Beritan Canözer/JINHA

AMED - Journalist Deniz Fırat passed away three years ago while reporting the attacks of ISIS towards Maxmur. Deniz preferred to tell what her people faced by using her pen and camera and she passed her pen and camera to her colleagues. Her followers have struggled against male mindset by promising her to not leave her pen and camera on the ground.

Journalist Deniz Fırat hit by a piece of shrapnel and passed away on August 8, 2014 while reporting the attacks of ISIS towards Maxmur. She was the first journalist, who reported the attacks of ISIS on Maxmur Refugee Camp to the world. Her female colleagues haven't left her pen and camera on the ground and continued to follow her part. Female journalists have tried to report the truth to the world against ISIS and state mindset attacks in Bakur (North) Kurdistan.

JINHA editor Zehra Tunç, who spent her childhood in Maxure Camp like Deniz, told us Deniz life and story. Zehra said, "Deniz was a small child when her family had to trace migratory routes from Çaldıran village of Van. She learned how to struggle against difficulties when she was a child. She and her three daughters turned their face towards free camps for the freedom of women. Deniz began journalism and she tried to raise women's voice to the bitter end. Deniz was a editor and administrator of Rorev daily of Maxmur and she distributed and printed the newspaper."

Zehra told us that Deniz began to journalism by distributing the newspaper in the streets of Maxmur. She said, "Deniz visited home by home in neighborhoods and talked to women. I went to Deniz's home to see her and I had to wait for her for hours. Several days before Shengal massacre in 2014, on July, I went to female journalists' home in Maxmur to see Deniz; however she wasn't at home. I asked her to one of her colleagues named Dilan. She told me, 'She went to neighborhoods, she will return soon'. After waiting for a while, she returned to home and we hugged each other. Then, we talked about the ongoing process of her newspaper and JINHA. She thought about how to report with the view of women; actually she began journalism for that reason. I felt stronger when I talked to her. Several days after my visit, the attacks on Maxmur began and she said that she wanted to go there and report the war. She passed away in attacks of anti-human ISIS." Zehra also said that they take over Deniz's pen.

Özgür Gün TV reporter Rabia Karayıl stated that Deniz Fırat, as female journalist, is very important person for her. She said, "Her demand to work in war areas is worthy of respect. Her success against male mindset, which women have tried to destroy for years, is a concrete example of women's success. She fought against anti-human ISIS with her camera and she showed their atrocity to the world. Most of people learned what happened in Maxmur thanks to her shoots. We know that the society cannot be free without the freedom of women. As female journalists, our purpose is to display the male power imposed on women and empower Deniz's struggle."

Dicle News Agency (DİHA) Diyarbakır reporter Semra Turan noted that Deniz was in Maxmur to report the attacks of ISIS to the world, "She reported the war to whole world by taking part in front line. As you know, ISIS has targeted women and they have attacked women. Deniz passed away while trying to report the attacks against women and all humanity. We'll continue to take over her pen. There is same war in the North Kurdistan now. Women have been targeted in this war like every war. Female journalists have been targeted because they display the attacks. Female journalists have continued to report despite all attacks."

(fk/gd)