The Assyrian Democratic Organization
Baghdad – AINA — Yezidi Iraqi MP Amin Farhan announced on Sunday the arrest of members from the Yezidian Movement for Reform and Progress by Kurdish Asayesh intelligence agents.
The Yezidis were captured in the province of Dohuk, north Iraq and were taken to an undisclosed location. The reason for the capture is not known but MP Amin Farhan questioned the motive of the Kurds and said many Yezidis have been arrested by the Kurds for not complying with Kurdish demands.
Kurdish political groups have stepped up their efforts in recent years of portraying the Yezidis as Kurds in an attempt to annex a large area inhabited by Yezidis under Kurdish rule. The Yezidi Movement for Reform and Progress, the major political party among Yezidis, objects to the labeling of Yezidis as Kurds.
Yezidis have demanded to have a seat on the provincial council in the Nineveh province. Kurds object the demand and claim the Yezidis are not entitled to their own seat because they are Kurds.
Many Yezidis blame the bombings of two Yezidi villages in 2007, in which hundreds of people were killed, on the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Massoud Barazani. They believe the bombings were meant to silence the Yezidis and make them fear the KDP party.
