{"id":16703,"date":"2022-04-12T01:00:49","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T22:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/afrin-a-kuwaiti-funded-school-built-on-the-ruins-of-the-yazidi-cultural-union\/"},"modified":"2022-04-11T20:11:11","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T17:11:11","slug":"afrin-a-kuwaiti-funded-school-built-on-the-ruins-of-the-yazidi-cultural-union","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/en\/afrin-a-kuwaiti-funded-school-built-on-the-ruins-of-the-yazidi-cultural-union\/","title":{"rendered":"Afrin: A Kuwaiti Funded School Built on the Ruins of the Yazidi Cultural Union"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On 29 June 2020, Afrin\u2019s local council, operating under the Syrian Interim Government, announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q0WUXsxYIcQ\">it was laying the foundation stone<\/a>s for a new school on the ruins of the Yazidi Cultural Union, under the name \u201cAfrin\u201d, which was later changed to \u201cAl-Imam wa Al-Khateeb\u201d. The Yazidi Cultural Union, located in Afrin, was demolished along with the monument of Lali\u015fa N\u00fbran\u00ee and a statue of Zoroaster, who are Yazidi symbols. The council stated that the Kuwaiti Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society is funding the new school project and the White Hands Association (Kurdish: Beyaz Eller Derne\u011fi) is responsible for its implementation and management.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Yazidi Cultural Union<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Building and Land Ownership<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before the onset of the Syrian war, the historic building, located in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/36%C2%B030'37.0%22N+36%C2%B051'42.5%22E\/@36.5102778,36.8639943,17z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x90c189eda0bf0eb3!8m2!3d36.5102778!4d36.8618056\">Velat Street<\/a>, was a headquarters of the Arab Socialist Ba\u2019ath Party. However, in October 2013, following the control of the People&#8217;s Protection Units (YPJ) over all Afrin, the building became the base of the Yazidi Cultural Union, which was established at that time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2018, Turkey took over Afrin through Operation Olive Branch, which it launched against the YPJ with support from the SNA. On 2 August 2018, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2018\/08\/syria-turkey-must-stop-serious-violations-by-allied-groups-and-its-own-forces-in-afrin\/\">Amnesty International<\/a><\/em> released a report in which it described the Turkish presence in Afrin as an occupation, testifying to the violations committed by pro-Turkish groups and the Turkish forces themselves.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16658 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-780x477.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"602\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-780x477.jpg 780w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-1307x800.jpg 1307w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-735x450.jpg 735w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-1536x940.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-1170x716.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard-585x358.jpg 585w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/DerStandard.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Image (1) \u2013 The headquarters of the Yazidi Cultural Union in Afrin. Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.derstandard.at\/story\/2000061612249\/jesiden-als-opfer-tuerkischer-angriffe-auf-afrin\">Thomas Schmidinger.<\/a><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Destruction of the Yazidi Cultural Union<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2018, Turkey took over Afrin through Operation Olive Branch, which it launched against the YPJ with support from the SNA. In the context of hostilities, the 1<sup>st<\/sup> and 2<sup>nd<\/sup> Corps of the SNA blew up the Yazidi Cultural Union and destroyed the Lali\u015fa N\u00fbran\u00ee monument and the Zoroaster statue.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the demolition of the building, the place remained unchanged until 29 June 2020, when Afrin\u2019s local council, operating under the Syrian Interim Government, announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q0WUXsxYIcQ\">it was laying the foundation stone<\/a>s for a new school on the ruins of the Yazidi Cultural Union, under the name \u201cAfrin\u201d, which was later changed to \u201cAl-Imam wa Al-Khateeb\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We should note that some media outlets reported that the building was hammered by an air strike. However, sources within the SNA confirmed to STJ that the building was deliberately blown up by members of the SNA. The sources did not reveal the reason, but it may be the presence of Yazidi\/Kurdish symbols in it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_16663\" style=\"width: 411px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16663\" class=\" wp-image-16663\" src=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ANF1-387x516.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"401\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ANF1-387x516.jpeg 387w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ANF1-338x450.jpeg 338w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ANF1.jpeg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16663\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">ANF Images<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Image (2) \u2013 The headquarters of the Yazidi Cultural Union after it was destroyed. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/anfenglish.com\/news\/invaders-blow-up-the-ezidi-centre-in-afrin-27234\">ANF News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-16668 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-387x516.