Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS
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0:00 - 0:02[This talk contains mature content]
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0:05 - 0:07When I was 14,
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0:07 - 0:11my parents intended to marry me off
to a man of their choosing. -
0:11 - 0:13I refused.
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0:13 - 0:17That choice to defy my family
shaped everything in my life -
0:17 - 0:20and set me on the path
to become who I am today. -
0:21 - 0:24But it was very painful at times
and continues to be so. -
0:25 - 0:29My parents were raised in traditional,
uneducated Moroccan families -
0:29 - 0:34where a girl's main value
is measured by her virginity. -
0:34 - 0:36They emigrated to Belgium,
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0:36 - 0:39and I was born, raised and educated there.
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0:40 - 0:42I did not accept their view of the world.
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0:42 - 0:44When I said no to them,
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0:45 - 0:48I paid for it dearly in terms of
physical and emotional abuse. -
0:49 - 0:51But eventually, I escaped from their home
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0:51 - 0:54and became a federal police detective
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0:54 - 0:56who could help protect
the rights of others. -
0:56 - 1:00My specialty was investigating
cases in counterterrorism, -
1:00 - 1:03child abduction and homicide.
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1:03 - 1:05I loved that work,
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1:05 - 1:06and it was extremely fulfilling.
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1:08 - 1:11With my Muslim background,
Arabic language skills -
1:11 - 1:13and an interest
in working internationally, -
1:13 - 1:16I decided to seek new challenges.
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1:16 - 1:19After decades of being a police officer,
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1:19 - 1:23I was recruited to become an investigator
of sexual and gender-based violence -
1:23 - 1:27as a member of the Justice Rapid Response
and UN Women roster. -
1:28 - 1:31Justice Rapid Response is an organization
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1:31 - 1:33for criminal investigations
of mass atrocities. -
1:34 - 1:37They run on both public
and private funding -
1:37 - 1:42and provide evidence and reports
to more than 100 participating countries. -
1:43 - 1:46Many countries in conflict
are often unable to provide a just process -
1:46 - 1:49to those who have been
victims of mass violence. -
1:50 - 1:51To respond to that,
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1:51 - 1:55Justice Rapid Response was created
in partnership with UN Women. -
1:56 - 1:57Together,
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1:57 - 2:02Justice Rapid Response and UN Women
recruited, trained and certified -
2:02 - 2:04more than 250 professionals
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2:04 - 2:08with a specific expertise
in sexual and gender-based violence, -
2:08 - 2:09like me.
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2:10 - 2:13Our investigations are carried out
under international law, -
2:13 - 2:17and our findings eventually become
evidence to prosecute war criminals. -
2:18 - 2:21This mechanism provides hope to victims
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2:21 - 2:25that justice and accountability
may someday be found -
2:25 - 2:27in the wake of war and conflict.
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2:28 - 2:32Let me tell you about the most
challenging work I have ever done. -
2:33 - 2:35This was in Iraq.
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2:35 - 2:40Since the rise of the Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, -
2:40 - 2:43this group has systematically
attacked and tortured -
2:43 - 2:46many religious minorities and ethnicities,
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2:46 - 2:48such as the Christians,
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2:48 - 2:53the Shia Turkmen, Shia Muslims,
Shia Shabaks and the Yazidis. -
2:54 - 2:58The persecution of the Yazidis
has been especially horrific. -
2:58 - 3:01On the 3rd and 15th of August 2014,
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3:01 - 3:06ISIS attacked approximately
20 villages and towns in Sinjar, Iraq. -
3:07 - 3:12They executed all the males
over the age of 14, -
3:12 - 3:14including the elderly and disabled.
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3:14 - 3:17They divided up the women and girls,
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3:17 - 3:18raped them
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3:18 - 3:21and sold them into sexual
and domestic slavery. -
3:21 - 3:22One month later,
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3:22 - 3:27a UN Human Rights Council resolution
led to the fact-finding mission on Iraq -
3:27 - 3:30to investigate and document
alleged violations and abuses -
3:30 - 3:33committed by ISIS and associated groups.
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3:33 - 3:37I was sent to investigate the atrocities
committed against the Yazidis, -
3:37 - 3:40with a focus on sexual
and gender-based crimes. -
3:41 - 3:44The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking
ethnoreligious community -
3:45 - 3:46based in Northern Iraq.
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3:47 - 3:52Their belief system incorporates
aspects of Judaism, Christianity, -
3:52 - 3:54Islam and Zoroastrianism.
