GUFRAN AL-HABIS

Aleppo- Women living in the countryside around Aleppo and Idlib face oppression and strict laws imposed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), jihadist armed group in Syria. The HTS and its armed groups arrest women for leaving their home without male guardians or participating in protests to demand the release of their relatives.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Zeynep Ali, a resident in Aleppo, talked about how women are restricted in the city.

 ‘Women are excluded from public spaces’

Zeynep Ali told NuJINHA that one of her friends, a university student, was arrested by the members of the armed groups while sitting in the park with a male classmate. “She was subjected to both insults and psychological violence. Her arrest also affected her family; they have been excluded from society as if they committed a crime.”

Zeynep Ali’s friend is not only a woman who is subjected to violence; many women have been arrested and subjected to violence for raising their voices in order to defend their rights. “One of these women was a woman, who was at the forefront of protests, demanding the release of her husband and her children. One day, she held a banner reading ‘Release our husbands and children’ when a vehicle entered the crowd and hit her. She was injured and transferred to a hospital. At the hospital, she was worried about the uncertainty of the future, not about her injuries. Despite everything, she never gives up the struggle.”

 Zeynep Ali also talked about the restrictions faced by women in the city. “The armed groups do not allow women to raise their voices by using religion. Women defending their rights face accusations and threats. They are excluded from public spaces and they are treated as if they have committed a crime.”

‘We will keep defending our rights’

Women in the city are also arrested, tortured and subjected to all forms of violence by the armed groups. “No matter what they do, they cannot silence women because women struggle more as they face restrictions,” said Zeynep Ali. “They cannot intimidate us; we will keep defending our rights. National and international organizations must take urgent action to protect women’s rights. I believe that young people and women have an important role in making a difference in the future of my country. I dream of a country, where women have freedoms and security, contributing to their society without fear.”