Amal & George Clooney Are Pregnant With Twins! | Meet Amal's Client Nadia Murad

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Human rights lawyer Amal and actor George Clooney have twin babies in their future. The well-dressed duo prefers to champion causes they care deeply about, not their glam lifestyle. Most notably, writes Vogue, Amal Clooney appeared at the UN in New York with client Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman enslaved by ISIS. In an act of feminist poetic justice, Murad is now suing her former captives. 

Last week, it was twins for Beyonce and Jay Z. What is going on here!!!

Related: Nadia Murad Is Taking On ISIS With the Help of Amal Clooney Vogue

Motherless, displaced, traumatized, grief-stricken, and the ongoing recipient of ISIS death threats, Murad counts herself among the lucky: Of the 6,000 Yazidi women and children taken during ISIS raids, she estimated that more than 3,200 are still being held in captivity. The activist highlighted one person in particular: Lemya, a neighbor and the little sister of close friends, who was only 14 when she was taken and held in the Iraqi city of Mosul by a 34-year-old man, who both raped her and told her, confusingly, that she remained a virgin. “That always sticks in my mind,” Murad explained. “That this happened to her, and she never knew what had happened to her.”

Lemya, like so many other Yazidis, remains missing. And it’s largely for their sake that Murad has sought the help of London-based human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. Together they’re attempting to remind the world that the organized killing and enslavement of Yazidis constitutes genocide. Their goal is to wrangle the assistance of the U.N. in hopes of holding ISIS accountable in international court.

“It is a genocide, and it needs to be recognized,” Murad told me through her interpreter, Murad Ismael, executive director of the Yazidi-supporting nonprofit Yazda. “That must be acknowledged, not just for Yazidis, but for any community that suffers through this. When genocide is committed, it must be seen. People must look at it with open eyes, not minimize its impact.”

Tunisia Hit With Third Terrorist Attack This Year | 30-Day State of Emergency In Place

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From Anne's FB page

I want to share my FB friend Meriem's beautiful photo and say that -- while I will continue to fly the French flag -- I applaud her gesture.

With several FB friends from Tunisia, please know that I am terribly concerned about your country. Being deeply involved in Sudan for years and knowing what can happen when a blossoming society -- whose women are among the most progressive and educated in Africa -- is co-opted and redefined by fundamentalist forces, I am fearful for my friends in Tunisia.

Tunisia was hit today with its third terrorist act this year, killing at least 12 people, wounding 20 members of the presidential guard, and prompting the president to declare a 30-day state of emergency. The Tunis airport has been closed, along with tourist sites.

The attack was carried out by jihadists. Thousands, according to the NY Times, of Tunisian citizens have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS.

My FB wall reported on two earlier attacks in Tunisia this year. The Islamic State carried out an attack at the Bardo National Museum in March, killing 22 people. In June, 38 people including 30 British tourists were killed at a beach hotel in Sousse.

Thank you Meriem for reminding us of the terrible challenges faced by the people of Tunisia, under assault by terrorists seeking to undermine their beautiful country. You are a symbol of compassion and intelligence whatever flag you are flying, and I regret that you may change it too often in today's world. I see where this is going, so be sure to tag me in the future. ~ Anne.

Related: Want to Beat the Islamic State? Help Tunisia Foreign Policy

Military victories over the Islamic State’s fighters will  help to destroy their image of macho invincibility. But if we really want to defeat ISIS for good, ideas must triumph. Societies must have ideological alternatives they can believe in. 

Luckily there is such an alternative. It’s called Tunisia.

Despite long odds, Tunisia (pop. 11 million) has emerged as the Arab Spring’s lone success story. Tunisians have stuck to their hard-won democratic institutions despite considerable political and economic turmoil. The Islamist Ennahdha Party has played a crucial part in this success by demonstrating its willingness to share power with its ideological opponents and allowing genuine political competition. The Nobel Committee’s decision to bestow its latest Peace Prize on four groups with prominent roles in the country’s democratic transition has lent international recognition to the Tunisians’ achievement.

