A Kurdish singer has received death threats from Islamist groups after her debut video, which was filmed in Iraqi Kurdistan, shows the 25-year-old throwing a petrol bomb, draping herself over a lion and dancing with female Peshmerga soldiers (who are also wielding AK47s). Perhaps she’s working on a concept album?
The video, Risk It All was released on 3 February and has since received hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
According to her manager, Helen Abdulla – also known as
people see and hear what I have to say.
'The Peshmerga women in the video are a symbol for our strong women that have been fighting for our country and [for] independence.’
Despite the threats, Abdulla maintains that most of the response she’s had has been positive – particularly around her outspoken views on Kurdish independence. She was born in Iraqi but her family fled in 1988, before settling in Finland. She told The Guardian that she was back in Iraqi Kurdistan filming her second video – although this time accompanied by a security detail.
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Pictures: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.