Victory, violations, and investment: inside Islamic State’s system of slavery

Abstract

Islamic States’ genocide of the Yazidis was pre-meditated and ideologically-driven. The group used varied means to attack and fragment the community, culminating in the mass murder, trafficking, and enslavement of thousands of men, women, and children. Media and scholarly attention have predominantly focused on the sexual element of Islamic States’ abuses. While this chapter maintains focus on the treatment of captive Yazidi women (and their children), it applies a wide-angle lens in order to contextualize and better understand their victimization within the holistic physical and biological annihilation of the minority community. Yazidi women were targeted as Yazidis, as women, and some as mothers. The diversity of the victims is mirrored in the varied violences of the perpetrators, accessories, and supporters of the genocide. As a complement and counterpoint to the group’s official documentation, the testimonies of survivors provide an ‘inside view’ of Islamic State’s enslavement. Importantly, they expose the inconsistencies of, and deviations from, the group’s regulations, demarcating official policy from the unofficial or even illicit practices of individual group members. The data and accompanying analysis of this chapter map the evolution of Islamic State genocide in support of efforts to prosecute Islamic State-affiliated persons for crimes that go beyond group membership.

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ORCID for Gina Vale: orcid.org/0000-0001-9383-1417

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