Historical Persecution Towards a Contemporary Issue: a Systematic Review on the Continuing Neglect of Yazidi Human Rights

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ASIAN PEOPLE JOURNAL 2019, VOL 2(2), 92-104 e-ISSN: 2600-8971 ASIAN PEOPLE JOURNAL, 2019, VOL 2(2), 92-104 http://dx.doi.org/ https://journal.unisza.edu.my/apj

HISTORICAL PERSECUTION TOWARDS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ON THE CONTINUING NEGLECT OF YAZIDI HUMAN RIGHTS

Roche Christine C. Angeles1*

1Helena Z. Benitez School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Philippine Women’s University, 1743 Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Received: 15 August 2019 • Accepted: 25 December 2019 • Published: 30 December 2019

Abstract

The ancient religion Yazidism and its members were put under the dangers of existence after being subjects of exploitation during the territorial control of the Jihadist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The uniqueness of their religious beliefs, divergence of members from the usual dominant Islamic and Arabic culture, and their dwindling population has put their lives at an increased risk for terrorism. Practices judged and misunderstood affected their footing during the conflict. In order to understand the contemporary persecution of the Yazidis, this paper systematically reviews the fundamental tenets of Yazidism, the historical persecution of the group starting from the Abbasid period in the Middle East, and their experiences during terrorist occupation in the present era. The author also discusses relevant points on the neglect of the human rights situation of the religious minority in accordance with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The contrasting credence between the Yazidi minority and the Syrian majority led to violence which later escalated to genocide. Despite the long-running time of mass killings, international recognition remained stagnant. The genocide received slim focus from the international community for it to have ended sooner or to provide succor to the victims. Not much attention was obtained, keeping the extremity of the happening dull to the eyes of others. Lastly, the author compiled the efforts of the international community in alleviating the continuing deterioration of Yazidi human rights.

Keywords: Yazidi, ISIS, genocide, human rights, refugee

Cite as: Angeles, R.C.C. (2019). Historical Persecution towards a Contemporary Issue: A Systematic Review on the Continuing Neglect of Yazidi Human Rights. Asian People Journal, 2(2), 92-104.

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INTRODUCTION

The concept of human rights aims to protect the dignity of all human beings as it serves as a guideline to achieve a world unattached to fear and want. Human rights have three pillars, namely freedom, equality, and solidarity (Benedek, 2012). Freedom pertains to the freedom of choice of humans. Equality refers to the equal and just enjoyment of human rights. Lastly, solidarity has to do with the securement of social and economic rights. However, the believers of Yazidism are deprived of their human rights. The Yazidis are a Kurdish religious minority group living in Mosul, Northern Iraq and are practicing their own religious beliefs since the 12th century when Sheikh Adi Ibn Musafir, who was believed as the shaper of the culture and religion of the Yazidis. He was considered as the incarnation of the peacock angel by the members after proclaiming that he was present when their god said he was the ruler of the earth. They are now scattered in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Taken from Giuseppe Furlani’s hundred-year-old essay, the Yezidis’ Religion, the group directs their adoration and conviction to beings of worth, favoring the coming into view of supernatural beings (Federici, 2016).

The religion of the Yazidis is being seen as devil worship named by their neighbors and the West since its practices and religion are quite different from the beliefs of the two groups mentioned. But, the contemporary practices of Yazidism is a mixture of Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Mithraism although Yazidi belief is being passed on orally (Kurdwatch, 2010). The oral sharing of their belief led to failure from other religious societies to challenge and fully immerse with the religious views of the minority. Dominant Arab societies failed to understand and adapt the Yazidi minority as their beliefs were passed down orally. As such, this caused the exclusion and unequal treatment of the minority group. With the emergence of international organizations and their pursuit of protecting the inherent human rights of indigenous minorities, this review seeks to comprehensively understand and contextualize the human rights situation of the Yazidi people. The following sections of this paper will present the historical development on the continuing neglect of the human rights of the Yazidis in this contemporary period, despite all the available avenues and liberal approaches that could positively and progressively help preserve their culture and acceptance within the greater Syrian and Iraqi societies.

