School principal Zaitun Kahzadi dismissed after students performed revolutionary Kurdish anthem in Javanrud

Hengaw – Friday, October 24, 2025

Zaitun Kahzadi, principal of Ferdowsi Girls’ Elementary School in Javanrud, Kermanshah Province, has been dismissed from her position by Iranian security authorities after a group of her students performed the revolutionary Kurdish anthem “Rey Khebat” (The Path of Struggle) during a school event marking the anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Kahzadi was summoned and interrogated several times by the Intelligence Office in Javanrud following the performance. She was subsequently removed from her post as principal, and a portion of her monthly salary has been deducted as a punitive measure.

Hengaw has learned that Kahzadi’s removal was triggered by the circulation of a video of the students’ performance on social media. She now continues to teach at the same school but loses around four million tomans from her salary each month as additional punishment.

Initially, authorities had decided to expel her entirely from the education system, but later reduced the penalty to dismissal from her managerial position.

During the event, several female students, accompanied by their teacher Mehri Khosravi-zadeh, performed “Rey Khebat” (Path of Struggle)—a Kurdish revolutionary song that conveys a message of resistance, unity, and hope for a just future.

The anthem, long considered a symbol of Kurdish cultural identity and resilience, has often drawn security backlash in Iran, including pressure and disciplinary action against teachers and school administrators involved in such performances.