In the early morning of August 3, 2014, the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) marched into the northern Iraqi region of Shingal, the main settlement area of the Yazidis.
At least 3,100 Yazidis were brutally murdered. The number of unreported cases is probably much higher. The terrorist militias systematically raped girls and women and thousands were abducted and enslaved. Children and young people were forcibly recruited and used as soldiers. Men who refused forced conversion to Islam were executed.
The crimes committed by the so-called IS against the Yazidis have been classified as genocide by the United Nations and the German Bundestag. The Yazidis refer to the attack on August 3, 2014 as the 74th “Ferman” – a term they use to describe the persecution of their religious community.
YAZIDI VOICES
The project YAZIDI VOICES – 10 years after the genocide by ImpACT of HÁWAR.help makes the perspectives and realities of life of six young Yazidis in Germany visible and conveys knowledge about the historical and geopolitical background of the genocide.
The project consists of digital and analog components: An audiovisual traveling exhibition for school and extracurricular educational institutions as well as accompanying digital materials for use in the classroom enable teachers to address the topic of the genocide against the Yazidis as well as its historical and geopolitical background. The accompanying social media campaign makes the stories of the six protagonists visible and shareable on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Farhad Alsilo was born in 2002 in the city of Shingal in northern Iraq. He experienced and survived the war against IS and was brought to Germany at the age of 12 as part of the special contingent for persecuted Yazidis from the state of Baden-Württemberg. Here he started a new life, integrated quickly and learned the German language in a short time.
Farhad completed both secondary school and his Abitur with top marks. Today, he is active on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok and is studying mechanical engineering. In addition to his studies, he is a human rights activist and is an ambassador for the human rights organization HÁWAR.help.
Nalin Ciftci is 23 years old and grew up in Germany with her Yazidi roots.
As a content creator, she uses platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to educate people about her religion, language and culture and to give a deeper insight into the stories and struggles of her community. She lets people share what her life is like as a young woman with a “migrant background”, her experiences of searching for identity and acceptance in a multicultural society and encourages women who feel the same way to fight for themselves and their dreams.
Duleem Ameen Haji came to Germany in 2016. As a Yazidi, Duleem had to leave his home country of Doghata Iraq and has built a new home here.
Duleem is studying medicine and is a scholarship holder at EV. Studienwerk-Villigst. He is involved in many political and social areas: Among other things, Duleem is active with the AIDS service organization and a values ambassador with the educational organization GermanDream.
Fairoz Bobo was born a Yazidi in Shingal in 2001. On August 3, 2014, when the so-called IS attacked the region, she fled with part of her family and escaped the genocide. She has lived in Germany since 2016. Despite all the obstacles and difficulties that accompanied her school days in Germany, Fairoz completed her Abitur and is currently studying law in Hanover.
Samar (16) and Sahar (18) fled Iraq with their families as a result of the genocide against the Yazidis in August 2014 and have been living near Cologne for around nine years. Samar and Sahar are cousins and share a passion for soccer. Every week they train with their sisters at SCORING GIRLS*, a project that empowers refugee and disadvantaged girls through soccer. Samar and Sahar also play soccer in a club and attend school.
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FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Further material for use in the classroom (in German) is available here.
Concept and design:
Filippo Steven Ferrara and Lina Kordes
Production:
Filippo Steven Ferrara (photos), Lina Kordes, Nalin Ciftci, Hannah Indirah Terhorst and Julia Reil
Creative Direction:
Lina Kordes
Project coordination:
Filippo Steven Ferrara
Interviews:
Lina Kordes and Nalin Ciftci
Thank you to everyone who supported us! Special thanks go to our protagonists Farhad Alsilo, Nalin Ciftci, Duleem Ameen Haji, Fairoz Bobo and Samar and Sahar Kijji.
PARTNERS
We thank for the support:
