Who was Yazid I?
Yazid ibn Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan ( Arabic: يزيد بن معاوية بن أبي سفيان, romanized : Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya ibn ʾAbī Sufyān; c. 646 – 11 November 683), commonly known as Yazid I, was the second caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate. He ruled from April 680 until his death in November 683.
What happened to the Umayyads after Yazid died?
After the death of Yazid in November 683, the people of Iraq drove out the Umayyad governor Ibn Ziyad; The Tawwabin called on the people to avenge Husayn's death, attracting large-scale support. Lacking any political program, they intended to punish the Umayyads or sacrifice themselves in the struggle.
Did Yazid kill Imam Husain?
Ibn Abbas replied to Yazid’s letter stating: ‘… you killed Husain as well as the youths from Bani Abdul Muttalib who were beacons of guidance and famed stars; your troops marched towards them on your orders.’ Testimony of Abdullah b. Umar that Yazid killed Imam Husain (a.s.)
Why did Ibn Ziyad send his head to Yazid?
Therefore Ibn Ziyad killed him (on Yazid’s beckoning) and sent his head to him (Yazid). He (Yazid) wrote to Ubaidullah b. Ziyad ordering him to march towards Medina and surround (Abdullah) Ibn Zubair in Mecca.

Who became Khalifa after Yazid?
664 – 684 CE), usually known simply as Mu'awiya II was the third Umayyad caliph. He succeeded his father Yazid I as the third caliph and last caliph of the Sufyanid line in the Umayyad dynasty. He ruled briefly in 683-684 (64 AH) before he died.
When was Yazid died?
November 12, 683 ADYazid I / Date of death
Who is the son of Yazid?
Mu'awiya IIKhalid ibn YazidOmar bin YazidAbu Bakr ibn YazidAbd Allah ibn YazidAbdullah Al AkbarYazid I/Sons
How did Yazid dies?
According to the verses by a contemporary poet Ibn Arada, who at the time resided in Khurasan, Yazid died in his bed with a wine cup by his side. Ibn al-Zubayr subsequently declared himself caliph and Iraq and Egypt came under his rule. In Syria, Yazid's son Mu'awiya II, whom he had nominated, became caliph.
Who took revenge of Karbala?
Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd al-Thaqafi (Arabic: ٱلْمُخْتَار ٱبْن أَبِي عُبَيْد ٱلثَّقَفِيّ, al-Mukhtār ibn Abī ʿUbayd al-Thaqafīy; c. 622 – 3 April 687) was a pro-Alid revolutionary based in Kufa, who led a rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate in 685 and ruled over most of Iraq for eighteen months during the Second ...
Who is the mother of Yazid?
Maysun bint Bahdal al-Kulaibi al-NasraniaYazid I / MotherMaysun bint Bahdal (Arabic: ميسون بنت بحدل, romanized: Maysūn bint Baḥdal) was a wife of caliph Mu'awiya I ( r. 661–680), and as mother of his successor and son Yazid I ( r. 680–683). She belonged to a ruling clan of the Banu Kalb, a tribe which dominated the Syrian steppe.
Why did Ali fight Muawiya?
In response to Muawiya's declaration of war, Ali wrote to him, pointing out that Muawiya was not Uthman's next of kin to avenge his death but that he was still welcome to bring his case to Ali's court of justice. He then challenged Muawiya to offer any evidence that would incriminate him in the murder of Uthman.
Can Sunnis visit Karbala?
Although most pilgrims to Karbala are Shia, there are also some Sunni Muslim visitors. The author saw Sunni Muslims in both Karbala and Najaf. They can be distinguished from Shia Muslims by the way in which they perform their prayers. Some were praying inside the shrines of Imam Hussain and Abul Fazl Abbas.
Who is the mother of Yazid?
