It was December 1, 2024. The starry night in Behshahr, a city in Mazandaran Province,
was calm and quiet. Yet, in a corner of this lush city, an unthinkable and bitter tragedy
was unfolding.
Zainab Khalili, a 15-year-old girl who once dreamed of freedom, found herself trapped in
a nightmare she could never have imagined.
Zainab had run away from home multiple times—a home where the walls echoed with
cold judgment and relentless humiliation. Each escape was her attempt to reach a world
without violence or coercion. But each time, she was dragged back, forced to endure
even harsher violence.
Her most recent escape ended in an unimaginable tragedy, with scars that went far
beyond her physical body. Her uncle, shaped by the misogynistic culture fostered by the
Islamic Republic, chose the most barbaric punishment: cutting off both of Zainab’s ears.
The morning after, images of this horrific crime surfaced on social media. The sight of
Zainab’s severed ears shook hearts to the core. Waves of anger and outrage swept
through the public as people questioned: How could such violence be inflicted on a
teenage girl?
This was more than an individual crime. It became a symbol of a deeper societal crisis:
patriarchy that turns homes into prisons, and laws that not only fail to protect victims but
also empower perpetrators. The misogynistic policies of the Islamic regime have
transformed violence against women into law, granting men the right to commit
atrocities under the guise of “defending honor.”
Zainab’s story represents thousands of girls suffocating under the weight of traditions
and prejudices, who are forced to replace their dreams with endless nightmares. This
tragedy is a wake-up call for everyone—a call for change, for supporting women and
girls, and for reevaluating laws that, instead of shielding victims, protect and embolden
violent offenders.
Excessive restrictions, unbearable family environments, and rampant patriarchy are
some of the primary reasons teenage girls attempt to escape their homes. The state’s
legal backing of violent men under the pretext of “honor defense” only fuels the cycle of
oppression and violence against women.

“We have the right to live free and without violence.”

NoToOwnershipOfWomen’sBodies

EndDomesticViolence

WomenAreNoOne’sHonor

Behshahr_Mazandaran

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