TEDMED 2018
Rabiaa El Garani: Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS
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Human rights protector Rabiaa El Garani shares the challenging, heartbreaking story of sexual violence committed against Yazidi women and girls in Iraq by ISIS -- and her work seeking justice for the survivors. "These victims have been through unimaginable pain. But with a little help, they show how resilient they are," she says. "It is an honor to bear witness; it is a privilege to seek justice." (This talk contains mature content.)
Rabiaa El Garani - Human rights protector
As an experienced police investigator, Rabiaa El Garani has been deployed to many regions around the globe to investigate sexual and gender-based violence. Full bio
As an experienced police investigator, Rabiaa El Garani has been deployed to many regions around the globe to investigate sexual and gender-based violence. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
[This talk contains mature content]
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When I was 14,
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my parents intended to marry me off
to a man of their choosing.
to a man of their choosing.
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I refused.
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That choice to defy my family
shaped everything in my life
shaped everything in my life
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and set me on the path
to become who I am today.
to become who I am today.
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But it was very painful at times
and continues to be so.
and continues to be so.
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My parents were raised in traditional,
uneducated Moroccan families
uneducated Moroccan families
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where a girl's main value
is measured by her virginity.
is measured by her virginity.
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They emigrated to Belgium,
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and I was born, raised and educated there.
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I did not accept their view of the world.
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When I said no to them,
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I paid for it dearly in terms of
physical and emotional abuse.
physical and emotional abuse.
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But eventually, I escaped from their home
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and became a federal police detective
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who could help protect
the rights of others.
the rights of others.
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My specialty was investigating
cases in counterterrorism,
cases in counterterrorism,
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child abduction and homicide.
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I loved that work,
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and it was extremely fulfilling.
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With my Muslim background,
Arabic language skills
Arabic language skills
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and an interest
in working internationally,
in working internationally,
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I decided to seek new challenges.
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After decades of being a police officer,
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I was recruited to become an investigator
of sexual and gender-based violence
of sexual and gender-based violence
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as a member of the Justice Rapid Response
and UN Women roster.
and UN Women roster.
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Justice Rapid Response is an organization
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for criminal investigations
of mass atrocities.
of mass atrocities.
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They run on both public
and private funding
and private funding
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and provide evidence and reports
to more than 100 participating countries.
to more than 100 participating countries.
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Many countries in conflict
are often unable to provide a just process
are often unable to provide a just process
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to those who have been
victims of mass violence.
victims of mass violence.
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To respond to that,
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Justice Rapid Response was created
in partnership with UN Women.
in partnership with UN Women.
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Together,
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Justice Rapid Response and UN Women
recruited, trained and certified
recruited, trained and certified
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more than 250 professionals
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with a specific expertise
in sexual and gender-based violence,
in sexual and gender-based violence,
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like me.
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Our investigations are carried out
under international law,
under international law,
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and our findings eventually become
evidence to prosecute war criminals.
evidence to prosecute war criminals.
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This mechanism provides hope to victims
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that justice and accountability
may someday be found
may someday be found
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in the wake of war and conflict.
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Let me tell you about the most
challenging work I have ever done.
challenging work I have ever done.
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This was in Iraq.
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Since the rise of the Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS,
of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS,
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this group has systematically
attacked and tortured
attacked and tortured
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many religious minorities and ethnicities,
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such as the Christians,
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the Shia Turkmen, Shia Muslims,
Shia Shabaks and the Yazidis.
Shia Shabaks and the Yazidis.
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The persecution of the Yazidis
has been especially horrific.
has been especially horrific.
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On the 3rd and 15th of August 2014,
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ISIS attacked approximately
20 villages and towns in Sinjar, Iraq.
20 villages and towns in Sinjar, Iraq.
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They executed all the males
over the age of 14,
over the age of 14,
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including the elderly and disabled.
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They divided up the women and girls,
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raped them
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and sold them into sexual
and domestic slavery.
and domestic slavery.
