eCommons

 

Genocide in Disguise: The Islamic State’s Persecution of Shi’a Muslims and The International Community’s Failure to Prevent and Punish Genocide

Other Titles

Abstract

The international community remains unwilling to protect vulnerable populations against genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, as evidenced by international oversight of the Bosnian and Rwandan genocides. This paper will examine this issue through a case study of the Islamic State’s (IS) persecution, ethnic cleansing, and unrecognized genocide of Shi’a Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. While the United Nations Security Council has labeled IS’ attempts to exterminate Iraq’s Christian and Yazidi populations as genocide, little efort has been made to recognize, investigate, or prosecute IS’ crimes against the Shi’a. As I argue, the Islamic State’s systematic killing and cultural destruction of Shi’a Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria constitutes genocidal conduct under the Genocide Convention. As such, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has an obligation to recognize and investigate such activities through the creation of an international criminal tribunal dedicated to prosecuting members of IS for atrocities committed against the Shi’a. I further argue that use of veto power by permanent members of the Security Council should be restricted in the face of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes to ensure that the UN fulfills its guiding principles to prevent and punish atrocity crimes. I will also explain the legal significance of prosecuting a non-state actor for genocide at the ICC and the impact that this recognition would have on humanitarian policy, the integrity of early warning models for genocide, and justice for the Shi’a victims of the Islamic State’s brutality.

Journal / Series

Volume & Issue

Vol. 15, Iss. 1 (Fall 2021)

Description

page(s) 109-162

Sponsorship

Date Issued

2022-05-11

Publisher

Cornell University Library

Keywords

Location

Effective Date

Expiration Date

Sector

Employer

Union

Union Local

NAICS

Number of Workers

Committee Chair

Committee Co-Chair

Committee Member

Degree Discipline

Degree Name

Degree Level

Related Version

Related DOI

Related To

Related Part

Based on Related Item

Has Other Format(s)

Part of Related Item

Related To

Related Publication(s)

Link(s) to Related Publication(s)

References

Link(s) to Reference(s)

Previously Published As

Hussaini, Sumaya. "Genocide in Disguise The Islamic State’s Persecution of Shi’a Muslims and The International Community’s Failure to Prevent and Punish Genocide." Cornell International Affairs Review Vol. 15, Iss. 1 (Fall 2021). https://doi.org/10.37513/ciar.v15i1.652.

Government Document

ISBN

ISMN

ISSN

Other Identifiers

Rights

Attribution 4.0 International

Types

article

Accessibility Feature

Accessibility Hazard

Accessibility Summary

Link(s) to Catalog Record