Islamic State releases new video showing Yazidis ‘converting’ to Islam

An Islamic State (IS) video has emerged purporting to show dozens of captured Yazidi people converting to Islam. The footage emerged shortly after the group released a video showing one of its black-clad fighters beheading U.S. journalist James Foley. The latest film, titled “Hundreds of Yazidis convert to Islam”, gives no indication of the bloodshed that prompted thousands of people to flee. In the video, two IS fighters field questions in Arabic. One is a bearded middle-aged man dressed in black with an AK-47 assault rifle. The other is dressed in a crisp grey military uniform and camouflage cap.

Men, women and children have converted and I was with them, and they are happy with their conversions. We advise the Yazidis to come down from the mountain and convert.

IS fighter in video purporting to show Yazidis converting to Islam

The older man says the self-proclaimed Islamic State has provided the Yazidis with everything they need. And he advised the Yazidis to come down from Mount Sinjar, where thousands who feared death at the hands of the militants took refuge, and convert. The video then shows dozens of Yazidis getting off a bus and hugging IS militants. The groups’ fighters had previously threatened the Yazidis with death if they failed to convert to Islam. The extremist group has been accused of killing hundreds of Yazidis since the militants moved into the area of northern Iraq where the community lives.

This talk about aid from Western and crusader countries is all lies. If they convert, we will give them everything they need. They will live a happy life.

ISIL fighter

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