On this year’s 8th of March, we send our revolutionary greetings and solidarity to the resistant women in Afghanistan and to all those who daily resist the patriarchal and oppressive system.
Since the developments in Afghanistan around the deal between the USA and the Taliban, the Taliban gained legitimacy from the international community with their Islamist and misogynist policies. Their strengthening threatens the freedom and livelihoods of the local population, especially women. Worldwide, the imperial policies of all states and their alliances are leaving a battlefield. Current events, be it in Afghanistan, Ukraine or Kurdistan, make it clear to us that the states’ talk of responsibility for democracy and human rights are pretended lies in order to be able to push through their geopolitical interests. Wars of aggression against international law are part of their expansionist policy. We are currently seeing this not only in Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, but also in the war of aggression and drone warfare waged by NATO partner Turkey in Northeastern Syria, but also in the continued silence and acquiescence of the international community of states, which makes it clear that they, too, are profiting from these wars. Because occupation and war always serve the rulers and are carried out on the backs of civil society. All over the world, we see a global patriarchal system that suppresses the freedom and self-determination of society and especially that of women. At the same time, the protection of the people is not part of the state’s interests and clearly shows us that we cannot rely on the patriarchal and imperialist system of domination of the states and that we have to take the fight for our freedom and democratic values into our own hands.
Only the societies themselves can be the solving force for their problems as well as our common struggle against patriarchy, fascism, militarism and exploitation. The aim must be for all societies to be able to organise themselves in a self-determined way in the places where they live and want to live. The real power lies with the people themselves. Especially women carry the power to create free life. No state will be able to do just that.
It is the images of Afghan women taking to the streets and making their struggle for women’s rights loud, or the images of women in Northeastern Syria building an alternative social system based on grassroots democracy and women’s liberation that give us hope and strength. The women’s revolution in Northeastern Syria shows us that resistance wins where it is organised; where sustainable structures of self-defence are built. Therefore, it is important that we organise our own autonomous structures and self-defence. Because since the beginning of patriarchy, the male mentality wants us to believe that women cannot defend themselves. But the past and present provide us with many counter-examples. Be it the revolution in Rojava, the resistance of the friends in the mountains of Kurdistan, the struggles for bodily self-determination, against femicide and against the destruction of the earth in Latin America or the ongoing resistance of women in Afghanistan.
Let’s make our feminist and international solidarity practical! For us, this means putting self-determination and self-organisation of all people at the centre of our struggle.
There are many forms of resistance, let’s use them. To resist all kinds of patriarchal attacks, we need to organise. The more we organise, the more we will be able to defend and realise our lives, ideas, hopes and dreams. Let’s take our resistance to the streets not only on 8 March, but every day! We are convinced that the combination of our struggles for freedom, our resistance and organising will determine the course of our history. Our resistance to war and commitment to peace are central reference points in our political struggle, because the struggle against war must be a feminist and self-determined one.
It is time for international solidarity to stand up! The imperialist policy must be put to an end!
The struggle for freedom will create free life!
Jin Jiyan Azadî
