NIQASH: But the situation is so different now to when you were elected. Who do the Yazidis listen to now?
Al-Sheikh: (laughs) Actually they don't listen to anyone. They are divided between the political parties of Iraqi Kurdistan [the Yazidis traditionally have close links to the Kurdish ethnicity] and the Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress, which is opposed to the Kurdish parties. Recently a more neutral party also emerged; it's called Yazidi House.
NIQASH: Who is currently in control of Sinjar Mountain?
Al-Sheikh: Chaos is in control of Sinjar mountain. The biggest problems are the conflicts between the Iraqi Kurdish military and the PKK there as well as ongoing fighting against the IS group. None of this serves Yazidi interests as Yazidis themselves are becoming divided, some following one party and others following others. The Iraqi Kurdish military want all forces in their area under their control.
NIQASH: And when was the last time you visited Sinjar?
Al-Sheikh: June 1, 2014. I haven’t been back since then.
NIQASH: You don't want to?
Al-Sheikh: I cannot go back to Sinjar because the only open road leading there passes through Iraqi Kurdistan. And Iraqi Kurdish forces won't allow me to pass through their territory. That's because of political conflicts between our party and the Iraqi Kurdish political parties. We refuse to be governed by Iraqi Kurdistan. We believe we have our own ethnicity and our own religion and these are different to the Iraqi Kurdish.
NIQASH: How do you feel about the presence of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, categorised as a terrorist organisation by some Western nations, in Sinjar?
Al-Sheikh: When the Iraqi Kurdish military left their positions at the beginning of August last year, they left thousands of Yazidi families at the mercy of the IS extremists. The PKK saved thousands of them, providing a safe exit to Syria and from there through to Iraqi Kurdistan or Turkey.
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