The Peril of Taking Taxis in Raqqa
It was an ordinary day in mid-February 2015. Hayat pulled on her niqab (face veil) and stood in front of her mirror, making sure...
A Family Home Abandoned
“I’m going to sell all the furniture in the house and leave the city. I can’t stand the overwhelming tension and fear anymore, or...
Searching For My Lost Father
My mother refused to surrender to the fact of my father’s disappearance. She refused to submit, tightened her grip on her wounded heart and...
No Mercy Under Fire in Raqqa
Mariam and her four children huddled together in a corner of their home as the military planes circled overhead. As each bomb exploded, they...
When We Turned into Black-Clad Corpses
The change began at a junction on the road between Aleppo and Raqqa on July 3, 2014. We were women brilliant and bright with...
Escape From Raqqa
Last September 15, there was a knock at our door. I was initially overjoyed to see my friend after so much, until I saw...
Women Told to Hide “Shining Eyes” in Raqqa
One day in late December, Yara and her cousin decided to go the nearby grocer’s shop to buy a few items. It was a...
A Run-In With Islamic State
Before his bus left the city of al-Hasakah for Raqqa on last July, Mohammed asked his sister to hide his student ID card. He...
Raqqa’s “Merciful” Morality Squad
One morning in mid-November, Bushra left the house as she did every day at seven am. She heard Abu Saad, who drove the service...
Stopped by the Morality Police in Raqqa
M stood alone in a women’s clothing shop in Raqqa, waiting for the shopkeeper to come back. He had gone out to evening prayers...
