The Forgotten Victims of ISIS
The world must wake up to the ongoing atrocity of ISIS’s enslavement and trafficking of Yazidis. Watch our exclusive interview with Alan Duncan and hear his urgent call for action.
Alexandra Audrey Tompson
Dec 22, 2024 - 1:08 PM
This article is based on an interview conducted by the V24 team with Alan Duncan, an independent documentary producer, who has dedicated years to rescuing Yazidi slaves and advocating for justice for victims of ISIS. Video coming soon.
The Genocide
In 2014, the world watched in horror as the Islamic State swept through Iraq and Syria, unleashing terror upon entire communities. Yet amid the atrocities, certain groups were singled out for especially brutal treatment: Yazidis, Christians, and other vulnerable minorities. For ISIS, these groups represented everything they sought to eradicate.
The Yazidis, a peaceful religious minority rooted in ancient Mesopotamian traditions, were labeled "devil worshippers" by ISIS and subjected to a genocide unparalleled in its barbarity.
Over 6,500 Yazidis were abducted - entire families torn apart, men slaughtered, and women and children sold in slave markets stretching from Mosul to Raqqa. Girls as young as six were priced and sold like livestock. Older women were reduced to domestic servitude under the watchful eyes of ISIS wives, who often compounded their suffering. Thousands remain missing, their lives erased from the world’s conscience.
Christians, too, were targeted mercilessly. Entire villages were decimated as churches were desecrated and ancient communities forced to flee or face death. Those who refused to convert to Islam were often executed. These atrocities extended beyond Yazidis and Christians to include other minorities, including Shia Muslims, who were viewed as apostates and slaughtered en masse.
Survivor Stories: Naveen and Fawzia
The stories of survivors like Naveen and Fawzia Amin Sido illuminate both the depths of this cruelty and the failings of the global response.
Naveen's Story
“The vast majority of Yazidi women and children were captured at Sinjar - about six and a half thousand of them,” said Alan Duncan. “They were then taken to slave markets in places like Mosul or Raqqa, but most ISIS towns had markets to sell Yazidi women and children.”
Naveen, a young Yazidi radio presenter with a bright future, was enslaved for five years. She was sold repeatedly, enduring unimaginable abuse. Captured in Sinjar, she was trafficked through Mosul and Raqqa, ultimately ending up under the control of an ISIS family in the infamous Al-Hol camp. Despite her suffering, Naveen’s bravery led to a rare moment of justice: the prosecution of her German captor, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for crimes including sexual violence, human trafficking, and genocide.
Fawzia's Ordeal
One particularly shocking case is that of Fawzia Amin Sido. Taken at just 11 years old, she was trafficked through ISIS-controlled territory before being sold online to a Gazan family. Her captor, an ISIS fighter who later joined Hamas, kept her as a slave. Duncan elaborated, “She was sold online from Al-Hol. She was smuggled into Gaza and used as a slave by her captors. The family and others knew she was a slave, and she said all of Hamas knew too - they were using her as a slave themselves.”
Despite the widespread knowledge of her captivity, it took the coordinated efforts of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and COGAT to secure her rescue.
A Call to Action
As Duncan pointed out, “Many countries are doing very, very little, and in some cases, zero, to hold ISIS returnees accountable. They’re happy to repatriate their citizens but don’t seem to care about justice for Yazidis.”
Yazidi girls are not only held in Iraq or Syria - they have been trafficked to places like Turkey and even further afield. As Duncan explained, “Out of the 6,500 Yazidis captured, 2,700 are still missing. People know they’re not just held there - they’re in Turkey and countries all around the world. That’s where they’re being held.”
Rare moments of justice, like the case of Naveen, remind us of what is possible. But they also highlight the work that remains. Thousands are still missing. Thousands remain in captivity. Their suffering must not be forgotten. If the world ignores their plight now, who will be next?
Duncan passionately concluded, “How about you go out and do a protest for the still-missing 2,700 Yazidi women and children who were captured, sold, raped by ISIS? How about you do that? Because if you think they won’t come for you next, think again. These jihadists see you no different to how they see the Yazidi women and children or the Israeli women and children. Don't be conned. Don't be fooled. Wake up, go march for the victims. Don't march for the perpetrators.”
Alexandra Audrey Tompson
Editor-in-Chief | Lawyer (Admitted in New York; England & Wales)