Vigil in Washington DC to Remember 3 August
Washington DC: The Free Yezidi Foundation and the American Ezidi Center call for global attention to help displaced and traumatized Yezidi survivors of genocide.
To honor the memory of those who have been killed and the Yezidi women and girls still held in captivity, a candlelight vigil will take place in Washington DC.
Pennsylvania Ave NW, facing White House North Lawn, in front of Lafayette Square
8pm, Thursday, 3 August 2017
Please bring a candle!
Concerned citizens are invited to join the event and light their candles to show their solidarity with the Yezidi community. For more information about Yezidis and the current situation, please visit:
www.freeyezidi.org & @Free_Yezidi
www.ezidi.org & @CenterEzidi
Background information and details
On 3 August 2014, ISIS terrorists overran the town of Sinjar (Shingal), carrying out a pre-meditated plan of mass murder, violence, kidnapping, rape, and other crimes against the Yezidi civilians because of their religion. The attacks have been widely described as genocide, including by the US State Department.
To mark the third anniversary of the genocide perpetrated against the Yezidis, the Free Yezidi Foundation and the American Ezidi Center call upon concerned citizens to join the vigil in front of the White House and express support and solidarity with Yezidis.
Survivors of the Yezidi genocide face immense challenges in trying to rebuild their lives. Sadly, even upon the liberation of Mosul, thousands of Yezidis are still held captive by ISIS terrorists in various towns in Syria. Meanwhile, survivors seek to improve their lives, despite three years of displacement. Most Yezidis now live in IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The Free Yezidi Foundation and the American Ezidi Center would also like to express support for other minority communities affected by the ISIS terror attacks, including Iraqi Christians, who have also suffered enormously.
Speakers:
- Pari Ibrahim, Founder and Executive Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation
- Abu Ali, on behalf of the American Ezidi Center
- Naomi Kikoler, Deputy Director of the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Other speakers to be determined
Supporting Materials:
Case studies with high res images available for print and online pieces
Press Contacts:
Khairi Shammo – khairi.shammo@gmail.com
Pari Ibrahim – pari.ibrahim@freeyezidi.org
