The Brainwashing of Yazidi Children

During the 2014 Yazidi genocide, Yazidi boys and teenagers suffered a different fate than their fathers, mothers, or sisters. Rather than being executed in mass graves or sold into sexual slavery, male Yazidi children were sent to ISIS training camps and transformed into the terror group’s next generation of jihadists.

When ISIS invaded the Sinjar region of northern Iraq in August 2014, its fighters surrounded Yazidi villages and rounded up the local population. Boys from the ages of 7 to 18 were separated from their families after militants inspected their bodies for signs of puberty. These young Yazidis were then sent to a vast network of training camps located throughout Iraq and Syria. Many of these camps were established in former schools. Once they arrived, Yazidi boys and teenagers were registered, forcibly converted to Islam, and given Islamic names. For the remainder of their training and life with ISIS, these children would only be referred to by their new names. Maintaining any connection to their Yazidi identity was forbidden.

ISIS subjected Yazidi boys to an unforgiving religious and military training regimen. Yazidis were forced to learn Arabic, recite the Qur’an, and adhere to ISIS’ interpretation of Islam. These children were also trained to use a wide variety of weapons and munitions, such as pistols, AK-47s, grenades, rocket launchers, and suicide vests. ISIS fighters also forced Yazidi boys and teenagers to watch propaganda videos of battles, suicide bombings, and beheadings to desensitize them to extreme violence. If new recruits performed poorly during their religious or military training, as well as if they cried when they watched footage of graphic violence, they were severely beaten. In total, this training lasted between 13 days to 2 months.

After their training was complete, Yazidi boys and teens were treated as ISIS fighters. Depending on the terror group’s needs, they were assigned a variety of tasks. Some became frontline soldiers, fighting against Kurdish troops and US-led Coalition forces. Others guarded ISIS bases and equipment, while some boys were forced to go on suicide missions. In 2019, it was estimated that the terror group trained approximately 700 Yazidi children and teenagers to become jihadists.

ISIS’ indoctrination of young Yazidi boys and teenagers is a clear instance of cultural genocide. The group wanted to erase the Yazidi identity of its new recruits, replacing their connections to the Yazidi language, religion, and customs with Arabic and an intolerant interpretation of Islam. However, ISIS didn’t simply want Yazidi children to abandon their past and become jihadists. It wanted its recruits to participate in the extermination of the Yazidi people. After abducting Yazidi boys from their families, ISIS fighters bragged to distraught parents that their sons were “training... to kill kuffar [infidels] like you.” Instructors imparted a similar message to Yazidi children during training. One ISIS fighter exclaimed, “You have to kill kuffar [infidels] even if they are your fathers and brothers, because they belong to the wrong religion and they don’t worship God.” Some Yazidi boys and teenagers have managed to escape ISIS and rejoin Yazidi communities in displaced person camps. Yet, their freedom is often only physical. They experienced unimaginable trauma and brainwashing at the hands of ISIS, and it will take years, if not lifetimes, to recover from such pain.

Text & Video by Seth Eislund

The Yazidi Genocide

The Yazidi Genocide: An Overview

The Yazidi genocide of 2014 is one of the most recent genocides of our time, involving the mass murder, sexual enslavement, and ideological indoctrination of thousands of people. Yet, knowledge of the genocide, as well as public discourse about it, is painfully limited around the world. This article is an introduction to the Yazidi genocide, painting a broad overview of ISIS’ malicious campaign to wipe the Yazidi people, culture, and religion off the face of the earth.

The Yazidi genocide began on August 3, 2014, when ISIS fighters launched a coordinated assault on the predominantly Yazidi region of Sinjar, which is located in northern Iraq. Due to Sinjar’s close proximity to the Syrian border, ISIS forces converged on the region from both Iraq and Syria. They surrounded Yazidi villages, towns, and cities, closed off roads with checkpoints, and sent patrols after fleeing Yazidi families. 40,000 to 50,000 Yazidis managed to escape the terror group’s advance, fleeing to the foothills and peaks of the Sinjar mountains. There, they were besieged by ISIS, and while many managed to escape due to the efforts of Kurdish militias and the US-led coalition, others were killed, captured, or raped by ISIS.

