The Martyr Mother and Newborns of Dasht-e-Barchi

About this piece

“The Martyr Mothers and Newborns of Dasht-e-Barchi” is dedicated to the victims of the massacre at the Dasht-e-Barchi maternity and women’s hospital — those Hazara mothers who, at the moment of giving birth, became victims of genocide alongside their newborns. The earthy background of the canvas symbolizes the earth and the womb of life, while the scattered red stains reflect the blood of the innocent, silenced before they were ever given the chance to breathe in this world. Blurred traces and merging shadows evoke silent screams and a suffering that words can never fully capture. “The Martyr Mothers and Newborns of Dasht-e-Barchi” is not merely a painting; it is a visual elegy for the most innocent victims and, at the same time, a testimony to a crime that has deeply wounded the historical memory of a people. This work serves as a reminder that even at the moment of birth, the lives of these mothers and children fell victim to hatred — yet their memory will never be erased.