The Yazidis believe in a supreme being named Yasdan whom they consider as the creator of the earth, but not the preserver. Thus, they do not directly worship him. Instead, they worship the Peacock Angel or Malak Taus; one of the seven spirits that came from Yasdan and is the most powerful one. The origin of Malak Taus started as an angel of their god who was sent to hell to repent for his sins. He shed tears for 7,000 years, wherein he was able to fill seven jars that put off the flames of hell. From then, he was redeemed by the supreme being to heaven again. Malak Taus, now the central figure of the religion, is the one who preserves and executes the acts Yasdan desires to be done. The being is represented as a peacock because their bodies do not decay, giving the message of eternal presence and undying faith. It is also considered as the eponym of the Yazidis. The Yazidis attest their faith to Yasdan, and their religious symbol, Malak Taus (Furlani, 1940). With such a wide-ranging, yet not all-embracing narrative, this led to a pillory and stigma towards the religious minority group.

Another reason why the Yazidis were being treated as devil worshippers is because of the other name for Malak Taus, Shaytan, meaning devil in Arabic. It is through Shaytan whom they address their prayers to five times a day. They also correlate Iblis, or the Satan of the Sufi, with the Yazidi Peacock Angel (Kreyenbroek, 1996). Unknown to others, the core of their belief is that the source of good and evil is from the people’s own actions, spirit, and mind. The religion revolves around the power of choice, guided only by an angel (Hanish, 2015).

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Approximately 70,000 Yazidis are residing in Iraq (Guest, 2017). The reason behind the small number of their population may be the historical persecution of the religious group that has continued recently as the so- called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) exhibited the latest and most strategic threat towards them. ISIS is a terrorist organization which held their interpretation of the philosophy of Islam and sought to apply it unto other Muslims and non-Muslims. It was founded in 2006, but only received international recognition in 2013-2014 after it gained several recruits, resources, and controlled most of the Sunni areas in Iraq (Bunzel, 2015). The group’s belief head towards the path of judgement day as how they describe it to be. However, they may be modern seculars with a political agenda in mind, disguising it as a godly act. Taking over lands, controlling people and demonstrating their capabilities to gain a title of honor and strength (Wood, 2015).

About 50,000 Yazidis were exiled and transported to Mt. Sinjar, Iraq, where they were trapped, without food and water, and were took elsewhere to be sold and be subjected to exploitation, cruelty, or, in the worst case, death (Henne & Hackett, 2014). In September 2015 (Yazda and The Free Yezidi Foundation, 2015), ISIS conducted terrorist activities in Sinjar. During their rule over the area, the acts were planned and orchestrated by the group with the use of modern weapons left by the Iraqi forces. The said terrorist acts happened repeatedly to intentionally eliminate Yazidis. This phenomenon may be considered genocide as the terrorist group’s intent was to kill them because of their religion. genocide is defined as the “acts committed with the intent to destroy a group of people.” It could be killing the members of the group, creating serious bodily and mental harm to the group, destroying the condition of life of the people, preventing births and forcibly taking children (The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 1951).

The start of the mistreatment and genocide was first recorded in 2014, when ISIS was gaining power. The group declared a worldwide establishment of an “Islamic caliphate,” a condition wherein a rule of a caliph or a chief Muslim ruler is established within an area. Despite the announcement of the liberation of Sinjar from the control of the ISIS in 2015, the massacre was acknowledged to be still ongoing by the United Nations Human Rights Commission until 2017. This was after coalition groups engaged forces with the ISIS in eastern Syria, as women were forced to act as sex slaves to the terrorists, people were decapitated before fleeing, and about 70 mass Yazidi graves were discovered (Teller, 2019).

RESULTS

Historical Persecution of the Yazidi Yazidi isolationism and killings first emerged in the Abbasid period (Tiliouine, Renima, & Estes, 2016) up until the Ottoman Empire (1281-1924) due to the misunderstanding brought by the exclusivity of their religion (Tayyar, 2014). The Yazda Documentation Project (n.d) listed the bases of Yazidi persecution by the ISIS. First, the terrorist group believes that Yazidism has polytheistic elements. Second, Yazidism was viewed as paganism. Third, the lack of written religious scriptures and the secretive oral passing of beliefs socially constructed mistrust. Lastly, it was perceived as devil worship for their belief in Malak Taus. ISIS believed that the existence of the minority shall be questioned by the Muslims on their judgement day, considering that the Allah has revealed the verse of sword, chapter 9 verse 5 of the Qur’an, which says to the mushrikins. If they were found, they should be captured and be killed. But if they repent and ask for forgiveness, then, they are forgiven. Such conditions forced them to convert to Islam.

