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The Kurdish female fighters bringing the fight to IS
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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29085242
The Kurdish female fighters bringing the fight to IS
Around a third of the Syrian Kurdish force is made up of women. On the front lines they fight alongside the men, taking the same risks and facing the same dangers.
When they see a woman with a gun, they're so afraid they begin to shake.”
Diren, 19 Female Kurdish fighter
"Women are the bravest fighters," says Diren, taking refuge from the scorching heat in the cool of an underground bunker.
She and three comrades are having lunch: flatbread, cheese and watermelon. Many of the fighters, like Diren, 19, are still teenagers.
"We're not scared of anything," she says. "We'll fight to the last. We'd rather blow ourselves up than be captured by IS."
Like the followers of the Islamic State, most Kurds are Sunni Muslims. But that is where the similarities end. Diren says that, to the fanatics of IS, a female fighter is "haram", anathema: a disturbing and scary sight.
"When they see a woman with a gun, they're so afraid they begin to shake. They portray themselves as tough guys to the world. But when they see us with our guns they run away. They see a woman as just a small thing. But one of our women is worth a hundred of their men."
When they see a woman with a gun, they're so afraid they begin to shake.”
Diren, 19 Female Kurdish fighter
"Women are the bravest fighters," says Diren, taking refuge from the scorching heat in the cool of an underground bunker.
She and three comrades are having lunch: flatbread, cheese and watermelon. Many of the fighters, like Diren, 19, are still teenagers.
"We're not scared of anything," she says. "We'll fight to the last. We'd rather blow ourselves up than be captured by IS."
Like the followers of the Islamic State, most Kurds are Sunni Muslims. But that is where the similarities end. Diren says that, to the fanatics of IS, a female fighter is "haram", anathema: a disturbing and scary sight.
"When they see a woman with a gun, they're so afraid they begin to shake. They portray themselves as tough guys to the world. But when they see us with our guns they run away. They see a woman as just a small thing. But one of our women is worth a hundred of their men."
_77406576_77406575.jpg
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29085242
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