Maysun bint Bahdal al-Kulaibi al-NasraniaYazid I / MotherMaysun bint Bahdal (Arabic: ميسون بنت بحدل, romanized: Maysūn bint Baḥdal) was a wife of caliph Mu'awiya I ( r. 661–680), and as mother of his successor and son Yazid I ( r. 680–683). She belonged to a ruling clan of the Banu Kalb, a tribe which dominated the Syrian steppe.
Why did Ali fight Muawiya?
In response to Muawiya's declaration of war, Ali wrote to him, pointing out that Muawiya was not Uthman's next of kin to avenge his death but that he was still welcome to bring his case to Ali's court of justice. He then challenged Muawiya to offer any evidence that would incriminate him in the murder of Uthman.
When did Karbala happen?
October 10, 680 ADBattle of Karbala / Start date
How did Yazid try to placate Ibn al-Zubayr?
At first, Yazid attempted to placate him by sending gifts and delegations in an attempt to reach a settlement. After Ibn al-Zubayr's refusal to recognize him, Yazid sent a force led by Ibn al-Zubayr's estranged brother Amr to arrest him. The force was defeated and Amr was taken captive and executed.
Why did Mu'awiya appoint Yazid to lead the Hajj?
By appointing Yazid to lead the hajj rituals there, Mu'awiya may have hoped to enlist support for Yazid's succession and elevate his status as a Muslim leader. According to Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani (d. 967), Mu'awiya had also employed poets to influence public opinion in favour of Yazid's succession.
Why was Yazid considered an illegitimate ruler?
Yazid is considered an illegitimate ruler and a tyrant by many Muslims due to his hereditary succession, the death of Husayn, and his attack on Medina.
Why did Husayn leave Marwan?
Husayn scolded Marwan and left to join his armed retinue, who were waiting nearby in case the authorities attempted to apprehend him. Immediately following Husayn's exit, Marwan admonished Walid, who in turn justified his refusal to harm Husayn by dint of the latter's close relation to Muhammad.
What was Yazid's role in the Byzantine Empire?
During his father's caliphate, Yazid led several campaigns against the Byzantine Empire, which the Caliphate had been trying to conquer, including an attack on the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. Sources give several dates for this between 49 AH (669–70 CE) and 55 AH (674–5 CE).
What was the end of the Caliphate?
The Caliphate fell into a nearly decade-long civil war, ending with the establishment of the Marwanid dynasty (the Umayyad caliph Marwan I and his descendants). Yazid continued Mu'awiya's decentralized model of governance, relying on his provincial governors and the tribal nobility.
Where was Yazid born?
Yazid was born in Syria. His year of birth is uncertain, placed between 642 and 649. His father was Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, then governor of Syria under Caliph Uthman ( r. 644–656 ). Mu'awiya and Uthman belonged to the wealthy Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe, a grouping of Meccan clans to which the Islamic prophet Muhammad and all the preceding caliphs belonged. Yazid's mother, Maysun, was the daughter of Bahdal ibn Unayf, a chieftain of the powerful Bedouin tribe of Banu Kalb. She was a Christian, like most of her tribe. Yazid grew up with his maternal Kalbite kin, spending the springs of his youth in the Syrian Desert; for the remainder of the year he was in the company of the Greek and native Syrian courtiers of his father, who became caliph in 661.
How many Yazidis were killed in 1640?
In 1640, 40,000 Ottoman soldiers attacked Yazidi communities around Mount Sinjar, killing 3,060 Yazidis during battle, then raiding and setting fire to 300 Yazidi villages and murdering 1,000–2,000 Yazidis who had taken refuge in caves around the town of Sinjar;
What do Yazidis believe?
The Yazidis are monotheists who believe in a benevolent peacock angel. The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other Muslims in the region tend to view the peacock angel as the malevolent creature Lucifer or Shaitan and they consider the Yazidis ' devil worshippers'. Unlike for Judaism and Christianity, ISIL does not consider Yazidis as People of the book or legible for Dhimmi and related protections.
How many people were killed in the Yazidi massacre?