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The United Nations considered the mass killings of Yazidi people as genocide because ISIS intended to completely exterminate them (Nebehay, 2016). It has been debated whether it was a genocide or an ethnic cleansing. The Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (n.d.) defines genocide as, “actions taken with intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.” On the other hand, ethnic cleansing is defined as “forced removal or displacement of populations by physical expulsion or by intimidation” (Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, n.d.). Considering these definitions, it can be said that a genocide was done on the Yazidi people by ISIS terrorists.

ISIS segregated the Yazidi by age, gender, and pregnant women (Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, 2016). Yazidi men armpits were checked by ISIS fighters as a basis of one’s ripeness to be considered either as a boy or an adult. Younger males were separated from their mothers to be trained fighters. They were forced to watch beheadings and taught how to use guns and medium-sized rockets. Men who were too old to be converted and disabled men were transferred to different areas to be exterminated. The demonstration of brutality to men started from hunger, dehydration, and infliction of physical injuries to killings such as beheadings, crucifixion, burning alive, being run over huge vehicles, and being shot and thrown in pits.

For women, subdivisions were assembled to segregate married women with children, married women without children, and single women. And then, they were evaluated by their beauty. Secondly, women, teenage girls, and children were given as gifts or were sold to local ISIS fighters. In certain cases, when questions and negotiations arose between the sellers and the buyers regarding the price, the ISIS sellers conduct a body search and have the women and children prepared for marriage, rape, or sexual slavery. They were forced to smile when being photographed by fighters. Lastly, the pregnant women were forced to have their babies aborted so that they could be sold as well.

Salim (n.d.) narrated that the genocide drastically affected the Yazidis’ well-being, identity, humanity and dignity. It took their sense of safety, selfhood and belonging. Husbands and fathers saw their wives and children being taken by ISIS to be sold, sexually abused, and killed. Many of the women committed suicide because their body was already exploited, and they only have little power with them. While the men who were left suffered from starvation and abuse. They could only pray to divinity for their safety. Vagueness stand on why they were treated badly because of their religion. The Yazidis lost hope of their tomorrow.

Basing on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, n.d.), there were several rights took away from the Yazidis. The right to life, liberty, and security were took hold from them when they were held captive; the prohibition of slavery and cruel and inhuman treatment when they were used and exploited by the terrorist group because of their religious beliefs; the freedom of movement within the country, which was impossible to do because of their entrapment; the freedom of religion, wherein they were subjected to unreasonable conduct and forbidden practice of their religious activities; the right to live adequately, for the well- being of a group is deprived by means of taking food and water. These were the rights that can be transparently seen in the case and an obvious manifestation of its violation.

The Post-ISIS Yazidi Situation Now free from terrorist occupation, the Yazidi people continued to live their lives again in tents provided by the UNHCHR as refugees (Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2016). Their humanity has been

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scarred and hope is still bleak for the survivors. Trust has been irrecoverable among the community, terrified that the cruelty will happen again (Zoonen & Wirya, 2017). In addition, they are still being seen as the ‘other’ religion that does not believe in the deities of dominant religions. Despite their growing number, they are still being judged as worshippers of the devil.

Despite the liberation from the tortures of ISIS, bombs and traps were left active, causing difficulty in moving from one place to another. With a lack of recognition, they continue to have little to no help. The group felt abandoned and forgotten. All they had were themselves, their crumpled clothes packed in panic, and the memories of their tragedy. Some Yazidis were able to flee and seek refuge from other countries with the same religion they hold. A German aid agency has helped an orphanage established by a Yazidi family which catered those who were lucky to get out of their community of misery (Doucet, 2018). Still, hundreds of thousands of Yazidis are still held in camps and containers for their safety, which they do not see and feel the sense of it all after the trauma they went through. This may be a new step towards hope, but mistrust still lives in their mind.

