Why Moscow won't recognize genocide against Yazidis in Iraq

Yekaterina Chulkovskaya

Nov 11, 2016

Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar town, walk towards the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain, near the Syrian border town of Elierbeh of Al-Hasakah Governorate August 10, 2014. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo - RTX2GIYQ — Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar, walk toward the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar Mountain near the border town of Elierbeh of Hasakah province, Syria, Aug. 10, 2014. — REUTERS/Rodi Said

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A shopping mall named Shengal — an exotic name to Russians — is located in the eastern part of Moscow. Shengal is the Kurdish name of the city of Sinjar, which is located in northern Iraq where Yazidis live. Most of the customers I met in the shopping center have no idea what “Shengal” means. They also are unaware that on the ground floor of the building there is a TV studio called Lalish TV, the only satellite Yazidi channel in the world.

Lalish TV was launched in April. “We are the only Yazidi channel in Russia that broadcasts in the Yazidi language [Kurmanji or Kurdish dialect] for Yazidis all over the world. We have no link with any political party or movement. We are not politicized. Our aim is to help Yazidis save their identity. We want to give them more information about Yazidi culture, language, religion and history,” a representative of Lalish TV told Al-Monitor.