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-387x516.jpg 387w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-338x450.jpg 338w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-1170x1560.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two-585x780.jpg 585w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/The-two.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Image (3) and Image (4) \u2013 Satellite images showing the Yazidi Cultural Union before and after it was destroyed.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Construction of Al-Imam wa Al-Khateeb School<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">STJ spoke to a source from within Afrin\u2019s local council, who confirmed that the latter seized the land that was occupied by the Yazidis Cultural Union citing it is a state property. The source explained:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOrganizations active in Afrin, in coordination with the local council, usually carries out surveying operations to find unoccupied land and buildings in order to set up projects in them, if possible. This is what happened in the case of Al-Imam and Al-Khateeb School. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyazeller.org\/\">White Hands Association\/Beyaz Eller Derne\u011fi<\/a> informed us of its willingness to build a school on this land, since it was unoccupied and we handed it over to them under a contract No. 60706 that was signed on 10 May 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The contract was signed between Afrin\u2019s local council on the one hand and the White Hands Association\/Beyaz Eller Derne\u011fi and the Kuwaiti Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society on the other. The school was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/1753990857990235\/posts\/4463043503751610\/?sfnsn=scwspwa\">opened<\/a> on 23 September 2021 to start its first school year 2021-2022. According to the local council\u2019s announcement, the school has 29 equipped class and administration rooms and it only requires nominal fees for enrollment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">STJ learned from credible sources that those leading the project chose \u201cAl-Imam wa Al-Khateeb\u201d as a name for the new school because it is similar to the name of religious schools owned by the Turkish Islamic Waqf. The purpose of this was to access to facilities usually given to the Waqf institutions in the Syrian areas occupied by Turkey.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The \u201cAl-Imam wa Al-Khateeb\u201d School is teaching an Arabic curricula, which includes three subjects on the Islamic Sharia, imposed by the Syrian Interim Government. The curricula also includes a Turkish compulsory subject and a Kurdish optional subject for the Kurdish students in all grade levels.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-16673 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/3-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/3-6.jpg 602w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/3-6-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/3-6-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Image (5)\u2013 An image of the construction of the school on the ruins of the Yazidi Cultural Union building. Credit: White Hands Association website.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-16678 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u0627\u0644\u0628\u064a\u062a-\u0627\u0644\u0623\u064a\u0632\u064a\u062f\u064a.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"401\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u0627\u0644\u0628\u064a\u062a-\u0627\u0644\u0623\u064a\u0632\u064a\u062f\u064a.jpg 450w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/\u0627\u0644\u0628\u064a\u062a-\u0627\u0644\u0623\u064a\u0632\u064a\u062f\u064a-424x450.jpg 424w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Image (6) \u2013 Digital analysis of the image linking pictures after the destruction to the beginning of the construction of the school. Credit: ANF News.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-16683 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242589474_4463042560418371_1928023208451042873_n-774x516.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"602\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242589474_4463042560418371_1928023208451042873_n-774x516.jpg 774w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242589474_4463042560418371_1928023208451042873_n-675x450.jpg 675w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242589474_4463042560418371_1928023208451042873_n-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242589474_4463042560418371_1928023208451042873_n-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242589474_4463042560418371_1928023208451042873_n-263x175.jpg 263w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242589474_4463042560418371_1928023208451042873_n.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Image (7) \u2013 The opening ceremony of the Al-Imam wa Al-Khateeb School on the ruins of the Yazidi Cultural Union. Credit: Afrin City Local Council.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-16688 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242726057_4463041973751763_7943531799831716252_n-774x516.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242726057_4463041973751763_7943531799831716252_n-774x516.jpg 774w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242726057_4463041973751763_7943531799831716252_n-675x450.jpg 675w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242726057_4463041973751763_7943531799831716252_n-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242726057_4463041973751763_7943531799831716252_n-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242726057_4463041973751763_7943531799831716252_n-263x175.jpg 263w, https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/242726057_4463041973751763_7943531799831716252_n.