How do Yazidis experience freedom since liberation? Freedom and reconciliation do not mean an end- state outcome. It was not something considered ‘done,’ but it is a situation wherein the people of the community were just taken away from the society where they were in before, to share mutual help, respect, and peace to the new society they currently belong. It is a safe space where they allow groups who went under similar circumstances to share a public space wherein, they will gradually rebuild their communities, probably help each other through the process and achieve the sense of ‘peace’ they want to achieve. With the idea of reintegrating societies together, the goal of freedom can be achieved through peaceful coexistence and mutual respect within societies. And this can be formulated by sharing the past to collect mistakes and lessons from it and coming up with a shared vision to move forward to the future (Zoonen & Wirya, 2017, pp. 5-6).

Responses of the International Community This section opens the topic about the reaction of the international community on ISIS and the Yazidi people. Was it addressed immediately or only when they gained popularity just recently when ISIS was defeated? What were the discussions conducted concerning the security, safety, and protection of the Yazidis? Prevention and punishing crimes are duties of states and international organizations. However, the issue remains uncontemplated. Despite little recognition, there were still efforts by organizations, trying to eradicate the distress of the Yazidis. Other than the United Nations, there were organizations and countries which recognized the genocide and reached out for assistance. Itemized below are the organizations that acted on the case of the Yazidis.

Free Yezidis Foundation This organization based in Iraq was created shortly after the start of the genocide of the Yazidis. Four projects were established to address the case of the Yazidis, especially those in the Sinjar mountains where ISIS had a stronghold. The most recent project implemented was the Justice Process, wherein lawyers and civil society advocates set an objective to give justice to the victims against abusers by collecting crime evidences against the Yazidis implicating their human rights, and use it as a tool to empower victims to achieve their justice needs. The foundation also worked on international advocacy (2015b), giving attention to recognition of the crime as genocide, pushing the will to rescue women, girls, and children, and efforts to raise fund to support the Yazidi victims. In fact, the organization is a grantee of the United Nations Women by giving trust fund to support women victims of the genocide. The creation of women’s centers and children’s centers were also part of their projects. The centers cater women who need urgent psychological assistance therapy (2015c). This is an effort to overcome

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the trauma they acquired during the murderous event. Children’s centers, on the other hand, provides the educational and emotional needs of the youth who were part or victims of sexual violence and torture. The program’s goal is to help reduce trauma of the children and develop the ability to socialize with their fellows comfortably to build trust and assurance of being in a safe place (Free Yezidi Foundation, 2015a).

Global Justice Center In 2017, three years after the genocide began, the Global Justice Center brought to attention the need of immediate action from the international community towards addressing justice and accountability for ISIS fighters in international courts. The founder of the institution, Janet Benshoof, highlighted focus on women who were victims of abuse. Being part of the more vulnerable side, the point was made to reckon the crime committed against them and bring it forward to courts to hold them culpable and be deemed chargeable. This was supported by Stephen Rapp, the former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice, stating that trials shall serve the interests of the victims. Getting a hold of these men responsible for the dreadful actions, bringing them to courts would be empowering for the victims as a reversal of the power relationship between those who were weakened and those who are responsible for it. Having proved that the case was indeed a genocide, it shall remind the international community the principles of plurality, diversity, and tolerance, and it be understood and advocated as an avenue to achieve justice (Olson, 2017).

International Committee on Red Cross (2014) The role of International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC) focuses on alleviating suffering, giving humanitarian protection, and assistance to victims of violent occurrences. The effort was given to about 90,000 people who fled and ended up on the city of Khanik which became their refuge away from the control of the IS. Khanik city became a place catering to displaced people, including the Yazidis, and others belonging to different cultural and religious backgrounds. Having this discovered, the ICRC were able to send the necessities of these displaced people as immediate help for their basic needs such as relief materials such as tents hygiene kits, blankets, kitchen sets, and other materials because most of them weren’t able to carry things while they were fleeing. Drinking water and food were also provided shortly after the relief materials were distribute.

