Emine is a Crimean Tatar — a mother of two daughters. And since the arrival of Russian authority, she knows precisely what it means to live in Crimea on her ancestral land and to fear for her own children every single day.

On one occasion during a school lesson, a teacher — in the middle of class — turned to the pupils and said directly to her daughter and the others: “All of you Muslims are terrorists!” The children were bewildered and asked: “What does that have to do with us?” There was no answer. There was only the silence of parents — parents who were afraid to complain, for fear of bringing even greater trouble upon their children. Only one father found the courage to approach the teacher personally. The rest remained silent, because to defend your child in occupied Crimea means to become an enemy of the system.

But the persecution did not end there. Russians who had moved into Crimea demanded that the Adhan — the Islamic call to prayer, which sounds five times a day — be banned. “They said the sound irritated them, that it prevented them from living comfortably,” Emine shares.

For years now, the woman has been a witness to how the occupiers are methodically destroying the religious identity of an entire nation.

“I want my children to live in a different environment. To be able to pray, to communicate, to meet people, to make friends — without fear of condemnation,” – says Emine.

The Save Ukraine team rescued Emine and her children from the occupation. The family is now safe. But thousands of Crimean Tatars continue to live there — under pressure, in fear, without the right to simply be themselves.