Çarşema Sor: May this day be a harbinger of peace
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Yazidis celebrate "Çarşema Serê Nîsanê" or "Çarşema Sor" (Red Wednesday) today (April 14). On the first Wednesday after April 13, Yazidis celebrate the festival of "Çarşema Sor", which they believe marks the day when the world was fermented by God and life on earth started.
Marking the first day of the year and believed to usher in spring, "Çarşema Sor" symbolizes greater goodness and heralds revival and good days.
On the occasion of "Çarşema Sor", Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Responsible for Peoples and Faiths Commission Tülay Hatimoğulları has released a written statement, wishing Yazidi people a happy "Çarşema Sor". The statement of the party has read, "We wish that this day will be a harbinger of health, peace and fraternity, not that of grudge and hatred."
'Attacks on Yazidis still continue'
Some highlights from the statement are as follows:
"First praying for 72 nations, then for themselves as required by their belief, Yazidis were massacred 73 times due to Kurdish language, culture, identity and Yazidi belief. Lastly, the 73rd edict was signed before the eyes of the entire world, they were massacred by ISIS in Sinjar.
"While the fate of thousands of women and children held captives by ISIS gangs is uncertain, the existence of women and children found/saved in Turkey indicates the need for a more systematic work.
"Moreover, struggling for their lives in the camps in Turkey, Yazidis are faced with discriminative attacks, their graves are destroyed and the attacks targeting their beliefs are still continuing.
"We call on the entire family of humanity to stand up against this series of edicts imposed on Yazidis and to raise their voices against the crimes against humanity that are being committed.
"We hope that all peoples of Middle Eastern geography, especially Yazidi people, will live up to the days when they will live in freedom, equality, justice and peace; we wish a happy feast to ancient Yazidi people."
About Çarşema Sor
In a statement last year, HDP Batman MP Feleknas Uca shared the following information about Yazidis' Çarşema Sor:
"Fine threads (basımbar) are woven in green, red and yellow. The belief has it that the basımbar brings health, peace and abundance. Especially children wear basımbar on their wrists so that they will not get sick. It is a sin to spill blood on Çarşema Sor, in now way is a life claimed on Çarşema Sor. It is a must to have eggs painted in different colors on this holy day." (EMK/SD)