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3:55 - 3:56For hundreds of years,
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3:56 - 3:59Muslims and Christians
who do not understand their beliefs -
3:59 - 4:03have condemned the Yazidis
as devil worshippers. -
4:03 - 4:08ISIS thought of them in this way
and vowed to destroy them. -
4:09 - 4:12OK, let's do an experimental thought here.
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4:12 - 4:17I want you to think about
your worst sexual experience -
4:17 - 4:19and recall it in detail.
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4:20 - 4:23Now turn to the person to your right
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4:23 - 4:25and describe that experience.
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4:25 - 4:28(Laughter)
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4:30 - 4:31I know it's difficult, eh?
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4:31 - 4:33(Laughter)
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4:33 - 4:35But, of course, I don't
expect you to do that. -
4:35 - 4:39You would all be uncomfortable
and embarrassed. -
4:39 - 4:42And so imagine an 11-year-old girl
in the Middle East -
4:42 - 4:45who was not educated about sexuality,
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4:45 - 4:47who was taken from her comfort zone,
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4:47 - 4:49her family,
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4:49 - 4:53who witnessed the execution
of her father and brothers, -
4:53 - 4:55having to describe in detail
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4:55 - 5:00the rape that she faced in a culture
where talking about sexuality is taboo. -
5:01 - 5:05Her only way of recovering her honor
is to hide the crime, -
5:05 - 5:08believe she was married against her will,
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5:08 - 5:12or deny the events out of shame
and fear of being rejected. -
5:12 - 5:14I interviewed a girl
who I will call "Ayda." -
5:14 - 5:18She was purchased
by an ISIS leader, or emir, -
5:18 - 5:22together with 13 other girls
aged between 11 and 18 years old. -
5:22 - 5:25Amongst the group were
her three nieces and two cousins. -
5:26 - 5:30The 14 girls were taken
to a house full of ISIS fighters. -
5:30 - 5:34An imam was present who made it clear
that their religion was wrong, -
5:34 - 5:38and the only good path was to accept Islam
and marry a Muslim man. -
5:39 - 5:43The emir wrote the names of the girls
on 14 small pieces of paper. -
5:44 - 5:48Two ISIS fighters would pick
a piece of paper each. -
5:48 - 5:51They would call out the name
written on the paper, -
5:51 - 5:55and those girls were forcibly taken
into another room. -
5:56 - 5:59While the emir and the imam
heard the two girls screaming -
5:59 - 6:01as they were being raped,
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6:01 - 6:02they began laughing.
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6:03 - 6:05Both were telling the other girls
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6:05 - 6:08that the two girls should enjoy
the experience instead of screaming. -
6:09 - 6:12After a while, the girls
were brought back into the room. -
6:13 - 6:15They were in shock and were bleeding.
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6:16 - 6:19They confirmed that they had been married
and suffered a lot of pain. -
6:20 - 6:23It is important to consider the fact
that they had been raised -
6:23 - 6:27to believe in sexual intercourse
with one man in their lifetime: -
6:27 - 6:28their husband.
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6:29 - 6:32The only connection that they could make
in their shocked state -
6:32 - 6:35is to define their rape as marriage.
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6:37 - 6:40Before the next two girls
were taken to be raped, -
6:40 - 6:42Ayda made a terrifying decision.
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6:42 - 6:45As the oldest of the group,
she convinced the emir -
6:45 - 6:49to let them use the bathroom in order
to wash themselves before marriage. -
6:49 - 6:51Ayda had been told by one of the girls
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6:52 - 6:54that she noticed rat poison
in the bathroom. -
6:55 - 6:58The 14 girls decided
to end their suffering -
6:58 - 7:00by drinking the poison.
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7:00 - 7:03Before the poison took full effect,
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7:03 - 7:05they were discovered by ISIS
and taken to the hospital, -
7:05 - 7:07where they survived.
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7:07 - 7:10ISIS decided to separate the girls
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7:10 - 7:12and sell them individually.
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7:13 - 7:17Ayda was taken to another house
and brutally raped -
7:17 - 7:20after she attempted again
to kill herself with her headscarf. -
7:21 - 7:23She was beaten and raped every two days.
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7:24 - 7:27After four months in captivity,
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7:27 - 7:29Ayda found the courage to escape.
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7:29 - 7:32She never saw the other 13 girls again.
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7:33 - 7:35I interviewed Ayda multiple times.
