Killed for seeking freedom.
Pela Atroshi was born in a small town called Ninawa in Iraqi Kurdistan, now modern-day Kurdistan. In her early teens, after living there for several years, her parents moved the family to Sweden. It was there that Pela began to notice how differently she was being raised compared to her peers.
In Sweden, Pela lived under strict honor-oppression. She was forbidden from going out, having male friends, or engaging in any kind of romantic relationships. Despite these restrictions, Pela was intelligent and ambitious. Determined to break free from her parents’ outdated norms, she decided to live life on her own terms. Through hard work, she eventually secured her own place and moved out.
Her independence, however, was seen as a disgrace by her parents and extended family. They believed Pela had brought shame to the family’s name. Initially, they ostracized her, but over time, they began to reconcile and regained her trust.
Tragically, this trust would cost Pela her life. When she visited her family in Iraq, her two uncles brutally murdered her. They shot her multiple times and left her to die, believing they had restored the family’s "honor." After taking her life they wrapped her in a white fabric and left her in a nameless grave in Kurdistan.
