Two years after ISIS was defeated in Iraq, the communities that were ravaged by the terrorist group’s brutal rule are still struggling to recover. The Yazidi people chief among them. This ethno-religious group has its own set of beliefs and traditions, rooted in Yazidism, a monotheistic religion that is widely believed to predate all the Abrahamic faiths. The community is mostly present in Iraqi Kurdistan, in the area surrounding Shekhan, north-east of Mosul and in the mountainous region of Sinjar. For thousands of years, this small, but deep-rooted community has called Iraq home.
Yet, they have been persecuted for centuries. The Yazidis speak of having survived 74 genocides, the latest of which took place in 2014, when ISIS seized control of their territories. The terrorist group deemed the Yazidis heretics and launched a brutal assault upon them, raping and enslaving the women, and killing the men.
In three years, the terrorist organisation murdered more than 1,000 Yazidis and kidnapped at least 6,400 people – mostly women and children. More than half of those who disappeared are still missing. Prince Tahseen Said Ali, the Yazidi leader at the time, issued a heart-wrenching plea, imploring world leaders to come to the aid of Yazidis in Iraq. He dedicated the last years of his 75-year reign to shedding light to the plight of his people and making their voices heard. Now, six months after his death, his son Prince Hazeem Tahseen Bek has been named as his successor. One of his most pressing tasks will be to bring together a people that has been scattered around the globe.
The atrocities committed by ISIS have traumatised a whole community, forcing one in five Yazidis to flee the country. Today, only 450,000 of the world's 1.5 million Yazidis remain in Iraq, most of them internally displaced. Sinjar's infrastructure, meanwhile, now lies almost totally destroyed, the area lacking electricity, hospitals and clean water.
But for the Yazidis to truly rebuild, justice must be served. Iraqi authorities have yet to bring all ISIS fighters to trial. A lack of funds, the ongoing war in Syria, as well as a crumbling criminal justice system have all impeded the process. The UN has also been investigating crimes committed by ISIS in Iraq since 2017, but this will take years to complete. It will fall to the new Yazidi leader to pursue this fight, and to make it possible for those who have fled, or were forcibly taken, to return to their homes. We can only hope that Mr Tahseen’s long-awaited nomination will allow this community, which has suffered so greatly, to finally live in peace.
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
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