BASHIQA: Yazidi men and boys in the town of Bashiqa north east of Mosul are rebuilding a shrine destroyed by Daesh as they wait for the return of women from their community taken captive years ago by the terrorists.
They are hoping to celebrate their first festival for three years in the Malak Miran shrine next month but the big celebration will happen after the release of Yazidi women, taken by Daesh when it overran the plain of Nineveh in 2014.
More than 3,000 Yazidis, mostly from Sinjar to the west of Bashiqa, were killed — with more than half shot, beheaded or burnt alive — and about 6,800 taken for sex slaves or fighters.
Daesh fighters are now reportedly selling captive women and girls before they make their escape from their beseigned Syrian stronghold of Raqqa, according to the UN.
“The real festival will come when all our captives are freed,” said shrine’s supervisor Shaker Haidar Al-Mujewar.
Volunteers come every day to help with the rebuilding and they gather from time to time in the unfinished shrine.
Residents and other Yazidi families are funding the reconstruction, Mujewar said.
Yazidis in Bashiqa were able to escape before Daesh seized the town and the militants were driven out in November 2016, about a month after the start of the offensive to retake Mosul, the northern city used by the militants as their capital.
Many of Bashiqa’s families are still living in camps.
Yazidis rebuild destroyed shrine in Iraqi city
Yazidis rebuild destroyed shrine in Iraqi city
Southern Transitional Council welcomes Saudi invitation for Yemen dialogue
- Saudi Arabia announced the invitation earlier on Saturday at the request of Rashad Al-Alimi, president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council
- Kingdom urged all factions to participate “to develop a comprehensive vision”
RIYADH: The Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen on Saturday welcomed Saudi Arabia’s invitation to take part in an inclusive dialogue among southern Yemeni factions in Riyadh.
In a statement, the group said the move reflected the Kingdom’s commitment to resolving political issues through dialogue, particularly in relation to the southern people’s right to restore their state.
The STC stressed that any meaningful dialogue must recognize the will of the southern people, include full international guarantees, and consider a free referendum as part of any future proposals or political solutions.
The council said it had taken part in all stages of dialogue sponsored by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, beginning with the 2019 Riyadh Agreement, followed by the 2022 Riyadh Consultations, and culminating in the comprehensive Southern Dialogue that led to the adoption of the Southern National Charter in 2023—underscoring its consistent commitment to dialogue and political responsibility.
Saudi Arabia announced the invitation earlier on Saturday at the request of Rashad Al-Alimi, president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council.
The Kingdom urged all factions to participate “to develop a comprehensive vision” that would fulfill the aspirations of the southern people.
The initiative has received broad regional and international support.
