Short Answer
This encyclopedia entry provides a scholarly overview of ISIS propaganda directed at the Yazidi minority, summarizing academic research, primary source material, and the broader implications for genocide studies.
Propaganda ya ISISê li dijî Êzidiyan (Kurmanji) refers to the systematic visual and textual campaign launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to portray Yazidis as infidels, justify their extermination, and recruit sympathizers worldwide.
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Kurmanji name | Propaganda ya ISISê li dijî Êzidiyan |
| Also written | ISIS propaganda against Yazidis; ISIS anti‑Yazidi campaign |
| Category | Genocide & Justice; Religion; History |
| Region | Sinjar (Iraq), Sheikhan (Iraq), Raqqa (Syria), online global platforms |
| Observed/Active | 2014 – 2019 (peak); residual online presence thereafter |
| Primary sources | Dabiq magazine, ISIS video releases, social‑media posts, UN reports |
Pronunciation & orthography
Kurmanji spelling: Propaganda ya ISISê li dijî Êzidiyan. Arabic‑script variant: بروپاڨندا إيسيس لى ديجي ئیزیديان. Cyrillic variant (used in some diaspora publications): Пропаганда я ИСИСе ли дижи Êзидијан. IPA: /pɾo.paˈɡan.da ja iːˈsɪs.e li dɪˈʒi ˈeːzi.di.jan/. Common English misspellings include “ISIS anti‑Yazidi propaganda” and “ISIS propaganda against Yezidis.”
Main exposition
Ideological foundations
ISIS framed Yazidis as “unbelievers” (kuffar) whose annihilation fulfilled a divine mandate, echoing early‑Islamic caliphate rhetoric. This ideological labeling satisfied the legal threshold of genocide as defined by the UN Genocide Convention, which requires intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a protected group (Pastucha & Spychalska 2015).1
Visual strategies
Multimodal analyses reveal that ISIS employed stark black‑and‑white imagery, graphic execution footage, and stylized calligraphy to present Yazidis as subhuman. The magazine Dabiq repeatedly featured caricatures of Yazidi women with exaggerated features, reinforcing sexual violence narratives (Rasoulikolamaki & Kaur 2021).4
Textual narratives
Written articles in Dabiq and online bulletins used religious justification, demonizing language, and pseudo‑scholarly exegesis to legitimize mass killings. Phrases such as “the infidel nest” and “the cursed tribe” appear verbatim across multiple issues, creating a consistent hate lexicon.4
Use of Dabiq magazine
The propaganda organ Dabiq served as the primary conduit for ideological indoctrination. Its 2015 issue devoted a full spread to “The Yazidi Threat,” combining Quranic citations with graphic depictions of executions to rally fighters (Rasoulikolamaki & Kaur 2021).4
Impact on international perception
By broadcasting atrocity footage, ISIS aimed to intimidate the Yazidi population while simultaneously soliciting foreign fighters. The visual shock value generated widespread media coverage, which paradoxically amplified ISIS’s notoriety and facilitated humanitarian responses (Raben 2018).2
In the oral tradition
Yazidi qewl (sacred hymns) have been adapted in exile to recount the genocide, preserving collective memory and counter‑narrating ISIS propaganda. One such qewl, “Şerê Dêra Şengalê,” recounts the fall of Sinjar and the resilience of the faithful.
“When the black horse of destruction rode over the hills, our hearts sang the song of the eternal fire, refusing to be silenced.” – excerpt from Şerê Dêra Şengalê (Ahmed 2023).3
Scholarly disagreement
Sarah Myers Raben argues that ISIS propaganda was primarily a recruitment tool that amplified existing sectarian hatred, whereas Wiktor Pastucha contends that the propaganda itself constituted a core genocidal act, meeting the legal definition of genocide independently of the killings.2,1
James Gordon (cited in the IAFOR archive) emphasizes the role of digital diffusion, suggesting that the visual shock value outweighed textual justification in shaping global awareness.1
Common misconceptions
Regional variation
In Sinjar, visual propaganda emphasized the destruction of the holy shrine of Lalish, while in Sheikhan the narrative focused on forced conversions. Syrian ISIS cells highlighted Yazidi participation in anti‑government protests to justify attacks, whereas Turkish diaspora outlets repurposed propaganda to argue for broader anti‑terror legislation. Across the diaspora, Yazidi communities have produced counter‑propaganda in the form of documentary films and social‑media campaigns.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 2014 | ISIS captures Sinjar, initiates mass killings and begins disseminating graphic videos of Yazidi executions.1 |
| June 2015 | Dabiq issue “The Yazidi Threat” publishes visual and textual attacks on Yazidis.4 |
| December 2015 | UN Human Rights Office report classifies ISIS actions as genocide, citing propaganda as evidence of intent.1 |
| April 2018 | Raben’s article highlights the link between human‑trafficking networks and ISIS propaganda aimed at Yazidis.2 |
| May 2023 | Cambridge study documents the lasting impact of ISIS visual propaganda on Yazidi collective memory.3 |
Data table
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Yazidi population pre‑ISIS (2013) | ≈ 700,0003 |
| Yazidis killed (2014‑2016) | ≈ 5,0001 |
| Women abducted | ≈ 3,0002 |
| ISIS propaganda videos released | ≈ 1504 |
| Dabiq issues containing anti‑Yazidi content | 3 (2015‑2017)4 |
FAQ
What sources are used to analyze ISIS propaganda against Yazidis?
The article draws on peer‑reviewed studies of Dabiq magazine, UN human‑rights reports, and multimodal discourse analyses of ISIS videos, supplemented by field research on Yazidi oral traditions.
How does the article determine that ISIS propaganda meets the legal definition of genocide?
It cites the UN Human Rights Office and scholarly work (Pastucha & Spychalska 2015) that demonstrate ISIS’s intent to destroy the Yazidi group, a core element of the Genocide Convention.
Is the information up‑to‑date given the ongoing online circulation of ISIS material?
Yes. The timeline includes recent scholarly assessments (Ahmed 2023) and notes that archived propaganda continues to be re‑uploaded, influencing extremist narratives beyond ISIS’s territorial defeat.
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