Hillary Clinton's Plan To Take On ISIS | Watch Nov. 19 Council of Foreign Relations Speech

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Hillary Clinton's Plan To Take On ISIS | Watch Nov. 19 Council of Foreign Relations Speech

For friends trying to understand fundamentally what's going on with ISIS, VOX shares an overview of the history of ISIS: a 15-20 minute read that is highly informative.  AOC calls out three key paragraphs that are relevant to our understanding of the world and content strategy.

9 Questions about ISIS You Were Too Embarrassed To Ask VOX

The Apocalypse

ISIS's first obsession, though, is not the caliphate but the apocalypse. The group's leaders, by every indication, earnestly believe that their role is to help usher in the final days and the end of the world. McCants explained, in his interview with Williams, how this belief developed into ISIS's focus on building a state:

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Rape of Women

ISIS also promotes what the New York Times's Rukmini Callimachi called a "theology of rape": a vast infrastructure of sexual violence and slavery, with ISIS encouraging rape as not just a tool of war but a matter of daily life in the caliphate. Yes, this is its own awful recruiting tool, but it's even more than that: It's a way for both the group and its individual members to demonstrate power by associating sexual violence with victory.

Original Caliphates Centered on Religious Expression

For jihadists, the caliphates are the height of Islam's glory, the banner of a sort of Islamic nationalism. Framing your jihadist movement as the rebirth or continuation of the caliphate is a way of asserting the idea that all Muslims should be joined in one state, that they should be ruled by Islam (or more specifically, the jihadists' version of Islam), and that all other Islamic authorities and states are apostates.
The jihadists also promote the idea that because the caliphates existed a long time ago and were politically organized around Islam, they must have therefore been ultra-conservative theocracies. But that is quite simply false: At their height, the caliphates were centers of artistic expression and scientific development.


Helly Luv, The 'Kurdish Shakira' Takes On ISIS With 'Revolution' Video

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The New York Times ‘Women in the World’ (formerly of The Daily Beast) features pop star Helly Luv, dubbed the ‘Kurdish Shakira’. In her new video ‘Revolution’, Luv rallies men and women in a Kurdish war zone.

“People all around the world, round the world don’t be scared. Come together let ‘em know, let ‘em know, we’re right here,” she sings throughout the video that features real people facing the day-to-day threats of Islamic militants.

Vice writes that the redhead is on ISIS’s radar for ‘Revolution’. Her ‘Revolution’ video was shot about two miles away from the front line separating ISIS militants and the Kurdish Peshmerga troops.

Helly Luv and her Peshmerga mother fled Iran for Turkey, days after she was born. They lived homeless in Turkey for several years before moving to Finland as refugees. At age 18 Helly moved to LA and made contacts in the music business before returning to the Middle East to create music and videos that combat terrorism with messages of pride, unity and peace.

In her own words, Luv reveals her determination to stand up to ISIS.

‘Revolution’ is not only the story of Kurds. It’s the story of us all, because ISIS is not just the enemy of Kurds; they’re the enemy of the whole world. It’s our own responsibility to come together, unite, and fight against them. If we don’t, then tomorrow they will expand; they will get more powerful. I went to Los Angeles and created “Revolution” with the same producer and the same staff who did “Risk It All,” and it was the most difficult song to record; I was basically crying the whole time. Violence and terrorism is everywhere. Yesterday, it was in Germany, before that it was Tunis, and before that it was Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Update Kurdish Women Fighters

AOC has followed the incredible story of the Kurdish Women Fighters who are taking on ISIS.

RT.com filmed a documentary ‘Her War: Women VS. ISIS’, telling the story of young Kurdish women in Syria who are defending their country while advancing their hopes of self-government. The Kurds are an ethnic group that is culturally and linguistically related to Iran. The Kurdistan region spans adjoining parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.

A new article at Muftah centers on Western media’s romancing of the Kurdish women fighters, promoting them as seekers of democracy.

