Listen to our daily update:
Dear comrades and friends,
We are reaching out with a daily update from Rojava, the heart of the women’s revolution, where humanity is being defended right now.
To begin, I would like to report on the ongoing developments of the agreement between the Syrian Transitional Government and the Autonomous Administration.
The agreement includes a ceasefire and the integration of the self-administration into state structures and officially came into effect today. The aim is to prevent another murderous war and to secure the achievements of the revolution within the state.
The women here continue to insist on the co chair system and to guarentee that the YPJ will remain an autonom military force. This we must keep at the forefront of our actions and ensure that the achievments of the womens revolution are not lost.
The fact that these are missing and that there is still no general guarantee of women’s rights, continues to warrant great vigilance in protecting the achievements of the women’s revolution and ensuring its further development. Today was also the proposals for positions for key administrative and leadership posts. We see that the nominations re excusivly men. This we must continue to struggle against this. As well as our conintued insistace on the co-chair system.
The delegation o the internal security forcesof the Syrian government took place in Haseke today, and further meetings are scheduled for tomorrow in Qamishli.
The goal is to develop concrete steps for institutional cooperation, particularly regarding the appointment of administrative and security personnel in the Kurdish areas, as I just mentioned.
To ensure the safety of these talks, for which units of the Syrian Ministry of the Interior are entering the predominantly Kurdish cities, the Asaiyş, the local security forces, have imposed a partial curfew.
There is a general atmosphere of confusion and uncertainty in society about how things will develop.
Most people’s responses to the question of what they think about the agreement sound something like this:
“I don’t know, we’ll see, but we are prepared to defend our values and achievements if necessary.”
Especially the women are making their stance very clear these days through demonstrations and public statements:
“We tell the world that we Kurds will never submit; we will always resist. Our main motto is: ‘Berxwedan jiyane.'” says Şukriye Osman at a demonstration in Qamishli.
The agreed-upon withdrawal of troops from the front lines has so far only partially occurred. Most importantly, the siege of Kobani has now continued for 14 days. Fourteen days without supplies of food, medicine, heating oil, and with repeated interruptions to electricity and internet access. While hunger in Kobani is becoming unbearable, directly across the border in Turkey, 25 urgently needed humanitarian aid trucks are stuck and have been prevented from reaching Kobani for four days now by the Turkish military.
A vigil has formed next to the trucks to voice its accusations of human rights violations against the 600,000 People trapped under siege in Kobani.
Generally, Turkey has remained silent these days, even though the ceasefire agreement also addresses the return of peoples in their home-regions that have been under Turkish occupation for years, such as Afrin and Serekanye.
Turkey’s heavy weapons are still positioned at the border, ready for a military invasion of Rojava. This puts pressure on the negotiation process.
The organized resistance continues unabated. I’d like to share a quote from 62-year-old Mother Zerîfa, who is part of the People’s Defense Post in Kobani and works in shifts day and night to maintain the safety and defense of the community:
“We have seen enough mothers’ tears. Now we stand by our children and resist – to the last ounce of strength, in snow, rain, or cold.”
Yesterday, demonstrations and actions took place throughout Kurdistan and around the world as part of the end of the global week of action for Rojava. The demonstrators demanded: “An immediate end to the military attacks by the Syrian Transitional Government and its militias, the lifting of the siege of Kobanê, and the political and legal recognition of the Democratic Self-Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).”
Especially moving are the Demonstrations in Shengal and Camp Maxmur, that expressed their solidarity and made clear: attacks on Kurdish society in Rojava are also attacks on Kurdish society in Sinjar and Makhmur.
I would also like to say something about the violent situation in Eastern Kurdistan and Iran. Because of the internet blockade, hardly any information is getting out.
Now, the human rights organization HRNA has published new numbers of those killed and arrested during the recent protests since December 28: According to them, almost 7,000 protesters were murdered and almost 50,000 arrested in attacks by the forces of the Iranian regime. 146 of those murdered were children under 18.
We can assume that despite this enormous repression, the resistance continues.
At the same time, US President Trump repeatedly threatens a military invasion in Iran and legitimizes this with his war on terror and the destruction of nuclear weapons.
This has History: In Iraq in 2003, the US also legitimized its murderous military invasion with nuclear weapons, the existence of which was later dis proven, and with a fight against terrorism, which was strengthened rather than weakened by the war.
While the EU has now classified the Iranian regime as a terrorist regime, the Iranian regime accuses all European armies of being terrorists.
While the powers are attacking each other, the society is standing up, demanding a truly democratic alternative, not the Western lie that has only ever brought more instability to the Middle East, and above all, women’s liberation.
We stand with the protesters in Iran and want to clearly speak out against all forms of terrorism, whether from the Iranian regime or the Western states.
Closing, I want to read to you a message from a YPG fighter, addressing the world from Kobani:
“We are back on the front lines, defending Kobani against the same ideology we fought against over ten years ago.”
“The uniforms are new, the Beards shorter, but the ideology is the same. “
“We fight for the children of tomorrow. For hope. For justice, to the very last stand. I can say no more. But I address all those around the world who see this: Don’t look away. You are the ones who can change the world. Every person can make a difference. Every single person can make a difference. Join our ranks. Overcome walls, borders, barriers—they are not real. They are a myth. Join the fight for justice, with honor and pride.”
With these words,
revolutionary greetings from Rojava