ISIS employed a disturbingly consistent pattern of genocide against the Yazidis who failed to escape their homes, as well as against those who were captured on the slopes of the Sinjar mountains. After surrounding and rounding up Yazidi populations, ISIS fighters would separate young men and male adults from women and young children. The young men and male adults would be escorted to nearby mass graves and shot. However, the mode of mass killing sometimes varied. One testimony of a Yazidi survivor reveals that men would be murdered in front of their families by having their throats slit with knives. Before these executions, militants would frequently order all Yazidis present to convert to Islam in order to save themselves from death. However, testimonies differ regarding how often this rule was upheld: some survivors report that ISIS indeed spared the lives of Yazidi men who converted to Islam, while others assert that men who converted were killed regardless.

While ISIS killed young Yazidi men and male adults en masse, the terror group abducted the remaining Yazidi women and children. They would again be separated based on gender, with Yazidi women and girls being torn away from young Yazidi boys and teenagers between the ages of 8 to 18. Yazidi women and girls would then be sold as sex slaves to ISIS fighters, commanders, and the group’s political leaders. ISIS saw enslaved Yazidi females as “spoils of war,” subjecting them to rape, torture, and other forms of sexual and physical abuse. Yazidi women and girls as young as 9 years old were “inspected” for their beauty at slave markets, sold multiple times, raped multiple times, and tortured multiple times.

The young Yazidi boys and male teenagers who were separated from their families endured a different kind of suffering than the sexual exploitation inflicted on female Yazidis. They were sent to camps throughout Iraq and Syria, forcibly converted to Islam, and trained to become jihadists. They received extensive religious and military training, learning “how to load and unload guns, shoot using live bullets, and launch small and medium-sized rockets.” They were also forced to watch videos of beheadings many times in a row to desensitize them to violence, and they were beaten when they refused. ISIS hoped to transform these young Yazidi boys and teenagers into a new generation of fighters, calling them “the cubs of the caliphate.” An ISIS fighter concisely explained this jihadist training program with the following words: “Children are young; they are like animals. We can change them.”

So far, the details of the Yazidi genocide have been broadly explained. But why did the genocide occur? What drove ISIS to carry out a multifaceted campaign of murder, rape, and indoctrination against the Yazidi people? ISIS’ motivation for committing genocide against the Yazidis was ultimately a religious one. The terror group perceived the Yazidis as kuffar (infidels) due to their supposed “devil worship” of Malak Taus, the Peacock Angel. The Yazidis believe in a monotheistic religion in which God, Xwedê, has three manifestations: the Peacock Angel, Sheikh Adi, and Sultan Ezi. The Peacock Angel is the holiest member of this divine trinity, and he bears some resemblance to the figure of Iblis (Satan) in the Qur’an. Despite the fact that the Peacock Angel is not Satan in the Yazidi religion, this misunderstanding has led Muslim communities, including ISIS, to persecute the Yazidis as “devil worshippers.” ISIS hoped to establish a caliphate in Iraq and Syria that was purified of all nonbelievers, and the Yazidi genocide was an attempt to destroy the Yazidi people, erase the “heresy” of their religion, and usher in a utopian Islamic state. 

The cost of ISIS’ genocide was tragic for the Yazidis, resulting in the deaths of at least 3,100 people and the kidnapping of 6,800 people in the Sinjar region alone. Additionally, ISIS’ conquest of the Sinjar region, as well as of nearby cities and areas, led to the displacement of over 1.5 million people. A genocidal program of such magnitude and consequences deserves more attention from the international community and the public at large. Hopefully, by educating readers about the Yazidi genocide, this article will inspire others to continue learning about this topic, keep raising awareness, and take action.

Text & Video by Seth Eislund

Who are the Yazidis?

The Yazidis are an ethno-religious minority with ancestral roots in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran. Today, the majority of Yazidis live in disputed areas in northern Iraq, specifically in the Sheikhan and Sinjar (Shingal) districts, with smaller communities present in Turkey, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, and Russia, as well as there is a large Yazidi diaspora in Western countries, especially in Germany. The majority of Yazidis speak standard Kurmanji which is considered the principal Kurdish dialect. Linguistically, Yazidis are not homogenous. Some Yazidis speak other languages as a mother tongue, such as the Bashiqa and Bahzanian language (dialect) which is close to some Levantine Arabic dialects.