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Queen Rania Pleas For Arab Action Against ISIS

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Queen Rania calls for unity against terrorism GulfNews.com

Jordan’s Queen Rania delivered the comments above and many more, via satellite to the Government Summit in Dubai on Monday, February 2009. Queen Rania was originally scheduled to attend the conference but has remained in Jordan as her husband King Abdullah moves to lead Jordan’s attacks on ISIS over the death of Jordanian pilot Captain Muath Al Kasaesbeh.

Discussions on the future role of governments in this summit could not have come at a more pressing time, said Queen Rania. “We need to act. We are in a race against time to adopt policies and address the priorities which confront us today — most importantly to eliminate the ideology of hate and terrorism.”

She emphasised the need to change education policies in the Arab world to ensure quality education that instils true values of religion, patriotism, coexistence and hard work in the new generations.

To capitalise on the full potential of countries in the Arab world, new policies that foster talent and innovation should be adopted to guarantee enough job opportunities for youth to enter the labour market, said Queen Rania.

Policies should ensure the fair participation of all members of society, women and men, from all ethnic and religious groups, she said.

Many Americans were surprised to learn that the UAE had grounded its military strikes against ISIL/ISIS after the capture of Jordan’s pilot Captain Muath Al Kasaesbeh, unsatisfied with America’s sufficient rescue support systems in the region. The US military rejects the idea that changes were made in response to the UAE action — arguing that rescue support plans were being reshuffled anyway.

The UAE squadron of war planes is striking ISIS targets from Jordan, where they will remain. We currently can’t confirm if Mariam al-Mansouri, who previously led the United Arab Emirates fighter jets attacking ISIL/ISIS is in the new squadron.

Related: Eye | Victoria Beckham Has Passion For UN Ambassador Role |Women & Heart Disease | Apologies To UAE Pilot Major Mariam al-Mansouri

Related: RedTracker: Queen Rania Is Comforter & Activist | Hebun Sinya Killed in Kobani

Anne’s Homes in the Heart of Terrorism

90 West Street New York - The Little Building That Never Bowed To Terrorists Sensual Rebel

I moved to 90 West Street from Jersey City in 2005, wanting to live close to the rebirth of the World Trade Center Area. The events of September 11 had affected me deeply, standing at a municipal building in Jersey City watching the Towers fell. Three of the terrorists lived a few blocks from me, although my beautiful loft was an oasis of its own and I didn’t interact a lot with my community.

My heart was very heavy on September 11, 2001 as I gasped at what was happening. Many people cheered when the World Trade Center towers fell.  They weren’t terrorists — at least I doubt it — but the moment was one of understanding just how complex life had become in America. This complexity has only become more difficult in America and globally in the last decade and a half.

Angelina Jolie Strikes Twice Today

AOC founding muse Angelina Jolie is pictured above at the June 2014 London summit devoted to sexual violence — primarily against women — in war. Angelina embraced Congo campaigner Neema Namadamu, whose own daughter was attacked by a group of men close to home.

Jolie co-hosted the ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ summit in London with former British Foreign Secretary William Hague, her passionate partner in getting G8 nations to formally adopt a policy of treating rape as a war crime.

London Centre on Women, Peace and Security at the London School of Economics

Jolie, a special envoy of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, announced today the creation of a new center that will educate students about the participation of women in “conflict-related processes” and “on enhancing accountability and ending impunity for rape and sexual violence in war,” according to a press release from the London School of Economics.

The Centre is a collaboration among LSE, Mr Hague, Ms Jolie, and the UK Government. Angelina said:

“ I am excited at the thought of all the students in years to come who will study in this new Centre. There is no stable future for a world in which crimes committed against women go unpunished. We need the next generation of educated youth with inquisitive minds and fresh energy, who are willing not only to sit in the classroom but to go out into the field and the courtrooms and to make a decisive difference.”

Brangelina Baby #7

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RedTracker: Queen Rania Is Comforter & Activist | Hebun Sinya Killed In Kobani

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RedTracker: Queen Rania Is Comforter & Activist |  Hebun Sinya Killed In Kobani

In one of the most poignant images of Jordan’s Queen Rania that I’ve seen, Jordan’s First Lady comforts the devastated Anwar Tarawneh, widow of Moaz al-Kasasbeh, the captive pilot burned alive by ISIS.  The couple were married for only five months, when her husband ejected from his fighter jet in a raid on ISIS. 