On 15 August, in the Yazidi village of Kojo, south of Sinjar, after the whole population had received the jihadist ultimatum to convert or be killed, over 80 men were killed. A witness recounted that the villagers were first converted under duress, but when the village elder refused to convert, all of the men were taken in trucks under the pretext of being led to Sinjar, and gunned down along the way. According to reports from survivors interviewed by OHCHR, on 15 August, the entire male population of the Yazidi village of Khocho, up to 400 men, were rounded up and shot by ISIL, and up to 1,000 women and children were abducted; on the same day, up to 200 Yazidi men were reportedly executed for refusing conversion in a Tal Afar prison.
How many Yazidi families were threatened in 2014?
In August 2014, more than 300 Yazidi families were threatened and forced to choose between conversion to Sunni Islam or death.
What is the campaign to save the Yazidis?
Defend International – On 6 September 2014, Defend International launched a worldwide campaign entitled "Save The Yazidis: The World Has To Act Now" to raise awareness about the tragedy of the Yazidis in Sinjar; coordinate activities related to intensifying efforts aimed at rescuing Yazidi and Christian women and girls captured by ISIL; provide a platform for discussion and the exchange of information on matters and activities relevant to securing the fundamental rights of the Yazidis, no matter where they reside; and building a bridge between potential partners and communities whose work is relevant to the campaign, including individuals, groups, communities, and organizations active in the areas of women's and girls' rights, inter alia, as well as actors involved in ending modern-day slavery and violence against women and girls.
Where did the Yazidi genocide take place?
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS, IS or Daesh) carried out a genocide of Yazidis in the Sinjar area of northern Iraq in the mid-2010s. The genocide led to the expulsion, flight and effective exile of the Yazidis from their ancestral lands in Upper Mesopotamia. Thousands of Yazidi women and girls were forced into sexual slavery by ISIL, and thousands of Yazidi men were killed. Five thousand Yazidi civilians were killed during what has been called a " forced conversion campaign" carried out by ISIL in Northern Iraq. The genocide began after the withdrawal of the Kurdistan Regional Government 's Peshmerga, which left the Yazidis defenseless.
When did ISIL kill the Yazidi?
On 3 August 2014, ISIL killed the men from the al-Qahtaniya area, ten Yazidi families fleeing were attacked by ISIL; and ISIL shot 70 to 90 Yazidi men in Qiniyeh village.
What did Yazid learn from his father?
After finishing his primary education, Yazid learned about battles, politics, and general history.
Where was Yazid I born?
Yazid I was born in 646, in Mecca, which was a part of the Syrian Empire at that time. The place is currently in Saudi Arabia. His parents were Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan and Bahdal ibn Unayf.
What did Muawiya tell the people before his death?
However, he was pretty much successful in telling the people from Mecca and Medina that the rebels had given up and everybody had accepted his decision. This tactics worked and many of his opponents became quite after this. Before his death, Muawiya, through a will, passed on instruction to Yazid on how to govern the empire. He also told him to be careful in dealing with Husayn, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. He also predicted that the politicians of Iraq would manipulate Husayn easily into rebellion and then leave him alone.
How many wives did Yazid have?
Yazid married twice in his life. His first wife wasUmm Khalid Fakhita bint Abi Hisham, while Umm Kulthum bint Abd Allah ibn Amir Was his second wife. He had many sons and daughters from his wives, and most notable of them were Mu'awiya II, Khaled, and Atikah. The true cause of his death remains unknown.
Why did Muawiya go to Medina?
In order to crush the rebellion, Muawiya embarked on a military expedition to Mecca, but the rebels fled to Medina to prepare better. Muawiya somehow followed them there as well and threatened them with death if they did not accept Yazid as their future leader. The rebels, such as Abd Allah ibn Al-Zubayr and Husayn ibn Ali, gathered their supporters and rose in an open rebellion against the Caliphate.
What did Husayn do to challenge Yazid?
