Urgent and immediate action to stop the Yazidi genocide in Iraq

Urgent and immediate action to stop the Yazidi genocide in Iraq

August 2014 update from the Combat Genocide Association

“The responsibility for the crime of the murder of the whole Jewish nationality in Poland rests first of all on those who are carrying it out, but indirectly it falls also upon the whole of humanity, on the peoples of the Allied nations and on their governments, who up until today have not taken any real steps to halt this crime. By looking on passively upon this murder of [the] defenseless millions [of] tortured children, women and men, they have become partners to the responsibility.”

From the suicide letter of Szmul Zygielbojm, a member of the Polish National Council In Exile, May 11, 1943

Solidarity between people and between nations is one of the cornerstones of human society. Our ability to feel empathy for any individual who is suffering, whoever and wherever they are, is what defines our humanity. This is also what makes us responsible for taking action when acts are being performed against people, whoever and wherever they are.The “Islamic State” (IS/ISIS) is a genocidal fundamentalist organization which is intolerant of religious difference. The organization’s members persecute and murder masses of Shiites, Sunnis, Christians and Kurds.

Islamic State members are now threatening to kill all Yazidis and to annihilate this unique people. The declared aim of Islamic State members is clear, and as such cannot be ignored. Members of the organization refer to Yazidis as “infidels” and “devil worshippers” and are willing to kill them wherever they are.

The Yazidi genocide has already begun! If your country does not act, it will be over within a few short days.

The future of the Yazidis depends on the world’s response and on halting the progress of Islamic State before they reach the remaining concentrations of Yazidis.

As the sons and daughters of the Jewish people, we cannot and will not stand idly by, in the face of these atrocities.

We must promote the struggle for saving the Yazidis to the top priority of every organization that cares about the sanctity of human life – for the future of the Yazidis and for the future of humankind.
On Wednesday (August 13^th) and on Monday (August 18^th) we protested in front of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. The demonstration called to stop the Yazidi genocide and we called upon the US government to act to save the Yazidis by any means possible.

We want to organize an international protest day and we are calling you to organize an identical protest in your countries, in coordination with us, to create an international protest which cannot be ignored.

What can you do to join us?
Sending letters and calling for action! A letter we have sent.

– Call on your government to send humanitarian support to the Yazidi refugees (food, clothes, and medical supplies) and to grant shelter to Yazidi refugees.

– Call on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia, USA) and on the European Union, by sending letters to the local embassies, to act according to international law and save the Yazidis besieged on Mount Shingal, and to prevent the Islamic State organization from conquering the Yazidi enclave in the area of Shekhan north-east of Mosul.

– Call on the UN and its agencies by writing to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, to create an international operation of the nations to protect the Yazidis.

Public opinion campaign –

– Social media outreach (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) under the hashtag #YazidiGenocide – Take a photo with a sign and upload it to the internet.

– Post to the walls of relevant figures on Facebook

– Call on more organizations to join in actions aimed at saving the Yazidis and stopping the genocide.

– Organizing a local protest in your country/town

– Spread out our call to your relatives and friends