---
title: "Genocide Against Yazidis | Middle East History"
description: "Genocide against Yazidis is ISIS's 2014 campaign to destroy the Yazidi people through killings, enslavement, and displacement in Middle East history."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/history-middle-east-since-1800/key-terms/genocide-against-yazidis"
type: "key-term"
subject: "History of the Middle East – 1800 to Present"
unit: "Unit 10"
---

# Genocide Against Yazidis | Middle East History

## Definition

The genocide against Yazidis was ISIS's systematic attack on the Yazidi people in 2014, centered on Sinjar in Iraq. In Middle East history, it is studied as a case of extremist violence, mass displacement, and international intervention.

## What It Is

The genocide against Yazidis was ISIS's deliberate campaign to destroy the Yazidi community, starting on August 3, 2014, in the Sinjar region of Iraq. In this Middle East history course, it sits inside the larger story of regional conflict after the Iraq War, the rise of ISIS, and the failures and limits of protection for civilians.

ISIS attacked Yazidi towns and villages, killed thousands of men and older boys, and abducted women and children. Many captives were forced into sexual slavery, forced conversion, or other forms of abuse meant to break the community apart. This was not random wartime violence. It was targeted destruction aimed at a minority group with a distinct religious identity.

The Yazidis are a religious community with deep historical roots in the region, especially around Sinjar. Because ISIS treated them as heretics, the assault mixed military conquest with religious persecution. That is why this event is often discussed alongside sectarianism, minority vulnerability, and the way extremist movements use ideology to justify mass atrocities.

One of the most widely remembered parts of the attack was the flight to Mount Sinjar. Thousands of Yazidis escaped there but were trapped without enough food or water until humanitarian aid and rescue efforts could reach them. The crisis quickly became a test case for outside involvement, since the United States and coalition forces carried out airstrikes to help protect civilians and support Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

The United Nations later described the violence as genocide, which matters because that label is reserved for acts intended to destroy a group in whole or in part. In this course, that makes the genocide against Yazidis a clear example of how local conflict, extremist rule, and international response can collide in the modern Middle East.

## Why It Matters

This term matters because it shows how modern Middle Eastern conflicts are not only battles over territory, but also struggles over identity, survival, and state protection. When you study the rise of ISIS, the genocide against Yazidis gives you a concrete example of what happened when an armed movement tried to govern through terror and cleansing.

It also connects to a bigger theme in the course, the weak protection of minorities during state collapse and civil war. The Iraqi state did not stop the attack, and outside powers only intervened after the crisis was already underway. That pattern helps explain why humanitarian emergencies became such a major part of 21st-century regional politics.

The term also helps you read modern Middle East history through evidence, not just headlines. If a question asks about ISIS, sectarian violence, or international intervention, this case gives you a specific example with dates, places, and consequences you can use in an essay or discussion.

## Connections

### [ISIS](/history-middle-east-since-1800/key-terms/isis)

ISIS was the group that carried out the genocide against Yazidis. Knowing ISIS matters because the attack was part of its broader strategy of conquest, propaganda, and rule through fear. In this course, ISIS is also tied to the collapse of state authority in Iraq and Syria, which let the group seize territory and target vulnerable communities.

### Yazidism

Yazidism is the religious tradition of the Yazidi people, and that identity is why ISIS singled them out. The genocide cannot be understood as just a military event, because the attackers targeted beliefs, customs, and community survival. In class, Yazidism often comes up when discussing religious minorities in the Middle East and the dangers of sectarian persecution.

### [humanitarian intervention](/history-middle-east-since-1800/key-terms/humanitarian-intervention)

The crisis on Mount Sinjar is a strong example of humanitarian intervention because outside actors responded to a civilian emergency, not just a battlefield situation. U.S. and coalition airstrikes were used to help prevent more deaths and support rescue efforts. That makes the case useful for discussing when outside powers intervene, and what they can realistically accomplish.

### [Caliphate](/history-middle-east-since-1800/key-terms/caliphate)

ISIS claimed to be building a caliphate, and the genocide against Yazidis happened inside that political project. The term caliphate helps you see how ISIS mixed religious language with state-like control over land and people. In Middle East history, that claim made its violence more than terrorism alone, since it was tied to governance, expansion, and ideological rule.

## On the AP Exam

A quiz item or short essay might ask you to identify what happened in Sinjar in 2014, explain why the UN called it genocide, or connect it to ISIS and humanitarian intervention. You could also see it in a source-based question with a refugee account, a news excerpt, or a map of displaced civilians. The best move is to name the event, state who was targeted, and explain the larger pattern it reveals: extremist rule, minority persecution, and the limits of outside protection. If a prompt asks about modern Middle Eastern conflicts, this is a strong case study for showing how local violence became an international crisis.

## genocide against Yazidis vs Yazidism

Yazidism is the religion and community identity of the Yazidis, while the genocide against Yazidis is the violent campaign directed at them in 2014. They are related, but not the same thing. If a question asks about belief, identity, or tradition, think Yazidism. If it asks about attack, destruction, or ISIS violence, think genocide against Yazidis.

## Key Takeaways

- The genocide against Yazidis was ISIS's organized attempt to destroy the Yazidi community in 2014, especially around Sinjar, Iraq.
- This was not ordinary wartime violence. It included mass killings, abductions, sexual slavery, forced conversion, and displacement.
- The crisis on Mount Sinjar became a major humanitarian emergency when thousands of Yazidis were trapped without enough food or water.
- The event is a clear example of how extremist movements, weak state protection, and regional conflict can combine into mass atrocity.
- In Middle East history, it is also a major case study in humanitarian intervention and international response.

## FAQs

### What is genocide against Yazidis in History of the Middle East?

It is ISIS's 2014 campaign to destroy the Yazidi people, centered on Sinjar in Iraq. The violence included killings, kidnappings, sexual slavery, and forced displacement. In Middle East history, it is studied as a modern genocide tied to the rise of ISIS and the breakdown of civilian protection.

### Why did ISIS target the Yazidis?

ISIS viewed the Yazidis as religious outsiders and used its extremist ideology to justify attacking them. The goal was not just to defeat fighters, but to break the community itself through murder, enslavement, and forced conversion. That is why the attack is described as genocide, not just persecution.

### How does Mount Sinjar fit into the genocide against Yazidis?

Mount Sinjar was where many Yazidis fled after the attack began on August 3, 2014. They were trapped there without enough food or water, turning the event into a humanitarian crisis. The stranded civilians also became a reason for international aid and coalition airstrikes.

### Is genocide against Yazidis the same as Yazidism?

No. Yazidism is the religion practiced by the Yazidi people, while the genocide against Yazidis is the attack carried out against that community. The confusion is common because the terms sound similar, but one refers to identity and the other to violence against that identity.

## Related Study Guides

- [10.2 Regional conflicts and international interventions](/history-middle-east-since-1800/unit-10/regional-conflicts-international-interventions/study-guide/rl5wNJpu113LklEM)

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)
- [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)

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