The Yazidi Genocide
On August 3, 2014, the lives of the Yazidi people of Northern Iraq would be irrevocably changed, as the jihadist group, the Islamic State (IS), invaded the Sinjar mountain region and committed genocide against the Yazidi population. This was done en route to the city of Mosul, Iraq, which the Islamic State was determined to capture. In a private interview, Robert Brownsword, former US Army Combat Advisor and Security Consultant, describes the night before the genocide. He explains how the Kurdish militia, the Peshmerga, who were in charge of protecting the Yazidi people, caught wind of the Islamic State’s genocide agenda. Instead of adhering to their promises of military protection, they packed up and fled, leaving the Yazidis unarmed and at the mercy of the Islamic State's violence.
Yazidism is one of the oldest religions in the world; it is non-Abrahamic and traces back over four thousand years. The violence they have historically faced stems from a common misconception that the Yazidis are “devil worshippers”, due to their historical origins, religious beliefs, and divergence from the Islamic faith. Brownsword explains the backstory of Yazidism; they believe that their angel lost a battle with other angels, and now resides under the Sinjar mountain, which the Yazidis refer to as Shingal. This mountain is the Yazidi’s holiest religious site, and it is estimated that before 2014, there were around 50,000 Yazidis inhabiting this area. However, the angel story is often likened to that of the Abrahamic Satan, who was exiled from heaven due to arrogance, and who resides in the underworld as a result. The name of the Yazidi angel is Malak Taus, whose other name, “Shaitan”, translates to “devil” in Arabic. In the faith of Islam, Shaitan represents evil spirits and sin and is typically described as a figure that sits on one’s shoulder and encourages sinful behavior. Within Christianity, the Yazidis are not prioritized in terms of humanitarian assistance, as Satan is also the representation of evil in the Christian faith. Thus, the Yazidis are a religious minority in the Middle East, and their story has been silenced and overshadowed by these unfounded accusations of devil worship. Brownsword further explains how asking about devil worshiping to a Yazidi would be considered extremely offensive, as it signifies an unjustified misinterpretation of their religious beliefs.
The violence in 2014 took place over the span of a few days, and many Yazidis were able to escape the killings by fleeing up the Shinghal mountain. However, Brownsword notes that the men who could not escape were immediately slaughtered, as well as any girl under six years of age and women over 45. The women who were not killed were taken captive, raped, and sold to IS jihadists as sex slaves, then transported by plane to various countries within the Middle East. At first, the international community’s tolerance of their movement between countries as captives was shocking to the world; however, it soon became clear that since the Yazidi women did not practice Islam, the Islamic State justified their captivity and role in sex slavery on religious grounds.
Those who were lucky enough to escape the violence and flee up the mountains faced harsh terrain complications. While Brownsword reveals that there was some humanitarian relief delivered by helicopter to those scattered across the mountain range, food and water are extremely scarce in these conditions, making it challenging to find refuge. Today, a large portion of displaced Yazidis reside in displacement camps within Iraq as well as other areas across the Middle East and Europe. The familial reunion process has been central since the attacks took place, as there are still women and children in captivity. Especially amidst the Covid-19 pandemic with borders closed all across the Middle East, reuniting families has become extremely complicated, and the process has been delayed as a result of these barriers.
Furthermore, the Yazidi genocide coincided directly with the rise of IS’s power within Iraq and Syria. In 2014, the Islamic State gained ample territory, taking control of Baghdad and Al-Qaim in June of that year. Therefore, the Arab states, preoccupied with maintaining their own defense against IS, were unable to respond to the Yazidi crisis. Moreover, the IS’s desire for mass territorial control in pursuit of a caliphate across Iraq and Syria created an environment, in which Brownsword decodes, making the Yazidi people a very easy target for the Islamic State. Yazidis represent less than 1.5% of Iraq’s total population, and they are extremely pacifistic, Brownsword explains, even refusing to take up arms to defend themselves.
The Islamic State’s attempt to eliminate the Yazidis on the grounds of religion makes it clear that the events of August 2014 qualify as genocide. However, there was hesitancy throughout the international community to prevent further violence immediately following the initial outbreak. In 2016, the United Nations issued a Commission of Inquiry on Syria, urging the UN Security Council, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and various states to enact laws against genocide. Despite the severity of the situation, the Yazidis received little assistance from any world powers. This demonstrates the lack of action and accountability among world leaders in putting an end to the Yazidi genocide once it began. In fact, it was not until April of 2020 that the first criminal trial linked to the Yazidis occurred in Germany against the IS member Taha Al J. for crimes of genocide. Specifically, the defendant was convicted for purchasing an enslaved Yazidi woman and her daughter in 2015. Although this conviction was monumental in terms of achieving justice for the mother and daughter, it was not so much a state response to the crimes of genocide, but rather against an individual linked to the events of August 2014. Although a step in the right direction, similar individual trials do not diminish the fact that thousands of innocent Yazidis across the Middle East are still facing the repercussions of the 2014 genocide.
The violence that the Yazidis have experienced as a result of religious discrimination is unjust, and Iraq has yet to implement substantial national reconciliation measures. In May of 2021, the United Nations Security Council released a press statement detailing the findings of the investigation into the Yazidi genocide. While the investigation determined the severity of the genocide, there have yet to be consequences imposed on those responsible. From a global perspective, the U.N and U.S have consistently advocated for a foreign policy that would “never again” be tolerant of genocide on the world stage. Moreover, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide has approved seventy years ago with the purpose of punishing those who commit genocide. However, 45 UN Member States have yet to ratify the convention, which is crucial for the protection of human rights globally. In light of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine as well as the Ukrainian President’s accusations of Russian-led genocide, the issues of sovereignty and universal rights are being discussed among the international community at the highest level. Once again, countries in the Middle East and North Africa continue to be deprioritized in these talks. Yet, the Yazidi people deserve justice for the crimes of genocide committed against their population, and as they await the return to their homeland, the promise of security for their sacred mountain, Shingal, would be the first step toward rectifying the violence that they continue to face today.