Ireland Troubles

Attack on the Yazidis  

Is there honor among terrorists? They may not abide by international law or the Geneva Conventions but there is one measure they can never entirely avoid, and that is the standard each of us brings to bear when observing the actions of another. A standard based upon a common sense of human decency and fair play. It's a very real rule-of-thumb, even though it's based entirely on instinctual judgment. It's the type of impulse that causes a child to yell "you can't do that!" when a play mate goes from teasing a cat to throwing stones at it. Something within us revolts against actions that offend our common sense of decency.

People with a concern for justice and minority rights will often extend considerable leverage to freedom fighters who are engaged in a struggle for justice. During the civil rights struggle in N. Ireland and later during 'the troubles', many reasonable people cut the IRA slack on the grounds that there were historical grievances that had to be addressed come hell or high water. IRA bombs in Belfast were frequently preceded by warnings. In many instances civilians were successfully evacuated from target areas prior to explosions. When civilians were hit, the IRA routinely offered up public apologies.

By the standards of our common humanity and fair play, what happened in Iraq this week to the Yazidi people was so far beyond the pale that you are left with a feeling of utter disgust for the criminal cowards in Al Qaeda who orchestrated and carried out this outrage. The attack bore all the hallmarks of an Al Qaeda attack. Doubtless there will be those who prefer to believe (for whatever reason) that this was a copy-cat act by some other group. But the fact is Al Qaeda has left its mark all over Iraq with these attacks on civilians - particularly in Shia areas. This attack on the Yazidis follows the same pattern.

The Yazidis are a minority Kurdish sect in Iraq. Four suicide bombers using vehicles, deliberately targeted two villages near the Syrian border. Families in simple homes constructed from mud bricks, were buried beneath the rubble following the explosions. Zayan Othman, the Iraqi health minister responsible for the Kurdish region, has said 250 bodies have been pulled from the rubble. Some estimates say the death toll may reach as high as 500.

Hospitals across the region have been overwhelmed. Children who have lost limbs are being treated in sub-standard facilities. I have come across harrowing descriptions. The Guardian describes how a nurse dabbed the bloodied face of a young boy and held his hand as he wailed in pain.

This atrocity is the single worst attack on civilians since the beginning of the Iraq war. After the appalling carnage following the car bomb attacks in Sadr city last November that killed 215, few people believed that it could get much worse. Don't underestimate Al Qaeda though when it comes to targeting non-combatants, including women and children. They have demonstrated time and again that they not only reject international law but also any reflex that has to do with conscience or decency.

The Yazidis only have one legislator in Iraq's 275-seat parliament, and he has called for more to be done to protect his people. Part of the reason the Yazidis are so vulnerable is the fact that unlike other ethnic groups in Iraq, they don't have a militia. If the government is serious about protecting them against this type of atrocity, it should provide them with a quantity of arms that would at least allow them a modest level of security.

About the Author

Aidan Maconachy is a freelance writer and artist based in Ontario.. You can visit his blog at http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/

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