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7:35 - 7:39She was willing to speak to me
because she had heard from other victims -
7:39 - 7:43that there was a woman from the UN
who understood her complicated culture. -
7:43 - 7:45I looked into her eyes
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7:45 - 7:48and listened deeply to the stories
of her darkest hours. -
7:49 - 7:52We established a personal connection
that continues to this day. -
7:53 - 7:58My upbringing made it easy for me
to understand her extreme sense of shame -
7:58 - 8:00and her fear of being rejected.
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8:00 - 8:04These types of investigations are not only
about gathering information and evidence, -
8:04 - 8:07but they're also about victim support.
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8:07 - 8:09The bonds I established with the victims
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8:09 - 8:13strengthens their confidence
and willingness to seek justice. -
8:14 - 8:16As she considered her escape,
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8:16 - 8:18Ayda, like all Yazidi survivors,
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8:18 - 8:19faced a dilemma:
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8:20 - 8:24Should she continue to suffer
the abuse of her captors, -
8:24 - 8:27or would it be better to return home,
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8:27 - 8:30where she would face shame, rejection
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8:30 - 8:33and possibly honor killing?
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8:34 - 8:37I know all too well the pain
of being rejected -
8:37 - 8:39by my Moroccan community in Belgium,
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8:39 - 8:42and I did not want this to happen
to the Yazidi community. -
8:42 - 8:44So a group of concerned entities,
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8:44 - 8:49including the UN, NGOs, politicians
and members of the Yazidi community -
8:49 - 8:51approached a religious leader,
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8:51 - 8:52Baba Sheikh.
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8:52 - 8:54After many meetings,
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8:54 - 8:57he realized that these girls
had not disrespected their religion -
8:57 - 9:00by being forcibly converted to Islam
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9:00 - 9:02and married to ISIS fighters.
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9:02 - 9:07Instead, they have been abducted,
raped and sexually enslaved. -
9:07 - 9:10I am happy to report
that, after our meetings, -
9:10 - 9:12Baba Sheikh announced publicly
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9:12 - 9:15that the survivors should be
treated as victims -
9:15 - 9:17and embraced by the community.
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9:17 - 9:19This message was heard
throughout the community -
9:20 - 9:23and eventually reached the survivors
being held captive by ISIS. -
9:24 - 9:26After his declaration of support,
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9:26 - 9:29the survivors were motivated
to escape from ISIS -
9:29 - 9:30as Ayda has done,
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9:30 - 9:33and many young Yazidi women
took the bold step -
9:33 - 9:35and returned home to their communities.
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9:36 - 9:38Baba Sheikh's public pronouncement
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9:38 - 9:41saved the lives of many
young Yazidi women, -
9:41 - 9:44both in captivity and after their escape.
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9:45 - 9:49Sadly, not all religious leaders
agreed to talk with us. -
9:49 - 9:52Some victims had far
worse outcomes than the Yazidis. -
9:52 - 9:57For example, only 43
of the 500-600 victims -
9:57 - 9:59from the Shia Turkmen community
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9:59 - 10:02were able to return home
after escaping ISIS. -
10:02 - 10:05Some of them were advised by their family
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10:05 - 10:06to stay with ISIS
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10:06 - 10:11or commit suicide in order
to save the honor of the family. -
10:11 - 10:14Germany established a project
to support survivors of ISIS -
10:14 - 10:19by providing psychosocial support
and housing for 1,100 women and children, -
10:19 - 10:20including Ayda.
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10:20 - 10:23I visited Ayda several times
during my work. -
10:23 - 10:26I am so proud of her
and the other victims. -
10:26 - 10:29The progress they have made is remarkable.
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10:30 - 10:32It is really moving to see
how many of them, -
10:32 - 10:34despite their struggles,
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10:34 - 10:36have benefited from this program.
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10:36 - 10:39The program includes
individual and group counseling, -
10:39 - 10:41art therapy, music therapy,
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10:42 - 10:43sport activities,
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10:43 - 10:44language courses,
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10:44 - 10:46school and other integration efforts.
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10:47 - 10:49What I observed was that
removing the victims -
10:49 - 10:52from an area of conflict
to a country at peace -
10:52 - 10:55had a positive impact on all of them.
