We are sisters. We have been together since our childhood and now we are comrades in struggle.
We are passionate about the same goal and have the same interests and wishes in life.
We are graphic designers and are part of the team responsible for producing television programs.
The day we left home to join the movement, we were motivated only by one thing, the freedom of our people!
We were constantly exposed to small children working on the streets, no matter what the weather condition, they had only a thin garment to wear in the heat of summer and cold of winter…
We came across little girls who spent their nights sleeping on cardboards on the side of streets, without anyone to look after them…
We saw university students who peddled on the streets to earn their living…
And families whose children and loved ones were imprisoned, and shortly after, they received the news of their executions…
And the daily subjugation of women and young girls who were harassed everywhere in the streets, schools, and universities according to the laws made up by the mullahs.
Such a situation made it impossible to continue living in the country we loved so much.
So, the best and only option for us was to join the movement that had been fighting injustice for many years to establish the freedom that we were looking for.
In Ashraf, we found ourselves in a university where every female freedom fighter had so many things to teach us. They were the teachers of human values, ethics and morals; values such as altruism and sacrifice for one another and giving priority to the work of others; loving everyone and facilitating their progress, listening to others in an effort to improve everything. It was them who paved the way for us to focus on our work and master it.
Those of us who had newly joined and were less experienced would constantly question their ability to overcome the obstacles in the path of struggle. The only thing that comforted and reassured us was the long line of women who had gone through this for years and had fully paid the price of this fight; women who had joined hands and created a chain sisters, so that no one would feel lonely in this journey.
During the times of adversity, their first worry was about us and our health. They would first make sure we were safe; they gave us shelter and even gave up their own share of food and gave it to us. They would encourage us to learn from their experiences so that we would never feel alone. It was by reliance on these kind and compassionate sisters that we felt strong and empowered, and experienced our own power.
This was the foundation that motivated us during the hardships we faced at Camps Ashraf and Liberty. And it was this love and passion that helped us remain at the forefront of the battle among such brave women who have been correctly named The Thousand Heroines.
We are so proud of each and every one of these women more than any other time.
