HPG Shengal Commander Cudi Rojhilat spoke to ANF on the third year anniversary of the August 3, 2014 massacre perpetrated by ISIS against the Êzîdî community in South Kurdistan.

Commemorating all those who lost their lives during the Shengal resistance, Rojhilat stressed that capitalist-imperialist powers resorted to creating a gang organisation like ISIS in Kurdistan to realize their plans for the Middle East.

Rojhilat said; "We are living on the Middle East lands on which America, Europe and some internal and external powers have plans. This is why capitalist-imperialist powers created the ISIS gangs within the scope of the Great Middle East project. They wanted to establish their system in the Middle East by means of a subtle policy. Kurdistan, a kind of heart of the Middle East, was the place where this project was meant to be realized. However, this did not work, upon which these powers went into a new tactics; forming the ISIS gang organisation.”

'YPG/YPJ FORCES DEFEATED THE FEAR AND SAVAGERY SPREAD BY ISIS'

Rojhilat pointed out that the main mission of ISIS was to make Kurdistan a present to capitalist powers, but the savagery and fear spread by ISIS gangs was defeated by YPG/YPJ forces. HPG Commander continued; "ISIS was given two major missions; to expose Islam in the Middle East and the all around the world; and to capture Kurdistan and hand it over to capitalist powers. This is why ISIS began all its attacks in Kurdistan and intended to establish its own system in Kurdistan. ISIS attacks began in Rojava Kurdistan and later spread to South Kurdistan. In Rojava, they faced the YPG/YPJ forces that represented the will of Kurds. These forces broke the savagery and fear spread by ISIS gangs. After facing this will in Rojava, the gangs later tended towards South Kurdistan and took Mosul, which brought about a great danger upon Shengal."

'KDP HANDED SHENGAL OVER TO THE GANGS'

Rojhilat recalled that PKK faced obstructions from the KDP on intending to send guerrillas to Shengal after realising the massacre.

HPG Commander said; "PKK wanted to intervene Shengal in line with the perspectives of Leader Apo who had already made evaluations on the situation there in advance. A 12-person guerrilla group was formed for this purpose and left for Shengal, place of Derweşê Avdê to break the threat directed towards the people, defend and prepare the people. However, KDP created obstacles and arrested three comrades of ours. By doing this, it kind of helped ISIS, and continues to do so. In this way, KDP played a role in the fall of Shengal by supporting the gangs. Despite all the troubles and obstructions, our comrades reached Mount Shengal. In other words, the attack on Shengal was not achieved by the gangs alone, it took place together with the KDP which handed Shengal over to the gangs by not defending its people, despite the presence of all those armed peshmerga forces. It even seized the arms people carried to defend themselves. KDP deceived the people by telling them that "We will defend you when ISIS comes. And ISIS won't attack Shengal anyway". When ISIS attacked Shengal, peshmergas left Shengal and fled, handing thousands of people over to ISIS. Such an incident did never occur in the history of Kurdistan and even the history of humanity. Kurdish history doesn't consist of cases of surrendering its own people to the enemy. Kurds do not have such a culture. Yet, KDP did this. Peshmergas couldn't flee into their own territory even, they took shelter in Rojava. The ditches dug by KDP to impose an embargo on Rojava people didn't allow the peshmergas to flee."

‘YPG/YPJ FORCES RESCUED OUR PEOPLE'

Rojhilat remarked that YPG/YPJ forces that represent Kurdish will and culture defended and protected the Êzîdî people and peshmergas, and rescued them from the attacks ISIS gangs.

HPG Commander went on, saying; "KDP is the only party responsible for this massacre. Our people in the villages of Gır Zerik, Siba Şex Xıdır resisted the gangs with their own means, whereas peshmerga forces did not resist and left the people into a massacre. The 12-person group of guerrillas organised the people after arriving in Shengal, led them to Mount Shengal and formed a defense system here. Mountains are of great importance for the Kurds. Mountains are what defend and protect them. This is why our people turned their face towards Mount Shengal where the guerrilla group assisted the people with restricted means. Many people died of thirst until YPG/YPJ forces opened a safe corridor. This is not something one can tolerate or accept in conscience. They were our own people and folk, they needed to be defended and protected, but they weren't. Upon an instruction from our movement to protect and defend our people on Mount Shengal, and to liberate Shengal, guerrillas arrived at Mount Shengal to rescue the hostages held by ISIS and to not leave the Kurdistan lands to the enemy. Freedom fighters started to flock from free mountains to Mount Shengal to reveal the will and history of our Êzîdî people. They came, opened a corridor, rescued our people on Mount Shengal and transferred them to safe areas."

HISTORY WRITTEN IN SHENGAL WITH GREAT BRAVERY'

Rojhilat pointed out that Shengal was of different importance to Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, saying; "Shengal is the place of resistance and it has a different history. This is why Shengal needs to be regained in real terms. Kurdistan freedom fighters did not come here only to open a corridor and rescue the people. They also came to reveal the self-force and will of the people, to form their self-defense and to make sure no massacre would happen once again. Their main goal was to transfer the people to safe areas, to liberate Shengal and then to form the self-force of Shengal. These plans were realized in the first phase, with major cases of bravery and martyrdom. Shengal was liberated with the resistance and efforts of our leader and martyrs, and the self-force of Êzîdî people, YBŞ/YJŞ, was established. These forces now strengthen their organised state and they base on Leader Apo's ideology, philosophy and the self will of resistance."

'ALL ÊZÎDÎ YOUTHS SHOULD JOIN YBŞ/YJŞ RANKS'

HPG Commander Rojhilat ended his words with the followings; "The KDP that handed Shengal over to the gangs is engaged in dirty alliances and plans to weaken the YBŞ/YJŞ forces and hinder further participation in their ranks. These forces will grow bigger and stronger just like Leader Apo and six other people began this struggle that has reached millions today. It will grow stronger as long as it continues to flow. For this reason, our Êzîdî people should support these self-defense forces and make further participation to make sure these massacres do not take place ever again. They should not expect a hope from other forces and parties because they suffered the bitter reality of this failure on August 3. They should reclaim their own parties, assemblies and self-defense forces, and provide further support. If this goal is made real, neither ISIS nor KDP, or other forces and powers will be able to realize their projects on this folk and the Middle East. In consideration of this truth,, our people in four parts of Kurdistan, Europe, Caucasia and Russia should provide further support and further participation in the self-defense forces of YBŞ/YJŞ."