He was warned by his trusted counsellors to drop the plan, but he did not pay any heed. On his way to Kufa, he came to know that Kufans had changed sides. Husayn, however, kept marching forward to Kufa and was attacked by Yazid’s troops in the desert of Karbala. He was eventually killed in the battle.
Who was the second Caliph of the Umayyad?
Yazid I, also known as Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān, was the second Caliph of the Umayyad caliphate. He was the first ruler in the Islamic history to be appointed through hereditary succession.
How long did the Battle of Husayn last?
Based on an official report sent to caliph Yazid, which describes the battle very briefly, stating that it lasted for no longer than a siesta, Lammens concludes that there was no battle at all but a quick massacre that was over in an hour ; he suggests that the detailed accounts found in the primary sources are Iraqi fabrications, since their writers were dissatisfied with their hero being killed without putting up a fight. This is countered by the historian Laura Veccia Vaglieri, who argues that despite there being some fabricated accounts, all of the contemporary accounts together form "a coherent and credible narrative". She criticizes Lammens' hypothesis as being based on a single isolated report and being devoid of critical analysis. Similarly, Madelung and Wellhausen assert that the battle lasted from sunrise to sunset and that the overall account of the battle is reliable. Vaglieri and Madelung explain the length of the battle despite the numerical disparity between the opposing camps as Ibn Sa'd's attempt to prolong the fight and pressure Husayn into submission instead of attempting to quickly overwhelm and kill him.
Why was Husayn killed?
Husayn's death at Karbala is believed by Shi'as to be a sacrifice made to prevent the corruption of Islam by tyrannical rulers and to protect its ideology. He is, as such, believed to have been fully aware of his fate and the outcome of his revolt, which was divinely ordained. He is thus remembered as the prince of martyrs ( Sayyed al-Shuhada ). The historian G. R. Hawting describes the Battle of Karbala as a "supreme" example of "suffering and martyrdom" for Shi'as. According to Abdulaziz Sachedina, it is seen by Shi'as the climax of suffering and oppression, revenge for which came to be one of the primary goals of many Shi'a uprisings. This revenge is believed to be one of the fundamental objectives of the future revolution of the twelfth Shi'a Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi, whose return is awaited. With his return, Husayn and his seventy-two companions are expected to be resurrected along with their killers, who will then be punished.
What was the name of the group that fought against the Umayyads?
To atone for what they perceived as their sin, they began a movement known as the Tawwabin, under Sulayman ibn Surad, a companion of Muhammad, to fight the Umayyads. As long as Iraq was in Umayyad hands, the movement remained underground. After the death of Yazid in November 683, the people of Iraq drove out the Umayyad governor Ibn Ziyad; The Tawwabin called on the people to avenge Husayn's death, attracting large-scale support. Lacking any political program, they intended to punish the Umayyads or sacrifice themselves in the struggle. Their slogan was "Revenge for Husayn". Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, another prominent pro-Alid of Kufa, attempted to dissuade the Tawwabin from this endeavor in favor of an organized movement to take control of the city, but Ibn Surad's stature as a companion of Muhammad and an old ally of Ali, prevented most of his followers from accepting Mukhtar's proposal. Although 16,000 men enlisted to fight, only 4,000 mustered. In November 684, the Tawwabin left to confront the Umayyads, after mourning for a day at Husayn's grave in Karbala. The armies met in January 685 at the three-day Battle of Ayn al-Warda in present-day northern Syria; most of the Tawwabin, including Ibn Surad, were killed. A few escaped to Kufa and joined Mukhtar.
How many people died in the Battle of Husayn?
