A strong proponent of Zoroastrianism, Awat Darya brazenly
sought to protect the rights of her co-religionists in Kurdistan
Text: Parinaz M. Gandhi Photos: Jasmine D. Driver
For daring to call a Muslim cleric in Kurdistan "a terrorist,” the spunky Awat Darya was sued, imprisoned for half a day, tried in court on May 3, 2018 and ultimately released when her husband Jamal Mohammed furnished a bail amount of IQD 500,000 (USD 418 or Rs 28,000).
Nearly 15 months prior, Mulla Hassib had allegedly declared in a press interview that Zoroastrian and other converts in Kurdistan should return to Islam within three days or be killed. Incited by his remark, Darya had publicly accused him of being "like an ISIS.” Being the Zoroastrian representative in the ministry......