Manbij Men, Women Celebrates Freedom With Shaved, Unveiled Faces

Manbij women have walked without covered faces Saturday for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years after the city was freed from the control of ISIS by US-backed Syrian forces.

Some of the women even were seen setting their niqabs on fire and men appeared shaved or trimmed beards. It was also seen men and women smoked freely on the streets.

The key northern Syria city was seized back after two months of heavy fighting between the Syrian forces and ISIS militants group. Over 1,000 people have been killed in the fight and few thousands were displaced.

ISIS had also used trapped people as human shields, said Syrian Kurdish officials and an opposition activist group.

At the Manbji square a man was heard saying for the ISIS, “May God destroy them. They slaughtered us… May they not live for a minute.”

Photos circulated in social media showed young woman smoking a cigarette with uncovered face and flashing a victory sign.

The ISIS imposed harsh Islamic laws in Manbji such as women need to wear long black cloaks that just uncovered the eyes and cannot shave or trim beards. Smoking was completely banned too.

Manbij was under the control of ISIS since July 2015 and considered as important to them as the area lies on a key supply route between Turkish border and Syrian city of Raqqa, which is the de facto capital of the group.