What can we do to help those women and girls?

Jane10 it is truly heartbreaking and there is not a thing that we as individuals can do. I hate war and always think that it is better to resolve problems by talking but in this case I really think that IS need to be eliminated.

I wish the other Islamic countries would get involved in some positive way. All we can do right now is pray and be glad we live here. Nothing like good enough of course.

I know it's just awful isn't it. I don't understand why other Islamic countries/ communities/ leaders don't condemn IS either. Their silence speak volumes and shames them.

I've had an idea -oestrogen bombs! If they don't agree to treat females with respect we could threaten to turn them into women! That would sort them out!

I too wonder why other Islamic states and countries, especially powerful ones such as Saudi Arabia are not publicly condemning these atrocities, surely the leaders in Saudi have been part of the non Islamic world long enough now to know that these stone age barbaric practices are not acceptable? Being part of a religion does not mean one has to accept everything that is done by adherents of said faith, many Catholics, for example, have condemned the child abuse by some members of the priesthood, and I am sure they dont feel any less of a Catholic by doing so. I am not a violent or intolerant person, but I truly believe that IS need to be wiped from the face of the earth, I can see no argument for allowing them to live and I truly worry about the spread of this evil.

Saudi Arabia is still a very conservative country and women are still treated as second-class. They cannot go out alone without a man and cannot drive for example. Saudi Arabia is not going to see this awful situation with Isis in the same way we do.

I think the UN should be more vociferous and what about the War Crimes Commission in The Hague? It is dreadful that no powerful voices seem to be raised in protest. There is so much horror and cruelty in the world that it is easy to sit back and be overwhelmed...... and do nothing.

What we can do is support the efforts of people like Malala Yousafzai.

gagagran there`s second class and second class- what IS is doing is every good person`s worst fear. Its actually the reason behind why Saudis and others try to keep their womenfolk so safe. To protect them from such appalling and depraved men. I simply cant understand why other so called powerful nations are just avoiding the issue of this appalling cancer of an organisation spreading. So many reasons put forward for inaction -none of them acceptable in the 21st century. Sorry to go on about it. I`m just so horrified to think of these poor souls in such torment while we go on our merry way celebrating Christmas

I don't know what we can do except send money to the United Nations Refugee fund which is trying to help the Yazidis. I do know that treating women as second class citizens, restricting their movements, not allowing them to drive or to travel without a male relative is NOT protecting them. It is in fact the beginning of the idea that a woman is property and belongs to a man. Isis have in fact taken the idea to its logical conclusion that is-you can do what you want with your property.
This doesn't mean I think it is acceptable, but I totally reject the idea that women are being "protected" in Saudi Arabia. It's an excuse men have always used for mis-treating women.
I also suspect that this will be another news story that peaks for a few weeks and then disappears -whatever happened to the girls kidnapped in Nigeria?

You could sign the 38 degrees petition https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/help-the-yazidi-people-in-iraq?time=1408217097

DH and I watched the news together last night and we couldn't comprehend how this can happen in the age of the Internet. Why don't they see how out of touch with the rest of the world they are? In so many ways we live in a small world so how can parts of it be so out of kilter with what we know is a reasonable way to live. It seems to me that it is worse than slavery.

I used to know and Iranian who really did believe he was looking after his wife and was proud that she worn full Islamic dress. He showed me a photo of her without it and was proud of how beautiful she was. They lived in Iran.

I think it is time the west intervened.

In Germany there are big anti-Islamist rallies and I can see that it will spread throughout Europe if nothing is done.

Petition signed - it is such a small thing to do but if it helps that is what is important.

My DS was working in Uganda and was terribly upset by some of the cultural practices for young girls especially. One of the Ugandan colleagues said that young teenagers traditionally get 'broken in' by their uncles and that in some villages it is traditional to bury a baby at the threshold of a new dwelling.
There must be many countries who have ' traditions' utterly unthinkable to us.
Am at a total loss as to what anyone in the Western world can do to fight these horrific practices and bring to justice all abusers of women and children.

Petition signed. Only 83 of the necessary 100 names though -come on all the Grans sign up! Also support Malala and all those helping with education of girls

Already done, and any other petitions I hear of. Is the very least anyone can do

Signed, shared on Fb and Tweeted. That should bring the numbers up!

I've signed and will ask my WI friends to do so.

Just watched a harrowing news report about the abuse of men, women and girls in Iraq and Syria, and wonder what should be done about it. The conduct exhibited by the terrorist thugs who have seized power there has dragged the area back to a new dark age. Is general aid the best way of trying to help? Should the military be sent in with freedom to do what ever it takes to restore order? What is the rest of the Arab world doing about this, I wonder? How should we treat terrorist thugs of western origin when they return from their vile activities? How far can we trust them ever again? Not questions I relish contemplating at Christmas but there we are.

Sad to say but I think this is what the military is for. These people need to be obliterated. Problem is, whose military should be involved. Everything seems to get all bogged down at international governmental level. No one wants to get involved. Meanwhile there is human suffering on a colossal scale. What's that quote about all evil needs to prevail is that good men do nothing?

Tempted to say:
1 send in the military but suspect the b......s would only think up even worse atrocities in retaliation.
2 Jail for life any Westerners returning or even better, send them back to whence they came
3 Demand that the rest of the Arab world sign up to stopping support for terrorists etc
All very easy to say, sadly.....

I suppose the best approach is to identify credible opposition elements, like the Kurds for example, and support them against this foul rabble, as we are doing. Trouble is, who to trust, even as regards our own politicians. And then there is the oil which we all need. Its an unholy mess, but we surely cannot just stand by and be spectators as regards these obscenities.

The US military are already involved. Not on the ground but on air bombing raids. US airstrikes have already killed about 1000 IS people. There have been Australian airstrikes too.

Powerful nations are doing something.

This story from the BBC website www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30585783 gives an indication of what we are facing. It's a report by a German author who was allowed into Isis state. It makes frightening reading. He says he was shocked by the brutality and radicalism apparent there. They are especially keen on recruiting children!

I thought a number of Arabic States were taking action, including Iran. I think the problem of being seen to support the West flies in the face of their primary allegiance to Islam. Dangerous times we live in.

What a mess - military involvement is all very well if you can identify and isolate your target. I am not sure that it is possible to do that in this situation. And getting it wrong is too dreadful to contemplate.

I think that military action can create martyrs and encourage recruitment to extremist groups.

As papaoscar says - who to trust?

It is chilling that in an era of scientific and knowledge-based advance some societies are reverting to the primitive - the potential for real human progress is obliterated.

I have no answers - it makes me despair. It almost makes you nostalgic for former times when we simply did not know what was happening on the other side of the world. Head in sand......