Two Yazidi families have managed to make their way to safety in Armenia from the Iraqi town of Sinjar and have started a new life here with the support of the local Yazidi community.
ISIL forces (the Islamic militant organization now known as ISIS) captured their hometown of Sinjar and its surrounding areas in August of 2014. Taking advantage of the American airstrikes against ISIL in Northern Iraq and with the help of the Kurds, the majority of the 50.000 Yazidis in the area managed to flee to the Sinjar Mountains where they waited to be evacuated.
About five thousand people were reportedly massacred and countless women were abducted by ISIL in the days between August 3 and 8 of 2014.
In a report posted by CHAI KHANA, 17-year-old Fadil Bshar, tells us about their difficult journey, the loss of his two sisters, the unknown fate of his girlfriend, his hopes and aspirations.
According to a 2011 census, there are 35,272 Yazidis in Armenia, the largest ethnic and religious minority in Armenia. Yazidis initially fled to Armenian territories, then a part of the Russian Empire, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to escape religious persecution by the Ottoman Turks and the Sunni Kurds. The first ever Yazidi school opened in Armenia in 1920.
You can choose to view Armenian/English/Russian subtitles by activating the “Subtitles/closed captions” (cc) function on YouTube.
