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Woman liberated from Isis in Syria casts off mandatory black clothing and celebrates by only wearing red

Liberated women in Syria have started wearing brightly coloured clothes again

Kayleigh Lewis
Thursday 09 June 2016 16:08 BST
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Khadija Abdu Al-Muotee is celebrating her freedom by wearing red clothes
Khadija Abdu Al-Muotee is celebrating her freedom by wearing red clothes ( Ajansa Hawar ANHA/ Youtube)

Women in parts of Syria are celebrating being freed from Isis and the group's draconican dress code by wearing brightly coloured clothing - with one Kurdish woman vowing to wear red for the rest of her life.

Under Isis rule, women in Abu Qalqal, Manbij, were forced to wear only loose black clothing covering their whole body, and a double veil over their face – or risk imprisonment.

Khadija Abdu Al-Muotee, a Kurdish woman from the small town located close to the Turkish border, said: “They forced us to cover our faces with the Islamic veil and threatened to kill us. Now I will only wear red.”

Mrs Al-Muotee, who was speaking to a female journalist from the Hawar news agency, was filmed wearing a red leopard print hijab and large red flowers, with her face and hands uncovered.

“Oh God! Oh God! Freed! Freed!” she said.

The video report also shows a crowd of elated women, mostly in coloured dress and uncovered faces, and their children, chanting, “We are freed! We are freed!”

In January, a 21-year old girl from Manjib was tortured to death by a female jihadist known as Oum Farouq for violating the dress code, ARA News reported.

A family member, who asked to remain anonymous, told the press agency: ““We cannot even protest against this horrible crime. The only judicial department in Manbij is the Sharia Court, which supports such crimes.”

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