The documentary “Hawar, Our Banished Children” exposes the hidden trauma of Ezidi women raped by ISIS, who now search for the children born from these assaults. With 3,000 women still missing, the film highlights ongoing genocide, the rejection of these children by the Ezidi people, and the first European trials of jihadists for these crimes.
Ezidi wrestler Malkhas Amoyan makes history once again, claiming his second World Championship title in the 77 kg Greco-Roman category with a decisive 10–1 victory over Japan’s Olympic champion Nao Kusaka. Returning to Yerevan, he was celebrated by fans and the Armenian Ezidi community, solidifying his status as the “Ezidi Lion” and an inspiration for young athletes worldwide.
Preserving Our Roots: The Vital Work of Mecrûm Sûlêymanov and Kitêbxane Ezidi Times warmly recommends the YouTube channel Kitêbxane to all readers who want to deepen their knowledge of Ezidi traditions, history, and identity. Behind this important platform is Mecrûm Sûlêymanov, a talented and dedicated Ezidi writer and storyteller. Mecrûm’s work is much Read more
Hayat Murad is the first Ezidi woman to be nominated for TC Candler’s renowned “100 Most Beautiful Faces in the World” list.
Now 26 years old, Malkhas Amoyan has reached the final in each of the last five European Championships, earning four gold medals and one silver. Known as the “Ezidi Lion”, he continues to inspire not only wrestling fans but also young athletes from the Ezidi people and beyond who look to him as a symbol of strength, determination, and pride in one’s heritage.
At just 15 years old, Ikhlas Imran is emerging as one of the most promising young athletes in northern Iraq. Born in Qahtaniyah and raised amid the 2014 genocide, she has built her path through football—leading her team to win the first-ever women’s tournament in her hometown and finishing as Read more
In 2007, Hales fled to Germany with her mother and sister—a country she eventually came to not only appreciate but, one might say, love, for both its freedoms and its values. As a Ezidi, an ethnoreligious group that has faced centuries of persecution, the concept of freedom holds great significance for Hales. She came to deeply understand the value of freedom through the atrocities committed by Islamist groups. The most recent of over 70 Ezidi genocides occurred on August 3, 2014, with thousands of women still held captive by ISIS. “We have lived in captivity long enough; now it is time to stand up for our freedom and our rights,” says Hales.
Malala shared her admiration for Mediha’s courage and her desire to bring attention to the plight of Ezidi women and girls. Mediha, who has looked up to Malala as a source of inspiration, expressed her hope that her film would serve as a platform for the voices of Ezidi survivors. “I want to make something for my people”.
When asked about how he first started to paint and his path to discovering his artistic talent, Hisham explains that he has always been into art. Surprisingly, Hisham recalls how someone else took credit for his artwork which made him stop to draw for a while. The incident happened at the Talent Center in Khansour Complex at which Hisham had completed a course and was asked to draw paintings for the closing ceremony. However, on the day of the ceremony, Hisham’s name had been removed from his artwork and instead been replaced by the name of a girl. This incident made the artist disappointed and caused him to stop drawing for a while.
When IS attacked the Ezidis and when many were forced to seek refugee in the Sinjar mountains, some effort were made to support and assist them. According to Farhad, the distribution of assistance was perhaps not optimal but it was at least something, considering that they had just survived a genocidal attack(s). However, due to the war between Ukraine-Russia and the situation in Palestine-Israel, the Ezidi genocide and all issues related to the Ezidis have been forgotten. Farhad explains that “Our people continue to suffer, and the effects of the genocide are still ongoing”, yet the suffering of the Ezidis has been overshadowed by other global issues that are of bigger political interest for the global powers.
In this article we give you a recap of the main events related to the Ezidis. Ezidi Athlete Yurik Mamedov Carried the Olympic Torch During the torch ceremony held in Paris for the 2024 Paris Olympics game, Yurik Mamedov was one of the torch carriers. Mamedov was supported by his Read more