Reports are that Tarawneh learned of her husband’s death in a Facebook post saying ‘Rest in peace, Muath (Moaz)’, a story she relayed to Queen Rania at her home near the southern town of Karak.

On a related note, AOC has consistently covered the brave Kurdish women fighting ISIS in Kobani (Kobane). We are saddened to report that Hebun Sinya, a prominent leader in the YPJ — the women-only offshoot of the Kurdish YPG group and about one-third of the forces fighting in Kobane — was killed in the final fight to push ISIS out of Kobani (Kobane).

Hebun Sinya, also known as Hebun Dêrik, was a prominent figure within the YPJ - the woman-only offshoot of the Kurdish YPG group that has represented about one-third of the fighting force that has retaken control of Kobani

Sending Deep Regrets To Jordan For The Despicable Death & Burning Alive Of Muath Kasasbeh By ISIS

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From the Jordan Times: Jordan Vows Earth-Shaking Respone to IS Killing of Pilot

Following the release of a video showing a group of IS masked terrorists burning Kasasbeh alive, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) issued a statement saying that the officer was killed on January 3, nine days after his F-16 crashed over Raqqa in northeast Syria

(see text of the army statement in separate story).

In his statement, aired on Jordan TV, King Abdullah described IS as a cowardly terrorist group that has nothing to do with true Islam, praising Kasasbeh as a brave pilot who was fighting in defence of Islam, his country and his nation.

The Royal Court announced that King Abdullah would cut short his visit to the US, with the White House announcing an unscheduled meeting between the King and President Barack Obama in Washington later Tuesday before the King’s departure.

In its statement, the army vowed a response that is “proportionate to the magnitude of the tragedy of all Jordanians”, according to the statement read on Jordan TV by JAF Spokesperson Colonel Mamdouh Ameri.

A similar reaction was echoed by Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani, who said several measures will be taken by the Kingdom to respond to this brutal group.

In a statement aired by Jordan TV, Momani said that Jordan’s response to the assassination “will be swift. Jordanians’ wrath will devastate Daesh’s ranks”.

Addressing those who had doubt about the brutality of IS, the minister said what the group did is proof of such brutality.

“For those who used to believe that this group represents Islam, this is the proof, and for those who had doubts about the unity of Jordanians against this evil, we will show them what unity we have.”

He added that Kasasbeh does not belong to one tribe or one governorate, but to all the Jordanian people.

In particular, AOC sends deep regrets, sorrow and love to Queen Rania, one of the core muses behind Anne of Carversville.

We also pray for all the Jordanian pilots named in today’s ISIS video, with a price having been put on their heads, while names and addresses were printed for mass consumption around the world.

This is an attempt by ISIS to bring down the government of Jordan, one of the most stable countries and sources of refuge first out of Palestine — and now Syria — in the world. 20% of your population is now refugees from other countries. We pray also that the US and other countries give Jordan the aid it needs to sustain this grave humanitarian challenge.

Indeed, you are a mighty and wonderful advocate for a better life on this planet, Queen Rania.  You, your husband and family, and all the Jordanian people with your incredibly-rich history are very deep in our thoughts, hearts and prayers tonight. ~ Anne

Queen Rania 2008

 

Egypt's Activists Rally Against Sexual Harassment | Kurdish Women Soldiers Spur New Rights For Kurdish Women

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Egyptian rapper Mayam Mahmoud

Women of Egypt

Egypt’s Artivists Rally To Combat Increased Sexual Harassment Against Women AOC Sensual Rebel

Kurdish Women Soldiers

Kurdish Women Soldiers Inspire New Rights For Kurdish Women AOC Sensual Rebel

JUST IN from NBC’s Richard Engel on MSNBC Andrea Mitchell November 10, talking about ISIS in Kobani. Richard got into the country — a very difficult feat — and to paraphrase his report, “Most of the FRONT LINE positions in Kobani are held by WOMEN!!! They are holding slightly more than half of the city.

