The March 8 Network has filed a lawsuit against Mullah Mazhar Khorasani, at the prosecutor general of Sulaimaniyah accusing him of insulting women and Kurdish fighters involved in the recent fighting in Aleppo, Syria.
The legal complaint was submitted on Tuesday, December 13, following remarks made by Khorasani during a press interview in which he made derogatory statements about women. The interview took place shortly after clashes ended between security forces in the Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsood neighborhoods and forces loyal to Syrian President Ahmed Shara, clashes that reportedly ended in victory for the latter.
During the interview, Khorasani stated, “In Islam, a woman should stay at home and prepare tea for her husband. Women should not carry weapons,” commenting on the image of a female fighter whose body had been thrown from a building.
He further claimed that women are incapable of fighting, alleging that they fled Aleppo and worked to destabilize Kurdish society, adding dismissive remarks about women’s courage.
These statements triggered widespread outrage on social media. More than 100 academics, writers, teachers, journalists, and civil society activists issued a joint call demanding legal action against Khorasani. In a public statement, they said his remarks deeply offended Kurdish women, undermined national values, and promoted violence rather than social cohesion and national security.
The March 8 Network, a coalition of women’s rights organizations, lawyers, and activists, confirmed that it officially submitted the complaint to the prosecutor’s office. Speaking at a press conference, network member Gasha Dara said, “We have filed a formal complaint against Mullah Mazhar Khorasani and hope that the law will finally be enforced and justice served.”
Activists noted that this is not the first time Khorasani has made offensive remarks about women, pointing out that previous complaints did not lead to legal consequences.
In response, Khorasani stated that he is not afraid of facing the courts and claimed that he himself has been subjected to insults on social media. He also expressed condolences to the families of the Kurdish female fighters who were insulted by militants.
