Remembering Yazidi Genocide

Kurdistan 09:51 AM - 2025-08-03

Displaced Yazidis.

3 August 2014, marks one of the darkest chapters in Iraq's recent history. On that day, fighters from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) launched a brutal assault on Shingal (Sinjar)—the historical homeland of the Yazidis and a disputed district in northern Iraq—killing thousands of Yazidi men and abducting women and children, many of whom were later sold into slavery.

The massacre triggered a mass exodus of the Yazidi population. While many fled to the Kurdistan Region, others sought refuge in neighbouring countries or resettled in Western states. Thousands, however, remained trapped in the war zone, subjected to horrifying atrocities including mass executions, sexual slavery, forced conversions, and human trafficking.

According to the United Nations, approximately 5,000 Yazidi men were killed in the massacre, while more than 7,000 women and children were abducted—many of whom remain missing. Yazidi girls were sold and raped, or forcefully married.

PUK's Stand: A Line of Defence in the Face of Terror

As the Yazidi population fled toward Mount Shingal to escape the ISIS onslaught, Peshmerga fighters from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) remained to protect them. These PUK units established defensive positions around the mountain, preventing further ISIS advances and facilitating rescue operations. Despite limited resources and overwhelming odds, 111 PUK Peshmergas lost their lives in the effort to safeguard the Yazidis.

A Deceptive Enemy: ISIS in Kurdish Disguise

During their occupation of Sinjar, ISIS fighters adopted a disturbing tactic—donning traditional Kurdish clothing to deceive both Yazidi civilians and Kurdish forces. This enabled them to infiltrate communities and capture Yazidis, many of whom were later forced to convert to Islam under threat of execution.

Upon entering Shingal, ISIS terrorists unleashed a campaign of mass killings, looting, and the systematic kidnapping and enslavement of Yazidi women. Survivors describe this as one of the most horrific atrocities in Iraq’s modern history. Men who refused to convert to Islam were executed on the spot, while women were taken captive and sold in open slave markets. Many were transported to Raqqa in Syria and sold for as little as $500—or simply handed out to fighters.

A Pattern of Systematic Abuse

Human Rights Watch has documented a widespread pattern of rape, sexual slavery, and forced marriage committed by ISIS fighters against Yazidi women and girls. These acts constitute war crimes and may amount to crimes against humanity.

“ISIS committed organised rape, sexual assault, and other horrific crimes against Yazidi women and girls,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, Women’s Rights Director at Human Rights Watch. “Those fortunate enough to escape require immediate psychosocial and medical support for the unimaginable trauma they endured.”

Following the attack, thousands of Yazidi civilians were held captive across ISIS-controlled areas in Nineveh province. Survivors reported that militants systematically separated young women and girls from their families and relocated them multiple times across Iraq and Syria. While most perpetrators were Syrian or Iraqi, survivors said some identified as coming from Libya, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian territories, and even Europe and Central Asia.

Testimonies of Survivors

Jalila, a 12-year-old girl at the time, recounted being intercepted by Arab men from her own village as she fled north of Sinjar. The men handed her family over to ISIS fighters, who soon separated the women and children from the rest. After several relocations, Jalila was taken to a house in Syria where she and other girls were examined, beaten, and “selected” by fighters.

“I told him not to touch me and begged him to let me go. I asked to be taken to my mother. I was a child and didn’t understand why they were doing this,” Jalila said. She endured repeated sexual violence by seven different ISIS members. “Sometimes I was sold. Sometimes I was given as a gift. The last one was the most brutal—he tied my hands and legs.”

Wafaa, also 12 at the time of her abduction, was kidnapped from the village of Kocho. After being taken to a school in Tal Afar where Yazidi captives were held, she was separated from her family and sent to Raqqa. There, a much older fighter raped her repeatedly under the pretense of treating her “like a daughter.”

“One day, I woke up and found my legs covered in blood,” Wafaa recalled. Though she managed to escape after three months, her parents and several siblings remain missing.

