The story of Vefa, a Yezidi woman who was stolen by ISIS 9 years ago – ANHA | HAWARNEWS
When you look deep into Veth’s eyes, you see only the sadness and injustice of the world. As a result of the pain, grief and longing she endured, her body also weakened.
“I don’t eat anymore, I don’t like food. This is how I am, I am getting weaker day by day,” says Vefa. Not only her eyes but also her body scream her history.
Vefa Ali Abas, a young Yezidi woman, now 18 years old, was abducted by ISIS gangs from the village of Kocho in Shengal when she was 9 years old, along with her sister (13 years old), who was deaf and mute. At this young age, she was raped by militants and became pregnant. The militants who raped Vefu killed her child in the womb. A Yezidi girl was sold 7 times, she forbids speaking her language, her culture and religion are banned.
Wefa paradise in Kocho was destroyed by ISIS attack. It is not easy to describe the events of 9 years in a few pages. Vefa seemed to have grown old in these 9 years.
Vefa recounted the day that changed her life: “The militants surrounded us in the village school. We were given 3 days to hand over the sheikh of the Kocho peoples, otherwise they said that they would seize the resources. The Sheikh told them that they would not give up. Then the militants surrounded the village, gathered us into the village school and separated us from each other. They divided fathers, old men, mothers, children, young girls and boys. Then they brought a car and drove us towards Mosul. At that time I was my mother and one sister. Then we were taken away, not allowed to stay with my mother. We screamed, but it was useless.”
The gangs separated Vefa from her family, abducted her first to Mosul and then to Raqqa and kept her at school. Vefa talks about the cruelty of the militants: “We started to sell.”
Vefa, who has suffered many times from the suppression of militants, continues: “Sometimes they bring back raped girls. When we first brought to Raqqa, we found the descent, but it didn’t work out. There were 70 of us. We and the ISIS met on the first streets, they caught us again and took us back to the school. When they took us, they brought us to criminal responsibility and insulted us. They came and raped us every hour. The militants came at midnight and took away my deaf-mute sister. I held it back, snatched it from his hands, we screamed, but it didn’t work. The gunman said he was just collecting it. He took my sister by the hair and dragged her away. Since then, I do not know her fate.
SOLD 7 TIMES
Vefa’s misfortune did not end, it continued in the Hol prison. She was sold 7 times, raped.
Vefa continues: “Then someone came and raped me. I told him, why are you talking about doing this to us, we are young, we are like sparrows on a tree branch. I was a month and a half with the person who bought me first. Then he sold me to someone else. I have been sold 7 times. When I was sold for the sixth time, he told me: “You are free.” So no one wanted me anymore, and no one began to rape me. This man died during the shelling. Then I found my aunt in Deir ez-Zor and we started living together. From Mayadin we went to Hajin and then to Merashida. There I was given in marriage to Abu Ehmed. I was his wife. Then we went to Bahoz, and ended up in the Hol camp. I received information that Abu Ehmed died in the family. The second wife of Abu Ehmed left for Erbil, and I stayed here. I was forcibly married to someone else at Hol Camp and he raped me every day.”
“I WAS AFRAID TO SAY THAT I AM A YAZIDI”
After witnessing the cruelty of ISIS prisoners in the Hol camp, Vefa said: “There was enmity, hatred and war between them. They slaughtered and beheaded women who they thought were not good. When I heard this, I was very afraid for myself that first they would come, take me and cut off my head. I didn’t leave my room, I only had relationships with my husband’s other wife, no one except my husband’s other wife knew that I was a Yazidi. I was afraid to say that I was a Yezidi, because they killed that the Yezidis were infidels. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone.”
RESCUE FIGHTERS YPHOS
Vefa was rescued during Day 9 of a humanitarian external security operation launched with the support of the SDF, YPJ and YPG under an external Internal Security Force. Expressing her gratitude to the YPJ fighters, Vefa now wants to return to her family and start life anew.
Vefa said of the militants who stole her life: “They raped me when I was little, my life. They turned me into hell and tortured me, may Allah judge them.”
VC.
ANHA