‘Those people’ are the Yazidis, a minority community in northern Iraq who follow their own ancient religion. Since last year, Islamic State have used that religion as a justification to murder, rape and enslave thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands of others have fled into refugee camps in Kurdish controlled northern Iraq. A recent UN report concluded that the ISIS campaign against the Yazidis may constitute “genocide, […] crimes against humanity and war crimes.”
Dakhil is now one of the few Yazidis with a voice on the world stage.
Last year, a film of her pleading for help for her community in the Iraqi parliament was shared on social media across the world. In the footage, Dakhil makes an impassioned plea for assistance, even as other lawmakers attempt to talk over her. Eventually she breaks down in tears, begging for military intervention.
Last year, President Barack Obama referred to that speech when he announced that he was authorising US air strikes against Islamic State to help the Yazidis.
Since then, Dakhil has focused on trying to help those Yazidi women and children who have managed to escape from ISIS. Their stories are harrowing.
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