In 2007, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jahangir Razmi finally revealed his identity as the man behind the iconic 1979 Sanandaj firing squad photograph. Shortly after, he met Monireh Falsafi Nahid, affectionately known as Daye Monireh. Specifically, she was the mother of Ehsan and Shahriar Nahid, two brothers executed by firing squad at Sanandaj Airport.
Razmi later recounted a poignant moment from their meeting when Daye Monireh gently kissed his eyes. Indeed, those were the eyes that witnessed and preserved the final moments of her sons’ lives. For a mother denied the chance to say goodbye, the photographer’s lens became the ultimate witness to history.
Four Decades of Unyielding Justice
Daye Monireh lived for nearly 40 years with the photographs of Ehsan and Shahriar. Although she could not bring her sons back or see their executioners brought to trial, she refused to let their names be erased from collective memory. Consequently, her struggle turned her into a symbol of non-violent resistance.
Daye Monireh passed away in 2019 at the age of 94. Her tombstone bears the honored title: “Mother of Kurdistan.”
A Question That echoes Across Generations
Before her passing, Daye Monireh raised a fundamental question that remains unanswered for countless grieving families across Iran: “Whom should I seek justice from?”
Crucially, this question did not begin with Daye Monireh, nor did it die with her. Instead, her plea resonates today through the Mothers of Khavaran, families of slain protesters, and mothers of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. Ultimately, from the 1979 Daye Monireh Sanandaj firing squad executions to present-day uprisings, Kurdish women remain at the absolute core of truth-seeking and social memory.
