Stages of the Yazidis Genocide
All cultures have categories to distinguish people into “us and them” by ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality: German and Jew, Hutu and Tutsi. In this case, it is Yazidis and Muslims; the two people groups have different religious belief and are classified accordingly.
Stage one: Classification
Stage two: Symbolization
We give names or other symbols to the classifications. The part located on the upper left of the picture is a symbol of Yazidis' religion, which reinforces the classification.
(Note that classification and symbolization are universally human and do not necessarily result in genocide unless they lead to the next stage, dehumanization. When combined with hatred, symbols may be forced upon unwilling members of pariah groups.)
Stage three: Dehumanization
Stage four: Organization
One group denies the humanity of the other group. Members of it are equated with animals, vermin, insects or diseases. As Yazidis are monotheists, they believe in a benevolent peacock angel and practice an ancient gnostic faith. However, Muslims tend to view the peacock angel as the malevolent creature Lucifer or Shaitan and consider the Yazidis “devil worshippers.” Dehumanization overcomes the normal human revulsion against murder, they may easily consider killing those devil advocates as fighting for "justice."
Genocide is always organized, usually by the state, often using militias to provide deniability of state responsibility. Special army units or militias are often trained and armed. Plans are made for genocidal killings. In the Yazidis Genocide, the group of people who claimed themselves as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) did the work of organizing Muslims to prosecute Yazidis people.
Stage five: Polarization
ISIS (or ISIL), the extremists, drive the groups apart. Hate groups broadcast polarizing propaganda. Laws may forbid intermarriage or social interaction. Extremist terrorism targets moderates, intimidating and silencing the center. One of the "laws" made by ISIS tends to force the Yazidis to convert. In August 2014, more than 300 Yazidi families were threatened and forced to choose between conversion to Sunni Islam or death
Stage six: Preparation
Victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. Yazidis are confined to their villages, and if refuse to convert as what ISIS told them to, they would be killed. Women and girls were taken to ghettoes or concentration camps at Tal Afar, Si Basha Khidri and Ba’aj and even beame sex slaves.
Stage seven: Extermination (ongoing)
At this is stage, worst things begins, and quickly it all turns into the mass killing legally called “genocide.” It is “extermination” to the killers because they do not believe their victims to be fully human. ISIS believe the Yazidis are the "devil worshippers," so they prosecute them if they refuse to convert to Suni Islam. Muslims are led to the genocide by ISIS who are extremists and an organized armed force.
Stage eight: Denial (ongoing)
The eighth stage that always follows a genocide. The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. Mass graves of Yazidis are being discovered around the area, and the number of the victims of the genocide is still increasing. These are the direct evidence of the genocide, but ISIS deny that they committed any crimes, and blame what happened on the victims.