As Syria's rebels wage a guerilla campaign against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, their wives are fighting a battle of their own. Far from the frontlines, these women -- now refugees in Jordan -- are struggling to support their families despite meager financial means. Calls from their husbands are the only thing that breaks up the dull routine of everyday life and fantasies of reunion are fed by sultry texts that have infused romance back into these marriages.
Aysha, 28, has been married for 11 years to "Abu Layla," a fighter for the Free Syrian Army -- and carried on a secret relationship with him for four years before that. Here, she shows a tattoo on her shoulder that reads, "Why did you leave me when I needed you?"
The tattoo relates to a dramatic quarrel the two young teens had when they were dating -- upon making up, they each tattooed the message as a reminder of how horrible it was being apart. Aysha is proud of her revolutionary husband, and laughs that she never imagined the tattoo would take on such poignant meaning years later.
Tanya Habjouqa
