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October 24, 2024

“Suicide of Mountain Tulips/ Azar Taherabad”

“متن راست چین”

“Right-aligned text”Azar-Taherabadi
Azar Taherabadi

Qalereshi, a beautiful village in the suburbs of Sardasht, is just as beautiful, pristine, and untouched as it used to be, with most of its roads still unpaved. But these days, this village is in mourning and as dark as its name, “Qalereshi”. “Qal” means black in Kurdish, as if this darkness has been imposed on the fate of its youth.

Qaleh Rashi has been witnessing numerous self-inflicted deaths by its youth and young adults since 1989 until today.

Fifteen suicides have resulted in the outcome of these dark days of Qaleh Rashi; from brides to grooms, now for whatever reason they have either set themselves on fire or hanged themselves.

Anwar Azizian, one of the residents of this area who explains the suicides one by one, says: “Our youth have become depressed, otherwise why should we see so many young people taking their own lives in just a few years?”

He says the truth; when I investigate the situation of the city of Sardasht and its villages, I see that after the war and all the tragedies of chemical bombings, this county has not yet taken the first steps towards progress. The deficiencies of this region are evident; from economy and culture to education and healthcare.

Unemployment has become a job in this area and young people have nowhere to spend their time, and cultural and recreational spaces are so scarce that they are not even noticeable.

Leyla Salimi is a therapist and believes that suicide does not have many reasons; just the fact that a person cannot separate reality from their dreams can lead them to the brink of suicide. In fact, creating extreme conflicts between beliefs and realities can be one of the major reasons for suicide.

He believes that whenever a society is transitioning from tradition to modernity, its people may be prone to suicide. This is because the beliefs of some individuals do not align with what they see in reality, causing confusion and leading to suicide in those who are emotionally weak and have a significantly lower ability to balance their situation compared to others in society.

The report published on the Tabnak website in the month of Ordibehesht of this year, titled “Reasons for Suicide in Iran/Suicide Statistics in the Country/Methods of Suicide”, has presented significant statistics regarding suicides in Iran. The author writes in this report: “The statistics show that in the first 9 months of the year 92, more than 11 people have committed suicide in the country. According to the statistics announced by the Legal Medical Organization of the country in the 9-month period of the year 92, 3125 people have committed suicide, of which 982 were women and 2143 were men. Based on this, in the same period of the year 91, 2740 people have lost their lives due to what was determined by legal medicine as suicide. In the year 91, among all suspicious deaths by suicide in the country, the highest number of suicides was recorded in the age group of 18 to 24 years

amaar

Iran has a population of about 80 million people and is one of the countries with the highest rates of suicide in the world. It has a rate of 48 suicides per 100,000 people and a rate of 58 attempted suicides. The main cause of suicide in Iran is the high level of stress and pressure that people face in their daily lives, especially in the cities. The government has taken some measures to address this issue, such as providing counseling services and creating awareness about mental health. However, the suicide rate remains high, with about 1.3 per 100,000 people in 1363 (1984) and an estimated 5 to 7 thousand people taking their own lives annually. Half of these suicides occur in large cities, a quarter in small and medium-sized cities, and the rest in rural areas.

But in these days, what we are facing is unfortunately that all the attention, studies, and investigations about the phenomenon of suicide in the country – except for a few reports – are focused on the psychological and therapeutic aspects of this phenomenon, and very few people pay attention to the social dimensions and how a huge number of young people are being pushed towards this path and their destruction in the blink of an eye.

“Dr. Shirin Ahmadnia, a psychiatrist and the head of the Iranian Suicide Prevention Society, in an interview with ILNA on World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10), talks about the increase in suicide rates and its reasons: “Undoubtedly, due to the sensitivity of the issue, we are limited and weak in the field of research on understanding the phenomenon of suicides, and most of the studies that have been conducted by psychologists and psychiatrists have been from an individual and psychological perspective, rather than social and cultural dimensions.”

He continues, “Of course, studies have shown that among different provinces, we see different patterns of suicide and even prevalent methods. For example, in terms of gender ratio, we are seeing in some western provinces of the country that women have higher rates of suicide compared to men; which is distinct from the dominant trend where men have higher statistics in this regard. We are even witnessing that a specific form of suicide, namely self-immolation, is more common among women. Self-immolation is one of the most painful forms of suicide, and the individual who commits this act intends to convey a message to someone who has caused them suffering or harm, and by doing so, they seek revenge from that person.”

Statistics show that suicide rates are higher among women with lower levels of education. This could be due to the fact that these individuals do not see a better way to escape their undesirable living conditions and seek a solution by ending their lives. Women with higher levels of education may have access to employment, economic activity, and income, and may even seek help instead of resorting to suicide. They may also have the ability to transform their lives in other ways and not feel compelled to take their own lives.

Today’s women, due to their increased awareness, level of knowledge, self-esteem, and acquisition of cultural capital, have different attitudes compared to their mothers and grandmothers. Their level of education has increased and their expectations of themselves, their spouses, and their married life have also changed. These women no longer necessarily believe that they should enter the house of fortune in a white dress and leave in a white shroud. Therefore, in some cases, when a person does not find their living conditions in line with their expectations, ideals, and human rights, they may not be able to endure difficult and burdensome conditions. In such cases, if divorce is not possible, they may choose to divorce, and in some cases where this is not an option, it may lead to suicide.

In comparison between developed and less developed provinces of the country, we see that the divorce rate in less developed provinces like Ilam and Lorestan is lower than in more developed provinces like Gilan and Tehran. However, on the other hand, the rate of suicide and self-immolation among women is higher.”

There are numerous and diverse statistics on the reasons for suicide, all of which indicate an inappropriate social environment for expressing one’s existence and finding the desires that can make life more beautiful for the youth of this land. A common factor in many of these suicides is the pursuit of dreams that have not been realized, especially among the youth of the mountainous regions. Is it really possible to live in poverty and cultural and social deficiencies in a country where there is a high potential of young population and abundant material and spiritual resources? This phenomenon is not limited to a specific social class, but when the autumn wind suddenly strikes the youth of a region, it raises concerns for keeping other young people safe from this plague in worried families, and thousands of questions arise about how to protect their children from this phenomenon.

Unfortunately, in recent years, neglect towards the western cities and villages of the country, especially Kurdish regions, has caused these people to suffer from serious damages. Unemployment and lack of welfare and recreational facilities, according to the majority of people in these areas, have led to the unfortunate situation where the youth of these provinces, despite having higher education and constructive thoughts, either remain stagnant in the cycle of the economy and the dynamism of Iranian society today, or their energy is wasted or turned into destructive forces. In these areas, young people either join the ranks of smugglers and drug traffickers, risking their lives, or with all their efforts, they have no choice but to stay and struggle with minimal resources, and sometimes, in extreme despair, they resort to suicide.

The people of this region have suffered; they have been at war for years and now they must also deal with diseases caused by chemical bombings. And now, after all this pain, they must struggle with the lack of resources at all levels. Unfortunately, urban and rural development in the western part of the country has been slow and the government has only allocated a small portion of the budget to itself. In the midst of all this neglect, the people in rural and underprivileged cities are suffering even more.

It is expected that the government of prudence and hope will receive a major share of the yes vote for change and rationality from these very people and Kurdish provinces, pay more attention to the people of Kurdistan region and take a deeper look at the post-sanctions era with a greater focus on this region; because the crisis in these provinces is rapidly approaching the red line.

Created By: Azar Taherabad
August 28, 2015

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Azar Taherabad Kurdistan Magazine number 52 Monthly Peace Line Magazine Rashi Peak Sardasht Suicide