Former sex slave Nadia Murad and her lawyer Amal Clooney describe their campaign to bring Islamic State to justice in the Feb/March issue of 1843

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Feb 02, 2017, 12:52 ET

LONDON, Feb. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 1843's February/March cover story features Amal Clooney's fight to bring Islamic State to the International Criminal Court. The article, entitled "Two Women, One Cause", describes how Clooney and Nadia Murad, an Iraqi woman, are campaigning to highlight the atrocities carried out by Islamic State on the Yazidi people and to get IS indicted by the International Criminal Court. The magazine will appear in print on newsstands today and on 1843magazine.com.

The Economist's Feb/March 2017 Edition of 1843 Magazine with Amal Clooney cover story

The article explores the extraordinary story of two women working together to bring those responsible for genocide to account. In August 2014 Nadia watched as IS fighters murdered many of her friends and family because of their Yazidi faith and took thousands of others as prisoners including Nadia herself. After weeks of being raped daily, Nadia managed to escape her captors and was able to flee to Germany.

Murad and Clooney bring different strengths to their campaign. In a society in which rape brings shame to the victim as well as the perpetrator, Murad shows extraordinary courage in speaking out about her ordeal. Clooney is using her brains, as a highly regarded human-rights lawyer, and her fame as the wife of a Hollywood superstar. She is framing a legal strategy, keeping the case in the headlines and lobbying governments to take it seriously; and the article suggests that Clooney's high profile is helping to win attention for her cause: "Today her [Clooney's] celebrity may sometimes be a distraction, but it has undoubtedly made her more effective as an advocate."

Author Robert Guest interviewed Murad and Clooney for the piece and travelled to Mount Sinjar in Iraq to find out more about the situation on the ground. He explains why this story is so important: "Getting governments to care about human-rights abuses in far-off places is hard. But Amal Clooney and Nadia Murad make a very effective team. Amal is brainy and famous and great at grabbing politicians' attention. And Nadia is probably the bravest person I've ever met. I doubt anyone can hear her story without weeping."

Emma Duncan, 1843's editor, says, "We're proud to be carrying such an important story about two remarkable women."

You can read the full feature piece in this February/March 2017 issue of 1843 available now on newsstands, on 1843magazine.com here https://www.1843magazine.com/features/two-women-one-cause and via the 1843 magazine app. 1843 is The Economist's sister publication, a new magazine of ideas, culture and lifestyle.

ABOUT THE ECONOMIST'S 1843
1843 is The Economist's bi-monthly magazine of ideas, culture and lifestyle. Aimed at the globally curious, every issue includes in-depth features, as well as culture, design, technology, travel, style, food and drink, and body and mind.

The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications. The paper covers politics, business, science and technology, and books and arts, concluding each week with the obituary. In addition to the web-only content such as blogs, debates and audio/video programmes available on the website, The Economist is available to download for reading on Android, Blackberry PlayBook, iPhone or iPad devices. The Economist Espresso, our daily briefing smartphone app, is also available for download via iTunes App Store or Google Play.

SOURCE The Economist