translation: Mahbub Siddiqee
(for Rashida Asma and Atoshi Rahman)
Image: Nobel prize winner Nadia Murad – the epic play is about her journey.
photo: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
· Nadia Murad, Age: 21-25
· Shami (Nadia’s Mother), Age: 60
· Adfi (Nadia’s Sister), Age: 28
· Hejni (Nadia’s Brother), Age: 37
· Ilias (Nadia’s Bother), Age: 40
· Nasser, a sunny young man (Nadia’s rescuer),
Age: 36
· Nasser’s Wife, Age: 30
· Hazi Salman, Nadia’s possessor, Age: 50
· Abu Batat, Islamic state terrorist, Age: 30
· Mukhtar Ahmed Yaso, Head of the Yazidi
community in Kocho village, Age: 60
· Nafah, ISIS commander, Age: 40
· Mortuza, Hazi Salman’s driver, Age: 22
· Hazi Ameer, Age: 35
[Nadia is a Yazidi girl. She is returning from
school, carrying a bag on her shoulder and an
umbrella in her hand. She is wearing a traditio-
nal Yazidi costume, a long sleeved robe covered
with a dark blue cardigan. Her lips are colored
with lipstick and she is wearing a necklace and
earrings. Her hair is also well fashioned. Nadia
is at the door. Her mother is standing there,
holding a tray full of vegetables. She is dressed
in a white costume. Her head is half-veiled]
Nadia:
They just now demanded forty thou-
sand dollars from one of the families in our
village!
My goodness!
It’s terrible!
How will they arrange such a huge
amount?
Is it even possible for a poor village
farmer?
What can they do now, mom?
Shami:
We are also helpless. We ourselves
could have been subjects to similar dangers.
Then we would have nowhere to go.
[She stops Nadia and pulls her closer]
What’s wrong with you?What gib-
berish are you talking about?
Nadia:
You don’t know anything! Haven’t
Hejni, Dimal or Katherine told you anything?
Two persons from the west side of our village
have been abducted by foreign terrorists. The
abductors came by car.
Shami:
Why did they come?What did they
want?
Nadia:
Now they are demanding forty thou-
sand dollars as ransom.
Shami:
My goodness! How will they manage
the amount?
Nadia:
That’s the question I was pondering.
Now the family members of the poor fellows
have nothing to do except crying.
Shami:
I smell a rat! Aren’t they the same ter-
rorists who brought war here?We suffered be-
fore Saddam’s reign, during his reign, and even
after his reign. Won’t we ever find peace?Do
you know what I think?I think the very people
who earlier occupied Mosul are now stepping
forward to invade and occupy our Yazidi village.
Nadia:
That would cause a war. But, I don’t
think that will happen. Look, the terrorists usu-
ally engage in looting, robbery, and things like
that.
Shami:
O, no! The bad news spoiled my mood.
Hejni can inform me more about it. You better
go inside and have some food. I’ll complete my
prayer meanwhile. You know, one should con-
centrate more on prayer in times of trouble.
[Nadia enters the house and Shami
sits down to pray]
[Nadia describes the history and culture of
the Yazidi race in this scene. She did not go to
school today. This is the first time she missed
school since after the Iraq-USA war. Her mother
did not let her go to school due to safety issues.
Nadia is now restless in her home]
Nadia:
Islamic terrorists are taking control
over the nearby villages. Soon they will enter
our village. Everyone is very anxious about
that. The Yazidis have undergone torture for
generations. They have been facing murder,
conversion, eviction, and what not?
Well, if the terrorists try to abduct me,
what shall I do?
What shall I say? [Nadia is facing a
mirror while uttering this]
The terrorists are looting our villages.
Frequently they abduct people.
But why?
Can’t we stop them?
Well, if they misbehave around me I’ll
beat them with this stick..
I see my mother arguing with my
brothers and sisters.
But I know it’s all meaningless.
We have to fight back for our survival.
You can’t survive if you don’t fight.
So, I’ll teach the terrorists a good les-
son.
I’ll ask them— Hey, why’re you abduc-
ting our people?What do you want?
I won’t tolerate their hullabaloos.
[Nadia runs towards the road, with a
stick in hand. Her mother, brothers and sisters
bring her back to home]
Nadia:
They say I’m in danger due to my
youth.
I don’t care. [She stands in front of the
mirror]
They can’t imagine the danger. When
all the villagers are invaded and the people are
killed, only then will these people realize the
real danger.
The terrorists are forcefully taking our
chickens, lambs and young girls.
This is too much.
I think that one of those reasons is
good enough to hit those terrorists with this
stick.
It’s high time they are stopped. If not
now, then never. Otherwise, everyone will be
killed.