Asia Pacific Centre for Responsibility to Protect Then United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon observed that the crimes committed by ISIS is a strategy to prove the groups power and capabilities and using humanity to fulfil their goals. This raises the urge to give justice to the victims, supporting their immediate needs that would relieve the trauma they went through, and save as many lives as possible. The Asia Pacific Centre for R2P (n.d.), along with the University of Queensland and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had the opportunity to discuss with a Yazidi survivor, Nadia Murad. Hearing stories about genocide beforehand, this chance became an instrument to connect past experiences from a variety of survivors of mass atrocities. The discussion sums up that the responsibility to protect is a matter of life and death, not an old-fashioned idea to undergo debate before engaging. It also regards the international community should assist states fulfilling the effort igniting the responsibility to protect (Asia Pacific Centre for Responsibility to Protect, 2017).

Global Citizen – Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect Amal Clooney, a world-renowned human rights lawyer, stood in front of the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations at the Fight Against Impunity for Atrocities: Bringing Daesh to Justice event in 2017. Clooney brought along with the Nadia Murad, a victim and now an advocate, to introduce a platform assessing plans delivering

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justice to victims of ISIS. The Global Citizen’s campaign is to convey international and national efforts to bring ISIS to courts and extract justice for the empowerment of the victims. The organization also urges the United Nations and its members to perform their responsibility to protect. Especially, now that strong evidences and verifications are gathered, this presents enough reason to establish endeavors on saving victims of mass atrocities and giving them the justice, they are owed.

As this concern was raised, Canada offered to cater 1,200 Yazidi refugees, by December 2017. Germany also presented an initiative to support NGOs in Iraq as a move to gather evidences as a starting point for countries combat taking blind sides on the actions of the terrorist group. France entered the scene by pledging ten million Euros will be provided for humanitarian emergency relief and active persecution of members of ISIS held accountable for crimes in the French court. The exchanged dialogue among the Global Citizens culminated the culture of the ISIS and thereof lacking action towards the issue which gives the group more power to continue its operation without subjection from the court. Punishment shall be carried out to IS members to prevent the ongoing violent and inhuman attitude towards people (McCormick, 2017).

The United States of America Former president Barack Obama authorized humanitarian aid operation and airstrikes against ISIS in the area they still are possessing. The US action withstands the second pillar of the states’ responsibility to protect which postulates the task and capability of the international community to assist individuals as a responsibility. Populations experiencing mass atrocities, like genocide, shall be protected. However, the planning process is crucial and critical in generating strategies that could offer immediate response to the matter. This demands the participation and consistency of US allies and other states to do the necessary action to save lives. US strikes on ISIS militants were deemed difficult to set out, given that if the US attempts to do the move and execute the strikes, it might fail, and would cause casualties of civilians. The dilemma is looking for the right balance between military effectiveness and minimizing civilian loses (Bellamy, 2014).

The European Union Only the European Parliament recognized and declared that the situation of the Yazidi is genocide in 2016 and beseeched the members of the Union to come to the aid of the religious group. With this, members of the parliament raised the event to high representative Federica Mogherini and aimed for the recognition of genocide of the group in Mt. Sinjar. Recognition is the first step in trying to terminate the ongoing genocidal action as called by the international law along with the goal of suppressing such kind of atrocity. The Rwandan genocide became a past event demonstrating the failure to act and the repetition of the failure shall be avoided at all costs and that justice should be served to the victims (Gotev, 2016). The European Union then provided funding for the communities in Mt. Sinjar, one of which where the Yazidis reside, to assist the vulnerable through health care, emergency plan awareness, and immediate needs. However, this has not been consistent with its words. Elizabeth Brown, a community worker in Mt. Sinjar since 2015, revealed that there were political problems among local authorities concerning the refusal of aid funds in the area. Thus, the EU aid and assistance did not reach the Yazidi population (Nielsen, 2018).

The United Kingdom The United Kingdom recognized the genocide of the Yazidis in 2014, but actions were made in the later part of the year. The British government allotted £59.5 million for the welfare of the refugees, especially healthcare. Also, in 2015, the UK-trained Peshmerga fighters for three months with the goal to protect victims in Iraq.

