ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Along with thousands of other women and minors, Dali Suhaeel was taken captive by the Islamic State (ISIS) in August 2014. After three years, she was freed from the extremist group, but the trauma she lived with never stopped her from becoming the smartest student.
Soon after Dali, 15, from the village of Kocho, was rescued from the clutches of the group, her father encouraged her to go to school, something she never liked in the first place, due to the abundant difficulties she endured in the hands of the militant group.
To the family's surprise, Dali has emerged as the best student, becoming the top grader in any class entered, progressing to the next class every year without having to take final exams.
The shock of the loss of her mother and two brothers, who also were taken hostage by ISIS and are still missing, has not stopped her from chasing her dreams for a bright future.
"I was freed from Daesh [ISIS] in 2017. I went to school two years later [at the age of 8]. I initially did not like school at all. However, my father supported me and asked me to continue my studies. Any class I entered I always came out the top student," Dali told Rudaw's Ayub Nasri on Wednesday.
The thrilled father says his daughter has made him and their community proud for the outstanding performance she scores at school despite all the difficulties his daughter saw under the hands of ISIS.
"I asked her to go to school. She performs very well and her grades are very good, thanks be to God. She is psychologically doing very well. She has rehabilitated very well. She is very happy with us. We have thrown our all support behind her," Suhaeel Mahal, Dali's father said.
The family now resides at the Shariya town, Duhok province.
On August 3, 2014, ISIS militants took over the Shingal district of northern Iraq, committing genocide against the Yazidi minority. Thousands fled their homes as the militants systematically killed men and older women, and enslaved younger women and children. More than 5,000 Yazidis were killed in the genocide.
More than 6,000 Yazidis were kidnapped by ISIS. Women and young girls were sold into sexual slavery, with young boys forced to fight for the terror group. Over 2,000 Yazidis remain missing.
Shingal was liberated from the group in late 2015.
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