Yazidi activists and victims made a fervent appeal to the global community to help rescue their women from the alleged sex-slavery and abuse perpetrated by the Islamic States, here on Monday.
Some Yazidi women who have escaped from the clutches of the IS spoke about their sexual abuse and human rights violations. IS still holds captive many families and women and continue to sell them to the highest bidders.
One of them, Layla Talo Khudher Alali, shared her own experiences and brutalities suffered at the hands of the IS at a media interaction here.
"I was sold 9 times as a sex slave by the cowardly terror group. They have instilled fear and unleashed a reign of terror against the Yazidis by mercilessly raping, abusing and selling our women," Layla said.
She said there are many other women who were abducted and continue to be held captive as sex slaves.
"The world cannot remain a mute spectator while everyday my fellow sisters are raped, assaulted and then sold off," Layla said.
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"My efforts to rescue the women being held by the IS operatives continue. But we need assistance from the world community. It needs to do much more for the cause of the suffering Yazidis," said Idris Bashar Silo Taha, who has risked death to personally rescue around 300 Yazidi girls from the IS.
Other speakers included Hussein Al-Qaidi, Director for Yazidi Rescue of the Kurdistan/Iraq government, Women for Afghan Women, Najia Nazim, Nashwa Show host-founder (Miss) Nashwa Al-Ruwaini and Oby Ezekwesili who is leading the 'Bring Back Our Girls Campaign.'
Mumbai NGO Harmony Foundation Chairman Abraham Mathai, which organised the event, said that the world has heard of some of these stories, especially the plight of this year's Nobel Peace laureate Nadia Murad, who was also awarded this year's 'Mother Teresa Award' on Sunday.
Stating that the Yazidi girls don't have the backing of a "#MeToo" campaign, he pointed out that it is imperative that every victim of sexual abuse anywhere in the world is heard equally and all efforts are made to give them full justice.
--IANS
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