ISIS Crisis, Yazidis Refugees Fleeing North to Syria

This is news of the Yazidis Tribes of Iraq who are fleeing to Syria due to a threat of genocide by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Yazidis are among the quarter of a million Christian minorities who fled their homes after “convert or die” ultimatums from the ISIS militants. At a bridge connecting Iraq and Syria, they crossed over with their families, children and few belongings. They were then trapped in sweltering conditions in the exposed mountain region, many of them surviving without food or water for days. In response to this, the United Nations has warned that a mass genocide of refugees in the Mount Sinjar region of northern Iraq could still happen “within days or hours”. Moreover, a draft UN report has cited that women are being executed, captured, branded as slaves, and sexually assaulted. The world therefore urgently needs to recognize the severity of the humanitarian crisis. Fortunately, the mission of dropping essential supplies to the refugees has now taken place. More are being planned for the rest of this week and beyond. The Department for International Development (DfID) said that the latest missions involved dropping over 3,100 reusable water purification containers and 800 solar lamps that can be used to charge mobile phones that would aid direct communication with the refugees. In my opinion, the brutality of ISIS is unacceptable and beyond the limits, though I am a Muslim who also aspires to live in a pure Islamic state. Nevertheless, a Khilafah (Islamic State) establishment is not imposed in a violence way. Later, the Indonesian Government responded quickly by rejecting the ISIS’s ideology as well as blocking their spread inside our society. In line with the government position, most Indonesian citizens are condemning ISIS conduct because this country is characterized with more moderate Islam which embraces the diversity of its people. Unity thus is something that we must maintain for a long time. (LFN)