• Mourners carry coffins wrapped in the Iraqi flag in a procession during a mass funeral for 104 Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho in Sinjar district. AFP
    Mourners carry coffins wrapped in the Iraqi flag in a procession during a mass funeral for 104 Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho in Sinjar district. AFP
  • A woman weeps during a burial service for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP
    A woman weeps during a burial service for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP
  • A woman reacts during a a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of the Islamic State (IS) group in the northern Iraqi village of Kojo in Sinjar district. AFP
    A woman reacts during a a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of the Islamic State (IS) group in the northern Iraqi village of Kojo in Sinjar district. AFP
  • Iraqi soldiers carrying coffins arrive to start a mass funeral ceremony for Yazidi victims of the Islamic State (IS) group in the northern Iraqi village of Kojo in Sinjar district. AFP
    Iraqi soldiers carrying coffins arrive to start a mass funeral ceremony for Yazidi victims of the Islamic State (IS) group in the northern Iraqi village of Kojo in Sinjar district. AFP
  • Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Yazidi activist Nadia Murad speaks during the funeral of people from the minority Yazidi sect who were killed by ISIS. Reuters
    Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Yazidi activist Nadia Murad speaks during the funeral of people from the minority Yazidi sect who were killed by ISIS. Reuters
  • Men play the ney and tambourines in a procession during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho in Sinjar district. AFP
    Men play the ney and tambourines in a procession during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho in Sinjar district. AFP
  • An elderly mourner attends a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho in Sinjar district. AFP
    An elderly mourner attends a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho in Sinjar district. AFP
  • An aerial picture shows mourners carrying coffins wrapped in the Iraqi flag in a procession during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP
    An aerial picture shows mourners carrying coffins wrapped in the Iraqi flag in a procession during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP
  • An aerial picture shows mourners gathering around coffins wrapped with the Iraqi flag during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP
    An aerial picture shows mourners gathering around coffins wrapped with the Iraqi flag during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP
  • Mourners gather around graves during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP
    Mourners gather around graves during a mass funeral for Yazidi victims of ISIS in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho. AFP

Yazidi village buries victims of 2014 ISIS rampage in Iraq


Sinan Mahmoud
  • English
  • Arabic

Iraq's Yazidis converged in their northern homeland on Saturday to bid farewell to 104 members of the religious minority who were killed by ISIS in 2014 when the extremist militants swept through vast areas of the country.

Long lines of cars waited for hours on the highway to enter the village of Kocho, about 25 kilometres south-east of the city of Sinjar, where graves were dug in rows on an arid plain, each marked with metal plate displaying the names of the victims to be buried there.

Tents were set up in an open area where women in black wailed and beat their chests in grief as loudspeakers blared songs and poems recounting the ISIS genocide and praised the victims. Iraqi security forces and Yazidi paramilitary troops guarded the area.

At about 1pm, the caskets wrapped in Iraqi flags were carried into the village on the shoulders of young men walking in two lines. Each casket bore the picture of the victim.

Yazidi religious and tribal leaders led the procession through the village's muddy streets as musicians played traditional skin drums and wooden flutes. As the coffins approached the tents, the wailing of mourners reached a hysterical pitch.

We are living the first days of the genocide again today

The Yazidis buried on Saturday are first batch of victims whose remains were exhumed from mass graves left by ISIS and identified through DNA tests.

About 2,800 Yazidis are still either missing or in captivity, more than three years after Iraqi and international forces defeated ISIS.

“Today is a hard day for all of us Yazidis,” said Layla Salo, a 34-year-old survivor who came from Sinjar for the ceremony.

"We are living the first days of the genocide again today," she said, speaking to The National by phone. "Our wounds are being reopened. It's hard to describe our feelings and the tragedy we have gone through."

The Yazidis being buried on Saturday were all from the village of Kocho. They were to have been buried early last year, but the coronavirus outbreak delayed the process.

ISIS captured all of village's nearly 1,250 residents in August 2014, killing at least 500 of them and taking nearly 800 women and girls into captivity.

More than 17 mass graves have been found in Kocho alone. Exhumations started in March 2019 and ended in October 2020.

Ms Salo was among thousands of women enslaved by ISIS militants.

She spent nearly three years in captivity, mostly in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de-facto capital of the ISIS' self-proclaimed caliphate extending across Iraq and Syria. She was finally able to escape with the help of a smuggler in April 2017.

“I was sold eight times in the slave markets with my two children,” she said. “Whenever I resisted rape, they beat me so badly. We are still suffering from those days.”

Ms Salo said she was still waiting for word on the fate of her husband, brother, sister-in-law and four nephews.

Riyadh Ahmed, 37, came with his father, sister and wife to bury the remains of his uncle and three cousins.

"We feel bitterness, very deep sorrow and anger," Mr Ahmed said after finishing the ceremony. "What we've seen and gone through is not something we can forget easily."

His cousins were close to him and he used to see them at least once a week.

The last time they met up was a month before the ISIS attack and they spent three days together.

"I have fond memories of them. We used to spend great time together, talk about our study and other stuff," Mr Ahmed added.

"It's true that burying them today has comforted us, but we are disappointed and can't trust anyone anymore," he added, referring to those locals who joined ISIS.