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One month later,
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a UN Human Rights Council resolution
led to the fact-finding mission on Iraq
led to the fact-finding mission on Iraq
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to investigate and document
alleged violations and abuses
alleged violations and abuses
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committed by ISIS and associated groups.
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I was sent to investigate the atrocities
committed against the Yazidis,
committed against the Yazidis,
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with a focus on sexual
and gender-based crimes.
and gender-based crimes.
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The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking
ethnoreligious community
ethnoreligious community
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based in Northern Iraq.
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Their belief system incorporates
aspects of Judaism, Christianity,
aspects of Judaism, Christianity,
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Islam and Zoroastrianism.
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For hundreds of years,
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Muslims and Christians
who do not understand their beliefs
who do not understand their beliefs
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have condemned the Yazidis
as devil worshippers.
as devil worshippers.
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ISIS thought of them in this way
and vowed to destroy them.
and vowed to destroy them.
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OK, let's do an experimental thought here.
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I want you to think about
your worst sexual experience
your worst sexual experience
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and recall it in detail.
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Now turn to the person to your right
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and describe that experience.
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(Laughter)
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I know it's difficult, eh?
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(Laughter)
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But, of course, I don't
expect you to do that.
expect you to do that.
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You would all be uncomfortable
and embarrassed.
and embarrassed.
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And so imagine an 11-year-old girl
in the Middle East
in the Middle East
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who was not educated about sexuality,
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who was taken from her comfort zone,
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her family,
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who witnessed the execution
of her father and brothers,
of her father and brothers,
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having to describe in detail
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the rape that she faced in a culture
where talking about sexuality is taboo.
where talking about sexuality is taboo.
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Her only way of recovering her honor
is to hide the crime,
is to hide the crime,
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believe she was married against her will,
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or deny the events out of shame
and fear of being rejected.
and fear of being rejected.
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I interviewed a girl
who I will call "Ayda."
who I will call "Ayda."
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She was purchased
by an ISIS leader, or emir,
by an ISIS leader, or emir,
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together with 13 other girls
aged between 11 and 18 years old.
aged between 11 and 18 years old.
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Amongst the group were
her three nieces and two cousins.
her three nieces and two cousins.
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The 14 girls were taken
to a house full of ISIS fighters.
to a house full of ISIS fighters.
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An imam was present who made it clear
that their religion was wrong,
that their religion was wrong,
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and the only good path was to accept Islam
and marry a Muslim man.
and marry a Muslim man.
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The emir wrote the names of the girls
on 14 small pieces of paper.
on 14 small pieces of paper.
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Two ISIS fighters would pick
a piece of paper each.
a piece of paper each.
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They would call out the name
written on the paper,
written on the paper,
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and those girls were forcibly taken
into another room.
into another room.
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While the emir and the imam
heard the two girls screaming
heard the two girls screaming
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as they were being raped,
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they began laughing.
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Both were telling the other girls
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that the two girls should enjoy
the experience instead of screaming.
the experience instead of screaming.
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After a while, the girls
were brought back into the room.
were brought back into the room.
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They were in shock and were bleeding.
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They confirmed that they had been married
and suffered a lot of pain.
and suffered a lot of pain.
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It is important to consider the fact
that they had been raised
that they had been raised
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to believe in sexual intercourse
with one man in their lifetime:
with one man in their lifetime:
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their husband.
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The only connection that they could make
in their shocked state
in their shocked state
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is to define their rape as marriage.
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Before the next two girls
were taken to be raped,
were taken to be raped,
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Ayda made a terrifying decision.
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As the oldest of the group,
she convinced the emir
she convinced the emir
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to let them use the bathroom in order
to wash themselves before marriage.
to wash themselves before marriage.
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Ayda had been told by one of the girls
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that she noticed rat poison
in the bathroom.
in the bathroom.
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The 14 girls decided
to end their suffering
to end their suffering
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by drinking the poison.
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Before the poison took full effect,
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they were discovered by ISIS
and taken to the hospital,
and taken to the hospital,
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where they survived.
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ISIS decided to separate the girls
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and sell them individually.