Based on misinterpretations, stereotypes, and false information about the Yazidis’ religion, especially by their Muslim neighbours such as the Sunni Kurdish Muslims and Turks, the Yazidi people have long been persecuted as “devil worshippers” across the region and subjected to at least seventy-two firmans (pogroms or genocides) during the Ottoman Empire.

The Yazidi religion has attracted the attention of researchers more than any other religion in Iraq. For the most part, they disagree on the origin of the name, on the religion and on the core and essential beliefs of the Yazidi. Within academic circles different terms are used to refer to Yazidis: sub-ethno group, sub-ethno-confessional group, ethnic group, confession, ta’ifa (sect or non-Muslim), and ethno-religious. In terms of religious origin, some claim that the Yazidi religion comes from the Sabean-Mandaeans, citing the similarity of rituals in both religions. Others claim that the Yazidi are of Christian origin, on the grounds that baptism, belief in Christ, and respect for churches are common to both religions. In eddition scholars consider many of the doctrinal elements of the Yezidi faith as linked to other religions, such as Islam, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.

There is much uncertainty in academic circles on the origins of the ‘Yazidi’ name and their denomination. The ‘supreme being’ of the faith is Yazdan, considered so holy that he cannot be directly worshipped, “he is considered a passive force, the Creator of the world, not the preserver.” They believe in one God, Xwedê. Malak Taus, a ‘peacock angel’ to whom the Yazidis pray five times a day, is one of the holy trinity emanating from Yazdan, alongside Sheikh 'Adi, and Sultan Êzî, and is revered as His alter-ego, thus the monotheistic denomination of the Yazidi religion.

We are able to identify and divide the history of the Yazidis into two basic phases as follows:

The first phase: This is the stage prior to the reign of Sheikh-Adi, in which the Yazidi religion existed and was based primarily on rituals, mythology, customs, and traditions, partly oral and partly written, and during which time the Yazidis were known as Dasini. It must be noted here, that the name of the Yazidi religion and nation has changed over the course of history.

The second phase: The second stage began in the 12th century CE with the advent of Shaykh-Adi and his arréfc ival at the Lalish Temple (located in Iraqi Kurdistan region), a highly significant centre of worship to the Yazidi people.

The secretive nature of the Yazidi faith has led to persecution through the centuries. Modern Yazidis are acutely aware of the violence and prejudice suffered by their ancestors, with this brutality leaving “deep cultural scars.” Yazidi tradition is passed down orally, and it is forbidden for a Yazidi to marry outside the community, or he or she will be considered an outsider. Likewise, it is not possible to join the Yazidi faith, one must be born into it.

The Yazidi community received global attention in 2014, when an ethnic cleansing program carried out by ISIS resulted in the murder, displacement and enslavement of thousands of Yazidi men, women and children. Estimates of the current size of the Yazidi community range from 700,000,000 to 1000,000, with the diaspora reaching across the Middle East, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Europe, especially following the mass migration of refugees in the wake of the 2014 genocide.

Video: Seth Eislund

Text: Callum Hamilton

Fire Breaks Out at Sharya Refugee Camp

On June 4, 2021, a massive fire broke out in the Sharya refugee camp in Iraq’s Duhok region. The camp was established in 2014 to house thousands of Yazidi refugees who escaped ISIS’ genocidal conquest of Sinjar, a predominantly Yazidi district in northern Iraq. The fire destroyed 400 tents and forced over 200 families to relocate. Six people were injured in the fire, and Ali Tatar, the governor of Duhok, reported that the fire caused subsequent explosions of flammable materials, such as gas canisters. These explosions worsened the fire and inflicted severe burns on some of the camp’s inhabitants. The fire brought back past traumas for many camp residents, who were reminded of the destruction that ISIS wrought on Sinjar.

Yazidi refugees, like the residents of the Sharya camp, live in poverty. As survivors of ISIS’ genocide, they have lost their loved ones, homes, and financial stability. More money and aid are needed for them to survive in refugee camps and obtain better standards of living. Fires like the one at Sharya claim the lives and livelihoods of Yazidis, and so more material and financial support is needed to prevent such fires and increase the living conditions of Yazidi refugees. This is why Yahad-In Unum’s work is so important. By raising awareness about the Yazidi genocide and its aftermath, as well as by helping refugees reestablish themselves socially and financially, YIU denies the success of ISIS’ genocidal project. Its work ensures that the Yazidis will be able to rebuild their communities and thrive for generations to come.