The villagers will only understand
when it is too late to understand.
If we do not take the opportunity now,
can we pick up the fight later?
Success depends on proper timing.
No one but I understand this.
They consider me immature.
I don’t know when I’ll be mature.
I don’t know when I’ll fight back those
terrorists.
Is there no brave person like my father
in this Kocho village?
I’m sure father would protest against
these terrorists, if he were alive.
I feel the absence of my father, badly.
None of my brothers inherited those
brave qualities of my father.
I don’t understand why we should
follow the Arabs?
What’s wrong in following our own
beliefs and culture?
We had to face problems during the
reign of Saddam Hussain.
Even before his time.
We’re Yazidis. This is our only identity.
We’re happy with it and we’ve not crea-
ted any disturbance to the others.
So, why do they torture us?
Now, ISIS has emerged as a new threat
to us.
Oh, my god!
I wish I could hit their heads hard.
The Yazidis, generally, are bereft of
education.
They, especially The Yazidi leaders,
detest the national educational curriculum.
Because that would shrink the prac-
tice of endogamy. It would lead to marriages
between the Yazidis and the other ethnic
groups, especially the Arabics Kurds. And in
that case, the Yazidis would lose their own
identity. What an issue of detestation!
Alas, the Yazidi belief!
All the races have their own religious
and belief systems. Not only the Arabs, but
other nations also have their own traditions.
In the same way, the Yazidis have their
own religion, belief and tradition.
But the Arabs, the influential politi-
cians and officials, and Saddam Hussain, all
those intend to torture us- the Yazidis.
What does this mean?
We want peace.
They want power.
We don’t want power.
Actually, we want nothing but a life led
in our own style.
If they battle, we will fight back.
We have to fight for our survival.
And we have to win the battle.
Who’ll win the battle?
The Yazidis! The Yazidis!
Why?
Because, we’ll fight for our existence.
Our fight is for survival.
Our fight is for justice.
They are fighting illegally.
According to the Yazidi belief, God cre-
ated humans before creating the seven angels.
After creating the universe, God sent
Taus Melek -the chief angel- to the earth. He
assigned Taus Melek as the guardian of the
earth. Taus Melek took the guise of a peacock
with colorful feathers. He witnessed Adam- the
first human being on this earth. God created
Adam as immortal. The angel did not like this.
He asked God to recreate Adam. But that was
not possible. As Adam was immortal, he could
not be destroyed. This can only change if Adam
eats wheat. But God has forbidden Adam to eat
wheat.
However, being convinced by Taus
Melek, Adam eats wheat.
Consequently, God expels Adam from
heaven. Then the second generation of Yazidis
takes birth on this earth.
This is the belief of the Yazidi race.
One may or may not like it.
But we’re happy with our own belief.
Belief cannot be controlled generation
after generation by power.
This land
This Kocho village
This Yazidi race
All these belong to Iraq, all this is Iraq.
Alas! The word ‘Yazidi’ cannot be found
in this country’s constitution.
Even newspapers never mention this
name.
We belong to this land, but we don’t
have a country.
[Nadia throws the remote control
towards the television. It hits a water jar. Na-
dia’s mother, brothers, sisters and sister-in-law
all come running]
[In this scene, Nadia describes her
thoughts, experiences and everything happe-
ning around her, in a monologue]
Nadia:
Who am I?
Where am I?
What is my future?
I’m walking in uncertainty.
Doesn’t Taus Melek notice this?
Taus Melek is our protector.
My mother believes so.
I don’t carry disbelief.
In fact, my belief is not as strong as my
mother’s.
Certainly Taus Melek sees everything.
He knows and understands everything.
As He knows
As He sees
As He understands
Surely, someday He’ll do something.
But, when?
He did nothing during the previous
rulers’ reigns.
He did nothing during the reign of the
rulers that came later.
He actually did nothing during the
reign of any ruler.
But one thing is true—
No incident -during the war between Iraq and
USA- involved the Yazidis living in this Kocho
village.
We actually didn’t know that there was a war
going on in our country.
But our economic life has changed positively
after the fall of Saddam Hussain.
Now-a-days some of the Yazidis are living in the
USA, Germany and Canada.
Could any of our ancestors have imagined this?
Could Taus Malek, the central figure of our
Yazidi belief, have predicted this?
Who knows?
If He would know everything, He could realize
everything.
I’ll ask when I meet Him.
He can be met only in heaven.
But it is not certain whether we’ll meet in hea-
ven or not.
But I really want to.
Yazidis haven’t done anything wrong.
They haven’t brought any vice.
So why are we undergoing these sufferings by
the hands of ISIS?
