the displacement of Yazidi populations from 22 villages to Shahba. However, renewed attacks in November 2024 on Shahba and Tel Rifaat pushed these communities to flee once again, seeking safety in AANES-controlled areas such as Tabqa, Hasakah, and Qamishli.
“Afrin and Shahba were homes to diverse ethnic and religious groups, but forces backed by different states in the region, turned these regions into conflict zones. The displaced Ezidi population is now experiencing forced migration for the second or even third time since 2014,” Şemo noted.
The New Threats in Syria
Şemo criticized the emergence of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-controlled government in Damascus, which she said has committed atrocities against Alawites, Christians, and other minorities, including attacks on sacred sites. “This so-called new government threatens all Syrians. It has no space for democratic governance or religious freedom. How can we Ezidis or other minorities survive under such conditions?” she asked.
A Call for Unity and Women’s Participation
Şemo stressed the importance of women’s leadership in shaping Syria’s future. “Reports suggest the new regime seeks to exclude women from politics, military, and social life. Calling for solidarity, Şemo concluded: “As Ezidi, Armenian, Syriac, Chaldean, Arab, Kurdish, and Circassian women, we must unite and stand together. Only through collective effort and inclusion can we build a free Syria where everyone’s rights are respected.”
As Syria’s future remains uncertain, Şemo’s words resonate as a call for action, urging unity and the prioritization of rights, freedom, and inclusivity for all communities.