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However, Yazidis need more than just protection. Justice is also one of their primary calls (Whyte, 2015). While for those who fled for refuge, the members of parliament presented petitions to accept the Yazidis as part of the existing Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS), which allows 20,000 Syrians refugees to enter the UK by 2020. Despite the recognition of genocide, the UK failed to oversee that the Yazidis are part of the criteria for the VPRS because of their vulnerability. The VPRS was made exclusively for Syrian refugees only. Letters from parliamentary members were sent to the previous home secretary, Amber Rudd, to address the acceptance of other refugees from Iraq and Syria. In response, other resettlement programs were offered to serve the needs of the Iraqi refugees, which would include Yazidis because many Yazidis are Iraqis. But in 2016, the Brexit was announced and became a hindrance to immigrants. The ripostes were thrown against the decision and sparked possibility of terror attacks which affected the entry of immigrants (McVeigh, 2016).

Armenia Armenia has established a deep connection with the Yazidis dating back to the Ottoman Empire when the latter saved ethnic Armenians who were being attacked and also went through a genocide. Since then, ethnic Armenians and Yazidis co-existed with one another and Yazidis blended well with the Armenian people, most stayed and can talk the native language, which symbolized a foundation of good relationship and made the Armenian government welcoming to Yazidis (Hakobyan, n.d.). Now that the situation has turned and Yazidis are looking for stability, a number of Yazidi families fled to Armenia to seek refuge. But Armenia branded them as influenced by Iraqi traditions already. Armenians thought that they are not legitimate Yazidis anymore and caused the Armenian community fear of the possibility of unjust maneuver. Believing that the lifestyle of the Yazidis in Armenia and the Yazidis from Iraq are now very different, Armenian societies discriminated, ignored, and excluded the Yazidis (McIntosh, 2003). Although, the arrival of the Yazidis were not denied, their practices became hard to preserve given that dissemination is done orally. It reaches others distorted sometimes which resorts to finding answers in other faiths and teachings. The cultural difference, despite belonging to the same religion, affected the preservation of their religious identity and faith (Martirosyan, 2019).

Canada Canada announced the resettlement of 1,200 survivors of ISIS rule in 2017, recognizing the killings in Iraq and the genocide of the Yazidis (Oliphant, 2018). Majority of the population who came to Canada are Yazidis. The government provided settlement support providing basic orientation to the refugees, such as airport pick-up, temporary accommodation, time to give the refugees, and opportunities to enroll in government programs. Priority was given to women and girls at risk, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) LGBT individuals, single parents, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. To be fair to the lawful existence of the community, the Yazidis were given thought of it as well. It also extends to the intersexual community, of which, these people do not fit in either of the binary classification (Mavhandu-Mudzusi & Ganga-Limando, 2014). This makes them pass the criteria of vulnerability, especially that it raises concerns on rights such as acceptance, discrimination, and prejudice.

With all the refugee acceptance and recommendations to accept more, issues arose on how to support Yazidis such as their resettlement areas, housing and financial needs, medical needs, and language needs. Canada gave a highlight to the linguistic needs of the Yazidis so that they would be able to communicate and express themselves. By good fortune, through the initiative of the federal government, the Yazidis were properly resettled in different cities all over Canada. But for the refugees who would like to return to their homeland, Canada realized and conveyed that resettlement is not the only way to effectively provide safety to Yazidis. Thus, the country

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wanted to give stability in the region of Mt. Sinjar, attempting to give a sound environment and rebuilding lives. The government provided humanitarian assistance and international security with the hope of successfully give hope to those who wish to return.

France – International Organization for Migration France welcomed 130 Yazidis for resettlement with the support and efforts of the International Organization for Migration (2019) five years after the genocide happened. The policy was pursued with the help of Nadia Murad who became the voice of the Yazidi victims, especially women. Nadia Murad, a Yazidi, was an activist who was kidnapped by ISIS and experienced sexual slavery. After escaping in 2015, she made her way to Germany as part of the program the country has set for the survivors of the ISIS capture. Later that year, she was asked to speak about human trafficking and sexual abuse in the United Nations. She raised and gave clarity on what really happened to the Yazidis under the ISIS rule. In 2016, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors in Human Trafficking. Since then, she became an advocate for women and minorities and became the voice of the Yazidi victims, especially women, and other minorities (Zeidan, 2018). After the signing ceremony between the French government and the IOM, the country promised protection, security, education, medical, and social support while the stay. Twenty-eight families were able to move to France and set to start a new journey in their now safe place. IMO also initiated to act on the assistance of the displaced families, making sure that they will be able to reintegrate into a new society.

