Footage shows Iraq’s Yazidis leave Mount Sinjar

Sunday, 10 August 2014

Footage has shown Iraq’s Yazidi ethnic minority leaving Mount Sinjar, Al Arabiya News Channel reported Sunday. Sinjar is the ancient home of the Yazidis, one of the towns captured by the radical Islamic State of Iraq and State group who view the community as “devil worshipers.” A deadline passed at midday on Sunday for 300 Yazidi families to convert to Islam or face death at the hands of the Islamic State. It was not immediately clear whether the Iraqi minister was talking about the fate of those families or others in the conflict. Lawmaker Vian Dakhil, who is from the Yazidi minority, said 20,000 to 30,000 have managed to flee and were now in Iraqi Kurdistan.