In A Somber Homecoming, Yazidis Grieve And Watch Over Their Dead
As you drive through northern Iraq near the border with Syria, you pass checkpoints every few miles or so. Manning these roadblocks are Kurdish fighters, wearing camouflage and body armor, carrying big guns.
Sometimes there are piles of dirt in the road to slow down traffic.
These Kurdish peshmerga fighters are beginning to reclaim some land from the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS, and people are beginning to return to their homes.
An identification card lies in the dirt in Hardan in December.
But the homecoming has proved harrowing for many.
Last month, Kurds brought in an earthmover to build a checkpoint near the village of Hardan. The machine dug into a pile of dirt at the side of the road — and uncovered something awful.
Next to a mound of dirt, there are human bones sticking out.
"These are my relatives," says a fighter named Shamwa Edu.
Edu points to another man, saying, "His uncle and cousin are buried here."
The other man is named Naif Brahem Khadir. He patrols this site every day, making sure dogs don't dig up the bones.
An Iraqi man inspects the remains of what are believed to be members of the Yazidi minority, in the northern village of Sinuni on Feb. 3.
Khadir pulls a dirty white cloth from under a stone. It's a head scarf. He points out the stains on it — blood — and the bullet hole.
ISIS fighters stormed through this village in the beginning of August. They took young women captive. Nearly everyone else was killed on the spot.
Some villagers who were lucky enough to escape watched the massacre through binoculars from the top of nearby Mount Sinjar.
Khadir says the people on the mountain estimate they watched 70 — perhaps 100 — of their countrymen killed here. That's consistent with other mass graves that have been discovered in this area.
The mayor of a nearby village told us that local health officials unearthed one site with remains of 28 people. Another held about 100.
But in the village of Hardan, no one has dug up and counted the bodies. That's because residents want the United Nations to come and document what happened before anything is touched.
"The world must record this genocide," Khadir says.
He and the others here belong to the Yazidi religion. They're a small minority that has lived in this part of Iraq for centuries.
These men say their neighbors have turned against them many times over the years. And that is why they stand guard at these grave sites now. They fear that without some kind of international accounting, history will repeat itself and their religion will be wiped out.
"This is what the Arabs do to us, and they will do it again," says Edu. "We cannot live with Arabs at all."
So, these fighters carefully surround the mounds of dirt with caution tape. They keep standing guard by the road, next to their ruined village.
After their loss has been recognized, then, they say, they will give their relatives a proper burial.
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Transcript
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
In northern Iraq, Kurdish fighters are beginning to reclaim territory from the self-styled Islamic State or ISIS. People are starting to return to their homes, and what they're finding is harrowing. NPR's Ari Shapiro visited a village near the Iraqi border with Syria. And there, he met sentries who were protecting mass grave sites. We warn you that this story, which lasts about three minutes, contains graphic details that some might find disturbing.
ARI SHAPIRO, BYLINE: As you drive through this recently freed territory, you pass checkpoints every few miles or so. Local Kurdish fighters man these roadblocks - men in camouflage wearing body armor carrying big guns. Sometimes there are piles of dirt in the road to slow traffic down for the checkpoints.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Speaking Kurdish).
SHAPIRO: Near the village of Hardan, ISIS was only forced out in late December. When locals returned, they brought in an earthmover to build a new checkpoint here. The machine dug into a pile of dirt at the side of the road and uncovered something awful.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: He say all of them is my relative.
SHAPIRO: OK, I'm sorry. We're standing next to this mound of dirt where there are bones sticking out. And you're saying these are human bones - these are the bones of your countrymen, your relatives.
SHAMWA EDU: (Speaking Kurdish).
SHAPIRO: "Yes, these are my relatives," says a fighter named Shamwa Edu. Edu points to another man saying, "his uncle and cousin are buried here." The other man is named Naif Brahem Khadir. He patrols this site every day making sure dogs don't dig up the bones. Khadir pulls a dirty white cloth from under a stone.
This is a headscarf.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Do you see the black? It's blood.
SHAPIRO: He points out the bloodstain and the bullet hole. ISIS fighters stormed through this village in the beginning of August. They took young women captive and nearly everyone else was killed on the spot. Some villagers who were lucky enough to escape watched the massacre through binoculars from the top of nearby Mount Sinjar.
Do you have any idea how many people are in each of these mounds?
NAIF BRAHEM KHADIR: (Speaking Kurdish).
SHAPIRO: Khadir says the people on the mountain estimate they watched 70 - maybe a hundred of their countrymen killed here. That's consistent with other mass graves that have been discovered in this area so far. They mayor of a nearby village told us that local health officials unearthed one site with remains of a hundred people. Another held about 28. But here in the village of Hardan, no one has dug up and counted the bodies because locals want the UN to come and document what happened before they touch anything.
KHADIR: (Speaking Kurdish).
SHAPIRO: Khadir says, "the world must record this genocide." He and the others here are Yazidis, an ethnic and religious minority that has lived in this part of Iraq for centuries. These men say their Arab neighbors have turned against them many times over the years, and that is why they stand guard at these gravesites now. They fear that without some kind of international accounting, history will repeat itself and their religion will be wiped off the earth.
EDU: (Speaking Kurdish).
SHAPIRO: "This is what the Arabs do to us, and they will do it again," says Shamwa Edu. "We cannot live with Arabs at all."
ISIS has killed thousands of Arabs and Yazidis alike, but they have particularly targeted this minority group. So these fighters carefully surround the mounds of dirt with caution tape. They keep standing guard by the road next to their ruined village. After their loss has been recognized, then, they say, they will give their relatives a proper burial. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, northern Iraq. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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