This barbaric treatment of the Yazidis by the Islamic State is a direct result of the convert-or-die dilemma that Islamic law mandates for non-Muslims who are not “People of the Book.” But no one can discuss the motivating belief system, for fear of accusations of “Islamophobia.” And that only ensures that this kind of thing will happen again.
“The Iraqi children ‘drinking their parents’ BLOOD to stay alive’: How refugees stranded on Mount Sinjar are cutting their hands to save their young,” by Simon Tomlinson, Daily Mail, August 13, 2014:
Children trapped on a mountain by Islamic State militants in Iraq are drinking blood from their parents to stay alive, it emerged today.
Their horrendous plight was revealed after some 8,000 Yazidis were finally able to escape down Mount Sinjar where they have been under siege from jihadist fighters for the last week.
Those fleeing have made it to relative safety at a camp in Dohuk Province in Kurdistan, where they have told horrific stories of the 30,000 who have been left behind.
Sky News correspondent Sherine Tadros, who is at the camp, said: ‘One man has just told us how he saw four children die of thirst.
‘There was nowhere to bury them on the mountain so they just put rocks on their bodies.
‘Another man was saying the children were so thirsty, their parents started cutting their own hands and giving them blood to drink.’
Hundreds of other families have also made it across the border after trekking for hundreds of kilometres through sweltering temperatures to safety.
They are being given food, water and medical treatment at shelters in Turkey and Syria after being driven out of their town by ISIS more than a week ago.
Some have been forced to pay smugglers their life savings to take them on perilous journeys across the border into Turkey, sometimes through minefields.
They are among several gruelling treks to freedom the community has taken after they were sent scattering to the four corners by the insurgency, which has trapped around 30,000 others on Sinjar Mountain with no food or water.
Around 2,000 Yazidis have made it to a refugee camp in Derabon, a small village near Zakho on the Iraqi Kurdistan-Turkey border.
But with no passports, many are having to sit tight and hope the uprising is crushed or pay smugglers to help them avoid the official border crossing at Habur.
One mother who suffers agonising rheumatism told how she and her three young children waded through the Tigris River, tip-toed her way through a minefield and climbed through a barbed-wire fence to make it into Turkey.
Half-way through the five-hour journey, Amal said the smuggler wanted her children to leave her behind because she was too slow, but they chose to carry her instead.
The 43-year-old told The Times: ‘My sons gathered around me and they refused. We were not afraid of dying there. We were afraid of dying at the hands of the Islamic State.’…
Beagle says
Just… no words.
Your watch, Obama. Do more now before it’s too late.
John C. Barile says
It seems that thousands still are trapped on the south ridge of Mount Sinjar and can’t make their way to the north side, to escape by land. To the north, Syrian Kurd and Turkish Kurd militiamen are keeping a narrow corridor of escape open, keeping the IS at bay.
John C. Barile says
Mr. Obama and Mr. Cameron: send in the Chinooks and bring them OUT!
Jerry says
There are no moderate Muslims in the White House.
Beagle says
What sort of president, the one person who can manage a crisis like this, goes out for 36 holes while a genocide of an ancient people is going on in a nation, he would say, our nation wrecked? I don’t get him and I hope I never do too well.
SpiritOf1683 says
At least your President is known to be on a golf course. Cameron has disappeared without trace.
Myxlplik says
It’s pretty obvious they are both in hiding until their talking points can be properly sorted out. The big lie that these are “terrorists” who represent a “tiny minority of extremists” linked to a misinterpretation of Islam is unraveling.
How does this meme fit into the fact that these terrorists are actually the army of an Islamic State, which is filled with citizens drawn from Muslims who come from all over the world?
It doesn’t work, they simply can’t rely on the stupidity of the average citizen any longer, the fall out is too big now to cover up the lie.
The wheels must be turning so hard their eyes are popping out and smoke is pouring out of their ears, as they try to come up with verbiage to support the T.M.E., terrorist meme.
