Iraqi Yazidi women
ticularly as many Kurds consider themselves Sunni and
are in the crosshairs of Da’esh’s dogma), along with
LGBT rights (as many wouldn’t be surprised, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death inside the Islamic
State, with many accused – mostly without trial of a
Sharia court that IS states is at the core of their ‘just’
society – facing public execution, usually through beheading) and finally, freedom of speech.
nical rule against its people. Furthermore, I would argue
that British continuing and undivided support for Israel,
despite the Jewish state displaying ‘callous indifference’
towards civilian life, after the ruthless attacks on Gaza
during the summer of 2014, seems again hypocritical.
Finally, I think that an unexpected, but nevertheless important outcome of the barbarism which has occurred
as a result of ISIS is that it poses a question for modern
Islam: the issue is with those who interpret the religious
texts, particularly the Abrahamic faiths where there is
significant cross over between Islam, Christianity and
Judaism, I would argue that is integral to apply the
teachings of God to the modern day world. Despite being an atheist myself, everybody should be entitled to
their own opinions and beliefs, because it is this that
enables society to progress. ■
However, with the horrors of ISIS’ war crimes being depicted across the media, it is ironic that many of the Gulf
States, Britain’s allies in the ‘coalition’ to prevent and
diminish Islamic State’s cancerous grip on the region,
perpetrate acts similar to the organisation in which they
are fighting. Saudi Arabia may be the most obvious example due its ultra-Orthodox, Wahhabi laws which include preventing women from driving and corporal punishment. In fact, 59 people have been publicly beheaded
in Saudi in the first six months of 2014. How is it not a
contradiction to criticise the executions in Raqa’a, Syria
– ISIS territory – but inadvertently support the exact
same act occurring in Riyadh through economic support,
not to mention the selling of weapons to the House of
Saud, Saudi’s absolute monarchy that imposes its tyran-
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