[Nadia’s mother enters]
Shami:
What are you saying about Taus
Melek?
[Nadia is startled and suddenly embra-
ces her mother]
Nadia:
What will we do now, mother?
How can this Kocho village be saved
from ISIS?
Shami:
Pray to Taus Melek. Only He can help
us.
Nadia:
Mom, I’m praying to Him. But we must
use our hands as well.
Shami:
What do you mean?
Nadia:
Oh, my silly mother! I’ve heard about
the terrorists from a discussion between Hejni
and Sayeed. I can understand well that we
should undergo preparations.
Shami:
What have you heard?
Preparations for what?
Nadia:
ISIS, will forcefully convert us into mus-
lims.
They’ll kill the Yazidi men, and rape the
girls.
Shami:
Oh, my God!
Nadia:
Hence, I have to collect sticks. As long
as I’m alive, I’ll beat the terrorists with sticks.
Shami:
God bless you my child.
Scence-IV
[ISIS terrorists have surrounded the Kocho villa-
ge. They have started looting. Nadia, along with
her sisters Adfi, Dimal, and niece Katherine, are
lying on the floor. They woke up earlier today.
The sun is peeking over the eastern sky. The
male members of the family did not sleep last
night. They kept themselves vigil all night.]
Katherine:
We should run away.
Adfi:
But, where to?I think we should per-
form our duties properly instead.
Katherine:
We’ll surely die if we stay here.
Nadia:
You are right. We can’t save ourselves
by fleeing or quietly staying here.
So?
We’ll neither flee nor die quietly.
We won’t sit idle.
But, before all that, we have to eat
properly, otherwise we can’t fight.
Adfi and Katherine: [In unison]
What! Why should we fight?
The men will fight.
Nadia:
Listen to me carefully.
We shouldn’t distinguish men and wo-
men at this moment. Everyone must fight. We’ll
fight with whatever we have. Collect weapons,
like knives, axes, stones, kerosene, etc. Keep a
box of matches with you.
All these are included in preparation
for our fight.
This will help us to survive.
As long as we’re alive, we’ll destroy the
devils, the ISIS devils.
[Nadia’s mother enters. She was ma-
king bread in the kitchen.]
Shami:
Which devil are you destroying?
Nadia:
Mother!
Shami:
Yes?
Nadia:
Won’t you ever change? The devils
have taken hold of our village, and now you’re
asking: “Who is the devil?”
Shami:
Are you speaking about ISIS?
Nadia
And what?
Shami:
Ok, I get the point.
But now please have your breakfast.
We have to pray then.
God will save us.
Nadia:
You’re always satisfied with your God.
One day He’ll send a savior, who will
rescue us!
Ok, keep praying, and you’ll become
the prey to ISIS, one by one.
But I’ll fight back.
Whatever you may say, you can’t resist
me.
[Abruptly Nadia stands erect and em-
braces her mother.]
My poor mother!
I’ll pray. Surely I’ll pray. I’ll pray at least
for your sake.]
God, save us.
God, protect us.
Shami:
Oh, my bread is on the stove.
[She runs towards the kitchen. Nadia
starts brushing her teeth and leaves the stage.]
[Kocho village has been invaded by ISIS. It is
now under their control. Nadia’s family has
been staying at home for about a week. Essen-
tial commodities are running low. The family
members have become feeble due to the
scarcity of food. Nadia’s brothers were outside
the village. They can’t return now. Women are
crying. Nadia’s mother seems to be restless.
She is addressing the girls.]
Shami:
We don’t have bread, vegetables,
meat, salt or anything.
We’re running out of water too.
The village has been under their con-
trol for about six days.
Nobody tried to resist those terrorists.
The Kurdis army has fled.
Our Yazidi boys did not try to protest,
because they expected that the Kurdis army
would do that.
Now, no options remain.
Girls, listen to me. Don’t wait for your
brothers. How many days will you weep for
them?You would rather watch television.
Nadia:
Well, now you see! I was right!
My Yazidi brothers are fighters like me.
But today they are lost.
They’re helpless.
If we tried together in the beginning,
these devils would not have done any mischief
to our village. We don’t even have a petit scope
to fight. Mother, now we have no option left
than to pray to your God. Mother, look through
this hole in the wall. You’ll notice ISIS terrorists
at the check-point of our village.
[She points at the hole in the wall]
Shami:
I’ve seen everything from the rooftop.
They’re very close now. We may be
attacked any time.
Nadia:
Hmm, but I’ll try to protest till my last
breath.
Shami:
Keep patience my child.
We have to wait.
We have to pray.
We may be saved.
The devils may not be able to do any
harm to us.
We may be saved anyway.
