Review of the report " DESTROYING THE SOUL OF THE YAZIDIS Cultural Heritage Destruction During the Islamic State’s Genocide Against the Yazidis

Discussions about the genocide committed against the Yazidi people by the Islamic state  since 2014 have mostly focused on murder, slavery, and sexual exploitation. This report analyzes the destruction of Yazidi material and intangible cultural heritage as an important aspect of the Islamic state's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide. Evidence of destruction is collected and presented in the context of other criminal acts. YAZDA presents the results of their investigation to the international community so that these acts do not go unrecognized and unpunished. The Yazidis are an endogamous community that has lived in Northern Iraq for more than 6,500 years, for which Faith and ethnicity are inextricably linked. Faith in God and Tavus Melek (the Supreme angel), as well as the veneration of Lalish as the holiest place on Earth, are the defining features of the Yazidi faith. Nature and seasonal changes play a significant role. Historical and sacred sites are an integral part of the Yazidi identity and are considered vital to the life of the local population. The destruction of Yazidi cultural heritage greatly threatens the survival of the community.

The Islamic state made no secret of its intention to root out the Yazidi community and on August 3, 2014, began a coldly calculated policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide. All victims were subjected to ill-treatment and torture. Yazidi men over the age of 12 were killed. Yazidi women were enslaved and sold into a complex and public network of sexual slavery. Those who fled to mount Sinjar were besieged to ensure their deaths from hunger, thirst, and the scorching sun. Economic support bases such as olive groves and irrigation wells were systematically destroyed, and many areas of the Yazidi homeland were seeded with land mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to prevent the return of the population.

The work of YAZDA, RASHID, shows us that the destruction of the cultural heritage of the Yazidi people is a war crime, a crime against humanity (persecution), and another evidence of genocide. They recommend that national prosecutors conduct investigations wherever jurisdiction allows, and also recommend that the destruction of cultural heritage be considered in any prosecution for international crimes, especially the crime of genocide. The inclusion of the Lalish temple and its surroundings in the world heritage List and the list of heavily protected cultural properties should be a priority. YAZDA urges the international community to help restore Sinjar and Bahzani / Bashiki in order to prevent the loss of Yazidi culture forever.