"Shêr, Shêra, çı Jına û çı ji Mêra"

(A lion is a lion, which is a man, which is a woman)

As you know, 7 years have passed since the last genocide against our long-suffering Yazidi people. What happened in 2014 is far from the first attempt to destroy us as a nation.
I would like to draw your attention to a historical segment of our history that takes place long before our birth. The events took place in the 19th century in Sinjar and its surroundings. At that time, a decree was issued stating that the Yazidi people should be Islamized. Naturally, this decree was issued for several reasons, namely, to strengthen its influence in the region and weaken the Yazidi community. At that time, the ruler of the Yezidis was Mir Ali Beg II, who refused to accept this decree and began resistance. Because of this, the enemies also invaded Sinjar, staged ethnic cleansing of the Yazidis, desecrated, and robbed our shrine Lalesh and the Sheikh Adi temple.
There were also those who decided to convert to Islam and save their lives, among them was the brother of Ali Beg II-Mirza beg, who eventually deposed his brother. According to eyewitnesses of those events, the Yazidi leader Ali Beg II was subjected to constant torture in Baadr, constantly forced to walk barefoot on thorns, they offered him money and gold, but he refused to convert to Islam. Because of the authority of Ali Beg among the Yezidis, they decided not to kill him, but to send him into exile in Sivas.

At that time, the legend of Zarif Usa was born.
"Zarifa was born in the village of Bakir near Sinjar. In this girl, many emphasized bravery and love for their nation. The girl grew up in a loving family, in a village, until the enemies invaded and began to kill and rob the Yazidi people. In this turmoil, the remaining handful of survivors united and decided to make a plan for survival. After not much thought, most decided to run away from the village, except for one person - Zarifa, who offered to first warn the neighboring villages and then the whole place to gather and climb Mount Sinjar, where you can repel the enemies. This plan seemed unsuccessful to many, someone shouted out from the crowd: "you are a woman, and you are offering us to fight and fight together." To which Zarifa replied: "Shêr, Shêra, çı Jına û çı ji Mêra".
As a result, Zarifa managed to convince the remaining ones, and they rushed to warn neighboring villages and gather forces to repel the enemy. After the battle, Zarifa survived and gave birth to 4 children who also protected and loved their community!".

Such legends, whether they are not quite accurate and have been distorted over time, but one thing is for sure that the Yezidi fortitude and strength of spirit have remained until now. We all know Nadia Murad and others who also preserve and protect our Yazidi community from all misfortunes. Let our exploits and our people not be forgotten.

David Babayev