Yazidi Genocide Memorial: A Testament to Resilience

Located in Yerevan, the Yazidi Genocide Memorial stands as a poignant tribute to the Yazidi people and the atrocities they have endured. The memorial commemorates the Yazidi genocide, particularly the massacres, genocidal rape, and forced conversions to Islam perpetrated by ISIS between 2014 and 2017. The monument features a statue of a Yazidi woman holding a child, symbolizing the suffering of Yazidis and other minorities who were victims of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.The Yazidi people, who are largely settled in Northwestern Iraq, are an ethno-religious group with a unique faith derived from Indo-Iranian traditions. They have faced a long history of persecution, with the ISIS genocide considered the 74th such event in their history. The memorial serves not only as a place of mourning but also as a symbol of survival and hope, encouraging visitors to learn about the Yazidi community's story. The memorial was inaugurated in Yerevan on April 21, 2016, by leaders of Armenia's Yazidi community.Armenia is home to the largest Yazidi minority in the world, with an estimated 31,079 Yazidis living in the country according to the 2022 census. Many Yazidis settled in Armenia in the 19th and early 20th centuries, fleeing religious persecution by the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian government has been supportive of the Yazidi community, condemning the ISIS mass killings and working to raise awareness of the issue in the international arena.