Marzieh Ebrahimi: A Woman Of Courage

Marzieh Ebrahimi: A Woman Of Courage

By Bill Knell

Marzieh Ebrahimi is a Middle Eastern woman who takes her life into her hands each time she goes shopping or attends an event out in public in a way that is not approved by Sharia Law. Why? Because she lives in Iran and is expected to follow rules which dehumanise women.

Marzieh was just 25 years old in 2014 when she survived a brutal acid attack in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The attack was part of a series of assaults that targeted women in public spaces who refused to wear their hijab. The attack left her with severe and permanent injuries including the loss of an eye. It was an act of extreme violence meant not only to harm her body, but to erase her presence and silence her voice.

Instead of withdrawing from the world, Marzieh made a powerful and defiant choice. She refused to hide her scars or allow shame to be placed on her. By appearing publicly and speaking openly about what was done to her, Marzieh stood up against a culture of fear, denial, and impunity head-on. Her face became a statement, and her survival an accusation against the violence inflicted on women.

Marzieh transformed her personal suffering into collective resistance. Through interviews, public appearances, and activism, she exposed the reality of acid attacks and the deep-rooted gender-based violence that enables them. In doing so, she challenged systems that often protect perpetrators while isolating victims.

Today, Marzieh Ebrahimi stands as a symbol of courage and resilience—not because of what was done to her, but because of what she chose to become afterward. Her story is a reminder that justice begins when survivors are heard, believed, and allowed to reclaim their identity. By taking back her voice, Marzieh turned pain into protest and ensured that her scars would speak louder than self-imposed silence.

Marzieh was one of the first victims of a series of acid attacks on women in Isfahan starting in October 2014. These raised fears and prompted reports that the victims were targeted for not being properly veiled. As of October 27, 2014, at least twenty-five such attacks had occurred in Isfahan. At least one woman died and many more received severe burns to their faces and hands.

Following public outrage over the attacks, the Iranian Parliament passed a law in 2019 that provided broader legal protection to survivors and increased the prison term for perpetrators of acid attacks.The attacks were reportedly carried out by two unknown assailants riding together on the same motorbike. They wore helmets with visors down to hide their faces and flung acid into the faces of women who were walking or driving automobiles unveiled. None of the perpetrators were found, and as a result the victims were given blood money (“Diyah” in Farsi) from the government.

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