Leyla Ferman: ISIS, the Islamic State (Daesh), and the 74 genocides against the Yazidi

10/02/2025 1h 8min
Leyla Ferman: ISIS, the Islamic State (Daesh), and the 74 genocides against the Yazidi

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Episode Synopsis

Leyla Ferman: A Decade After the Yazidi GenocideIn this episode of Not to Forgive, but to Understand, we speak with Leyla Ferman, Co-Founder of the Yazidi Justice Committee and Director of Women for Justice, about the ongoing fight for justice a decade after the Yazidi genocide. We discuss the legal battles and the resilience of survivors. Featuring selected artworks by Falah Kaboo, as highlighted in Sarwa Azeez’s article Beyond Mourning: Art as Healing a Decade After the Yazidi Genocide.Special thanks to Sarwa Azeez, Falah Kaboo, and Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal for allowing us to share their work.🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on genocide studies, justice, and human rights.#YazidiGenocide #JusticeForYazidis #HumanRights #GenocideStudies #SurvivorStories #NotToForgiveButToUnderstand #Podcast00:00:00 | Opening00:01:30 | Introduction00:01:59 | Why have the Yazidis been targeted by ISIS?00:03:32 | Historical persecution of the Yazidis00:06:21 | Why does ISIS consider the Yazidis ‘Kuffar’? Misconceptions about Tawûsî Melek00:09:57 | Saddam Hussein’s involvement in Yazidi persecution00:13:10 | The connection between the Kurds and the Yazidis00:16:40 | How ISIS misinterpreted the Quran for their own benefit & legal ramifications00:20:58 | The treatment of Yazidi women by ISIS & legal actions against perpetrators00:24:30 | How has universal jurisdiction been exercised in favor of the Yazidi community against some of the ISIS perpetrators?00:27:17 | Why is a genocide declaration not the end of the fight for justice?00:29:57 | Skepticism about 'Never Again'—is genocide prevention effective?00:36:58 | What does genocide prevention look like in practice?00:42:54 | The Yazidi Female Survivors Law & its effectiveness00:45:45 | U.S. troop withdrawal and its impact on Yazidi security00:47:32 | The role of bystanders in genocide and mass atrocities00:53:41 | Survivor experiences—insights from working with Yazidi survivors00:56:18 | Why do some survivors choose silence over testimony?00:58:42 | What leads a survivor to change their decision to speak out?01:02:43 | The universality of human suffering and genocide01:04:32 | The linguistic connection between the name ‘Ferman’ and the Yazidi term for genocide

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