The recent ballistic missile attack on Erbil (Hewler) by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has taken on a deeper symbolic significance with the revelation that one of its youngest victims, a one-year-old girl named Jina, had been named in memory of Jina (Mahsa) Amini.
Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died in 2022 of injuries she suffered in Iranian security forces custody, an event that ignited widespread protests and international condemnation against Iran’s treatment of Kurds and of women.
The IRGC attack on Erbil late on Monday tragically claimed the lives of at least four civilians, including infant Jina and her father, Peshraw Dizayee, a prominent Kurdish businessman. The IRGC’s assertion that it had targeted “three Mossad bases” has been firmly refuted by the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), which has classified the strike as a direct hit on civilian locations.
The poignant connection between the 11-month-old baby Jina Peshraw Dizayee, and her martyred namesake Jina (Mahsa) Amini has resonated deeply within the Kurdish community, underlining the ongoing struggle of the Kurds against repressive Iranian policies. In response to the attack, Kurds rallied on Tuesday, protesting against the Iranian regime. Images of Jina, alongside those of other victims, featured prominently, highlighting the grief and the resistance.