Iraq, December 8, 2024

Yazda   launches a new report titled ‘Under Constant Threat: Hate Speech Against the Yazidi Community in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’ that sheds light on the wave of hate speech which targeted the Yazidi community in August 2024, few days after the 10th commemoration of the Yazidi genocide. 

On August 3, 2024, during a commemoration of the Yazidi genocide, a remark during a speech by a Yazidi Peshmerga Commander, sparked widespread outrage after being perceived as offensive to Islam. Despite the commander’s later clarification that his remarks targeted extremist ideologies, the backlash led to a surge of hate speech against Yazidis, primarily on social media. The wave of hate speech that followed caused widespread panic among Yazidis, leading thousands to flee Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) to find refuge in their areas of origin. Many families returned to Sinjar, where they faced severe insecurity, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient support. Over the years, there has been a growing pattern of hate speech notably coinciding with the commemoration of the Yazidi genocide on August 3rd and raising fears of renewed violence against the community.

Publisher:  Yazda
Publication Date: 8 December 2024
Pages: 44
Languages: English, Arabic & Kurdish