The ISIS Eradication of Christians and Yazidis: Human Trafficking, Genocide, and the Missing International Efforts to Stop It

Sarah Myers Raben

Abstract


Human trafficking is one of the most shocking and horrifying crimes of the twenty-first century—a criminal enterprise that is funding and motivating terrorist groups like ISIS. The systematic brutality against Christians and Yazidis is unparallel, as ISIS battles to exterminate any trace of non-Muslim groups from Syria and Iraq.
Pope Francis brought ISIS atrocities onto the world stage and called it genocide, as did U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. While the United Nations acknowledged genocide against the Yazidis, the U.N. erred when it failed to distinguish the violence against Christians as genocide, as well.
ISIS forces are on the decline, but accountability for their crimes is inconclusive. Iraq and Syria are not members of the International Criminal Court, which means ISIS fighters are unlikely to be subject to jurisdiction of any ICC proceeding. While the number of nations enacting trafficking statutes continues to increase, the laws are virtually powerless unless ISIS criminals are inside the borders of the country. The only plausible avenue lies in the U.N. Security Council resolution to investigate ISIS war crimes in Iraq. While U.S.-backed forces continue to weaken ISIS, the world stage should proceed with careful optimism, and not let Christianity be an impediment to a strong stance against terrorism

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5102/rdi.v15i1.5191

ISSN 2236-997X (impresso) - ISSN 2237-1036 (on-line)

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