Seventy or seventy-two people died on Husayn's side, of whom about twenty were descendants of Abu Talib, the father of Ali. This included two of Husayn's sons, six of his paternal brothers, three sons of Hasan ibn Ali, three sons of Jafar ibn Abi Talib and three sons and three grandsons of Aqil ibn Abi Talib. Following the battle, Husayn's clothes were stripped, and his sword, shoes and baggage were taken. The women's jewelry and cloaks were also seized. Shemr wanted to kill Husayn's only surviving son Ali Zayn al-Abidin, who had not taken part in the fighting because of illness, but was prevented by Ibn Sa'd. There are reports of more than sixty wounds on Husayn's body, which was then trampled with horses as previously instructed by Ibn Ziyad. The bodies of Husayn's companions were decapitated. There were eighty-eight dead in Ibn Sa'd's army, who were buried before he left. After his departure, members of the Banu Asad tribe, from the nearby village of Ghadiriya, buried the headless bodies of Husayn's companions.
Where did the Tawwabin meet?
In November 684, the Tawwabin left to confront the Umayyads, after mourning for a day at Husayn's grave in Karbala. The armies met in January 685 at the three-day Battle of Ayn al-Warda in present-day northern Syria; most of the Tawwabin, including Ibn Surad, were killed. A few escaped to Kufa and joined Mukhtar.
What is the purpose of the Zuljenah in the Muaharram procession?
A zuljenah in a Muaharram procession. During the month of Muharram, elaborate public processions are performed in commemoration of the Battle of Karbala. In contrast to pilgrimage to Husayn's tomb and simple lamenting, these processions do not date back to the time of the battle, but arose during tenth century.
What was the Muslim community like before the Battle of Karbala?
Prior to the Battle of Karbala, the Muslim community was divided into two political factions. Nonetheless, a religious sect with distinct theological doctrines and specific set of rituals had not developed. Karbala gave this early political party of pro-Alids a distinct religious identity and helped transform it into a distinct religious sect. Heinz Halm writes: "There was no religious aspect to Shi'ism prior to 680. The death of the third imam and his followers marked the 'big bang' that created the rapidly expanding cosmos of Shi'ism and brought it into motion."
What did Yazid do after he was martyred?
Thereafter, he ordered for horses to trample his body after his martyrdom, as a result of which his body was ripped to shreds.
Who wrote to Husain that Yazid told him not to kill him?
Ibn Ziyad wrote to Husain – I have received information that you have arrived in Karbala, and Yazid has told me not to kill you, provided you accept his authority and mine.
Did Yazid kill the family of the Prophet?
Yazid’s own admission that he killed the family of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) We read in Sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar: Following the murder of Imam Husain (a.s.), Yazid declared: I avenged the killing of my relatives in Badr through killing of the Prophet’s (s.a.w .a.) family.
Is it impermissible to support Yazid in the matter of killing Husain?
It is impermissible to support Yazid in the matter of killing Husain; nay (Husain’s) murder is Yazid’s deed that proves him to be a transgressor (faasiq) and Husain a martyr. (Al-Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun, p. 254) The testimony of Ibn Kathir that Yazid killed Imam Husain (a.s.)
Who killed Imam Husain?
The testimony of Shah Abdul Aziz that Yazid killed Imam Husain (a.s.) When the cruel people of Syria and Iraq upon Yazid’s orders and with the efforts of the chief of hatred and corruption, Ibn Ziyad, martyred Imam Husain….
Was the killing of Imam Husain a one week affair?
The killing of Imam Husain (a.s.) was not a one week affair that began and ended in Karbala. Demand for allegiance in Medina, Marwan’s threat, Yazid’s replacing Noman b.
Who was killed in Shazarat al-Dahab?
Disrespect to the Prophet’s (a.s.) household. Ibn Imaad Hanbali records in his famed work Shazarat al-Dahab vol. 1 p. 61: When he (Imam Husain (a.s.)) was killed, his head, his women-folk and (his son) Imam Zain al-Aabedeen were taken to Damascus as slaves.
Who were the killers of Imam Husayn (a.s)?
Time and again objection is issued by the ignorant that killers of Imam Husayn (a.s) were Shias. Though more than once those objections have been replied and refuted, yet once in a while the same voice is heard again.
The First Problem
Now we shall think upon the first problem: “Which sect is in perfect agreement with the holy personality of the martyr of Karbala’ and his deeds, and which group is in opposition to him.”
