French Company Profits From Genocide Of Yazidis

Photo: Wikipedia

From Jagjit Singh, Los Altos, CA

I am writing to express deep concern about the recent civil lawsuit filed by hundreds of Yazidi-Americans against Lafarge S.A., the French conglomerate. The lawsuit alleges Lafarge’s involvement in providing material support to the Islamic State, which led to grave consequences for the Yazidi population.

Lafarge’s admission of guilt in a criminal conspiracy to support ISIS and another terrorist group, the Al-Nusra Front, is distressing. The company, along with Lafarge Cement Syria, knowingly engaged in activities supporting armed groups in Syria from August 2013 to November 2014.

What makes this lawsuit even more poignant is that it was brought forth by Nobel Prize winner Nadia Murad and over 400 Yazidi survivors – all American citizens – who endured a harrowing “campaign of genocide” perpetrated by ISIS. This included horrifying acts such as mass executions, abductions, torture, sexual violence, the use of child soldiers, and the destruction of the Yazidi homeland.

Ms. Murad’s statement reflecting on her own ordeal underlines the gravity of the situation. Her words, “Unfortunately, my story is not unique among Yazidis. It is the reality of thousands of Yazidi women. Even more tragic is that our horror took place under the awareness of and thanks to the support of powerful corporations like Lafarge,” should serve as a stark reminder of the complicity of entities in enabling such atrocities.

The implications of corporate entities supporting terrorism, directly or indirectly, cannot be understated. It’s crucial for justice to prevail, not only for the victims but also to ensure accountability and prevent such collaboration in the future.

(This submission is not edited.)