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Ayda was taken to another house
and brutally raped
and brutally raped
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after she attempted again
to kill herself with her headscarf.
to kill herself with her headscarf.
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She was beaten and raped every two days.
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After four months in captivity,
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Ayda found the courage to escape.
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She never saw the other 13 girls again.
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I interviewed Ayda multiple times.
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She was willing to speak to me
because she had heard from other victims
because she had heard from other victims
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that there was a woman from the UN
who understood her complicated culture.
who understood her complicated culture.
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I looked into her eyes
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and listened deeply to the stories
of her darkest hours.
of her darkest hours.
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We established a personal connection
that continues to this day.
that continues to this day.
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My upbringing made it easy for me
to understand her extreme sense of shame
to understand her extreme sense of shame
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and her fear of being rejected.
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These types of investigations are not only
about gathering information and evidence,
about gathering information and evidence,
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but they're also about victim support.
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The bonds I established with the victims
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strengthens their confidence
and willingness to seek justice.
and willingness to seek justice.
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As she considered her escape,
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Ayda, like all Yazidi survivors,
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faced a dilemma:
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Should she continue to suffer
the abuse of her captors,
the abuse of her captors,
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or would it be better to return home,
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where she would face shame, rejection
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and possibly honor killing?
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I know all too well the pain
of being rejected
of being rejected
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by my Moroccan community in Belgium,
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and I did not want this to happen
to the Yazidi community.
to the Yazidi community.
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So a group of concerned entities,
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including the UN, NGOs, politicians
and members of the Yazidi community
and members of the Yazidi community
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approached a religious leader,
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Baba Sheikh.
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After many meetings,
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he realized that these girls
had not disrespected their religion
had not disrespected their religion
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by being forcibly converted to Islam
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and married to ISIS fighters.
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Instead, they have been abducted,
raped and sexually enslaved.
raped and sexually enslaved.
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I am happy to report
that, after our meetings,
that, after our meetings,
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Baba Sheikh announced publicly
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that the survivors should be
treated as victims
treated as victims
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and embraced by the community.
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This message was heard
throughout the community
throughout the community
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and eventually reached the survivors
being held captive by ISIS.
being held captive by ISIS.
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After his declaration of support,
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the survivors were motivated
to escape from ISIS
to escape from ISIS
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as Ayda has done,
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and many young Yazidi women
took the bold step
took the bold step
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and returned home to their communities.
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Baba Sheikh's public pronouncement
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saved the lives of many
young Yazidi women,
young Yazidi women,
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both in captivity and after their escape.
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Sadly, not all religious leaders
agreed to talk with us.
agreed to talk with us.
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Some victims had far
worse outcomes than the Yazidis.
worse outcomes than the Yazidis.
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For example, only 43
of the 500-600 victims
of the 500-600 victims
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from the Shia Turkmen community
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were able to return home
after escaping ISIS.
after escaping ISIS.
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Some of them were advised by their family
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to stay with ISIS
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or commit suicide in order
to save the honor of the family.
to save the honor of the family.
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Germany established a project
to support survivors of ISIS
to support survivors of ISIS
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by providing psychosocial support
and housing for 1,100 women and children,
and housing for 1,100 women and children,
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including Ayda.
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I visited Ayda several times
during my work.
during my work.
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I am so proud of her
and the other victims.
and the other victims.
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The progress they have made is remarkable.
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It is really moving to see
how many of them,
how many of them,
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despite their struggles,
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have benefited from this program.
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The program includes
individual and group counseling,
individual and group counseling,
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art therapy, music therapy,
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sport activities,
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language courses,
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school and other integration efforts.
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What I observed was that
removing the victims
removing the victims
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from an area of conflict
to a country at peace
to a country at peace
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had a positive impact on all of them.
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This project caught
the attention of other countries,
the attention of other countries,
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and they were interested
to help more Yazidis.
to help more Yazidis.
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The Yazidi women and girls
still call and text me
still call and text me
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to tell me about their grades at school,
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fun trips they've taken,
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or to inform me about their future dreams,
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like writing a book about
what they have faced with ISIS.
what they have faced with ISIS.
