###The Yazidis: Displacement, Memory and the Search for Home
A story of a minority community forced displacement, cultural survival and the struggle to return to ancestral lands. By Janifer Yasmin Introduction: When Home Becomes a Distant Memory What happens when people are forced to leave the land where their ancestors lived for generations? What happens when homes are destroyed, families are separated and the places associated with childhood, culture and identity become unsafe? For the Yazidi community of northern Iraq, these questions are part of everyday life. The Yazidis are an ancient religious minority whose history, traditions and cultural identity are deeply connected to their ancestral homeland, particularly the Sinjar region of Iraq. For generations, they have maintained their distinctive religious beliefs, customs and community traditions despite experiencing discrimination and persecution. However, their lives changed dramatically in August 2014, when the Islamic State (ISIS) launched a violent campaign against their community....