Narges Mohammadi | نرگس محمدی
I left home. This house is used to being left behind—sometimes for prison, sometimes for migration, and now, for escaping war. How heartbreaking it is that my home watches its residents leave, again and again. I used to think the most painful moment for this house was when Ali and Kiana left—when the sound of their laughter, their running, their joyful childhood faded. The neighbors still remember it. What a harsh time we live in, when even greater pain and hardship seem to lie ahead. As I glanced one last time at my cleaned-up room and closed the door behind me, I felt more broken than ever. This time, leaving is harder. This time, it’s because of war. Hoping to return one day. I know millions of our fellow citizens are leaving their homes to escape war—fleeing death, fear, and destruction—and because there is no shelter left in their cities, they seek refuge in others. Let’s be each other’s refuge. June 17, 2025 Narges Mohammadi #NoToWar