Evin Arsalani

Evin Was a Mother,
and Kordia Was a Little Girl in Red Shoes

Evin was born in January 1990 in the city of Mahabad. For years, her mother had prayed and made vows in the hope of having a daughter after two sons. When Evin was born, the house filled with color, and what name could have been more fitting than “Evin,” a Kurdish name meaning love.

Evin was only eighteen months old when her father was arrested on charges of “spreading falsehoods.” He was separated from the family for nearly a year, and during that time her mother became ill and had to be transferred to Tehran for treatment. Evin remained behind with her two brothers, Amir and Omid. It took several months for the family to be reunited and for both parents to return, but the close bond between the sister and her two brothers endured for years afterwards, even after the three siblings were living together in Canada while their parents had returned to Iran.

When Evin was eight years old, the family decided to leave Iran. They spent eighteen months in Turkey among refugees before Canada finally accepted them. Evin attended Dallington Public School and, after completing her education, entered the workforce. At the age of twenty-three, she made the personal decision to return to Iran. That decision led her to meet her future husband, Hiva. They were married on February 7, 2013, and Evin returned to Canada to prepare for her husband’s immigration process. Six months later, Evin and Hiva began their life together in Canada.

After returning to Canada, Evin completed several training programs and was hired by CIBC as a client services advisor. She worked tirelessly, often holding two shifts, seemingly without ever growing tired. Before the end of 2016, Evin and Hiva had purchased a home in Ajax, west of Toronto, and moved there in search of a peaceful life.

Hiva, who had been a mechanical engineer in Iran, continued his education at George Brown College and, after two years, began working as an HVAC specialist. It was 2018, and they were expecting a child. Evin loved the idea of motherhood, and motherhood suited her beautifully.

Kordia, the youngest passenger on Flight PS752, was born in 2018, and Evin wanted to be a devoted mother in every sense of the word. When Kordia was only ten months old, Evin called a music school and said, “I want to register my daughter for piano lessons.” When they asked Kordia’s age, they assumed Evin was joking, and the conversation went no further. Evin was on maternity leave at the time, and she and Hiva had decided to soon sell their house in Ajax and buy a new home closer to her brothers. Those dreams often came up in conversations with her brothers and with Hiva, and they were close to becoming reality. But in December 2019, they decided to travel to Iran for Hiva’s brother’s wedding and planned to put those decisions into action after returning.

Evin’s heart was not at ease about the trip. She could not decide whether to go or stay. The day before leaving for Iran, she told Amir, “This is the last time I’m going.” And it was.

Amir and Evin spoke one hour before boarding the plane. Her uncles adored Kordia, and when they heard that she had a fever and that Evin was exhausted, their concern deepened. Kordia was wearing little red lace-up shoes, but she was so tired that she would not lift her head from her mother’s arms. Later, photographs of those red shoes broke hearts around the world. Hiva believed there was nothing to worry about and that they should board the plane as soon as possible. Evin said in Kurdish, “See you tomorrow, dear Amir,” and Amir and Omid are still waiting for that tomorrow to arrive.

From the loss of the daughter who had come into their home after so many prayers and vows, nothing remains except bloodshot eyes for her mother, a bent back for her father, and hearts filled with sorrow for her brothers.

Amir says, “We will never again be the people we once were. Half of our existence has been taken from us.”

Amir says, “Dear Evin, all of us were caught completely off guard, and this spring of tears will never run dry. We miss you beyond infinity, my beloved little sister.”

Written by: Amir Arsalani (Brother)

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