Islamic State / ISIS / ISIL / Daesh
Everyone knows the threat that was ISIS — their attacks were felt around the world.
(Image from Wikipedia: edited)
We heard about some of their victims but Main Street Media [MSM] moves on rapidly once a crisis has settled. Victims get to pick up the pieces…slowly.
Some will get some humanitarian aid, but care organizations are over-stretched. They are limited when millions need their help.
This article focuses on the Yazidi who have been scattered: many are still in sexual slavery.
The area completely controlled by ISIS at it’s largest extent.
Saddam Hussein
Before ISIS there was Saddam Hussein.
Saddam Hussein frequently attacked the Kurds because they dispute governance by Iraq, wanting an autonomous zone.
He is infamous for gassing the town of Halabja in 1988 when it was occupied by the Iranian Army. He killed 3-5,000 people, injuring another 7-10,000: mostly civilians.
Yazidi / Yezidi
The Yazidi are an indigenous — very conservative — group of Iraqi Kurds numbering ~1-1.5 million people. 5-700,000 Yazidi still live in Iraq, but many were scattered around the world by after the genocide.
ISIS / ISIL perpetrated the Yazidi Genocide which culminated in the destruction of the city of Sinjar. About 5,000 Yazidis men were killed and the United Nations estimates that 10,800 Yazidi women and girls were forced into sexual slavery. ~3,000 have been liberated but ~2-3,000 are still missing. Sinjar is still in ruins.
https://english.alarabiya.net/perspective/alarabiya-studies/2014/08/11/What-you-did-not-know-about-Iraq-s-Yazidi-minority-
Not just forgotten — erased
A Yazidi survivor and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Nadia Murad wrote a book about her rape and torture at 19 years of age. During that attack, her mother and 6 brothers were killed.
This brave woman was 28 years old when on a speaking tour in 2021. Her talk with students from the Toronto School District, Ontario, Canada, was cancelled by superintendent Helen Fisher, saying she would not let students attend because it would be offensive to Muslims and “foster Islamophobia.”
Murad’s book can be found on-line (Originally published by Crown, November 7, 2017: ISBN-10, 1524760439; ISBN-13, 978-1524760434)
Please consider following Azat Alsalem (@AzzatAlsaalem) who reports on the plight of the Yazidi on Twi𝕏.
Kevin Hay
You can follow Kevin on 𝕏 / Twi𝕏 / Twitter @kevinhay77