[Nadia is in the bathroom. Her brother, Ilias,
has returned. Her mother, Shami, is going to
open the gate]
Ilias:
They’ve declared a deadline. Within
three days we must convert ourselves into
Muslims, abandoning our own religion.
[He is furious. Anger is intense in his
voice and eyes. Nadia could hear him from the
bathroom. Immediately she approaches them,
despite being wet. Both Ilias and Shami are
crying.]
Shami:
What happens if we don’t agree to
provide them with the ransom?
Ilias:
As far as I know, they’ll drive us away
to the hills.
And they’ll occupy our village.
Luck is never on our side.
No good incident will take place.
We’re in grave danger.
Shami:
Hmm, we’re in grave danger.
Everyone! Pack your bags.
[Shami starts packing bags. All the fa-
mily members follow suit. Some of the female
members hide their jewelry inside their under-
garments, grab their essential papers, and so
on. Standing still, Nadia looks at a photograph
on the wall. Shami calls her.]
Shami:
Where’re your dresses?Hurry up.
[Nadia comes to her senses. She
fetches the photo albums for her mother]
I’ll burn all these now. I don’t want
these photos to be touched by the devils.
[Nadia can imagine the bad luck resul-
ting from that. She hides some photographs
inside her dress]
Nadia! Go, bring a box of matches.
Nadia:
Ok
Shami:
Let all these be burnt into ashes. [she
gathers all the photos and sets them on fire]
Nadia:
Oh no, I can’t bear this. All our photos
are burning, but I can do nothing about it.
I can’t stand here anymore.
[Nadia runs toward her room. There
she slams her head in the wall]
[A new character named Khairi is introduced in
the play. There is a moonlit night. This is going
to be the last night at this village for Nadia’s
family. Next day ISIS terrorists capture them.
Nadia, standing in her doorway, is speaking to
herself]
Nadia:
My brother ‘Khairi’ has told me.
Khairi heard from his friends that the
sun and the moon are the two mention-worthy
angels among the seven holy angels.
Tonight’s moon is very big and bright.
Usually we pray at this certain night.
Let us all villagers pray tonight...
It’s morning now. Everyone is waking
up.
Who’ll sleep anymore?
No one can sleep in this hell.
[Nadia sits for prayer. She kisses her
locket.]
My dear locket, please don’t leave me.
We’ve been informed that if we don’t
accept Islam, we’ll be taken to the school field.
Then we’ll be sent to the hills.
We haven’t received any aid.
Not from Baghdad.
Not from Erbil.
Not from Kurdistan.
Not even from Taus Melek.
We’re captured by ISIS terrorists...
Stay good our dear sheep.
[She waves her hand at the sheep
nearby]
Please forgive us.
I don’t understand your language.
So I don’t know whether we’ve done
you any wrong. But please forgive us.
Please pray for us.
You are better than us.
There is no ISIS terrorist amongst you.
Sheep of one area do not endanger
the lives of the sheep of another area.
All types of problems here come from
human beings.
There are different groups among
them,
There are the poor Yazidis, Sunnis,
Arabs, Shias, Kurds and there are the ISIS de-
vils.
[Nadia goes to the kitchen and puts
something into a paper bag]
Who knows when we can eat again.
Where to go?
Where to sleep?
Where to find a toilet?
What to eat?
Where to take a bath?
We need lots of essential things in our
daily life.
Is it a sin to be born Yazidi?
Aren’t the Yazidis human beings?
Are we really human beings?
If they really claim to be human bein-
gs, why do they join ISIS?
What does Islam say about this?
What does their prophet say about
this?
Their God?
Thousands of questions
No answers
[Nadia hits the television with a stick]
[At the school ground of Kocho Village all
the villagers are being assembled. Men and
women have been put into a queue. Everyone
is silent, only groaning can be heard. The ISIS
terrorists have taken position on the rooftop
of the school building. All of them are masked.
Only their eyes are visible. Nadia is speaking to
herself.]
Nadia:
A new father could not celebrate his
paternity.
A new mother could not celebrate her
maternity.
They have left behind the essential
things required to treat their newborn.
What will the father do now?
The mother?
They have left their home forever.
Will the father go back to fetch the
essential things?
If he goes back, will he be able to re-
turn?
One person was found in their home
by the ISIS terrorists.
They set fire to the house.
Still, will the father go back?
The father steps backwards.
One more step.
He is confused.
His feet feel locked to the ground.
An ISIS terrorist barks at him.
The father comes to his senses.
[A ghostly voice can be heard. In this scene, a
ghostly voice of the ISIS terrorists will play in
the background.]
