Something About The Past

In this picture taken on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. Kazhaal has been circumcised as a kid. She is not literate and says about the treatment of families with girls in these areas as follows: Fathers and mothers in these areas dislike that their daughter talks about these issues, if they say something about this or ask for a reason, they will be beaten. In rural Kurdish villages, people living in villages and far away from cities are somehow strange. If someone talks about such issues, they would call her indecent and shameless. Photo/Ali Hamed Haghdoust.

In this picture taken on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. Hanaar is 30 years old. She says about circumcision in her childhood as follow: "When I was circumcised, I was so small that I did not understand when and how it happened. I was one or two months old, I do not remember anything from its pain, but I did not feel any sense during my life, I have been always calm, I was not passionate. I had neither enthusiasm nor passionate. I stopped the circumcision of my 15-year-old sister, stood up by my father and mother, and said that we have no passion, why are you irritating her? Don’t take her passion out of her life." After taking the picture, she changed his clothes and scarf due to fear of being known. Photo/Ali Hamed Haghdoust.

In this picture taken on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. Zhino is 27 years old. She says about circumcision in her childhood as follow: "I have six sisters and all of us have been circumcised when we were child except our little sister. All women who have circumcised are never satisfied with their marital relationship and their relationship with their spouse. We never are able to talk to our mother about this important issue and are always embarrassed to ask her the reason of their action". Photo/Ali Hamed Haghdoust.

In this picture taken on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. Razhaaw says on circumcision and its impact on the lives of women as follow: "Some girls who have been circumcised get divorced of their husbands after marriage, they spend their first months of relation enjoying their lives, but then they have no interest in their marital life". Photo/Ali Hamed Haghdoust.

In this picture taken on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. Haneh says about her circumcision in childhood and the impact of it on her marital life as follows:" When I was one year old, I was persuaded by my family and circumcised due to the customs of our countryside. I previously thought that all girls would be circumcised in all cities of Iran, but later I realized that many girls were not circumcised. I'm very upset. I will never forgive those who have caused this. I was 14 years old when I got married, I did not enjoy marriage with my husband due to circumcision. After a year of living together, we are now going to get divorced. My husband hits me and does not allow me to go out of the house and I am not allowed to make up". Photo/Ali Hamed Haghdoust.

In this picture taken on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. Mozhan says about circumcision as follow: "We have been circumcised, but we never love to annihilate our young daughters by this way." If I have a girl, I won't allow her to be circumcised, and annihilate her passion and pleasure. Photo/Ali Hamed Haghdoust.

Something About The Past

Stories

Ali Hamed Haghdoust

Salas Babajani, Kermanshah province, west of Iran - 20018. Women and children are the first victims of the ethnic and religious violence and prejudice in Iran and the world. Female circumcision is abolished, which is still prevalent in many parts of the world, including in the west, southwest of Iran, and among Sunnis in the Kurdish regions of Iran, and is carried out in a non-sanitized environment, which is one reason for the spread of disease and female infections.

This is done more often at the age of 3 to 6 with a riveting knife or a knife to control the libido and reduce sensations in adolescence. Some believe that this is necessary to prove women's chastity. According to the United Nations, 120 to 140 million women worldwide are being sexually flawed annually. In Iran, the province of Hormozgan has the most abundance on this issue. The new generation of Kurdish women don’t accept this tradition and fight against it for children not to repeat this human disaster. My photos are taken in the border area of a village in Salas Babajani city in Kermanshah province of Iran.

In spite of the fears in the traditional and masculine society, these women have been willing to stand up in front of the camera to help other women. In order to protect the lives of these women, the real name, the exact location of their residence and their faces are ignored.