The Yezidis in Kurdish Nationalist and Islamic Discourses after the 2014 Genocide

In the aftermath of the 2014 genocide perpetrated by ISIS against the Yezidis, one critical issue has been largely overlooked: How are the Yezidis represented in Kurdish nationalist discourse within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq? And how are they portrayed in Kurdish Islamic religious discourse beyond Iraq’s borders? This book examines how the Yezidi genocide has been appropriated for political, symbolic, and strategic purposes—often disconnected from genuine efforts at compensation, justice, or the reconstruction of Sinjar. It reveals the persistent displacement of Yezidis, the failures of compensation and reconstruction mechanisms, and the ways in which survivors have been drawn into instruments of political contestation. The study also examines how Kurdish political parties engaged Yezidi individuals in their responses to Yezidi suffering and the genocide. The author argues that the future of the Yezidis—and peaceful coexistence in the Kurdistan Region—is now at serious risk. Real change can only occur if Kurdish leaders fundamentally reconsider their approach to the Yezidis and abandon policies that have demonstrably failed.