Margaret George Malik Shello, known as Margaret George, was born on January 21, 1942, in the Amedi district. Her family later moved to Duhok and the village of Barwari Bala.
Margaret was a bright, educated woman whose first job was in a hospital. Alongside her work, she developed a deep passion for reading, particularly European literature. She became captivated by the French Enlightenment and the history of France, which eventually led her to discover and admire Joan of Arc.
Inspired by Joan of Arc’s courage and ideals, Margaret found herself drawn to similar revolutionary ideals as conflict escalated in her homeland. During the early 1960s, Kurdistan, especially Bahdinan, Duhok, Amedi, Zawita, Barwari Bala, and Christian villages, were under heavy attack by the Iraqi regime. This ignited Margaret’s revolutionary spirit, and in 1961, she joined the Kurdish revolution led by Mulla Mustafa Barzani. By 1963, at the age of 20, Margaret had taken up arms and become one of the first female Peshmerga fighters, serving as both a combatant and a medic, treating wounded Peshmerga fighters.
Margaret was vocal about her inspiration from Joan of Arc, often sharing the French heroine’s story with Mulla Mustafa and her fellow Peshmerga fighters. Her passion for freedom and justice was fueled by the parallels she saw between France’s history and the Kurdish struggle for independence.
On the night of January 26, 1969, Margaret George was martyred in an ambush in the village of Qala Qumri, leaving behind a legacy as a fearless fighter and a symbol of hope for the Kurdish people.