Life had been unkind for mother and daughter, Somayeh Mehri, 29-years-old and Ra’na Afghanipour, three-years-old, victims of forced love. Because of saying «No» to this love they’ve been attacked by acid.
They lived in a small town in one of the poorest regions in Iran. Somayeh’s husband, Amir was a thief and drug addict. She has been hit and locked many times in her house and other places by him, and it encouraged her to get divorced. But Amir forced her to live with him. Amir indirectly threatened Somayeh that if she wants to get divorced and not live with him any more, she will not live her life with her face that she pressed on. Somayeh’s husband, Amir Afghanipour on the Midnight of June 2011, purposely poured a bucket of acid on his wife and child while they were sleep, so they could not live a normal social life any more. As a result of this incident, Somayeh’s and her daughter Rana’s faces, hands and part of the bodies were severely burned. Also Somayeh lost her ability to see and Ra’na lost on her eyes.
According to medical specialists, Somayeh needs at least hundreds of operations and Ra’na needs more than 70 operations. Government and villagers paid for some of these operations. They also sold their lands in order to pay for more surgeries. Acid assault is one of the brutal ways to take revenge in love affairs. In some of the third world countries most acid assaults victims are women. In these countries some men in order to force women to make them love and live with them, threatening them with throwing acid on them. Otherwise they will be attacked by acid and lose their chance to live a normal life in society. Acid assault is more common in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Love can be forceful Somayeh says.