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Image (8) \u2013 The opening ceremony of the Al-Imam wa Al-Khateeb School on the ruins of the Yazidi Cultural Union. Credit: Afrin City Local Council.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Religious and Cultural Significance of the <\/strong><strong>Yazidi Cultural Union<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since its establishment in 2013, the Yazidi Cultural Union became a base of several committees that were working to serve the Yazidi community in civil and religious areas. These committees included the Religious Training Committee, the Elders Committee, the Women\u2019s Committee, the Youth Committee, the Culture and Art Committee, the Peace Committee, and the Intellectuals Committee.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The former member of the Yazidis Cultural Union, Sheikh Zahr al-Din Hasan Abdalo, who is currently residing in the al-Shahba region, testified to STJ:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>\u201c<\/strong>The Yazidi Cultural Union used to run all fields of the Yazidis\u2019 lives. The Union served as a civil registry, a magistrate court, a religious education center, and a cultural center that familiarizes the Yazidis with their customs and traditions and organizes ceremonies for their religious events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yazidis in Syria are concentrated in Afrin district, especially in the villages of Basufan, al-Thouq al-Kabeer\/Kunda Mazen, Ba\u2019ay, Kimar, al-Ghazawiya, Iskan, Sheih al-Deir\/shader\u00ea, Burj Abdalo, Kafr Zayt, A&#8217;en Darah, Zarifa\/T\u016brandah, Qibar, Qatmah, Pafilion, Qastal Jando\/Qestel Cindo, Sinkarli\/S\u00eenka, Ad Duha\/Met\u00eena, Ras el Ousud\/Feq\u00eeran, Ashkan Sharqi\/Ashqa, Ashkan Gharbi, Jaqli Jum\/\u00c7eqel\u00ea C\u00fbm\u00ea, Maskeh Fouqani, Maskeh Tahtani.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afrin has 19 Yazidi shrines including:<\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Barsa Khatun and Sheikh Hameed shrines in Qastal Jando\/Qestel Cindo village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Gharib shrine in Sinkarli\/S\u00eenka village.<\/li>\n<li>Jabal Khanna, Malak Adi, Burj Jundi, Ziyarah Hajari shrines in Qibar village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Junaid shrine in Ras el Ousud\/Feq\u00eeran village.<\/li>\n<li>Hoger shrine in Qarah Jarnah village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Barakat shrine in Jabal Sheikh Barakat village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Ali shrine in Basufan village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Rakab shrine in Shadriya village.<\/li>\n<li>Sharaf Din shrine in Pafilion village.<\/li>\n<li>Bella Manan shrine in Kafr Jannah village.<\/li>\n<li>Bir Jafeer shrine in Mashuli near Hanan village.<\/li>\n<li>Masha\u2019alah shrine near Hanan village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Abdul Qadir shrine in Zarifa\/T\u016brandah village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Karas shrine in Deir Ballut village.<\/li>\n<li>Abu Kaaba site in Abu Kaaba village.<\/li>\n<li>Sheikh Qassab shrine in Burj Qas village.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many of these shrines have been vandalized, looted and destroyed.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Organizations that Established the School<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The <\/strong><strong>White Hands Association\/Beyaz Eller Derne<\/strong><strong>\u011f<\/strong><strong>i<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The White Hands Association\/Beyaz Eller Derne\u011fi is a charity organization with wide-reaching humanitarian relief sectors. On 27 February 2013, the organization was authorized for work in Turkey; its headquarters were established in Istanbul under the title \u2018BEYAZ ELLER YARDIMLA\u015eMA DERNE\u011eI\u201d. On 24 September 2014, the branch office in Antakya was authorized to implement projects and monitor the situation on the Turkish-Syrian borders.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The White Hands Association always states in its publications on social media that it is the executive arm of the Kuwaiti charity Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri in the region and operates with funds from it.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alnouri.org\/\">Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society<\/a> is a Kuwaiti charity that contributes to the building and development of needy communities through educational and advocacy programs, through enhancing communication with supporters and beneficiaries, and optimizing investment of human and financial resources. The name of the Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity, its logo, and the Kuwaiti flag appeared clearly in the photos and videos of laying the foundation stone and the opening of the Al-Imam wa Al-Khateeb school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 29 June 2020, Afrin\u2019s local council, operating under the Syrian Interim Government, announced it was laying the foundation stones for a new school on the ruins of the Yazidi&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":16698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[374,1],"tags":[495,419,121,172,430,181,1032,122],"class_list":["post-16703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-link","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-picks","category-human-rights-journalism","tag-operation-peace-spring","tag-afrin","tag-Seizure-of-Property","tag-Syria","tag-the-national-army-national-coalition-for-syrian-revolutionary-and-opposition-forces","tag-Turkey","tag-yazidi-cultural-union","tag-Yazidis","post_format-post-format-link"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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