Since the Syrian city of Afrin was taken by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army, local Kurds, used to a secular lifestyle, have been reportedly forced to obey Sharia law. Beside religious pressure, Kurdish property has been seized, plundered and destroyed, according to human rights activists.
The pro-Sharia street posters in the Syrian city of Afrin, which was occupied by the Turkish military and Syrian anti-government militia in March 2018, have triggered an uproar among the local Kurdish majority, according the British newspaper Independent.
Mostly Muslim, but committed to a secular way of life, Kurdish women have reportedly held protests in the city, demanding that the ads be taken down, urging them to wear traditional clothes, covering the face and body, and follow extremely strict Sharia rules.
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While the posters have been removed by the Turkish police, a local activist, cited by the British newspaper, calls the posters a part of a campaign impacting the independence of Kurdish women.
“Just because I wear jeans, I always hear words such as ‘whore, disbeliever, dogs of Assad and the Shiites from strangers in the street,” she says.
According to the Independent's report, Kurdish women are under pressure from the militia belonging to fundamentalist Islamic groups that have seized control over Afrin, as well as from…
