Foreigners in Erbil react to cutting of Kurdish fighter’s braid

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Foreigners living in Erbil have reacted to footage showing a member of the Syrian Arab Army holding the braid of a Kurdish fighter he had cut during the army’s recent offensive against Kurdish areas.

“In our country braiding our hair is just fashion. That's it. But here it is different. It hits you when you see this video. Everyone is doing braiding now and it is very very sad,” Rachel Gomez, a Filipino living in Erbil, told Rudaw.

The cutting of the braid sparked a national sentiment across all four parts of Greater Kurdistan, bringing Kurds together as one.

Eve Naeimi was born in Saudi Arabia and is originally from Deir ez-Zor, Syria.

“In Saudi Arabia, that [braid] is not just a style,” she said, adding that the braid shows the strength of women.

The Syrian fighter later claimed that the braid was fake hair.

The Syrian jihadist-led army has been accused of committing numerous violations against Kurds during its recent attacks in Kurdish areas.

Liliia Mirautsa contributed to this article from Erbil, Kurdistan Region.