Ghostly voice:
Women and children will go to the first
floor of the school building. Men will be sent
to the hills, if they don’t abandon their Yazidi
religion.
[Women and children are crowded to-
gether along with the baggage on the first floor.
ISIS terrorists are patrolling the room, carrying
big sacks in their hands]
Ghostly voice:
Put all jewelry, mobile phones and dol-
lars that you possess into this sack; otherwise
you’ll be beheaded. And you, head of the villa-
ge, have you thought anything of your future?
Do you want to be converted or exiled
to the hills?
[Mukhtar Ahmed Yaso -head of the
village- trembles visibly, but declares stoutly]
Ahmed Yaso:
Send us to the hills.
[Nadia is running between the win-
dows. Sound of gunshots is heard frequently.
And the howling of male voices]
Nadia:
I can see a man lying on the ground.
He stops another man passing him.
The injured man is requesting to be taken
to the hills. He can’t move, as he has bul-
let-wounds. Yet he wants to go to the hills.
Can we reach the hills?
Even if we reach them, how will we
survive there?
Oh, I can recognize the man.
He is Khaleque, a man from my Kocho
village.
Ghostly voice:
Girls and children! Get into the bus.
The men stand still. Waiting for further
command.
[Nadia is going towards the bus. Spea-
king to herself]
Nadia:
Who knows what’s going to happen to
our men.
[Katherine, Nadia’s niece, notices a 500
dollar note on the ground]
Katherine:
Dollar! The terrorists’ behavior will be
comparatively better to us if we give them this
dollar.
[Nadia draws Katherine aside and
keeps her sister Dimal on the other side. She
addresses Katherine]
Nadia:
Keep the dollar. It’ll be useful.
Don’t give it to the terrorists.
To expect any mercy from them is
equal to believing in the devil.
Ghostly voice:
Girls! Leave your ‘orna’ (scarf) in the
school-room.
[Girls are dropping off their scarfs on
the ground and getting into the bus]
Nadia:
I’m exhausted.
I’ll die soon.
All the girls are in the same condition.
What if we all die?
Will they play with our corpses?
I think they would be afraid.
Oh, we’ve made a mistake. If we had
committed suicide, they would have left the
village.
Now we’re under their full control.
Are we slaves?
No, a slave is to be bought.
We were not bought.
But we’re war-properties.
No, we’re not war-properties either.
Because, we didn’t partake in the war.
We had no courage to fight.
But despite that, reality is that the
terrorists are using us as war-properties.
The poor Yazidis are born as war-pro-
perties.
[There is a bus loaded with Yazidi girls. It is
traveling between two other buses carrying ISIS
terrorists. In the girls’ bus, there is an armed
terrorist named Abu Batat. Nadia is on this
bus.]
Abu Batat:
[He approaches Nadia, close]
Will you convert?
[Nadia does not speak. But in refusal
shakes her head]
You can stay in your village, if you con-
vert to Islam.
[Nadia displays refusal again]
Well, then, you’re going to be taken
somewhere else.
[Abu Batat walks inside the bus. Mo-
ments later he again comes close to Nadia. He
puts his hand inside Nadia’s dress and grabs
her breast. Nadia tries to protest, but in vain.
She cries silently. Tears fall on Abu Batat’s
hand. Suddenly, she starts screaming. All the
girls scream along with Nadia. The bus stops
abruptly. The ISIS commander Nafah enters the
bus]
Nafah:
Who shouted first?
[Abu Batat points finger at Nadia]
Nadia:
You’ve brought us here.
[She does not leave Nafah any room to
speak.]
We’ve come here as per your wishes.
We don’t have a wish of our own.
[She points finger at Abu Batat. Her
hand and voice tremble in fear and anxiety]
This man is always touching our bre-
asts.
Abu Batat:
You swine! I’ll shoot you, if so much as
make another sound.
[He runs to Nadia and slams her head
against the bus’ seat. All the other girls start
screaming]
Nafah:
[Goes to the exit of the bus]
I think you know why we’ve brought
you.
You don’t have a choice.
You’re our sex-toys.
You have to obey our command.
If you scream, you’ll suffer more.
[Abu Batat was still pointing his gun at
Nadia. Nafah leaves the bus. Batat moves away
from Nadia.]
Nadia: [Monologue]
My God! Save me.
Like you transformed Laila and Majnu
into stars, transform me into a star in the same
way.
[A palace-like house. Yazidi girls are kept there.
Nadia and her niece Katherine are sitting
somewhere in this palace. Nadia is speaking to
herself]
Nadia:
In the bus, Abu Batat was touching
girls’ bodies.
He didn’t stop for a single moment.
We’re not familiar with such behavior.
We know that only the husband or
one’s lover is allowed to touch a woman’s body.
