Yazidi
All topics-
Military offensive against IS in Iraq
Strike and counter-strike
The Iraqi army hopes that taking back Tikrit will come to mean to it what Kobani means to the Kurds: a turning point and a motivational push in one. By Birgit Svensson in Baghdad
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The culture and faith of the Yazidis
Demonised and eternally misunderstood
Their persecution by Islamic State has put the Yazidis in the international spotlight. In her book on the Yazidis, Birgul Acikyildiz provides insights into the culture and faith of this endangered community. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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The abduction of women by IS
Traded like cattle
Amsha is a young Yazidi woman and mother who was abducted by IS and sold to an armed fighter from the city of Mosul. She told Qantara.de the horrific story of her 25-day captivity at the hands of IS and her successful escape. By Karim El-Gawhary in Dohuk
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Turkey, IS and the Kurdish conflict
"Kobani is now everywhere"
The deputy chairman of the PKK, Cemil Bayik, accuses Turkey of supporting IS and consciously ending the peace process. He views the recent Turkish parliamentary motion authorising the use of force in Syria and Iraq as a preparation for war – albeit a war against the PKK rather than against IS. Difficult weeks now lie ahead for Turkey and the Kurds. By Ekrem Guzeldere in Erbil
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Yazidis and Kurds in Iraq
Are we arming the right people?
We are told that the Kurds saved the Yazidis from IS terrorists, but the truth is far more complex than that. Yazidis also suffer frequent discrimination in Kurdish areas. Who can guarantee that German weapons will not one day be turned on this minority? By Patrick Franke
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Iraqi crisis
A UN protection force, not arms shipments
If the threat of genocide in northern Iraq is to be averted and the advance of IS militias stopped, an international protection force must be dispatched to the region, says security expert Andreas Zumach
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Persecution of the Yazidis in Iraq
Don't abandon us!
In Iraq, not only are the Yazidi people being persecuted by IS, their sacred sites are also being destroyed by the jihadists. The Yazidis are now responding by forming troops of fighters to protect these sites. By Joseph Croitoru