YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. It is the shame of the international community that after 100 years the Armenian Genocide is still denied: Genocide-that claimed lives of 1.5 million and hundreds of thousands suffered the consequences of the genocide in their future lives. Executive Director and management board member of the US-based “Yazda” NGO Murad Ismail told “Armenpress” in an interview conducted in the sidelines of “Against the Crime of Genocide” second global forum.

Referring to the denialism policy of Turkey, Murad Ismail says that the Turkish government must accept the reality and face the historical truth. “This happened 100 years ago but the recognition is important for Armenians and others even today as a demonstration of human tragedy. We believe that the position of Turkey must be embracing the reality that it committed genocide against Armenians and other minorities, as Yazidis were also massacred during the Armenian Genocide in early 20th century”, the Yazidi public activist added.  

Referring to the issue of awareness of the Yazidi genocide among the Armenian public, Murad Ismail noted that the official circles are quite well informed, which they witnessed during meetings with them. “But we think that the Armenian people are not well aware of the Yazidi genocide. And this forum is a good opportunity to speak about it and tell that 3-4 thousand Yazidis, including elderly, children, women, and disabled who were unable to flee, were killed in one day in Iraq”, Murad Ismail stated. He expressed satisfaction over the fact that Nadia, a Yazidi survival of ISIL atrocities, will have a chance to speak at the global forum in Yerevan about the sufferings of the Yazidis.”She will tell here that we share the grief of Armenians, but will also state that our wounds are fresh and we need you to stand with our people to alleviate our sufferings”, Murad Ismail added.

Nadia Murad Basee Taha is a Yazidi human rights advocate. She was abducted by the ISIL together with thousands of other girls and women after the mainly Yazidi-populated Shingal city was overrun by ISIL. She managed to escape captivity and travel all over the world to shed light on the atrocities of the ISIL committed against the religious minority of Yazidis.