A Yazidi man looks at a burned structure in the Sharya camp (The Middle East Eye).

104 Yazidi Victims Laid to Rest in Kocho

This weekend, 104 Yazidi victims, murdered by ISIS criminals, were finally laid to rest in Kocho, Iraqi Kurdistan. Our team was present at the ceremony, both as survivors of genocide and as humanitarian workers, who help other Yazidi survivors deal with their trauma and return to a normal, happy life. At the Kadia IDP camp, they organised a very moving ceremony with the widows and orphans of the victims.

The 104 victims were murdered in 2014 during the Islamic State’s ‘reign of terror’. Men, women, and children were brutally murdered as ISIS rampaged across the Yazidi homeland killing, raping and looting in what the UN has classified as a genocide. The victims’ bodies were exhumed from mass graves and identified before being reburied in Kocho, Sinjar province.

Since 2015 Back To Life has been collecting the testimonies of Yazidi survivors of ISIS crimes in order to fight against impunity for these killings.

Back To Life Launches Barbershop Course at Kadia Camp

Our committed Back To Life team at the Kadia IDP camp launched a special hairdressing course for survivors in the camp, supervised by BTL supervisor, Khalaf Elias. The course is called the ‘Yahad Barbershop’, and provides an opportunity for young survivors to learn a skill which could be useful for them in the future and peacefully socially reintegrate into the community. Moreover, the workshops provide free haircuts for camp residents.

Containing COVID-19: Up to 200,000 Masks Being Fabricated in Our Sewing Centers

We have taken the initiative to make up to 200,000 masks at our sewing centers at the Cham Mushko and Kabartu IDP camps. The masks are being sewn by our committed team. The thousands of Yazidi survivors across 19 refugee camps have no protection against the deadly COVID-19  virus. This poses a huge epidemic risk. We are working hard to provide protection for these people in need as fast as we can. Our committed Yahad - Back to Life team started distributing the first masks fabricated at our sewing centers at certain IDP camps in northern Iraq last week. Our aim is to produce the 200,000 masks as soon as possible. Vital services such as pharmacies, food stores, the police and civic services were all provided with masks.

At the Cham Mushko camp, our team has cooperated with volunteers from the HIVI Group carried out a program of sterilization to help contain the spread of the virus.

At the Kadia camp, our team assisted in the distribution of vital hygiene material to the camps inhabitants, who are unable to leave their homes. The camp’s key workers were provided with masks, including police officers, shop workers, pharmacists, and camp management.

We will continue working hard to make sure all Yazidi survivors at the camps are kept safe during this global crisis.

Tackling Coronavirus at the Kadia Camp

With the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 virus across the globe, our team at the Kadia camp has been taking preventative measures to make sure everyone in the Yazidi community is staying safe. We would like to thank our team for their hard work during this difficult period! The world will come out of this stronger than ever before!

Germany Puts Isis Member on Trial for Death of Enslaved Yazidi Girl

In a landmark case for justice for the Yazidi people, an Iraqi man, who married a German convert to Islam, has been put on trial over the death of a 5-year old Yazidi slave girl. The man, known only as Taha A.-J, faces charges of murder, membership of a foreign terrorist organization, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and human trafficking, federal prosecutors said. The man and his wife, ‘Jennifer W,’ who went on trial in Munich last April, allegedly left the poor girl chained up outside their home and left her to die of thirst. They allegedly ‘bought’ the Yazidi girl and her mother in 2015 in Mosul, northern Iraq. The victims were subjected to physical abuse, forced to convert to Islam and deprived of food and water, all with aim of "destroying the Yazidis, their religion and their culture in keeping with the aims of IS”, according to the prosecution.

This is a massive step in the international struggle for justice for the Yazidi people within the framework of international law. The crimes of the Islamic State must not remain unpunished and we will continue to fight to rehabilitate Yazidis subjected to years of inhumane treatment at the hands of their barbaric captors.

Photo: ‘Jennifer W.’ on trial in Munich last April @gettyimages

Local TV Station Visits Our Cham Mushko Center

Zakros TV, a local TV station, visited our Cham Mushko center to record a documentary report on our activities, notably our English language classes, our focus on aid for orphans and survivors in the camp, and our vital humanitarian aid and and rehabilitation of Yazidi survivors.