The Second Problem
Now pay attention to another aspect, which is a reflection of the first one. That is, how a particular sect regards Yazid? After the first problem has been cleared, there is no need for details here. Yet for further clarification and more confirmation we would like to state a few things.
The Third Problem
In view of Shias, Yazid and other killers of Imam Husayn (a.s) were infidels and they curse them and those who approve their actions and the Shias consider them inmates of Hell. Hanafi, Shafei and moderate Hanbalis also completely hate the killers of Imam Husayn (a.s) and consider them worthy of being denounced.
Umar bin Saad bin Abi Waqqas
He was the commander Yazid’s army. He was directly responsible for all those cruelties after Yazid and Ibn Ziyad. He had told his cronies: Be witness that the first arrow shot to the army of Husayn is mine. Regarding such character, the writer of Tahzibut Tahzib says:
Shimr bin Ziljaushan
He was the killer of Imam Husayn (a.s). Ibn Ziyad sent him at the head of a 4000-strong army and instructed him that if Umar Ibn Saad showed even the slightest hesitation he should demote him from commandership and himself take over the command of the army. Shimr is also an authoritative source of Wahabi traditions.
Hussayn Ibn Numair
This accursed man was also at the head of a 4000-strong army in Karbala’. After the martyrdom of His Eminence, Muslim, Ibn Ziyad had entrusted him with the duty of guarding the limits of Kufa so that in case Imam Husayn (a.s) arrives he could be apprehended. His Eminence, Hurr was under his command.

Overview
Yazid ibn Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan (Arabic: يزيد بن معاوية بن أبي سفيان, romanized: Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya ibn ʾAbī Sufyān; c. 646 – 11 November 683), commonly known as Yazid I, was the second caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate. He ruled from April 680 until his death in November 683. His appointment was the first hereditary succession to the caliphate in Islamic history. His caliphate was marked by th…
Early life
Yazid was born in Syria. His year of birth is uncertain, placed between 642 and 649. His father was Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, then governor of Syria under Caliph Uthman (r. 644–656). Mu'awiya and Uthman belonged to the wealthy Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe, a grouping of Meccan clans to which the Islamic prophet Muhammad and all the preceding caliphs belonged. Yazid's mother, Maysun, w…
Nomination as caliph
The third caliph Uthman drew the ire of the Muslim settlers of the conquered lands as a consequence of his controversial policies, which were seen by many as nepotistic and interfering in provincial affairs. In 656 he was killed by the provincial rebels in Medina, then capital of the Caliphate, after which Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, was recognized as caliph by the Medinese people and the rebels. In the consequent first Islamic civil war (656–661), Mu'awiya …
Reign
Mu'awiya died in April 680. According to al-Tabari, Yazid was at his residence in Huwwarin, located between Damascus and Palmyra, at the time of his father's death. According to verses of Yazid preserved in Isfahani's Kitab al-Aghani, a collection of Arabic poetry, Yazid was away on a summertime expedition against the Byzantines when he received the news of Mu'awiya's final illness. Based o…
Death and succession
Yazid died on 11 November 683 in the central Syrian desert town of Huwwarin, his favourite residence, aged between 35 and 43, and was buried there. Early annalists like Abu Ma'shar al-Madani (d. 778) and al-Waqidi (d. 823) do not give any details about his death. This lack of information seems to have inspired fabrication of accounts by authors with anti-Umayyad leanings, which detail se…
Legacy
The killing of Muhammad's grandson Husayn caused widespread outcry among Muslims and the image of Yazid suffered greatly. It also helped crystallize opposition to Yazid into an anti-Umayyad movement based on Alid aspirations, and contributed to the development of Shi'a identity, whereby the party of Alid partisans was transformed into a religious sect with distinct rituals and memory. After the Battle of Karbala, Shi'a imams from Husayn's line adopted the policy of political quietism.