This was the first time I’ve heard a TV reporter fully acknowledge the truth of the Kurdish women fighters and the decisive role they are playing against ISIS. We’ve been following the story for two months now with major exposure of the Kurdish women and their fierce refusal to turn over their land and towns, their parents and children to ISIS (ISIL).  Read our largest story about the Kurdish women fighters: Kurdish Women Fighters In Syria Say ISIS Fears Women Soldiers So Much They Shake. AOC Salon

Richard Engel continues to send the positive message around the Kurdish Women soldiers over the last 24 hours in his NBC/MSNBC broadcasts. Engel will present a more comprehensive overview of the Kurdish fight against ISIS Friday night on MSNBC in the Rachel Maddow 9pm time slot.

Meanwhile Kurdish leaders have issued a sweeping list of reforms dedicated to giving Kurdish women equal rights to men in the region. (Note, without being a formal country, implementation remains to be seen.) The Kurds hope to present a high contrast of women’s evolving role in their society versus the deeply dark vision for women presented by ISIS. Read the details in my Sensual Rebel blog. ~ Anne

Eye | H&M Jumpsuit -- When Style & War Collide | Amazon Women | Burqa Bans

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Redtracker

H&M Apologizes

Radical chic? Kurds Say H&M jumpsuits mimic fighter garb Los Angeles Times

AOC has written frequently and is following the dire situation in Kobani, Syri where beleaguered but incredibly brave Kurdish forces — about one-third of them women, says the BBC — are fighting ferociously against ISIS.

Social media broke out in hives yesterday with H&M’s $19.95 khaki jumpsuit drawing comparisons to those worn by these brave women. It doesn’t matter that khaki jumpsuits have been a staple in fashion almost as long as I’ve walked the face of the earth.

We are presently in a fashion cycle of celebrating strong women, warrior goddesses and even feminists. This mood has nothing to do with the Kurdish women fighters — except that we are all inspired beyond our stylish cocoons by their determination, skills at confronting ISIS and courage.

If Karl Lagerfeld, whose never-closed mouth said in 2009 —purporting to be the voice of Coco Chanel said:

I was never a feminist because I was never ugly enough for that

 

— can now end his Spring 2015 ready-to-wear show with a ‘feminist demonstration’, it’s clear that the Kaiser knows that his long-expressed views around strong are suddenly out of step with the global movement to empower women. Lagerfeld is on the wrong end of his walking stick, and he knows it. Not even his precious fur ball Choupette can put him on the right side of this subject.

Karl Lagerfeld’s flimflam feminism won’t hurt the real thing The Guardian

At AOC, we tell women’s stories from fashion to flogging — often finding intersections between the two. An inherent theme of all our channels is the historical, international shakedown of women’s rights for the sake of male advancement and patriarchal power.

Scholarly Evidence of Amazons On Vases | Kurdish Women Fight On In Brutal ISIS Battles | Fashion’s Warrior Woman Moment AOC Salon

Knowing about the H&M fracas, wanting to call out a new book The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World, important new research cementing the reality of Amazon women warriors in the ancient world, an update on the Kurdish women fighters AND show a few fashion editorials acknowledging the women as warriors trend, we pulled it all together in one cohesive statement.

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Eye | American Parenting As Religion | Elizabeth Holmes Billionaire | Kurdish Women Fighters Update

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Redtracker

Kurdish Fighter Ceylan Ozalp Said To Be Alive

I just checked in again on the incredibly brave women — about 1/3 of Kurdish forces — fighting ISIS in Syria. My heart dropped with reports that Ceylan Ozalp (wearing blk/wht checked hat), the woman who said ISIS shakes when confronted with women fighters, had committed suicide with her last bullet. SHE IS ALIVE and not in Kobane came reports just now from reliable sources. However, another young woman did commit suicide rather than be taken. Three Kurdish women fighters and seven men were beheaded by ISIS this week in Kobane. Please take a minute to honor the spirits of these brave people, and especially the Kurdish women fighters.