But, a man like Batat is not.
Is it permitted in Islam?
They’re speaking about Islamic State.
Is it the manifestation of Islam?
Islam cannot support this.
No religion can support this.
And if any religion supports this kind
of behavior, then it should not be a religion at
all.
That is devilry, that is barbarism.
Now I know what the Islamic State is.
They use the name of Islam. But their
actions are totally opposite to Islam’s values.
Abu Batat:
Come with me.
[He pushes Nadia with his gun]
Katherine:
Don’t go with him.
[She silently pinches Nadia]
Nadia:
I’ll be forced, if I don’t.
[She stands up. Abu Batat takes Nadia
with him, touching her body. He takes her to a
garage-like place. The ISIS commander Nafah is
seen smoking there.]
Nafah:
What’s your name? [Looks at Nadia]
Nadia:
Nadia.
Nafah:
Year of birth?
Nadia:
1993.
Nafah:
Has anyone else from your family
come here?
Nadia:
[Thinks for a while] I’ve come here with
other girls. I don’t know the whereabouts of my
family members.
Nafah:
Why were you shouting inside the bus?
[He pulls Nadia by her hair]
Nadia:
[looks indifferent] This man [pointing at Abu
Batat] was continuously touching my body.
Nafah:
Do you know why you have been
brought here?
From now on, you’re the property of
the Islamic State. Adapt yourself to it.
[He slaps Nadia. Abu Batat lights a
cigar and gives it to Nafah who presses it on
Nadia’s Shoulder. Her skin burns. She some-
how resists making a sound, and stares at the
ground. Abu Batat lights another cigar and
presses it on Nadia’s womb. Nadia cannot
resist anymore. She screams.]
Nadia:
Oh, my God! Ah! Oh!
Abu Batat:
Will you shout again? You should now
realize why you have been brought here.
Nadia:
Please leave me. I won’t shout anymo-
re.
Nafah:
[Slaps both cheeks of Naida’s face
hard]
Now join the other sex-servants.
Never shout again.
[The stage becomes dark]
[Nadia is feeble, exhausted, and indifferent.
She shifts between sitting down and standing
up again. She is seen trying to write something
on the wall with her fingertip]
Nadia: [Monologue]
A woman showed mother-like sympat-
hy towards me.
Who’s she?
She’s another sex-servant.
She too is waiting for her fall.
She is carrying a child with her.
What a misfortune to the child!
Alas!
What a misfortune to the child’s
mother!
This child will grow inside this hell.
It will die inside this hell.
You please die, my boy.
Only then will you be saved.
The woman applied some ointment on
my scars.
Alas! My life!
The child laughs at me!
I laugh back.
The child doesn’t know that it lives
inside a hell.
I shed tears thinking about the child’s
future.
Long live, my boy.
I pray for your peaceful future.
I can hear the buzzing of the buyers.
‘How much is this girl?’
‘How old is this girl?’
‘Is this a maiden girl?’
Oh, we’re like animals in a market.
Our prices rise.
Our prices go down.
Buyers touch our bodies.
They check us.
Committing suicide is better than this.
But we don’t have that scope.
Once I heard about slave-trades.
The white Europeans would trade
African slaves.
Our school teacher told us.
British magazines publish criticism on
slave-trades even today.
My sister who is now residing in
Germany has told us about the good political
conditions now present in Europe.
Europe is much more civilized now.
Can, then, the terrorists’ city on the
other side of the river be civilized too?
Certainly.
One day a new civilization will be built
from our anguish, on our graves.
One day history will remember the
extinct Yazidi race.
It will remember our ruined Kocho
Village.
Will the ISIS devils ever fall down?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I may not witness the day.
Girls like me may not witness the day,
but civilization will certainly do.
The United Nations
O.I.C.
The European Union
Can’t save us
But generations later
Better days will come after our de-
struction, then
The United Nations,
O.I.C,
The European Union,
They will hail us.
They will commemorate us.
That will be a belated farce.
Belated celebration of a failure
Oh, no!
I don’t want to imagine that.
I want to be free.
I want to flee.
I want to live.
But there is no scope.
I must do something.
Now I’m a sex-servant of a rich man in
Mosul.
The man has a wife.
He has children.
He is a friend to the Islamic State.
[During this, Nadia notices a wasted
computer. She checks whether there is any
internet connection in the computer, but in
vain…]
Oh, no!
[Nadia throws away the computer]
[Nadia is in a locked room. There is dim light
inside. A cot, a water jar, and a glass are seen.
A pair of big male-shoes is also there. Nadia is
wearing a long rob. She is restless]
Nadia: [Monologue]
Women!