Coins
A Sasanian-style silver coin bearing the mint date as "Year I of Yazid" has been reported. The obverse side shows the portrait of the Sasanian king Khosrow II (r. 590–628) and his name in the Pahlavi script. The reverse has the usual Zoroastrian fire altar surrounded by attendants. The margins, however, contain the inscription that it was minted during the first year of Yazid's reign. An anon…
Wives and children
Yazid married three women and had several concubines. The names of two of his wives are known: Umm Khalid Fakhita bint Abi Hisham and Umm Kulthum, a daughter of the veteran commander and statesman Abd Allah ibn Amir. Fakhita and Umm Kulthum both hailed from the Abd Shams, the parent clan of the Umayyads.
Yazid had three sons from his wives. His eldest, Mu'awiya II, was between 17 and 23 years old a…
Overview
The Genocide of Yazidis by the Islamic State was carried out in the Sinjar area of northern Iraq in the mid-2010s. The genocide led to the expulsion, flight and effective exile of the Yazidis from their ancestral lands in Upper Mesopotamia. Thousands of Yazidi women and girls were forced into sexual slavery by ISIL, and thousands of Yazidi men were killed. Five thousand Yazidi civilians were k…
Massacres
On 3 August 2014, ISIL killed the men from the al-Qahtaniya area, ten Yazidi families fleeing were attacked by ISIL; and ISIL shot 70 to 90 Yazidi men in Qiniyeh village.
On 4 August, ISIL fighters attacked Jabal Sinjar, killed 30 Yazidi men; 60 more Yazidi men were killed in the village of Hardan. On the same day, Yazidi comm…
Background
The Yazidis are monotheists who believe in Melek Taus, a benevolent angel who appears as a peacock. The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other Muslims in the region tend to view the peacock angel as the malevolent creature Lucifer or Shaitan and they consider the Yazidis 'devil worshippers'. Unlike for Judaism and Christianity, ISIL does not consider Yazidis as People of the book or eligible for Dhimmi and related protections.
Violence outbreak
On 3 August 2014, ISIL militants attacked and took over Sinjar in northern Iraq, a Kurdish-controlled town that was predominantly inhabited by Yazidis, and the surrounding area.
Yazidis, and internet postings of ISIL, have reported summary executions that day by ISIL militants, leading to 200,000 civilians fleeing Sinjar, of whom around 50,000 Yazidis were reportedly escaping to the nearby Sinjar Mountains. They were trapped on Mount Sinjar, surrounded by ISIL …
Sexual slavery
On 3 August, ISIL abducted women and children from the al-Qahtaniya area, and 450–500 abducted Yazidi women and girls were taken to Tal Afar; hundreds more to Si Basha Khidri and then Ba'aj. When ISIL fighters attacked Jabal Sinjar on 4 August, they abducted a number of women in the Yazidi village of Hardan, wives and daughters were abducted; other Yazidi women were abducted in oth…
Forced exile
The ISIL offensive in the Sinjar area of northern Iraq, 3–4 August, caused 30,000–50,000 Yazidis to flee into the Sinjar Mountains (Jabal Sinjar) fearing they would be killed by ISIL. They had been threatened with death if they refused conversion to Islam. A UN representative said that "a humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in Sinjar".
On 3 and 4 August 14 or more, Yazidi children and some elderly or people with disabilities died o…
Releases of Yazidi captives
In January 2015, about 200 Yazidis were released by ISIL. Kurdish military officials believed they were released because they were a burden. On 8 April 2015, 216 Yazidis, with the majority being children and elderly, were released by ISIL after being held captive for about eight months. Their release occurred following an offensive by U.S.-led air assaults and pressure from Iraqi ground forces who were pushing northward and in the process of retaking Tikrit. According to General H…
Classification as genocide
Many international organisations, governments and parliaments, as well as groups have classified ISIL's treatment of the Yazidis as genocide, and condemned it as such. The Genocide of Yazidis has been officially recognized by several bodies of the United Nations and the European Parliament. Many states have recognized it as well, for example the National Assembly of Armenia, …