NEWS CENTER – The internationalist women’s alliance “WomenDefendRojava” has addressed the public with a written appeal on its homepage and stated:
“On November 19, 2022, the Turkish state launched a new operation in the self-governing areas of northern and eastern Syria (Rojava) and northern Iraq/Southern Kurdistan.
This operation is not the start of a new war, it is the intensification and continuation of the permanent state of war in Kurdistan. The numerous drone attacks and the use of chemical weapons and poison gas in recent months have repeatedly shown what the Turkish regime is willing to do to implement its illegal occupation plans in Kurdistan. The German media uncritically adopt narratives from the fascist regime of Erdogan.
But it is not only the Turkish state that is waging war in Kurdistan with international support. At the same time, the Iranian regime in East Kurdistan/Northern Iran is using the most brutal violence against the protests of the people on the streets. It is the protests that, led by women, have once again carried the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (women, life, freedom) around the world.
We all know that the international community would be able to end these attacks in Kurdistan. But we have seen in the last few weeks that the governments only pay lip service to the war in Kurdistan.
These attacks are directed against the hope that the women’s revolution has awakened in us and against the strength of self-organization. We understand the current war of annihilation as a targeted attack on the women’s revolution, on the origin of the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” and thus as an attack on the ideas and implementation of women’s liberation ideology.
With the establishment of WOMEN DEFEND ROJAVA we have built a campaign to defend the women’s revolution in Kurdistan and to follow its values and principles. We will defend their anti-patriarchal analyzes as well as the newly built social institutions. In the current phase we oppose these attacks with a clear feminist, ecological, anti-colonial and anti-fascist organization.
We know we have the power to stop this war. Let us make it clear that the uprisings in Rojhilat and Iran, the guerrilla armed resistance in the mountains of Kurdistan and the women’s revolution in Rojava are inextricably linked! Let’s spread all the hope that our friends in Kurdistan gave us all over the world and now defend it with all our organized power from all parts of the world!
It is the power of women and people of other oppressed genders that will change this world!
That is why we call for and invite you all to participate in the WOMEN DEFEND ROJAVA campaign.
Organize open autonomist feminist meetings!
Form a local WOMEN DEFEND ROJAVA committee! Hold rallies and demonstrations! Distribute flyers, approach press representatives and demand that they report the situation appropriately! Put pressure on politicians! Network with other groups! Organize a bake sale, collect donations and support the development of civil protection in Rojava! Organize an information event, think about how you can get active with local clubs or organize a sports event in solidarity!
Sign our statement “For Consistent Feminist Diplomacy – No-Fly Zone for North and East Syria / Rojava”!
Make all this visible and tell us about it! Because then the people in Kurdistan can learn about it, draw strength from our solidarity and defend free life in international solidarity.
Long live the women’s revolution in Rojava! Long live the resistance in Kurdistan!
Jin Jiyan Azadi!”
Further information on the campaign, flyer and appeal under this link .
