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The statement was held in Kurdish, Arabic and English and reads as follows:
“Our city of Afrin became known to the world on the background of the savage attacks by the Turkish army and Turkey-backed jihadist groups. And it became known with the resistance of its people against the fascist occupation. Afrin has become the symbol of the women’s and people’s revolution, the symbol of multicultural democracy. Since the beginning of human history, Afrin and its nature played a central role in the development of human virtues lead by women, such as agriculture, social live and solidarity. The first women’s revolution took place on this ground.
The imposition of male oppression lead to the first rupture on the body, culture and existence of women and society. The soil and values of the mother-goddesses Taratha and Ishtar were plundered and occupied. Like we are witnessing today, the oppressive men and occupying armies aimed at the subordination of women, society and nature by imposing their rape culture, assimilation and slavery. But the resistance of women and society could never be annihilated.
In the Rojava Revolution women rose up against this system of atrocity. With their resistance against the coercion by nation-states and the massacres committed by jihadist groups like Daish and Al-Nusra, inch by inch the soil of Northern Syria, the soil of mother-goddess Taratha, Atargatis and Ishtar, was defended and liberated from occupation. Since 2011 women have played a leading role in the creation of the system of Democratic and Ecologic Self-Administration and Women’s Liberation. This system has been embraced by all the different people of Northern Syria within the last years.
The women’s and social revolution of Rojava ignited hope and became an example for women and people worldwide. In order to defend this hope of a life in freedom against fascist aggression, women from many different places of the world came to Rojava, like the YPJ-fighter Hêlîn Qereçox (Anna Campbell) from Britain and the comerade Lêgerîn Çiya (Alina Sanchez) from Argentina. With love and deep believe they gave their life for defending Afrin and the 2nd women’s revolution.
On January 20th, 2018, the genocidal attacks of the Turkish fascist state and its jihadist groups started against the Afrin Canton. These are continuing until today with all fierceness. Hundreds of people – women, men, children and old people – were injured and killed in the bombardments of our villages and cities. Also houses, schools, hospitals, infrastructure for water, the Meydanke damm, fields, holy places and historical sites were damaged and demolished by the attacks of the Turkish army. The occupiers plundered our homes and our land. All kinds of torture, murder, rape and assimilation are imposed upon women and the society.
With their politics and weapon trades, the European states, Russia and USA supported the aggressions of the Turkish state. Especially Russia’s alliance with the Turkish fascist regime enabled the execution of massacres in Afrin. With their silence the interstate institutions like UN and EU approved these crimes against humanity. As women of Afrin we are condemning this dirty policies and alliances of the state forces and will never forget!
Threatened of a large-scale genocide, on March 18th together with around 200,000 inhabitants of Afrin, we saw ourselves obliged to leave our land. Since then we are living under difficult conditions – without any help or protection by international institutions.
We are determined to raise our resistance and struggle until we will have liberated our Afrin again from the fascist occupation and imposition of the Turkish state.
With this aim we announce the 2nd stage of the campaign “Women Rise Up For Afrin”.
In the margin of the 1st stage of the campaign, through our resistance and the actions of women all around the world the truth of the ruling system of oppression and the fascist character of the Turkish state and its occupation were revealed. Under the slogan of “Women Rise Up For Afrin” in various countries and places of the world women organised protests, made wall-paintings, pictures, street theatres and other creative actions.
But now it is necessary to gather all our strength and will for the liberation of Afrin and the defence of the women’s revolution, to fight and to win. We have to create pressure as well on international institutions and states. So that these institutions take their responsibility in the frame of universal law and stop the genocide attacks on culture, people and women of Afrin.
Our Aim and Demands:
– The UN, international institutions and Human Rights organisations have to fulfil their responsibility to ensure the security and human needs of the people from Afrin!
– The Turkish state’s occupation has to be ended. The return of Afrin’s people to their land, free from occupation has to be protected and ensured by the international community!
– All responsible and perpetrators of crimes against humanity against the people of Afrin like occupation, rape, murder, plundering, and feminicide have to be convicted for their crimes by an international court!
We call on all our sisters and comrades, on all the women of the world:
– Women, rise up – together we raise our resistance for the liberation of Afrin and the victory of the women’s revolution!
– Against fascism and feminicide, build up the unity of women and spread the women’s revolution everywhere!
– Everywhere Afrin – Everywhere Resistance!
#WomenRiseUpForAfrin
#StopTurkishFeminicideInAfrin
Kongra Star Afrin
8 April 2018″