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Sometimes they are sad
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and feel the need to talk again
about the events.
about the events.
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I'm not a psychologist,
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and I have faced secondary PTSD
from their horrific stories.
from their horrific stories.
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But I keep encouraging them to talk,
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and I keep listening,
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because I do not want them
to feel alone in their suffering.
to feel alone in their suffering.
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Through these anecdotes,
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I see a bigger picture emerging.
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These women and girls are healing.
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They are no longer afraid to seek justice.
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Without hope there can be no justice,
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and without justice there can be no hope.
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Every 3rd and 15th of August,
it's my remembrance day,
it's my remembrance day,
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and I reach out to the Yazidis to let them
know that I'm thinking about them.
know that I'm thinking about them.
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They're always happy when I do that.
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It's an emotional day for them.
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This past August, I spoke with Ayda.
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She was so happy to announce
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that one of her nieces
who was abducted with her
who was abducted with her
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was finally released
out of ISIS hands in Syria
out of ISIS hands in Syria
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and returned to Iraq.
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Can you believe that?
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After four years?
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Today, her biggest wish
is for her whole family,
is for her whole family,
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now located across three continents,
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to be reunited.
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And I hope they will.
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When I think about
the survivors I work with,
the survivors I work with,
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I remember the words
of an Egyptian doctor, writer
of an Egyptian doctor, writer
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and human rights activist,
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Nawal El Saadawi.
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In her book, "Woman at Point Zero,"
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she wrote, "Life is very hard,
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and the only people who really live
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are those who are harder
than life itself."
than life itself."
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These victims have been
through unimaginable pain.
through unimaginable pain.
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But with a little help,
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they show how resilient they are.
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Each has their own perspective
on what kind of justice she seeks,
on what kind of justice she seeks,
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and I believe deeply
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that a credible justice process is key
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to how she reclaims her dignity
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and finds closure with her trauma.
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Justice is not only about
punishing the perpetrator.
punishing the perpetrator.
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It's about victims feeling
that crimes committed against them
that crimes committed against them
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have been recorded and recognized
by the rule of law.
by the rule of law.
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For me, it has been
the experience of a lifetime
the experience of a lifetime
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to work with these survivors.
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Because I share their sorrow,
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their language and their culture,
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we connect on the deepest human level.
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This itself is an act of healing:
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to be heard, to be seen,
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to be given compassion
instead of condemnation.
instead of condemnation.
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When we get so close to people in pain,
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it creates pain
for the investigators, too.
for the investigators, too.
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My work is challenging,
heartbreaking and trauma-inducing.
heartbreaking and trauma-inducing.
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But let me tell you why I do it.
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When I meet the survivors
of these mass atrocities,
of these mass atrocities,
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when I hold their hands
and look in their eyes,
and look in their eyes,
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it does not erase my own pain,
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but it does make it almost worthwhile.
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And there's nothing
I would rather be doing.
I would rather be doing.
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When I see these brave survivors
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struggling to connect again
to their own self-worth,
to their own self-worth,
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to their families, to their place
in a society that values them,
in a society that values them,
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it is an honor to bear witness;
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it is a privilege to seek justice.
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And that is healing, too --
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for all of us.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rabiaa El Garani - Human rights protectorAs an experienced police investigator, Rabiaa El Garani has been deployed to many regions around the globe to investigate sexual and gender-based violence.
Why you should listen
Rabiaa El Garani is part of the Justice Rapid Response-UN Women Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Justice Experts Roster, where she has been deployed as an investigator with the Commission of Inquiry on Central African Republic, the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the Fact Finding Mission in Iraq, and to the office of the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. She has also provided training and guidance to Palestinian police forces through EU programs, and she has investigated the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri with the UN.
El Garani's unique and caring interview techniques have yielded valuable information in order to ensure accountability and future prosecutions. Through several of these efforts, she was able to document distinct patterns carried out by ISIS and provided support to their victims. Among her accomplishments, she was featured in JRR-UN Women documentary film Evidence of Hope.
Rabiaa El Garani | Speaker | TED.com