Islamic State video shows conversion of Yazidis to Islam

2014-08-21 2

EDITORS NOTE: REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS VIDEO

Islamic State, a militant group that witnesses and officials say has executed hundreds of members of Iraq's Yazidis, has released a video that seeks to show it enlightened hundreds of members of the religious minority by converting them to Islam.

The production was issued not long after the group on Tuesday (August 19) released a video showing one of its black-clad fighters beheading American journalist James Foley, sparking international outrage.

The Yazidis, followers of an ancient religion derived from Zoroastrianism who are part of the country's Kurdish minority, have paid the highest price for Islamic State's dramatic advance through northern Iraq.

Islamic State militants, widely seen as more hardline than al Qaeda, storm into villages armed with machine guns and give Yazidis a simple choice: convert to Islam or die.

Witnesses have said most of their hundreds of victims were shot dead

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