Ali Bashar, a Yazidi refugee living in Calgary, survived a mass execution by ISIS in northern Iraq a decade ago. Many Yazidis were killed, women and girls were taken as slaves, and families were torn apart. While some ISIS members have returned to Canada, very few have faced criminal charges. Ali’s youngest daughter, Wafaa, who survived years as a slave, has not been allowed to join her family in Calgary. The issue of family reunification is critical for the Yazidi community’s healing and rebuilding efforts in Canada.
The Liberal government announced a temporary public policy allowing Yazidis in Canada to sponsor family members. However, the program was capped at 400 people, and applications reached their limit quickly. Many Yazidis are still trying to bring their families back together. The Yazidi community is pushing for Canada to prosecute its citizens who served in ISIS, particularly women who were active participants in recruitment, enforcing ISIS laws, committing acts of violence, and participating in sex trafficking. The women in ISIS are not just victims but also perpetrators.
Ali Bashar’s family was living in Kocho, a village in Yazidi country, when ISIS fighters arrived in 2014. The villagers were given an ultimatum to convert or die. The men were executed, and the women and girls were taken captive. Ali survived the massacre and managed to escape with two others. His daughter Wafaa was kidnapped and enslaved when she was 12 years old. She endured multiple owners, abuse, and rape until she was eventually freed. Wafaa now lives in Iraq and is waiting to join her family in Calgary.
Wafaa’s harrowing experiences as an ISIS slave have left her traumatized and longing to be reunited with her family in Calgary. She fears for her safety in Iraq and believes ISIS is still a threat. Ali worries about the ISIS members who have returned to Canada and the potential danger they pose to society. He is also concerned about his missing son and other family members. Samo, Ali’s wife, has 30 missing family members and struggles to talk about what she endured in Syria. Ali, diagnosed with a brain tumor, hopes to see Wafaa safely in Canada before he passes away.
The Yazidi community in Canada faces challenges in reuniting families torn apart by the ISIS genocide. Many survivors are still seeking justice for the atrocities committed against them. While Canada has provided refuge to Yazidi survivors, the process of family reunification is limited and slow. The need to prosecute ISIS members who have returned to Canada, particularly women who were active participants in the terror group’s crimes, is also crucial for the healing and rebuilding efforts of the Yazidi community. The Bashars’ story highlights the ongoing trauma and challenges faced by Yazidi survivors of ISIS atrocities.
