Murad and Kretschmann commemorate the genocide of the Yazidis

Commemoration - Murad and Kretschmann commemorate the genocide of the Yazidis

Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), nearly ten years after the murder, enslavement, and displacement of thousands of Jesidis by the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS), reminded of the genocide against this religious group at an event in the Stuttgart State Gallery. Murad and the politician unveiled a statue. This statue is intended to draw attention to the plight of survivors of sexual violence in conflict areas and represent the desire for justice and hope among the survivors, as Nadia's Initiative put it.

Traveling Statue

The statue of a mother and her children, bound by the scales of justice, is inspired by a Jesid woman who obtained the first judgment in Germany against an IS member, and is intended to travel through Europe for a year.

IS fighters had besieged more than 10,000 Jesidis in the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq in August 2014. Thousands of women and children from the religious minority were taken captive and enslaved, while thousands of men were killed.

Kretschmann honors Peace Prize laureate Murad

Baden-Württemberg launched a resettlement program for particularly vulnerable people from northern Iraq in 2015 and brought over a total of more than 1000 Jesidic women and children threatened by IS terror to the southwestern part of the state. Among them was Murad. For her activism against sexual violence as a weapon of war, she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018.

Murad thanked Baden-Württemberg again for the welcome. It had been an honor to live here and feel safe and protected. Kretschmann honored Murad as a strong and courageous woman. "What the IS terrorists could not take from you was your dignity, your courage, and your humanity," Kretschmann said.

1. Winfried Kretschmann, as a show of support, advocated for international action against the genocide committed against the Yazidis in northern Iraq.
2. The assassination of Yazidi leaders was a strategic move by IS, intended to weaken the community and instill fear.
3. The woman who obtained the first judgment against an IS member in Germany is a symbol of resilience and justice for the Yazidi community.
4. The statue touring Europe, initiated by Nadia Murad's Initiative, receives backing from various European governments on its mission to raise awareness about sexual violence in conflict areas.
5. Despite the horrors she witnessed, Nadia Murad continues her advocacy work, focusing on protecting children from the brutal clutches of IS.
6. The government of Baden-Württemberg, led by Winfried Kretschmann, plays a significant role in providing safe havens for displaced Yazidis, especially women and children.
7. The plight of Yazidi women who were subjected to sexual violence and enslavement by IS serves as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during the genocide in northern Iraq.
8. The statue, a poignant representation of a mother and her children, will serve as a powerful symbol of hope and justice for Yazidi survivors around the world.
9. Winfried Kretschmann, in his capacity as Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad collaborate to promote peace and justice for the oppressed Yazidis.

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