Even those who were not physically assaulted lived in constant fear, bearing witness to the suffering of others and anticipating their own turn.

“Forget Your Relatives”

Dilara, 20, recounted to Human Rights Watch how ISIS militants transported her to a wedding hall in Syria, where she was held alongside approximately 60 other Yazidi captives. There, the militants addressed the group, saying: “Forget your relatives. From now on, you will be our wives, bear our children, and God will guide you to Islam and prayer.”

Dilara described living in constant fear of being taken, as many girls before her had been. “As early as 9:30 a.m., men would arrive to purchase girls and rape them,” she said. “I saw with my own eyes ISIS fighters pulling girls by their hair, beating them, and striking those who resisted. They were like animals.”

According to Dilara, the victims—ranging in age from 8 to 30—were raped and then returned to be exchanged for new captives. “Only 20 girls were left in the end,” she added.

Nadia Murad: A Voice for the Voiceless

Among the most harrowing accounts of the Yazidi genocide is that of Nadia Murad, a young Yazidi woman who survived captivity and became an international advocate for Yazidi rights. In August 2014, she was abducted by ISIS along with hundreds of other girls and women. After enduring months of torture and sexual abuse, she escaped with the help of an Iraqi family.

In her emotional testimony to the United Nations Security Council, Nadia described the systematic brutality inflicted on Yazidi women—being raped, sold, and passed among ISIS fighters like property.

“They treated our bodies as property. They rented us, sold us… prices ranged from 400,000 Iraqi dinars to 800 U.S. dollars,” she recounted.

Nadia's escape came only after immense hardship. After being transferred multiple times, she managed to flee and find refuge in Kirkuk with the help of a local family. Despite her survival, her mother and over 80 other Yazidi women and girls remain missing to this day.

“I still hope to find my mother. I don’t know if she’s alive or dead,” Nadia said. “Some of the girls kidnapped were only seven years old.”

Her story is just one among thousands—each a haunting reminder of a genocide that remains unresolved.

PUK's Continued Commitment

Throughout the past 11 years, the PUK has remained a steadfast advocate for Yazidi rights. From the days of President Mam Jalal to the leadership of President Bafel Jalal Talabani, the PUK has pushed for formal recognition of the Yazidi genocide and supported efforts to secure justice and return displaced Yazidis to their homeland.

“The Yazidis are an essential part of Kurdistan’s diversity,” said President Bafel Jalal Talabani. “Their suffering must not be politicised or forgotten.”

On the tenth anniversary of the genocide, the PUK Political Bureau reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Yazidis:

“Despite geographical distance and immense challenges, the PUK formed a defensive barrier that protected thousands of displaced people. We uphold our moral responsibility to the people of Sinjar and will continue to advocate for the identity and rights of this vital community.”

Yazidis: Iraq’s Oldest Indigenous Religion

The Yazidis are one of Iraq’s most ancient and unique religious communities, historically concentrated in Shingal. Their population before the genocide ranged between 600,000 and 650,000. The community has endured 73 genocidal campaigns throughout history—the most recent being the atrocities committed by ISIS in 2014.

PUK Calls for Justice & Return of Displaced Persons

The Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has issued a statement to mark the 11th anniversary of the genocide committed against the Yazidi community, urging continued support for the Yazidis and renewed efforts to facilitate the return of displaced persons to their places of origin.

"The Yazidi people, as the native population of Shingal and its environs, have long stood at the forefront of the Kurdish national movement, playing a brave and vital role in its evolution. For this reason, they have historically suffered repeated assaults and genocidal campaigns (farman) at the hands of occupying forces," the PUK Political Bureau said.

"In order to begin healing from this painful tragedy, it is imperative—now more than ever—that a unified and decisive approach be adopted by both the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Federal Government of Iraq. This must be accompanied by the active support of all Kurdish political parties to ensure the safe and dignified return of all displaced Yazidis to their homes," it added.




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