Published on: 16.12.2022 – 12:11
His face has gone around the world. Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died on September 16, 2022 after being arrested by vice squads in Tehran for wearing an unlawful headscarf. Since then, popular anger has inflamed the streets of Iran. In contrast, the regime is multiplying arrests, torture and death sentences. Many demonstrators fled this repression and found refuge in neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan.
Kurdistan is now the refuge of these new exiles. Faced with the regime’s brutality, more and more Iranians are crossing the border to join the Kurdish commandos in overthrowing the mullahs’ regime.
Among them are women who are determined to fight it. In order to meet them, one must cross the Kurdish mountains and reach a secret location just a few kilometers from the Iranian border.
New to the experienced commando are Sadia, 18, and Nour, 25, who are training in the use of weapons. Both are Iranian. One is Kurdish, the other is not. They arrived two weeks ago and are wanted by the authorities for demonstrating against the regime following the death of Mahsa Amini.
>> Read also: Protesters executed in Iran: “The regime is ready to kill and it wants to make it known”
Weapons and Poems Against Brutality
While waiting to return to Iran to fight for their freedom, they address a poem to Iran, their country:
“Against this killer state. This killer state that’s afraid of bare pens. This killer state shooting at our people.
He’s trying to stop us, fearing our voices will be heard beyond those borders.
Despite the cold and rain, amidst the noise of bombs and rockets, the sun has risen and with it hope.
For this hope our people gave their blood for years.
Freedom, independence, we’ll bring you back from this occupied state.”
Other exiles do not take up arms and silently resist for freedom… and also to find peace. In Iraqi Kurdistan, this is what Iranian families who left their country in a hurry and have now settled in makeshift, isolated and humble dwellings are looking for.