To encapsulate the abovementioned determined attempts from different states and organizations, efforts revolve around justice and accountability. The Yazidis now may have been free from the terrorist group, but they are still strangled with the memories and trauma of the genocide. Victims now seek justice for their empowerment, and to take off as a starting point of their new lives. What the victims need is a sense of security and due process for the criminals responsible for deaths and torture. Furthermore, the welfare of the survivors is put into consideration. The immediate needs of the survivors shall be provided, most especially, shelter, food, medical, and psychiatric needs. Efforts are targeted to alleviate those who are in need and priority is given to the vulnerable sector: Women, children, and the elderly. This also applies to those who sought refuge. Although, not all were accepted, institutions assured assistance to those who are still in the area. This might have served a lesson and a warning for the international community; it does not end the terror that goes beyond physical implications.

Although being recognized as a community experiencing genocide, little to no concrete actions have been made for the Yazidis and the other societies under the hands of the terrorists. With all the murders, persecutions, slaveries, sexual harassments, rapes and forced transfers done to the Yazidis, it is nearly impossible for them to have hope on living a life free from cruelty and have the will to go on after everything that has happened to their community. People, whether of different culture and religion do not deserve cruel treatment. Everyone is entitled to freedom of choice wherein religion is one of its aspects. What the Yazidis are experiencing can never be justified just by the dissimilarity of their beliefs from the others; especially ISIS. The difference shall be embraced, not erased. It should contribute towards change, not inhumanity.

Any kind of discrimination is condemnable. No one shall go through it. Most especially, such should not result to war, killings and other inhumane crimes. Different cultures and beliefs can be complex, but never shall it be a factor to take lives. The difference among people is a road towards great opportunities not captivity. Everyone has a choice to believe in what they want, and let it be their foundation of life success and efficiency. Religion is one of the strongest foundations of an individual, it shapes and teaches. It should not be taken away

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from people nor be the reason to oppress them. Religion should be one's freedom, not a trap. They fight and stand for their religion because it is a part of their identity; their upbringing. What happens to the Yazidis produces confusion among them: questions about why they experience inhumanities despite not bothering anyone with their religious practices. The Yazidis too are humans, entitled with freedom of choice. Let them live with their own religious preference if it does not affect others.

There's nothing wrong with difference, what is wrong is the execrations of others. Now that they are in a state of freedom and in the middle of a reconciliation process, it can be said that reconciliation through reintegration and sharing of spaces quite not the best idea that should be applied. Considering the broken trust of Yazidis, rebuilding with other groups may also cause tensions with each other and may, again, start another conflict. Of which, none of the sides would want to go through again. Looking through the reasons of conflict societies have experienced, one of the main reasons is their differences. Putting groups together despite their differences is what might spark fire again. Conflict cannot be helped and reintegration by joining parties is not that promising. As the researcher, giving respect among groups, indistinct and individual ways should be the first step in trying to alleviate them from the hardship and trauma societies came from. Rebuilding should be among those sharing the same perspectives first before moving on with integration. Societies must rebuild themselves first through their own ways so that they could move forward preserving what they believe in.

CONCLUSION

The Yazidis today face a serious problem in terms of their human rights and the preservation of their group and religion. They are being killed mercilessly or being used as the utility of others until now. Yazidism, one of the oldest existing ancient religions, is now a subject of decimation. The community faced several challenges throughout history, being surrounded by people misinterpreting their religious beliefs and doings. Disregarding the religious views of these people, they are humans like everyone else but in another case− they are humans being deprived of their rights and experiences little to no humanity anymore.

The responsibility of states should also be called upon, to bring light to the situation and raise it towards more recognition to support, help, and save the religious group. The role of the United Nations and its measures in addressing mass atrocities must also be pressed, giving power to their goals and achievements, and making it happen. It is not only the oppressing group that should be held responsible, but also the society, the government, the states, and the organizations, surrounding and promising prosperity.

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