Four insights on grit from an ISIS rape survivor
Nadia Murad, a woman from the Yazidi tribe in northern Iraq, shares her story in The Last Girl. She was twenty-one when ISIS took over Kocho, the village where she grew up. Yazidis already had a challenge managing relationships with their neighbors, which included Sunni Arabs and Sunni Kurds. They also endured persecution from Ottomans and Saddam Hussein's Baathists. Life improved for a season after US forces helped dethrone Saddam in 2003, but the resulting turmoil gave ISIS an opportunity to emerge. ISIS may have grown in power in Syria during their civil war, but they were largely based in Iraq.
Consequently, they began kidnapping in local areas like Kocho to announce their presence. Captives had to convert to Islam or face the consequences for refusing. Repercussions included death for males too old to be useful for fighting and sexual slavery for younger women; Nadia was in the latter group. Her mind went numb after repeated rapes and beatings, despite her attempts to stay defiant. Her initial attempt to break free incurred more rape, not only by the man who bought her, but by the three soldiers who were on duty when she was trying to leave. After being sold and transferred to an ISIS checkpoint in Mosul, she managed to escape when the soldier transporting her left the door to the house unlocked and unguarded.
Through random fortune, she knocked on the door of an Azawi family, a tribe friendly to the Yazidis, who helped smuggle her out of the country. This was no small gamble for them. Their son, Nasser, risked his life, posing as her husband while transporting her to a refugee camp in Kurdistan. Had they been caught, ISIS would've killed Nasser, returned Nadia to slavery, and tormented the remaining family members. Improvised explosive devices were also everywhere, waiting patiently for others who managed to escape the human grasp of ISIS.
Takeaways:
Scrutinize your enemy. Compassion may tempt you to give your adversaries the benefit of the doubt or find a wisp of hope, thinking you can appeal to their humane side. Their aim, however, is to dominate, and usually ruthlessly. You have to prepare for the worst outcome, regardless of how much you wish for the best. ISIS gives serious signs early about ravaging Kocho, and they take advantage of Yazidis who think they would be spared from worse.
Be opportunistic. After taking time to acknowledge your enemy's strengths, look for their human limits. This means at some point, their weaknesses will show up, likely in the form of pride or fatigue. In any case, you can't afford to ignore an opportunity, hoping for a better one. Nadia mentions how ISIS's sloppiness provides plenty of chances for outsiders to liberate trafficked women, including her own escape.
Fight to celebrate your identity. Nadia is grateful for her tightly-knit Yazidi community. She loves the camaraderie with family and friends, the food unique to her culture, and the history of their tribe. Remembering her heritage helps her defy the ISIS-imposed label of sabaya, or human spoils, associated with sexual slavery. Retaining her identity also drives her to assist people she cares about instead of simply finding safety for herself. Her brother Henzi, who manages to escape ISIS early on, struggles with survivor's guilt the entire time he attempts to help rescue their family.
See your story within a bigger story. Near the end of the book, Nadia mentions her realization of being born in the heart of the crimes committed against her. While she has experiences she hopes no other woman will have, hence the book's title, she also understands how sharing her journey provides leverage to fight ISIS. Overcoming language barriers and her fear of public speaking, she campaigns for over a year with her lawyer, Amal Clooney, repeatedly meeting with the Iraqi government, UN representatives, UN Security Council members, and ISIS victims. Her efforts eventually lead the UN to create a Security Council investigation team to collect evidence of ISIS crimes in Iraq. Through this, individual ISIS members can finally be put on trial.
A friend who left her consulting job to help Yazidi refugees full time was handing out copies of this book at her farewell party. The Last Girl hit me in the gut by reminding me of the evil still prevalent in the world. It also inspired me to share Nadia's story and ask myself how I'm willing to fight for justice. Too often, people settle for awareness over action, or worse, they justify why they shouldn't have to get involved. I hope we all take one small step today to serve, give, or speak up so no other girl has to endure the same exploitation.
