Yazidi Genocide: ISIS Slavery of Women
The art piece I created represents a young woman in her late teens covered with a white veil to represent her purity pre-trauma before being exposed to sexual assault. She stands alone in the picture, because when taken away from her family she had no one but herself. No one could protect her from the horror that was going to be inflicted on her because her family was gone. She stands in silence saddened by being physically, and emotionally separated from her family. In the picture she transitions from her purity state of being covered in white cloth fading into red to represent her transition of purity to post trauma of being raped, abused and humiliated. The red color depicted in the picture portrays the rape that she had experienced from all the ISIS men taking advantage of her, and the blue represents the abuse of being beaten by several men during her time as a sex slave.
The second part of my art is a picture after experiencing all of the trauma and coming home as a survivor. Even though she survived the horror it never really goes away, because it has become a part of her. Even though people that support and help her surround her, she still feels alone in the experience and has a hard time adjusting to the pain that she had gone through. She is depressed after being violated and humiliated. She is a victim that has been left feeling that a part of her has been torn apart. The next few weeks, months, year went by for her filled with unbearable pain and emptiness all at the same time, and she is not able to escape. She is collapsed on the floor curled up in solitude, wanting to be strong, and yet wanting to decay and be gone. Questions cross her mind of: Will I ever feel normal again? Will I ever have control of my life again? Was there anything that I could have done to stop this from happening to me? Why did this have to happen to me?
In response to L. F.’s reflections, student E. C. wrote:
My heart goes out to all of the women that have been touched by the Yazidi slavery. As I heard you share the devastating information about all of these women getting kidnapped and raped to be used as sex slaves by ISIS, I thought about the great despair and mix of emotions they must’ve felt and continue to feel. Your reflective art piece perfectly portrayed all of the innocence that these women had prior to becoming slaves to ISIS, along with the hurt, shame, and complete sadness they feel in being victims to these ISIS soldiers. When you shared that little boys were also raping these women as well, I couldn’t help but think about my son and how as a mother, I would be completely distraught. It is utterly shameful, embarrassing, and heart wrenching. Your second art piece reflection perfectly demonstrated how a woman would feel after having to endure such trauma. It saddens me that these men were able to genuinely receive pleasure from taking something so precious away from these women; taking away their dignity, self-worth, and power over their own body.
In response to L. F.’s reflections, student J. A. wrote:
During L.F.’s presentation on ISIS’s slavery of women, I experienced a myriad of emotions including shock and anger. I experienced shock, as I was stunned to learn about the enslaved women not only being raped, but being raped by their own sons. It was dumbfounding for me to think that mothers were raped by those whom they gave birth to and raised. I also felt angry about the very enslavement of these women. It upset me that these innocent women were being held hostage against their will, all the while experiencing torture and abuse.
In response to L. F.’s reflections, student J. A. wrote:
Dear L.F.,
You have brought attention to a part of world I rarely have much contact with; a part of the world that I definitely know little of and probably misunderstand. Thank you for that. The horrific trauma these people, especially women are experiencing is traumatic to the most unfathomable level. What does life look like during and after is equally unimaginable. Your beautiful drawings of the trauma during and after are beautifully presented. The vivid red and blues in the drawing perfectly depicts the isolation, anger, hopelessness the survivors’ experience. I admire your artistic abilities.
In response to L. F.’s reflections, student T. S. wrote:
My core feelings of empathy and compassion were highly activated by the imagery of the veiled woman representing the sexual trauma endured by women and children involving the Yazidis. The horror and brutality of mankind that appears to have no boundaries at times was really captured in the presentation and the imagery portrayed with the particular use of the color red which exasperated my negative reactions to the traumatic incident. The powerful image representing the barbaric and uncivilized capabilities of mankind at its worst and it saddened me greatly to think of all the innocent women and children who have suffered as a result of such sexual traumas. Severe feelings of empathy resonated within me as I reflected upon the tragedies and pondered how as a therapist one would even begin to address the issues of the client whilst fighting their own countertransference. The imagery of the veiled woman represented inequality and injustice that often exists in the regions of the Middle East which made me angry and quite pessimistic in my view of humanity. Acts of sexual violence under the false illusion of religion have always been disturbing and an anxiety provoking area for me and it will be my personal challenge to overcome it as a clinician.
