The Rape of the Yazidis

Kurdistan, Iraq

Lalesh, the religious capital of the Yazidis, is deceptively tranquil. Tucked in the mountains of northern Iraq, it enjoys a cool breeze as the afternoon disappears. Young girls follow a devotee who lights the temple’s hundreds of oil candles before darkness falls, the herb-infused fuel wafting its aroma. Children play, clambering up and down the stone steps as we climb barefoot to the top of the temple for the best view of the spires, which guide Yazidis’ prayers along the path of the sun. One long-limbed girl, probably around eight years old, grins puckishly at me, lingering. “Her sister is still with the Islamic State,” my guide tells me grimly.