After the election of a new religious head of the Yazidis, the split among the Yazidi society is growing. Intellectuals, tribal leaders and Yazidi commanders criticize the political influence on the election of Bawe Sheikh and accuse the secular head of the Yazidis, Mir Hazim beg, of subordinating Yazidi interests to the political goals of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). In this regard, Kasim Shasho, the commander of the Yazidi Peshmerga units in Shangal and a member of the KDP, as a protest announced his resignation from the party and the refusal of the post of general of the Peshmerga.

The background

On October 1, 2020, the religious head of the Yazidi Bawe Sheikh Hato Haji Ismail, who had held his rank since 1995, died. According to Yazidi tradition, a successor was to be elected within 40 days of his death. Bawe Sheikh has the highest religious authority for the Yazidis and his voice is of particular importance in making political decisions about the future of the Yazidis.

The successor must come from the family of sheikhs Fakhradin. A prerequisite for the candidate is the presence of theological knowledge about the Yazidi religion. In addition to the son of the late Bawe Sheikh Hato Haji, Farhad Bawe Sheikh, his cousin Ali Bawe Sheikh ran for election. For decades, these two families performed the duties of the Bawa Sheikh alternately. Both candidates met all the criteria of this rank.

The religious service of Bawe Sheikh is mainly spiritual, but his opinion is of particular importance in making political decisions concerning the Yazidi community. Previously, both above-mentioned candidates expressed their opinion in favor of certain political parties in Iraqi Kurdistan, without being members of these parties. Both families are members of two major Kurdish parties, the KDP and the PUK.

In his decisions, the Bawe Sheikh is guided only by religious precepts and his conscience. But as a religious leader, he can also express his opinion on political events and thus influence the Yazidi community. The party affiliation of family members can play a negative role, because Bawe Sheikh listens to the advice of his relatives.

A few weeks before the election of a new Bawe Sheikh, supporters of the KDP and PUK exchanged verbal blows. Both sides were trying to get their candidate to the polls. In the end, the Yazidi functionaries of the KDP won.

On November 14, 2020, Mir Hazim beg announced that Ali Elias had been elected Bawe Sheikh. Moreover, representatives of the Yezidis of Shangal were not allowed to participate in the elections, because the law enforcement agencies controlled by the KDP made it difficult for them to enter Iraqi Kurdistan, and representatives of the Yezidi diaspora were also absent. As Hazim beg later told the Kurdish media, the election of Ali Bawe Sheikh was his initiative and decision as the head of the Yazidis, and he did not consult anyone about this. Thus, on November 18, the inauguration of the new Bawe Sheikh took place, which was strictly guarded by the military structures of the KDP. Yazidis of Shangal, Syria, Turkey and the Diaspora were absent from the event. And the main actors who took an active part in the organization of this inauguration were the Yazidi functionaries of the KDP-Sheikh Shamo and Karim Sleman.

Criticism of the electoral process

Thus, the discontent of the Yezidis of Shangal and the diaspora is directed primarily against the electoral process and personally Mir Hazim Beg, and not against any of the contenders for the title of Bawe Sheikh. After the genocide of the Yazidi population in Iraq and Syria, committed by the terrorist group ISIL (banned in the Russian Federation), the official authorities of the Yazidis and their leaders in Iraq have demonstrated their complete failure, and therefore any appointments should be made based on public consensus, which should be ensured by creating a parliament, which will include representatives of Yazidi communities from around the world.

In fact, something similar was initiated by Mir Tahsin beg, the father of the current World, but this project could not be implemented for political reasons. Thus, Tahsin Bega's appeals to the Kurdish government were rejected. The KDP feared losing its influence if the Yazidi community decided its own fate by a democratic majority. The Parliament, which should be in or near Lalysh, requires the approval of the KDP.

Disregard for the opinion of the Yazidi community

Yazidi intellectuals and activists from all over the world have repeatedly sent letters to the Supreme Spiritual Council asking them to postpone the inauguration of Bawe Sheikh and discuss candidates with the leaders of Yazidi organizations, intellectuals, tribal leaders and Yazidi commanders. They also made similar requests to Ali Elias Bawa Sheikh to prevent a further split in Yazidi society. However, the opinion of the Yazidi community was never heard.

Haidar Shasho, commander of the Ezidhan Protection Force, along with the Yezidi tribal leaders of Shangal, criticized the process of electing Bawe Sheikh. In his opinion, no party should be allowed to influence the decisions of the Yazidis in any way. He supports the creation of a Yazidi parliament, which will include representatives of Yazidis from all over the world, in particular Germany, Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Syria and other countries. Shasho believes that they have the right to vote in the election of Bawe Sheikh.

In turn, Kasim Shasho, as a protest, announced his immediate resignation from the post of commander-in-chief of the Peshmerga units in Shangal and the termination of his membership in the KDP. In his video message, Kasim Shasho said that the KDP does not show any respect for the affairs of the Yazidis. "The KDP abandoned the Yazidis in Shangala, their Peshmerga did nothing in the Yazidi fight against ISIS. The influence on the election of Bawe Sheikh again shows that the KDP does not respect the Yazidis, " Shasho concluded. He refused monthly donations from the Peshmerga ministry.

The politically motivated actions of Mir Hazim beg, as well as the disregard of the Yazidi opinion on the future of Shangal by the Iraqi and Kurdish governments, demonstrate that no one draws conclusions from the 2014 genocide. Instead, the Yazidis are returning to the political reality that existed in the region before 2014, when their community was split by various political forces. Shangal became vulnerable to ISIL militants because the Yazidis did not have any political and military power, nor did they make their own decisions in their region.

Mir Hazim Beg's father, Mir Tahsin beg, said in one of his statements, which is contained in a confidential American report published by Wikileaks in 2008: "The Yazidis will melt under the rule of the KDP like snow under the sun." Geographically, the Yazidi shrine of Lalysh and the surrounding Yazidi villages are in the territories controlled by the KDP.

Mir Tahsin beg also warned against actions that put the interests of parties above the interests of the Yazidi community and therefore he was against people like his own son and successor. Thus, Mir Hazim beg missed the chance to unite the Yazidis and strengthen his authority among them. Instead, he has further deepened divisions among Yazidi society and divided it with his actions, once again making it clear that he is not worthy of his position – as a secular leader of the Yazidis outside the KDP-controlled territories, he does not have the proper support.

While the Yazidi community continues to suffer the consequences of the genocide, Mir Hazim beg, grinning at the camera, explains to journalists how indifferent he is to the opinion of the Yazidis. Since 2014 Khazim beg has never visited the Shangal region. Although his office has announced that a delegation will be sent to Shangal soon, no one will be happy for him there.

Source ÊzîdîPress