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10:56 - 10:58This project caught
the attention of other countries, -
10:58 - 11:01and they were interested
to help more Yazidis. -
11:02 - 11:05The Yazidi women and girls
still call and text me -
11:05 - 11:07to tell me about their grades at school,
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11:07 - 11:09fun trips they've taken,
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11:09 - 11:12or to inform me about their future dreams,
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11:12 - 11:15like writing a book about
what they have faced with ISIS. -
11:15 - 11:16Sometimes they are sad
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11:16 - 11:19and feel the need to talk again
about the events. -
11:20 - 11:21I'm not a psychologist,
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11:21 - 11:25and I have faced secondary PTSD
from their horrific stories. -
11:25 - 11:27But I keep encouraging them to talk,
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11:27 - 11:29and I keep listening,
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11:29 - 11:32because I do not want them
to feel alone in their suffering. -
11:32 - 11:34Through these anecdotes,
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11:34 - 11:36I see a bigger picture emerging.
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11:36 - 11:39These women and girls are healing.
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11:39 - 11:42They are no longer afraid to seek justice.
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11:42 - 11:45Without hope there can be no justice,
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11:46 - 11:49and without justice there can be no hope.
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11:50 - 11:53Every 3rd and 15th of August,
it's my remembrance day, -
11:53 - 11:57and I reach out to the Yazidis to let them
know that I'm thinking about them. -
11:57 - 11:59They're always happy when I do that.
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11:59 - 12:01It's an emotional day for them.
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12:01 - 12:04This past August, I spoke with Ayda.
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12:04 - 12:06She was so happy to announce
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12:06 - 12:09that one of her nieces
who was abducted with her -
12:09 - 12:12was finally released
out of ISIS hands in Syria -
12:12 - 12:14and returned to Iraq.
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12:14 - 12:16Can you believe that?
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12:16 - 12:17After four years?
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12:18 - 12:21Today, her biggest wish
is for her whole family, -
12:21 - 12:23now located across three continents,
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12:23 - 12:25to be reunited.
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12:25 - 12:26And I hope they will.
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12:27 - 12:29When I think about
the survivors I work with, -
12:29 - 12:33I remember the words
of an Egyptian doctor, writer -
12:33 - 12:34and human rights activist,
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12:34 - 12:36Nawal El Saadawi.
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12:36 - 12:39In her book, "Woman at Point Zero,"
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12:39 - 12:42she wrote, "Life is very hard,
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12:42 - 12:44and the only people who really live
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12:44 - 12:47are those who are harder
than life itself." -
12:48 - 12:52These victims have been
through unimaginable pain. -
12:52 - 12:54But with a little help,
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12:54 - 12:56they show how resilient they are.
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12:56 - 13:00Each has their own perspective
on what kind of justice she seeks, -
13:00 - 13:02and I believe deeply
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13:02 - 13:05that a credible justice process is key
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13:05 - 13:06to how she reclaims her dignity
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13:07 - 13:09and finds closure with her trauma.
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13:09 - 13:13Justice is not only about
punishing the perpetrator. -
13:13 - 13:16It's about victims feeling
that crimes committed against them -
13:16 - 13:20have been recorded and recognized
by the rule of law. -
13:20 - 13:23For me, it has been
the experience of a lifetime -
13:23 - 13:25to work with these survivors.
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13:25 - 13:27Because I share their sorrow,
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13:27 - 13:30their language and their culture,
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13:30 - 13:32we connect on the deepest human level.
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13:33 - 13:36This itself is an act of healing:
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13:36 - 13:39to be heard, to be seen,
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13:39 - 13:42to be given compassion
instead of condemnation. -
13:43 - 13:46When we get so close to people in pain,
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13:46 - 13:49it creates pain
for the investigators, too. -
13:49 - 13:54My work is challenging,
heartbreaking and trauma-inducing. -
13:54 - 13:56But let me tell you why I do it.
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13:57 - 14:00When I meet the survivors
of these mass atrocities, -
14:00 - 14:04when I hold their hands
and look in their eyes, -
14:04 - 14:07it does not erase my own pain,
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14:07 - 14:10but it does make it almost worthwhile.
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14:10 - 14:12And there's nothing
I would rather be doing. -
14:13 - 14:16When I see these brave survivors
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14:16 - 14:19struggling to connect again
to their own self-worth, -
14:19 - 14:24to their families, to their place
in a society that values them, -
14:25 - 14:27it is an honor to bear witness;
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14:27 - 14:30it is a privilege to seek justice.
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14:31 - 14:33And that is healing, too --
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14:33 - 14:35for all of us.
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14:35 - 14:37Thank you.
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14:37 - 14:43(Applause)
- Title:
- Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS
- Speaker:
- Rabiaa El Garani
- Description:
-
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.)
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 15:01
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS | ||
Camille Martínez accepted English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS | ||
Camille Martínez edited English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS | ||
Camille Martínez edited English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS |