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Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/05/us-iraq-security-yazidis-idUSKBN0G51UV20140805
Iraq's Yazidis Face Islamic State or Perilous Mountains
(Reuters) Ahmed Rasheed and Michael Georgy - When the Islamic State made another dramatic push through northern Iraq, the Yazidis of the town of Sinjar were especially terrified. The Islamic State regards the minority ethnic group as "devil worshippers," making them prime candidates for beheadings. "The innocent people of Sinjar were slaughtered. Men were killed and women have been taken as slaves by Islamic State fighters," said Vian Dakheel, a member of parliament from the Yazidi community. Tens of thousands of Yazidis rushed to the surrounding mountains. The Yazidis, followers of an ancient religion derived from Zoroastrianism, are spread over northern Iraq and are part of the country's Kurdish minority. Alyas Khudhir, a 33-year-old government employee with three children, said: "I'm sleeping with my kids on rocks and food is scarce. I have collected some tree leaves to feed my kids if food runs out. We are slowly dying and nobody cares about us."