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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — There’s a brand new painted mural simply off El Cajon Boulevard in Metropolis Heights shining gentle on what’s occurring in Iran.
ABC 10News spoke with Thao French, one of many native feminine artists working to light up courageous feminine faces in Iran.
“When folks stroll by I would like them to nearly be curious… and be like ‘Who is that this? Why is she so vital?’” mentioned French.
French painted the best half of the mural and one other native feminine artist, Chloe Becky, painted the left half.
Whereas Becky’s half exhibits an Iranian lady chopping her hair as an act of defiance, French’s a part of the mural illustrates the face and spirit of 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami.
“I selected Nika as a result of I keep in mind seeing this video of her singing and being playful… and it simply made me consider myself after I was a teen as a result of I used to be just a little punk child,” mentioned French.
Shahkarami was arrested and killed after publicly protesting the regime and burning her hijab. Her dying sparked outrage on social media, and he or she’s change into one other face of the women-led motion in Iran.
“The flowers are to supply a correct funeral that she by no means had. The flames are for when she lit her hijab on fireplace and likewise a solution to present that she’s rising from the ashes,” mentioned French.
The mural already means loads to Iranians right here in San Diego.
“My cousin truly was shot at a protest in Iran final month,” one native Iranian lady instructed 10news.
She additionally shared that after her cousin was killed, her household was threatened by the regime.
“They mentioned that we needed to fake he died of COVID as an alternative, and we couldn’t say he was killed by safety forces. So I feel it exhibits that it’s not simply my cousin or Nika Shahkarami… There are such a lot of households which can be grieving what’s occurring,” she mentioned.
French says she hopes the mural helps amplify the voices of Iranians combating for freedom worldwide.
“I’m extremely heartbroken for the world. An assault on humanity wherever is an assault on everybody,” she mentioned.
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