  • Mourners carry the remains of 104 Yazidis killed by ISIS for burial in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho on February 6, 2021. Reuters
    Mourners carry the remains of 104 Yazidis killed by ISIS for burial in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho on February 6, 2021. Reuters
  • Members of the Yazidi religious minority gather in Kocho, northern Iraq for the burial of 104 members whose remains were identified after being exhumed from ISIS mass graves. Reuters
    Members of the Yazidi religious minority gather in Kocho, northern Iraq for the burial of 104 members whose remains were identified after being exhumed from ISIS mass graves. Reuters
  • Yazidi musicians play during the funeral of ISIS victims in Kocho. Reuters
    Yazidi musicians play during the funeral of ISIS victims in Kocho. Reuters
  • Mourners gather for the burial of the remains of 104 Yazidi victims of ISIS in Kocho, Iraq. REUTERS
    Mourners gather for the burial of the remains of 104 Yazidi victims of ISIS in Kocho, Iraq. REUTERS
  • Security forces check attendees before the funeral. Reuters
    Security forces check attendees before the funeral. Reuters
  • Mourners line the route as coffins holding the remains of Yazidis slain by ISIS are taken for burial. Reuters
    Mourners line the route as coffins holding the remains of Yazidis slain by ISIS are taken for burial. Reuters
  • A member of the security forces stands guard in front of the graves dug for victims of ISIS in Kocho village in northern Iraq. Reuters
    A member of the security forces stands guard in front of the graves dug for victims of ISIS in Kocho village in northern Iraq. Reuters
  • Mourners attend the funeral of 104 Yazidis from the village of Kocho who were killed by ISIS and buried in mass graves before their remains were exhumed and identified. Reuters
    Mourners attend the funeral of 104 Yazidis from the village of Kocho who were killed by ISIS and buried in mass graves before their remains were exhumed and identified. Reuters

More than five years since the liberation of Sinjar and surrounding areas, Yazidi still feel neglected and marginalised, Fadhil Haider, a 26-year old mourner, said.

"There are still 75 mass graves waiting to be opened, our homes are demolished, our families in camps, many are still in captivity, the survivors and widows are left without help," Mr Haider said.

"We feel like we are a second-class citizens."

The Yazidis were targeted by ISIS for their ancient faith – one of the world's monotheistic religions – falsely describing them as devil-worshippers and apostates.

The militants stormed the Sinjar area, the Yazidis' ancestral homeland, and surrounding villages east of Mosul city in early August 2014, seeking to wipe out the community.

They forced girls and young women into sexual slavery and killed their male relatives.

Dozens of mass graves have been discovered in Sinjar and Iraqi officials say the process of identifying all the remains will take years.

Samples from three close living relatives are needed for DNA identification, but in some cases entire families are missing.

Iraq teamed up with the UN to collect evidence for criminal trials which have yet to start.

Liverpool's all-time goalscorers

Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMaly%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mo%20Ibrahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.6%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%2C%20planning%20first%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GCC-based%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20match%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2020%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%2016%20round%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%203%20to%206%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuarter-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%209%20and%2010%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2013%20and%2014%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space

Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)

Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)

Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution) 

Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space  

Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019

ENGLAND SQUAD

Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds

Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell

The specs: 2018 Renault Megane

Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200

Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder

Transmission Continuously variable transmission

Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km

Scoreline:

Cardiff City 0

Liverpool 2

Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)

England squad

Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Tips for used car buyers
  • Choose cars with GCC specifications
  • Get a service history for cars less than five years old
  • Don’t go cheap on the inspection
  • Check for oil leaks
  • Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
  • Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
  • Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
  • Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
  • If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell

Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com

UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEquestrian%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAbdullah%20Humaid%20Al%20Muhairi%2C%20Abdullah%20Al%20Marri%2C%20Omar%20Al%20Marzooqi%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Suwaidi%2C%20and%20Ali%20Al%20Karbi%20(four%20to%20be%20selected).%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EJudo%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Narmandakh%20Bayanmunkh%20(66kg)%2C%20Nugzari%20Tatalashvili%20(81kg)%2C%20Aram%20Grigorian%20(90kg)%2C%20Dzhafar%20Kostoev%20(100kg)%2C%20Magomedomar%20Magomedomarov%20(%2B100kg)%3B%20women's%20Khorloodoi%20Bishrelt%20(52kg).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECycling%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESafia%20Al%20Sayegh%20(women's%20road%20race).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESwimming%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Yousef%20Rashid%20Al%20Matroushi%20(100m%20freestyle)%3B%20women%3A%20Maha%20Abdullah%20Al%20Shehi%20(200m%20freestyle).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAthletics%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMaryam%20Mohammed%20Al%20Farsi%20(women's%20100%20metres).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)

  • Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs 
  • Thursday 20 January: v England 
  • Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh 

UAE squad:

Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith  

%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

HOW TO WATCH

Facebook: TheNationalNews 

Twitter: @thenationalnews 

Instagram: @thenationalnews.com 

TikTok: @thenationalnews   

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

RESULTS

Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO

Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke

Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke

Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO

Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision

Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision

Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO

Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)

Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)

Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision

Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke

Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO

Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision

Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision

'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

Rating: 1 out of 4

Running time: 81 minutes

Director: David Blue Garcia

Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham

GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

Brief scores:

Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf

Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)

Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17

Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)

Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million