Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion in Gharbi M. Mustafa’s What Comes with the Dust Goes with the Wind

Abstract

This study aims to bring to light various forms of oppression and enslavement of female Yazidis under the oppressive regime of ISIS depicted in Gharbi M. Mustafa’s novel What Comes with the Dust Goes with the Wind 2017. Through the lens of intersectional feminism, the experience of the protagonist of the novel, Nazo Heydo, who represents thousands of Yazidis, will be discussed and examined. Nazo was enslaved, traded, and abused physically and verbally by brutal ISIS militants. The paper analyses gender, ethnic, and religious related factors that caused the protagonist to go through her unfortunate experience as she was captivated by ISIS militants. Moreover, it explores the intersection and interaction of the previously mentioned factors in the genocide and enslavement of female Yazidis represented by the main character, Nazo. It is true that the novel depicts the harsh experiences of male characters, too, yet it is different from that of Nazo and all other female characters just because they were women. This paper aims to answer the following questions: 1. To what extent does the novel succeed in depicting women's oppression represented by Nazo? 2. How does the narrative address the impact of ethnicity on the genocide and enslavement of female Yazidis? 3. What is the role of religion in framing the atrocities of female Yazidis imposed upon them by ISIS militants in the novel?