No award would return our dignity but justice: Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad
Peregraf
Yezidi activist Nadia Murad received a Noble Peace prize and recalled the tragedy of Yezidi minority under the rule of the Islamic State (ISIL), "No award would return our dignity but justice and punishment for the criminals." She asked the international community to alter their sympathy to action on the ground.
Nadia Murad has been jointly awarded the 2018 Nobel peace prize for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and the gynaecologist Denis Mukwege for his work helping the victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nadia is the first Kurd, and the second youngest person to receive the award. She recalled the tragedy of Yezidis during a speech in Norway's Oslo, about the crimes of ISIL. Some attendants burst into tears.
Nadia, 25, was born in the village of Kocho, in Sinjar (also called Shangal) in Iraq. In her speech, she said she had a dream to open a make-up shop in her town, but ISIL changed everything when it overrun the area in August 2014 and committed genocide against them.
"I lost my mother, my sisters and brothers, along with their children. Every Yezidi family suffered the same fate, and our lives changed overnight," Nadia said.
Nadia said the peaceful community of Yezidis faced many such atrocities, and their number has dwindled dramatically in Turkey, Syria and Iraq, "The goal of ISIL to eradicate this religion would be realised, if not protected."
She criticised the international community for not responding to the plight of Yezidis, "The situation of Yezidis has not changed after ISIL, as they live in the camps." She added, "The criminals have not been punished. We do not want more sympathy, but change it to action on the ground."
ISIL overrun Sinjar in August 2014, the historical hometown of Yezidis in the western Mosul, including Kocho village, where people faced a massacre.
ISIL ravaged all towns and villages on its way, abducting women and children as slaves. Estimates say around 6,000 women and children were taken as slaves, half of the number are still missing.
Nadia was kidnapped, and remained under the ISIL for three months, to rescue herself later. She later left the Kurdistan region and went to Germany. As the representative of abducted Yezidis, she met several world leaders and spoke up for the cause in many international forums. Due to her activities, the United Nations decided to appoint her as the ambassador of goodwill for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking in September 2016.
Together with Lamiya Aji Bashar, another Yezidi survivor, she received European Parliaments 2016 Sakharov Prize during a ceremony in Strasbourg on Tuesday 13 December.
Murad called the UN to protect Yezidis, saying they have no guarantee that they would not face another genocide on the hands of other terrorist groups.
She called for justice, "No award would return our dignity except for justice and punishment of the criminals." She added, "Nothing could return our normal life with our friends except justice and protection of our community."
Nadia and Mukwege presenting their Nobel Peace prize on 10 December 2018
The Chair of the Nobel Committee also recalled the situation of Yezidis and the crimes of ISIL, "ISIL has committed the biggest crime against Nadia Murad." She said the award makes Murad and Mukwege committed to their work to end sexual violence during wars.
On his part, Mukwege also explained the situation in Congo, where people are facing violence, murder and persecution by the armed groups. He recalled a village where the people were facing a massacre and sexual violence.
He said he would accept the award on behalf of the people of Congo.