Community

We use the XMPP protocol to connect with our community. If you have not heard of it, do not worry. We will walk you through it step by step.

What is XMPP?

XMPP is an open-source messaging protocol with these properties:

• Encrypted. Messages are end-to-end encrypted with OMEMO. Only you and the recipient can read them.
• Decentralized. No single company owns it, and no single government can shut it down.
• Federated. Like email. You create your account on any server, and you can talk to people on other servers.
• No phone number required. Unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, XMPP does not need your phone number or your real identity.
• Open source. Anyone can audit the code. There is no hidden surveillance.

Setup steps

1. Install the Conversations app

Conversations is the best XMPP app for Android. You can download it for free from the F-Droid store (no Google account needed):

Download Conversations from F-Droid

F-Droid is a free, open-source app store. If you do not have it yet, install it first from f-droid.org. For iPhone users, the closest alternative is Monal (available on the App Store).

2. Register a free account

When you open the app for the first time, choose "Create new account". You can register on one of these free public servers:

• conversations.im. The official Conversations server.
• jabber.de. A trusted free German server.

Choose a username that does not reveal your identity. Do not use your real name, nickname, or birthdate. Pick something unrelated to you.

Contact us

Once you have your account, you can reach us in one of two ways:

XMPP

Add the following JID to your contacts:

iriszimmerfrau@conversations.im

ProtonMail

If you prefer encrypted email:

iriszimmerfrau@proton.me

What to expect when you reach out

• We usually respond within 48 hours.
• We will not ask for your real name or location unless it is necessary to help you.
• We will not share your information with anyone. Ever.
• You can write in Arabic, English, or Kurdish.
• If we cannot help directly, we will try to point you to a trusted resource.

Anonymous contribution

Do you have a story or experience you want to share with the community? You can do so completely anonymously.

How to share your story

1. Create a new XMPP account with a pseudonym unrelated to you (follow the steps above).
2. Message us at iriszimmerfrau@conversations.im and let us know you would like to share your story.
3. Write your story however you want. Formal or colloquial, long or short.
4. We will review it with you and remove any details that might identify you before publishing.
5. We will never publish anything without your explicit consent.

Your voice matters, and your story may help someone else who feels alone. Share it if you want to, in the way that works for you.

External community resources

Discord

Discord requires phone verification on many servers. this can leak your Iraqi phone number to Discord and, in past breaches, to other users. Use a virtual / non-Iraqi number if possible. Messages persist indefinitely on Discord's servers. Voice chat reveals your voice. Profile pictures are visible to every server member. If you join, use an account you have never used elsewhere.

Reddit

Reddit logs your IP address. Your full comment and voting history is publicly archived. Including by third parties that mirror Reddit. An account you have used elsewhere can be cross-referenced against anything you say there. Create a fresh throwaway account behind a VPN, never link it to any account that knows your real identity, and never post anything you would not want surfaced years later.

YouTube

Watching does not require an account, but commenting, liking, or subscribing requires a Google account. And Google logs every signed-in watch against your real identity. Watch logged out, or in a private / incognito window behind a VPN, if you want to keep your watch history out of your Google profile. Do not comment from any account tied to your real identity.