Dr Nagham Nawzat: Healing Yazidi Survivors of IS Captivity

The Day IS Militants Entered Shireen's Home in Sinjar

Shireen was studying for a high school examination at her home in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar on 3 August 2014 when Islamic State group militants broke into her house and kidnapped her from her family. At the age of 19 she was sold as a sex slave to an IS militant in the north-western city of Tal Afar. Three months later Shireen was sold once again to Abu Omar another IS fighter in Mosul to become his third wife. Her account forms one thread in the thousands of stories recounted by Yazidi women who have experienced the raw cruelty of IS.

Forced Conversion and Daily Confinement in Mosul

Yazidis believe in Yasdan a god who emanates seven angels. The angel they revere above all others is Melek Tawwus or the Peacock Angel yet Shireen was told by IS that Melek Tawwus was the devil and so was forced to convert to Islam. For more than two years she was not allowed to leave the house in Mosul. She was forced to cook wash the dishes and clean every day. There were two guards at the entrance of the house and she was not allowed to go outside or even to the garden to breathe fresh air. Abu Omar already had two Iraqi wives. Although those wives lived in a separate house Shireen says that they used to beat her whenever they got together.

Additional Captives and Repeated Violence

According to Shireen Abu Omar later brought two other Yazidi girls to the house. One was six years old and was forced to clean the house while the other was 10. She was raped frequently by Abu Omar. Shireen says she tried to stop him but her pleas fell on deaf ears. He said I love you but when you love someone you don't rape her. It destroyed my life. These experiences left deep scars that would surface after her release.

Release and Immediate Aftermath of Captivity

In 2016 Shireen was released by Iraqi forces during the campaign to retake Mosul from IS. After more than two years of captivity she suffered from depression and constant nightmares that prevented her from sleeping. Her uncle and many of her friends were killed by IS while her father and one of her sisters have been missing since 2014 after they were also taken. It is too horrible the skeletons of my uncle and my friends are under the ground. Upon her release she visited Dr Nagham Nawzat a Yazidi gynaecologist in the city of Duhok in Iraq's Kurdish region for a check-up.

Dr Nagham Nawzat's Approach to Healing

Nawzat not only gave her a physical examination she also listened to Shireen and offered her emotional support. Dr Nawzat helped all of us. Without her help I wouldn't be here today the 23-year-old says. After I came back from captivity Dr Nawzat sat down with me and told me that I was brave. I love her so much. Nawzat is highly respected among the Yazidi community. According to Hussein al-Qaidi the director of the Kidnapped Affairs department at the Kurdistan Regional Government in Duhok 2,023 Yazidi women have been liberated from IS territories as of July 2018. Nawzat 42 has provided life-saving support to more than half of them helping an estimated 1,200 Yazidi women according to al-Qaidi.

Broader Context of the 2014 IS Advance and Its Toll

Born in Mosul to a Yazidi family in 1976 her life-long dream was to study medicine. Concerned about women's issues from an early age she graduated with a degree in gynaecology from Mosul's Medical College in 2002. I wanted to better understand issues related to women's health teach women about health care and provide support for them she tells MEE. In 2014 IS seized almost a third of Iraq. At least 12,000 Yazidis were killed or kidnapped as part of what the United Nations describes as an ongoing genocide against the religious minority.

The Duhok Survivors' Centre and Its Unique Role

The following year Nawzat decided to join the Duhok Survivors' Centre where she volunteers to provide healthcare and psychological support for Iraqi women who survived IS. Funded by the United Nations Population Fund it is the only facility in Iraq that specialises in gender-based violence. The women who survived IS often have horrific stories to share. Nawzat therefore uses a post-traumatic medical approach commonly found in Iraq. Afterwards she conducts a thorough physical check-up and then listens attentively as her patients talk about their fears and their traumatising experiences. Nawzat offers them support and positive reinforcement like a big sister the survivors can confide in she says. As she creates a relationship with her patients based on mutual trust so they confide in her and reveal their deepest emotions and fears with ease.

International Recognition for Sustained Support

In March 2016 Nawzat received the International Women of Courage Award from then-US Secretary of State John Kerry for providing psychological support to traumatised Yazidi survivors and for combating gender-based violence. Her work continues to reach survivors who carry the weight of captivity loss and displacement long after their physical release. Each consultation at the centre reinforces the possibility of recovery grounded in attentive listening and consistent care.