It doesn’t matter at all whether they
are Yazidis or Muslims, Christians or non-chris-
tians.
They are never identified as human
beings.
Oh, I’m captivated here!
Yesterday Hazi Salman attempted to
rape me.
But, he couldn’t go further because of
my menstruation.
Today I’ve been kept at his driver Mor-
tuza’s place.
Mortuza too tried to take a chance.
But his mother came running.
Mortuza left the room.
Mortuza’s mother always keeps herself
busy to satisfy Hazi Salman.
She would even sacrifice her own life
to satisfy that Salman- that bitch.
One of her sons is fighting for ISIS.
She is very proud of her son.
She told me many stories.
She casts merciful glances at me.
This woman considers herself success-
ful, because she could satisfy Hazi Salman.
I’m this man’s sex-toy.
I thought this woman would stand
beside me as a mother.
Alas! This woman is a human being
She is a mother too.
She is a servant to ISIS.
I feel pity for this woman.
She doesn’t know what human life
really is.
She does not know that she was born
as a human being.
Hazi Salman gave me the opportunity
to talk to my sister and my niece.
He is a bitch.
I don’t know why he allowed me.
Nasrin, my sister, failed in an attempt
to flee.
Katherine had been sold once, and
she was beaten up for addressing herself as a
cancer patient.
She had been brought back to the
sex-servant center.
Who knows to whom she will be sold
next time.
Girls in Mosul are inferior to animals.
Animals know that they are animals.
But Mortuza’s mother doesn’t know
that
She is inferior to animals.
[Hazi Salman enters]
Hazi Salman:
Let’s go. You’ll be taken to another
place. You won’t be spared today for your men-
struation.
I will come to you tonight.
[He leaves the stage, taking Nadia by
hand.]
[Nadia is in a room, half naked. She hesitantly
looks around; then, attempts to flee. Half of her
body is out of the window, and half inside.]
A voice from nowhere:
Go inside.
[Nadia falls on the floor. Hazi Salman
comes hurriedly. Nadia is frightened. Salman
carries a whip in his hand. Nadia quickly covers
herself with a blanket. Hazi Salman whips Na-
dia]
Salman:
Nadia! Take off the blanket. Show
yourself, naked.
[Nadia reveals herself and stands
before Hazi Salman who immediately leaves
the room and sends his driver Mortuza and two
guards. All of them rape Nadia. Nadia faints.
Coming to sense, she discovers herself naked
and notices Mortuza naked on her chest. Mor-
tuza was slowly dismantling Nadia’s hair]
Mortuza:
Wake up, Nadia!
Wake up!
It’s time to go.
Nadia:
Where?
Mortuza:
I don’t know.
I only know that you have to go.
Hazi Salman has sold you.
[Nadia is on a bed, crying]
Nadia:
I have been sold twice.
My life is more detestable than ani-
mals’, than insects’.
What to do?
I want to die.
God, please give me a chance to die.
Where’re my sisters?
Where is my mother?
My niece?
My brothers?
Where am I?
Mother!
Mother!
Mother!
I want to die.
I want to die.
I want to die.
I don’t want to live in this hell anymore.
Oh, almighty God! Let me die.
God!
[Nadia’s new owner, Hazi Ameer, en-
ters with some medicines and a glass of water
in hand]
HaziAmeer:
You do not need to die.
You do not need to flee either.
You’ll stay here for about a week.
Then, probably, you’ll go to Syria.
Nadia:
No.
I don’t want to go to Syria.
I would rather be sent to another hou-
se in Mosul.
Ameer:
Don’t be afraid.
There are thousands of sex-servants
like you in Syria.
Nadia:
I know that.
But I don’t want to go.
Ameer:
Take the medicine.
I can’t help you.
Nadia:
Is there no way?[A little bit angry]
I won’t go to Syria in any case.
Ameer:
You should understand that today
you’re better than the previous day.
It’s not unlikely that you’re going to
Syria tomorrow.
You need some more clothes.
There, in Syria, you’ll find nothing.
You stay here. I’m going out to purcha-
se some clothes for you.
[Ameer leaves. Forgetting to lock the room, he
drives away with his car. Nadia finds this as an
opportunity. She quickly takes her bag from the
room and throws it over the wall. The bag lands
on the other side of the wall. Nadia listens care-
fully whether anyone comes by the sound, but
no footsteps are heard. So, Nadia climbs over
the wall. She starts walking. Nadia is walking
unstably, but trying to act normal so that no
one will suspect her]
[Nadia is praying for asylum to a Sunni family.
She will tell everything in a monologue. Her
movement will make the audience understand
the surroundings. She is wearing a pair of big
male-shoes]
Nadia:
Is anyone home?