Bettina says
Myxlplik — I liked your message 🙂
With respect, when you say “The big lie that these are ‘terrorists’ who represent a ‘tiny minority of extremists’… is unraveling,” I would change the word “terrorists” to the all-too common “militants,” “rebels,” “dissidents,” and “fighters.” It’s enough to make your head spin with the double-speak.
Also, cowardly minimizing media describe ISIS as brutal, instead of the absolutely accurate “savage,” “sadistic,” “barbaric,” and “blood-thirsty,” for example.
Rezali Mehil says
very sad…
no child should have their childhood stolen like this …
but Barry’s boys nowhere to be seen..
OT I know …but up to two hundred Americans killed by American bombing..last week ..3rd paragraph from bottom….
http://www.debka.com/article/24182/US-arms-rushed-to-Iraqi-Kurds-from-Jordan-Israel-Al-Qaeda-Sinai-targets-US-Negev-military-facilities-
More Later….
Rezali
Beagle says
“Last week it was discovered that, among the Islamist fighters who died in US air strikes Friday and Saturday, was a large group, estimated by intelligence sources as up to 200, of American citizens fighting in the ranks of Al Qaeda’s IS in Kurdistan and western Iraq.”
If true, thanks for the great news. I needed some.
John C. Barile says
Well, that a bit of relief . . . they won’t be coming back.
John C. Barile says
–is–
gravenimage says
Rezali Mehil wrote:
OT I know …but up to two hundred Americans killed by American bombing…
……………………………….
What crap. These weren’t “Americans”—these were Jihadists who had used the United States as a base from which to wage violent Jihad. *Ugh*.
Richie says
Dear god…
Why isnt the entire civilized world denouncing islam??????? The indifference of the western leaders is what enables these Islamic savages to continue and spread their killing sprees
Meanwhile Obama is out golfing
Bettina says
The world is afraid of being termed as genocidal or, more commonly, as Islamophobic. Remember how anti-Semitism took hold mainly in Europe for centuries, culminating in a savage Holocaust and mass book-burnings?
The world is afraid that the act of naming the enemy, Islam itself, will endanger millions of secular muslims, who pretty much ignore the Koran and its insane directives. So they keep hands-off islamic scriptures.
Richie says
then nothing will stop the Muslims on their killing spree. Its now to the point that people who complain about being murdered will be called Islamaphobic for complaining
Richie says
is the reluctance to help these people out of a fear Muslims might take offense? Is that west that terrified of Islam?
There needs to be an international effort to save these people
tpellow says
“We may not think ourselves at war with ISIS but they are pretty sure they are at war with us.”
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/alex-massie/2014/08/we-may-not-think-ourselves-at-war-with-isis-but-they-are-pretty-sure-they-are-at-war-with-us/
John C. Barile says
I enjoy reading your links.
Max Publius says
ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State is simply the Saudis at war.
Saudi Arabia is simply ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State at “peace.”
If there is any question about that, read up about how Saudis treat average non-Muslims working in S.A. and then get back to us.
Of course, the Saudis are simply being Muslims.
Max Modine says
Anybody know what hole Barry is at? I need to send him a urgent message regarding this catastrophe before he gets seriously messed up after the golf.
Remember 9/11
Champ says
This is so *heinous* that I can hardly believe what I’m reading …
Thomas Wells says
An effective rescue mission here isn’t exactly rocket science. Nor is establishing a 15 mile corridor off the backside of the mountain to the refugee camps. A troop of cub scouts would have the ability to plan it with some basic briefings on B-52s, C-130 gun ships, fuel air bombs,armed Kurds ,and the like. It’s too bad there is not a golf course on the mountain to get Obama interested.
Vinay pandey.advocate/humanrightactivist says
We are speechless? Very brutal act by isis. Stop it. Listen me i file d a petition on change.org. Name as. Stop yazidi genocideðnic cleasing. Pls sign&share it