NEWS CENTER – Thousands of women have shared videos on social media braiding their hair in protest after the braided hair of a captured woman fighter in Raqqa was cut and publicly displayed. In their messages, the women stated: “Our hair is a symbol of honor, memory, and resistance.”

 

As attacks on Rojava continue by paramilitary groups affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ISIS, and Turkey, reports indicate widespread war crimes and systematic targeting of women. 

 

During an attack on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods of Aleppo, the body of a woman fighter was reportedly thrown from a building and subjected to abuse. In a separate incident in Raqqa, the braided hair of a captured woman fighter was cut, and images were circulated on digital media platforms.

 

Following these incidents, women began sharing videos on social media in which they braided their hair as a gesture of solidarity with women fighters. In their posts, participants emphasized that braided hair holds deep cultural significance for Kurdish women, representing honor, collective memory, and resistance.

 

Many of the videos conveyed the message that if one braid is cut, thousands more will be braided in response. The campaign also included calls for women everywhere to braid their hair as an expression of support for the resistance in Rojava.

 

In addition, women television presenters demonstrated their protest on air by braiding and cutting their hair live during broadcasts.