HİMA RAD

Sanandaj - Despite the so-called “progress” of society, technological developments and more, women are still murdered and subjected to violence every day. The killing of women are disguised under “honor killing” or sometimes under “suicide”. Now, women must resist for their right to life. Women are killed, driven to suicide or they jump from window of buildings due to the patriarchal mentality. We talk about Shiler Rasouli, who lost her life after jumping off the window of a two-story building while trying to escape being sexually assaulted.

The assaulter is protected

On September 3, Shiler Rasouli’s neighbor Goran Qadiri asked for help from her for his sick wife in Marivan, Kurdistan province. However, he tried to sexually assault her. In an attempt to escape being sexually assaulted, Shiler Raouli jumped off the window of the two-story building and she was seriously injured. After five days in a hospital, she lost her life on September 8. According to the local sources, Goran Qadiri had been arrested a few times before attacking Shiler Rasouli. The local sources say that Goran Qadiri has not been arrested but protected due to his cooperation with the Iranian regime forces.

“A systemic problem”

After the death of Shiler Rasouli at the hospital, many women stormed the streets of many cities of Eastern Kurdistan, particularly Marivan, and Iran to protest the increase in femicide cases and violence against women. NuJINHA spoke to activists in Sanandaj about the death of Shiler Rasouli. Feminist activist and member of the Zhivano Women's Association, Azadeh Jamaati ‎thinks the women’s problem in the country is a systemic problem.

“It was not suicide but murder”

Stating that the death of Shiler Rasouli must be evaluated from many different perspectives, Azadeh Jamaati said that the main problem faced by women in the country is the regime and its patriarchal policies. “Unfortunately, Shiler is not with us today to tell what happened,” Azadeh Jamaati said that Shiler did not prefer to jump off the window but she was driven to suicide. “For me, every woman killing herself is a victim of femicide because women are driven to suicide; they do not prefer to kill themselves.”

“Shiler Rasouli has been seen as a hero”

Underlining that many women in the country think like her on this issue, Azadeh Jamaati said that they support the protests and rallies held in the country, particularly in Marivan. “People have been holding protests and rallies but why? To respect Shiler Rasouli or to protest femicide and violence against women? Shiler Rasouli has been seen as a hero for jumping off the building’s second floor to protect herself from sexual assault. Shiler is not a hero but a victim. Every member of society is responsible for her death. We must admit our shame.”