This is Nadia.
[Nadia steps backward, takes a deep
breath, and walks up to the gate again]
Hello, is there anyone in this house?
My name is Nadia.
I was brought here by the ISIS terro-
rists.
I lived in Kocho village.
[Nadia takes a deep breath. The gate
opens, Nadia enters]
Well, why did I come here?
I have told everything to this Sunni
family.
They’re very good people.
They’ve sheltered me.
The name of this house’s owner is
Hisham.
He has a wife and children.
His children have been married off.
All the family members are anxious.
They are afraid of the ISIS terrorists.
But, no way...
The ISIS terrorists have put surveillan-
ce around this house.
Literally, I have been kept inside a dark
room.
The Hisham family will take me to their
son-in-law’s house.
From there, they will arrange a suitable
way to send me to Kirkuk.
Their son or son-in-law will take me
from there.
I’ll be disguised as his wife.
A new identity card will be made for
me.
I’m afraid, tense, and anxious.
I’m afraid to hope for something bet-
ter.
My photograph has been sent to every
ISIS checkpoint.
Am I going to find myself in danger
again?
And, endanger this Sunni family?
Should I surrender to the ISIS terro-
rists?
No, never.
God has given me a chance.
I’ll utilize it to my best level.
Can Nadia return to the terrorists?
No.
Never.
Impossible.
I’ll try till my last breath.
I’ll follow the Hisham family and do
whatever they instruct me.
They’ve made me talk to my brother,
Hejni, over the telephone.
Hejni is now staying in Kirkuk.
Hello, Hejni! This is Nadia here.
Hejni:
[Over telephone] Nadia!
The Hisham family is very kind.
Follow their instructions.
Nadia:
I think so too.
We’ll start tomorrow.
A taxi has been hired already.
Who knows how long it will take to
reach our destination.
Hisham’s son-in-law, Nasser, will guide
me.
If I’m caught, please forgive me.
Tomorrow is going to be my release
day from this hell.
What should I do?
Will I really be free?
What will I do tomorrow?
Am I going to die?
Freedom?
Death?
Freedom?
Death?
Freedom?
Death?
[The telephone receiver drops from
Nadia’s hand]
[They bid farewell to Nasser. They cry. Nadia’s
brother, Hejni, and her nephew are standing
to the side. Nasser leaves. Nadia describes
Nasser’s kindheartedness. They depart. Nadia
walks behind the curtain, waving her hand. She
comes back to the stage immediately.]
Nadia:
I’m like a worker here.
I’m like other workers who come to
Iraq from Bangladesh and India.
I don’t want to settle here.
I have nothing to lose or win.
Here, I work in a Kurdish farmer’s land.
I sleep in the refugee camp at night.
Life has lots of layers.
I don’t know the whereabouts of my
relatives.
I’m alive here only to count the sighs.
I’m alive here to fill up the bag of my
sorrows.
[A monologue. Nadia visits Germany, Europe
and so on now-a-days]
Nadia:
Who could say?
Did I wish for this life?
Now the entire world is before me.
Now I deliver speeches on the world
stage.
The United Nations listens to my spe-
eches.
The European Union listens to my
speeches.
But I’m in blue.
I’ve got freedom.
But not peace
My memories pull me back.
My village and the villagers pull me
back.
They demand a homeland.
But they’ll never get that.
But how does ISIS get arms?
How did they become so powerful?
Who produced those arms?
Who distributed those arms?
Does the UN know the answer?
European Union?
My books are hot-cakes now.
I’ve written about the tortures.
I’ve written about my escape
How I survived
How I lived
But now, I’m still not free.
I’m always restless.
I don’t know whether the people who
helped me escape are alive.
Are they all staying safe?
Who’ll answer my questions?
I have lots of questions.
I am carrying a fire inside.
I’ll not deliver long speeches.
Not even on this Nobel Prize awarding
stage.
I’m upset.
I’ve got no answer to my questions.
I have a few questions for those who
awarded me this nobel prize.
Why have you awarded me this prize?
I don’t know.
I don’t want to know.
I’ll deliver my nobel-prize speech very
shortly.
I would like to address the audience
with a question.
If anyone can give an answer to my
question, I’ll start my speech from that very
point.
The question is-
The question is-
The question is-
Am I the last girl from hell in this
world?
Won’t any other girl face similar tortu-
re?
Sex-servants?
And, is the war in Damascus the last
war in the world?
And are the arms used in this war the
last arms in the world?
Answer me!
Answer me!
Answer me!
Who can answer?
Who can answer?
Who?
Who?
Who?
[Nadia yells and throws away the mi-
crophone]
