What Drives the ISIS Treatment of Women?

Two recent videos, one from a Yazidi woman and one from two Muslimas living in Al-Raqqah, the ISIS capital in northern Syria demonstrate the realities of life for women. The earlier video of December 15/2015 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxHg34DK5_Y] features Nadia Murad Basee Tahan who testified before the UN Security Council and she pleads with international governments to advocate on behalf of her people. The second dated March 14, 2016 features "Om Omran" and "Om Muhammad" as they travel about their city. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFz5aOlZpDg ]

Both videos demonstrate that ISIS is merciless both to "infidel" Yazidi's and any Muslim who does not fully ascribe to their ideology. More so, their treatment of women who could be someone's sister, daughter, mother or fiancee is almost beyond description.

After Nadia Murad Basee Tahan's speech, in which she relates, but does not accentuate her horrific ordeal, she asks for:  

• budgets by governments to help those who are victims
• willingness by governments to free some 3,500 women and children are still being used as sex slaves by ISIS
• willingness by governments to recapture Yazidi lands so that "we can give our dead a proper burial"
• a willingness by governments to receive Yazidi's as refugees as they have no place to return to
• help to rebuild the Yazidi people after what she calls a "genocide"

After her 9 minute speech, the Security Council gave her an ovation, but perhaps the real question still remains, what motivates ISIS in its treatment of Yazidi women as sex slaves, objects to be bought and sold, and for six of Nadia Murad Basee Tahan brothers to be killed in cold blood?  

Similarly the video by the two Muslimas asks the same question, namely "What ideology drives them?"

What drives the ISIS treatment of women?

According to Hazem Farraj, a former Muslim of Palestinian background, in his three-part video series on ISIS and Islam, the answer lies in the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Sira. He uses the convention WWMD [What Would Muhammad Do?] and proposes a direct linkage between the actions of ISIS, also in respect to its treatment of women, and the life of Muhammad. He cites the treatment of Safiyyah bint Huyayy, and the women of the tribe of Bani Mustaliq, with Juwayriya as an example. Farraj is careful to distinguish the actions of the followers of a religion, and those of its founder.

The three videos from February and March 2016 are located here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwGYSLeCZs0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LU_6UYVdf0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AD6Bov8Uds       

Come Lord Jesus: Maranatha. What must your church do?