UAE President Al-Nahyan condemns Yezidi Genocide, calls for coexistence and tolerance; Mir of Yezidis Hazim Tahsin Beg calls for more support for Yezidi community

ABU DHABI / ERBIL, Iraq — On Thursday, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, denounced the Yezidi Genocide committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) beginning in 2014, stating that the genocide in Shigur (Shengal / Sinjar) is a memory painful reminder of the importance of working to consolidate the principles of tolerance and coexistence, and the rejection of extremism.

“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,” he said on social media.

During a speech on marking the anniversary of the genocide, current Mir of the Yezidis Hazim Tahsin Beg called for the issuance of an international resolution recognizing the genocide against the Yezidis and for more support in order to compensate those affected.

Mir Tahsin Beg stated:

“History will record, despite reaching the twenty-first century, that there are still ideas that do not accept others and are against humanity. The hands of the perpetrators throughout history have affected all components of the Iraqi people, and these crimes are witnessed by the genocide against the Yezidis, and other components of the Shabak, Turkmen, and Christians.”

Mir Tahsin Beg pointed out that the suffering of the Yezidis, after nine years, is still ongoing. Whether in camps for the displaced or in the clutches of ISIS, the survivors continue to suffer.

He concluded by calling for increased efforts to be made in the pursuit of the perpetrators of the genocide and for more resource to be allocated for the Yezidi people. Mir Tahsin Beg expressed his thanks to all those who contributed to the liberation of Shigur from ISIS.