Why you should read Nadia Murad’s Testimony on the Yazidi Genocide

21st December 2023

One of two things is bound to happen whenever large-scale crimes against humanity are discussed in traditional media outlets. The experiences of women within these contexts are either completely exploited and fetishized by essentializing the plight of what is made out to be the “helpless victim” or the experiences of women are absolutely sidelined and never touched upon. This dichotomy is especially true if gender-based violence takes the form of sexualized violence. The narrative however shifts drastically if women themselves talk about their experiences in the context of war, terror and captivity, as Nadia Murad has done in her book: “The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State.”

Nadia Murad is a survivor of the genocide committed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL also known under the acronym ISIS) against the Yazidi community. If you are now wondering who or what the Yazidi community is then this serves as a further reason as to why you should read her testimony. Yazidis are an ethnic-religious community that is not confined within one single nation state. The community is spread across various countries such as Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia and many more. However, the heartland lies in the northern parts of Iraq where the holiest site lays: The temple Lalish. The term ethnic-religious describes the dual nature of the Yazidi identity. The community has an endogamous character, meaning that both parents have to be Yazidi in order for the subsequent children to be considered Yazidi. Additionally, Yazidism itself is a religion that shares many beliefs with the three Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Yazidism, however, distinguishes itself through figure of Melek Taus, God’s right-hand angel embodied in the form of a peacock, who is worshipped by Yazidis. This element of Yazidism has prompted observers from outside of the community to deem Yazidis as “devil worshippers”. Furthermore, Yazidism has a strong oral tradition, meaning that there is no Holy Book equivalent to the Tanakh, Bible or Quran. Both of these aspects have led to the sustained persecution of the entire community for as long as it has existed. Throughout the course of history there have been 74 recorded cases of genocide against the Yazidi community. The last attempt to eradicate the community was conducted when ISIL started its military campaign in 2014.

The objective of the terrorist organization was and still is to establish a worldwide caliphate. With its distinct ideology composed of a mixture between Sunni extremism and radical Jihadism religious minorities, including Shia Muslims, where subjected to various forms of persecution with many having to leave their homes in order to save their lives. However, Yazidis in particular where targeted with an extreme level of violence and inhumanity. ISIL executed around 3.100 Yazidi boys and men and abducted about 6.500 Yazidi women and girls from their homes during the military assault. Additionally, 400.000 Yazidis originally from the Kurdish region of Iraq had been displaced as a result. The tactics of ISIL are distinctly characterized by the imperative function sexualized violence holds. Abducted women and girls from non-believer communities were perceived to belong to the militants like property.  Within ISIL’s doctrine they are referred to as “sabayas” which roughly translates to “female prisoners of war”.  Nadia Murad was one of the first female Yazidis to break out of captivity and return to her family. She has been an outspoken activist against slavery and the use of sexualized violence ever since. In 2018 She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with Dr. Denis Mukwege for their humanitarian work.

However, Nadia Murad’s testimony not only serves as a recollection of the human rights atrocities committed against her community, but actively fights against them. Undoubtedly, the narrative is permeated by loss, death, and the worst humanity has to offer when it comes to human rights violations. Yet, by reading the testimony the reader is educated on what Yazidism is and that its believers are indeed human beings. A fact ISIL has tried to deny ever since its inception. The book itself is a powerful instrument in the fight against sexualized violence and the persecution of Yazidis as it informs the reader the effects, repercussion, and motivation behind its systematic usage.

“My story, told honestly and objectively, is the best weapon I have against terrorism, and I intend to use it until these terrorists are brought to justice.“ These words are found on the last page of her testimony. They perfectly reflect Nadia Murad’s spirit and character as portrayed throughout the book. Nadia Murad continues to fight for her community as well as for all survivors of sexualized violence, eve though her activism makes her relieve the traumatic events of her captivity.  Without her work the world would most likely have stayed in the dark about what happened to her community. Furthermore, without this testimony the world would have stayed in the dark about how her community fought back against ISIL. Reading her testimony is an emotional, frightening and shocking experience. At the same time Nadia Murad herself is inspiring, strong and continuing her activism in service of a better world. She not only circumvents, but actively contradicts the figure of the passive female victim which is a subsequent victory for all women around the world.

You should read her book not only because it enables you to learn more about a community whose identity and existence has been marginalized for centuries but also because it showcases why individual acts of resistance in the face of despair and hardship matter.