Previously: Kurdish Women Fighters In Syria Say ISIS Fears Women Soldiers So Much They Shake AOC Salon

Parenting As Religion

How American Parenting Is Killing American Marriage  QZ.com

Physician and researcher Danielle Teller and husband Astro Teller, head of Google X, recently published a book Sacred Cows: The Truth about Divorce and Marriage  focused on society’s “nonsensical but deeply ingrained beliefs surrounding marriage and divorce.”

 It seems only logical then, that the duo will next take on parenting. Calling American parenthood a ‘religion’, the Tellers refer to Ayelet Waldman’s 2005 essay in The New York Times, where she explained that she loves her husband more than her children.

The earth shook beneath Waldman’s feet as thousands of readers threatened to burn her at the stake.

Lab Grown Organ Transplants

The lab-grown penis: approaching a medical milestone The Guardian

Since 1992, Anthony Atala and his colleagues have worked on the premise that penises could be grown in a laboratory and then transplanted to humans. He believes that in the next five years, his first penis transplant will occur.

Penises aren’t the only focus of Atala and his team. In 2005 they implanted the first vagina — one of four. Eight years later, all four vaginas have normal structure and function. Earlier in 1999, Atala’s group completed their first laboratory-grown bladder transplant made from the patient’s own cells.

Simplifying the Blood Test

This Woman’s Revolutionary Idea Made Her A Billionaire — And Could Change Medicine Business Insider

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Eye | UAE Pilot Major Mariam al-Mansouri Leads UAE Air Strikes Against ISIS | Domestic Violence Tab Put At $9.5 Trillion Annually

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RedTracker

Forbes axed a column and future columns from contributor Bill Frezza, an MIT graduate and alumni president of MIT’s Lambda Chi Alpha chapter, after Frezza’s column Drunk Female Guests Are The Gravest Threat To Fraternities hit the digital airwaves. Forbes quickly pulled the column but not before Gawker Media jumped on it. Jezebel has reprinted the column for posterity.

Frezza, who writes that he chronicles “the decline and fall of entitlement democracy” argued on Forbes last month:

As recriminations against fraternities mount and panicked college administrators search for an easy out, one factor doesn’t seem to be getting sufficient analysis: drunk female guests.

Clearly the threat of drunk coeds is front and center in Frezza’s mind. Last month, his Ban Kegs From Fraternity Parties? Require Them Instead column described the scope of the problem:

I have the privilege of serving as the president of the alumni corporation for my MIT fraternity. This puts me in the role of loco parentis to 40 college boys, a responsibility I take seriously. While MIT undergrads may not be entirely representative of the country’s college students, even the smartest kids are still capable of doing stupid things. And if you think teenage boys can be stupid when it comes to alcohol, the girls seem to work overtime to do them one better. I have witnessed 95-pound, 18-year-old coeds standing in line outside a fraternity party chugging fifths of vodka because they know they won’t be served once inside. (They call it pre-gaming.) Does anyone really believe this is safer than allowing them to sip on a beer?

A small, 2009 study of 500 students on five universitty campuses found that students placed in coed housing are much more likely to binge drink each week than students living in gender-specific housing. 42 percent of students in coed housing reported binge drinking on a weekly basis, while only 8 percent of students in gender-specific housing reported the same.

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Kurdish Women Fighters In Syria Say ISIS Fears Women Soldiers So Much They Shake

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Kurdish Women Fighters In Syria Say ISIS Fears Women Soldiers So Much They Shake

In a media world assaulted with ISIS videos and threats of yet another beheading, the most fabulous story of heroism has emerged around a group of about 7,000 young Kurdish women in Syria who have armed themselves and joined the Women’s Protection Unit, or YPJ, “which grew out of the wider Kurdish resistance movement.”

I’ve covered this story in small bullet points on Eye, but this NBC News feature of dramatic images by New York-based photographer Erin Trieb are an inspiration for our ISIS media-weary souls.

Unlike the Iraqi soldiers who ran from ISIS, the Women’s Protection Unit is fighting to keep their people safe against attacks from Bashar Assad’s government, ISIS militants and the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.