On Sunday, March 26, 2017, a round table was held for ECFA members with Professor Khaleda Khalid Rasho, Adviser to the Cultural Committee of the Kurdistan Parliament, to talk about the suffering of the Yazidis by Daesh gangs and the condition of the displaced in camps.

The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Dr. Mounir Zahran, ECFA Chair, and Ambassador Dr. Ezzat Saad, ECFA Director with the participation of Mr. Ragai Fayed, ECFA member; Mr Yasin Raouf, officer of the Cairo Office for Foreign Relations of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and several ECFA members.

The meeting began with Ambassador Mounir Zahran welcoming the participants, in particular Ms. Khalida Khaled Rashou, writer, academic, parliamentarian and the author of many award winning novels and poems.

On her part, Ms. Khaleda stressed that she did not come to ECFA to gain sympathy from the media, but to convey a message on the need for respecting diversity, freedom and religion, which are the basic principles of humanity. Their absence has been the cause of chaos in the Middle East. Everyone is talking about diversity and respect but without applying them. “The Iraqi government is one of the Arab governments that do not recognize the need to respect Iraqi minorities and treats them as second-class citizens.” Khaleda said.