The Êzîdxan Women's Units (Kurdish: Yekinêyen Jinên Êzîdxan or YJÊ) is a Yazidi all-women militia formed in Iraq in 2015 to protect the Yazidi community in the wake of attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other Islamist groups that view Yazidis as pagan infidels.[5]
| Êzîdxan Women's Units | |
|---|---|
| Yekinêyen Jinên Êzidxan (YJÊ) | |
 Flag of Sinjar Women's Units | |
| Leaders | Berivan Aslan (chief commander) Rosyar Vejin[1] (Khanasor commander) |
| Dates of operation | 2015–present[3] |
| Headquarters | Sinjar, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq |
| Ideology | Democratic confederalism Yazidi regionalism Jineology |
| Status | Active |
| Part of | Sinjar Alliance |
| Allies | Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) Êzîdxan Protection Force (HPÊ)Free Women's Units (YJA-Star) Bethnahrain Women's Protection Forces  Women's Protection Units (YPJ) |
| Opponents |  Islamic State Rojava Peshmerga[1] |
| Battles and wars | Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) |
An offshoot of the mixed-gender Yazidi militia Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ), the YJÊ was founded on 5 January 2015 under the original name of Yekîneyên Parastina Jin ê Şengalê (Kurdish: Sinjar Women’s Protection Units, YJŞ[6]), or YPJ-Sinjar.[3] The militia adopted its current name on 26 October 2015.[7]
The organization follows imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's feminist Jineology,[3] and with the broader concept of democratic confederalism as advocated by the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK).[8][9]
Activity
editIn October 2015, the YJÊ participated in the foundation of the Sinjar Alliance as an all-Yezidi joint commando umbrella structure, along with the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ), the formerly Peshmerga-aligned Protection Force of Sinjar (HPŞ)[10] and other, independent Yezidi units committed to the united Yezidi front.[11]
Under the joint command of the newly founded Sinjar Alliance, the Êzidxan Women's Units took part in the November 2015 Sinjar offensive.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "YJŞ Commander: We will not leave our land to the traitors". ANF News. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Manbij operation will continue until ISIS is completely expelled". ANF News. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ a b c "YPJ-Sinjar founding meeting held". DİHA. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ "Şengal's YJŞ: heading for al-Raqqa to liberate Yazidi women". Hawar News Agency. 3 July 2017. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- ^ Moroz, Sarah (11 September 2015). "The women taking on Isis: on the ground with Iraq's female fighters". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ "YBŞ/YJŞ repel ISIS attack on a village of Shengal". ANF News. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "YPJ Shengal changes its name to YJÊ". Fırat News. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ Flanagin, Jake (13 October 2014). "Women Fight ISIS and Sexism in Kurdish Regions". The New York Times – The Opinion Pages. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "On patrol with the Sinjar Resistance Units". Reuters. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Yezidi forces form alliance against IS". Êzîdî Press. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ "Independent Yezidi units join Shingal alliance". Êzîdî Press. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ "Shingal: KurdInnen starten mit vereinten Kräften Großoffensive gegen IS". Kurdische Nachrichten (in German). 12 November 2015. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.