Shireen's Ordeal: Yazidi Girl's Captivity Under ISIS

Shireen's Ordeal Under Islamic State Captivity

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.

Shireen recounts that Abu Omar already had two Iraqi wives who lived in a separate house yet used to beat her whenever they got together. For more than two years she was not allowed to leave the house in Mosul and 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.

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 and says she tried to stop him but her pleas fell on deaf ears. In 2016 Shireen was released by Iraqi forces during the campaign to retake Mosul from IS.

The Enduring Trauma and Missing Family Members

After more than two years of captivity Shireen 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. Shireen describes the situation as too horrible noting that the skeletons of her uncle and her friends are under the ground.

Shireen's story is just one from the thousands of stories recounted by Yazidi women who have experienced the raw cruelty of IS. Yazidis believe in Yasdan a god who emanates seven angels. The angel they revere above all others is Melek Tawwus or the Peacock Angel but Shireen was told by IS that Melek Tawwus was the devil and so was forced to convert to Islam.

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. Nawzat not only gave her a physical examination but she also listened to Shireen and offered her emotional support. Shireen states that Dr Nawzat helped all of us and without her help she would not be here today.

Dr Nagham Nawzat's Background and Lifelong Commitment

Nawzat is highly respected among the Yazidi community. Born in Mosul to a Yazidi family in 1976 her lifelong 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.

She explains that she wanted to better understand issues related to women's health teach women about health care and provide support for them. 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 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.

Providing Care at the Duhok Survivors' Centre

Nawzat 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. She offers them support and positive reinforcement like a big sister the survivors can confide in.

According to Nawzat as she creates a relationship with her patients based on mutual trust they confide in her and reveal their deepest emotions and fears with ease. She is happy to meet her patients again whenever they request psychological support. After coming back from captivity Dr Nawzat sat down with Shireen and told her that she was brave.

Shireen now 23 years old says she loves Dr Nawzat so much. 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 has provided life-saving support to more than half of them helping an estimated 1 200 Yazidi women according to al-Qaidi.

The Broader Context of the Yazidi Genocide

The events of 2014 marked a systematic campaign against the Yazidi religious minority in northern Iraq. IS militants targeted communities in Sinjar and surrounding areas leading to mass killings kidnappings and forced conversions. Survivors like Shireen describe how their beliefs were directly attacked with Melek Tawwus portrayed as the devil.

Many women endured repeated sales as sex slaves and daily forced labour under constant surveillance. The separation from family members and the uncertainty over missing relatives continue to weigh heavily on those who have returned. These experiences form part of the documented genocide recognised by the United Nations.

Local organisations in the Kurdistan region have worked to document these accounts while providing immediate assistance upon liberation. The scale of the violence left communities fractured with thousands still unaccounted for years after the main military operations concluded.

International Recognition and Ongoing Recovery Needs

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. This recognition highlighted the specialised care available at the Duhok Survivors' Centre.

Recovery involves both physical examinations and sustained emotional support. Survivors often return for additional sessions as they process their experiences. The centre remains a key resource for women navigating depression nightmares and the challenges of rebuilding their lives after captivity.

While thousands have been liberated the full extent of long-term needs continues to require attention from local authorities and international partners. The work of specialists like Nawzat demonstrates the importance of combining medical care with attentive listening to support survivors in their daily lives.