A fresh start for a woman who fled Iran

"I want to be free," says Zahra Gomari, who came to Montreal as a refugee five months ago after fleeing Iran. Zhara was born without arms and with only one leg. She explains that life in Iran, was unbearable. Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed reports.

By Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed

Posted November 3, 2022 4:40 pm.

Last Updated November 3, 2022 6:31 pm.

Zahra Gomari came to Montreal five months ago after leaving Iran. She was born with a severe congenital limb deficiency — no arms and only one leg.

She traveled through Iran, Turkey and the U.S. before she came to Canada and claimed refugee status.

Zahra Gomari (Photo Credit: Andrea Cloutier)

“So Zahra, she’s living currently in a shelter in Montreal, which I personally went to visit,” explained Federica Gangai, a friend of Gomari. “And for her condition, you know, she’s born with a severe limb deficiency, and she cannot do a lot of things in the shelter. So she needs to live in her own apartment and she needs assistance.

“She needs assistance to go grocery shopping. She needs assistance to prepare some meals. She needs assistance to go to the pharmacy. She has no one. She left all her family,” added Gangai.

Zahra Gomari (Photo Credit: Andrea Cloutier)

Gomari opened up to CityNews about what life was like in Iran.

“If you want to travel, then your father should allow you. If you have a husband, your husband should allow you. So it’s different. So I cannot work. I cannot do anything I want,” she explained.

“It was very hard. Leaving Iran is very hard for me because I have a disability. So they (Gomari’s family) just told me, you cannot marry. Because of my situation and they told me you have no chance to ask, to have really marry. So it’s very sad.”

“Is not about religion, is not about hijab, is good or not, is about freedom. It’s about humanity. It’s about choice. I want to be free. I want to have a good life just not breathing. It’s not about just breathing. In Iran it’s just breathing, I don’t have any life. Here I have a chance to have a good life, a good job, and a good marriage. I want to be free.”

Zahra Gomari (Photo Credit: Andrea Cloutier)

As for their friendship, “We have a lot of pictures together because we want to send a message. Women supporting women,” explained Gangai. “I grew up in Italy where there’s none of this. Hearing her story, shocked me. Can you believe this is what they are going through? It’s also a story of friendship. When women support women, there’s nothing that can stop us.”