ŞÎNYAR BAYÎZ

Sulaymaniyah –Since Jina Mahsa Amini was killed by the Iranian regime, people all around the world have held protests and demonstrations while the people of Iran and Rojhelat have taken to the streets to protest the government by chanting the “Jin Jiyan Azadî (English: Women, Life, Freedom)”. All women we interviewed in the Kurdistan Region, condemned the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini.

“Women should be free”

Noting that the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini was inhumane, Deşnê Emer said, “Women should be free to make their own decisions, nothing happens by force. Women should not be forcibly detained; however, the Iranian government looks for excuses to use violence against Iranian women and to detain and arrest them. As a Kurdish woman, I condemn violence against Iranian women.”

“Women should unite”

“There is no compulsion in religion,” Dilniya Abdulsitar said that people, who have different thoughts and religions, should be respected. “A woman cannot be killed or prosecuted for not wearing the hijab. True faith is from the heart, people cannot be forced to do something. What is practiced in Iran does not coincide with the Religion of Islam. The rulers in Iran target women and deprive them of their rights. Women are subjected to oppression and violence when they demand freedom. Women in the four parts of Kurdistan and all around the world should unite to protect their rights. Especially, social media phenomena should make the voices of women heard all around the world.”

“Governments are responsible for gender-based violence”

“Children should receive a good education in order to instill freedom in society,” Eşkan Refîq said, “Families and governments have a duty to raise awareness about gender-based violence. Governments are responsible for the increase in gender-based violence cases. Particularly in Rojhelat, the Iranian regime has banned women from doing everything. It has restricted women’s freedom. Women in the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Kurdistan are more free but not completely free. When a woman is subjected to violence or killed, governments and authorities should raise their voices; however, authorities in the Kurdistan Region use violence against women.”