Christian Werner
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Yazidis under Assault
Yazidis under Assault. December 2014. The Yazidis are a mostly Kurdish-speaking people who adhere to Yazidism, an ancient religion that melds various theological and mythological religious traditions. Throughout their long history, Yazidis have been singled out repeatedly for persecution. Under the interpretation of Islamic law as observed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), Yazidis are officially given the choice to convert to Sunni Islam or die.
In August 2014, Yazidis were targeted by ISIS in its campaign to "purify" Iraq and neighboring countries of non-Islamic influences, causing 30,000–50,000 Yazidis to flee into the mountains. Thousands of men and boys were shot and beheaded, women abducted and sold at auction as sex slaves. In extremely adverse circumstances, thousands of Yazidis fled towards the Sinjar Mountains, where they remained trapped for four months, until Kurdish Peshmerga managed to open a land corridor, breaking the siege.
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