Protecting Iraq’s Yazidi and Christian Communities
from ISIS Attacks
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) (or currently the Islamic State (IS)) continues to take hold of sections in Iraq. And, they are continuing to target non-Muslim populations in the region.
According to a recent Yahoo report written by Lydia Tomkiw, they have targeted Yazidis living in Sinjar. As Tomkiw explains,
“[the] Yazidis (sometimes spelled Yezidis)…belong to an ethno-religious group which predates Islam and has roots in Zoroastrianism, [a] monotheistic religion that developed in ancient Persia around 1,500 BC. ” And while aspects of the faith are kept within the group, the Yezidi belief system is believed to have elements of the different three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Islamic State group seems to be targeting the group because of beliefs that vary from “orthodox” Islam such as the number of obligatory prayers, the direction of prayers, as well as issues with some of the faith’s symbolism. The Yazidi have been targeted throughout its history, as well as having been more recently targeted in 2007 by the Islamic State of Iraq, which called for the execution of members of the faith (Tomkin, 2014).
In a CNN article published on August 6th, 2014 (this one written by Laura Smith-Spark), Iraqi MP Vian Dakhil, who is the only person of Yazidi faith in the Iraqi government, gave a speech in which she was quoted as saying many in the Yazidi community were being “slaughtered,” and that”There is a collective attempt to exterminate the Yazidi people.”
She also said that “[s]imilar to the fate of every other Iraqi, my people are being killed. The Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, Turkmen, Shabak people have been killed — and now the Yazidi people are being killed.” As Smith-Spark says in the article, according to the United Nations,
“The U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, said Tuesday that official reports indicated 40 children from the Yazidi minority had died “as a direct consequence of violence, displacement and dehydration” since the weekend.” In fact, thousands from the Yazidi community continue to face horrendous conditions in Iraq today, and many are trapped on a mountain, with some dying because of a lack of water.
In fact, such targeting of religious minorities by the Islamic State is not limited to the Yazidi faith; Iraqi Christians have also suffered greatly under the new power of the Islamic State in areas within Iraq and Syria. According to a recent CNN report on July 21st, 2014, ISIS has called for Christians in their controlled territory of Mosul to either “convert, pay or die.” Because of this, many fled the city, concerned about their safety following ISIS’ presence in the city. And on July 25th, 2014, it was also reported by CNN that ISIS blew up the tomb of Jonah.
Such violations of the human rights to life and freedom of religion are deplorable, and must be challenged. This group has shaped their interpretations of Islam in a way that refrains from the protection of the minority rights of those who are not Muslim, or not under the specific interpretation of Islam that they see as “correct”. This is highly unfortunate, since there is a great deal of literature arguing that Islam calls for religious acceptance, and that these messages existed as early as the Prophet Muhammad’s time in Mecca.
The international human rights movement calls for protection of all individuals, and for the freedom of religion. Islam and the Quran itself state that “there shall be no compulsion in religion” meaning that one cannot and should not be forced to convert or to follow a specific religion. Therefore, the Islamic State must be called out for its gross human rights violations. Individuals must continue to express their concern at any rights violations committed. The Yazidi, the Christians, and any other religious faith (or anyone who chooses not to practice a religion or convert to a religion) should have the complete freedom to practice any faith, or not to practice a faith, without any outside intervention or force.
It is important for all individuals to speak out against these horrendous actions by ISIS. Human rights must be upheld, and the freedom of religion is a key aspect of that rights discourse. While the situation in Iraq and Syria is quite tense, international actors through their own domestic governments, or through organizations such as the UN and other states outside of the UN through the international law of the Responsibility to Protect (President Barack Obama of the United States just authorized dropping food into the area) should work make a commitment to ensure that all religious minorities in Iraq and elsewhere are protected, not only in terms of physical safety, but also in regards to their human right to practice their own religious faiths without fear of repercussions by groups such as the Islamic State. This is a dire situation for the Yazidi and the Christians in Iraq, and there must be security for these groups in Iraq and Syria immediately.
