Islamic State issues rape guidelines to fighters after ‘violations’

IS has released a rape handbook for fighters, with 15 new rules after a number of ‘violations’ were committed by its militants.

The ‘fatwa’ was issued last January but has only been revealed for the first time after documents were seized by US Special Operations Forces last May.

The ruling declares it is an “inevitable consequence of jihad” that women and children of infidels will “become captives of Muslims,” which is in turn a consequence of the conquest of large surface areas — “one of the graces which Allah has bestowed on the State of Caliphate”.

Among the religious rulings are bans on a father and son having sex with the same female slave; and the owner of a mother and daughter having sex with both. Joint owners of a female captive are similarly banned from intercourse because she is viewed as “part of a joint ownership”.

Fatwa number 64, dated January 29, 2015, and issued by IS’s Committee of Research and Fatwas, appears to codify sexual relations between IS fighters and their female captives for the first time, going further than a pamphlet issued in 2014 on how to treat slaves.

The fatwa also instructs owners of female slaves to “show compassion towards her, be kind to her, not humiliate her, and not assign her work she is unable to perform”. An owner should also not sell her to an individual whom he knows will mistreat her.

The UN and human rights groups have accused IS of the systematic abduction and rape of thousands of women and girls as young as 12, especially members of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq. Many have been given to fighters as a reward or sold as sex slaves.

Meanwhile, the man alleged by the Government to be the “main recruiter” in Ireland for IS will appear in court today to appeal a High Court decision that allows his imminent deportation to the Middle East.

The 52-year-old father of four, who denies he is a recruiter from IS, cannot be named for legal reasons. He appeared in the Court of Appeal yesterday and was granted a stay until the court can fully hear the man’s appeal at 2pm today.

The move comes as Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said Ireland supports the British and French bombing of IS in Syria. However, he said there was no intention of facilitating countries’ bombing IS targets in Syria or Iraq through the use of Irish airports.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, he repeated the Government’s position that a terrorist attack on Ireland was “unlikely”.