As feminists were busy peddling their “War on Women” narrative in the U.S., a Yazidi sex slave survivor was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting a real War on Women in the Middle East. But sadly, it appeared, no “feminists” cared to listen.
Nadia Murad was honored for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, together with Dr. Denis Mukwege of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has been a relentless healer and advocate for women.
In August 2014, when ISIS took over her village in Northern Iraq, Nadia was kidnapped alongside an estimated 3,000 other Yazidi women and girls, traded as sex slaves from one ISIS fighter to another. She was forced to pray, dress up, and apply makeup in preparation for her rape, which was often committed by gangs.
In my latest column for The Daily Signal, I argue that as “feminists,” it’s embarrassing that we allowed uncorroborated allegations of gang rape brought by porn star lawyer Michael Avenatti to overshadow a real gang rape survivor-turned-women’s advocate being honored with the most prestigious award in the world.
Perhaps feminists chose not to highlight Nadia’s Nobel Peace prize because they simply missed the story, given it coincided with the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The more cynical side of me thinks the empty air space is because Nadia’s story has no political end goal, at least for liberal women in the U.S.
Whatever the reason, feminists should be ashamed for ignoring a story where our voices are desperate needed and could make a difference. Yes—#MeToo is important. But thousands of Yazidis remain missing—including at least 1,300 women and children—and the question of how to hold ISIS accountable for its unspeakable crimes remains unanswered.
Join me in bringing more attention to Nadia’s story. And learn more about it by reading Nadia’s book, “The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State