On Thursday and Friday, Kurdish leaders congratulated the Yezidi religious community on the Ezi Feast Day, a festival that is celebrated after three days of fasting.

In a message on Thursday, President Masoud Barzani underlined that he hopes this “joyful holiday brings happiness and prosperity to all my Yezidi sisters and brothers, and that they are able to celebrate all their holidays and occasions in peace and joy.

“It is a source of pride that Kurdistan is a land of brotherhood, coexistence, and a love of peace among all its religious and national components, and it is essential that this culture becomes stronger and more deeply rooted.”

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also extended his warmest congratulations to the Yezidis in Kurdistan and around the world.

“On this occasion, we reaffirm to our Yezidi sisters and brothers that we will, as always, continue to stand by them and support their rights and demands, and to strengthen the culture of coexistence in the Kurdistan Region,” he underlined.

Furthermore, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated the Yezidis and their religious leadership in a statement on Friday, and assured “our Yezidi sisters and brothers that we are committed to upholding all their rights. We will strive to restore normalcy in Sinjar, facilitate the return of refugees, and rebuild their communities.”

In October 2020, Baghdad and Erbil signed the Sinjar Agreement with the aim to build a new administration and security structure that would allow displaced Yezidis to return from camps in the Kurdistan Region, but so far the agreement has not been implemented yet.