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Dear friends,
We are writing to you with daily news from Rojava, the heart of the women’s revolution. We have experienced a great deal in recent days.
The entire community is bustling with activity and preparing for the festivities. This year, Eid al-Fitr, the breaking of the fast, and Newroz, the festival of spring and resistance, are taking place at the same time.
Breaking the Fast
In preparation for the grand, multi-day Eid al-Fitr festival, families have cleaned their homes, baked cookies with nuts and dates, bought sweets, and prepared food to welcome the whole family and all their guests. Eid al-Fitr begins with the first sighting of the Hilal, the tiny crescent moon, in the evening after the new moon.
On the first morning after breaking the fast, it is traditional for the community to travel at sunrise to the Şehidlik, the memorial and burial site of the fallen martyrs. The families of the fallen distribute sweets and commemorate them with visitors. For the families whose loved ones died earlier this year in attacks by the Syrian interim government and the Turkish state, this gathering is important for mourning and for carrying on the legacy of their fallen loved ones’ vision of a liberated, democratic life. After visiting the shrine, it is traditional for the children to go from door to door asking for sweets. With bags full of treats, they return home to find the first guests already there. The days of breaking the fast are also a time for the community to visit one another. They drink coffee or tea together, share sweets, and, above all, discuss recent events. Some families have spoken about the division of the Arab and Kurdish populations as a strategy of imperialist powers, while others have talked about their work, the importance of recognizing the Kurdish language, or Friday prayers at the mosque.
Newroz
The preparations for the New Year have been underway for the past few days. Every evening, a fire was lit in a different part of town, and people gathered to dance. Newroz is celebrated throughout Kurdistan, as well as in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Balochistan. On March 21st, the entire population came together again and lit a fire as a symbol of energy. Thousands of people danced, sang, and made music together in cities, villages, mountains, and along the river. The dances are communal circle dances where everyone holds hands and feels a shared rhythm through each other’s bodies. People wear colorful clothes in various patterns and fabrics or traditional Gurila suits. Spring blossoms not only in nature but also in the spirit of the people. Animals emerge from their winter hibernation, and so does society. Cultural customs and rituals are of great importance for community life. The gathering is guided by a shared foundation and history.
Especially in times of war, festivals, gatherings, and resistance are the moments when the population draws strength.
On the occasion of Newroz, the women of the population call for holding fast to Kurdish identity. The festival represents a symbol of freedom and identity and simultaneously embodies a cultural dimension and a historical heritage passed down through generations.
In Ahmed in Northern Kurdistan, the words of Abdullah Öcalan were read aloud. He addresses the population and calls on everyone to take action. “It is in our hands to make this year a true year of freedom for all the peoples of the Middle East.”
Attacks by the Syrian Transitional Government and the Turkish State
When we returned from the Newroz festival, terrible news reached us. After the Newroz celebrations, people returned home. During their journeys, they were subjected to severe attacks by groups affiliated with the Transitional Government and supporters of the Turkish state. These groups have set up mobile checkpoints on the road between Afrin and Aleppo and are asking returning residents if they are Kurds and then attacking them. They are dragged from their vehicles and their vehicles are destroyed. The groups take Kurdish flags from them and burn them, drag them from their cars, and beat them. A Kurd’s motorcycle was set on fire. In Afrin, Tal Rifaat, and Al Bab, there are particularly severe persecutions of Kurds celebrating Newroz and carrying Kurdish flags. In the course of this, further convoys from the Syrian interim government and the Turkish state set out for Sheikh Maqsoud to carry out their atrocities.
The security forces of the Jazira Canton condemned the attacks against the Kurdish population in Afrin and Aleppo and called for restraint in the face of these attacks. That same evening, hundreds of people took to the streets in Derik, Haseke, and Qamishli to protest the attacks on the Kurdish population. They called on all sides to exercise restraint in the face of these provocations. These attacks, especially following the Newroz celebrations, demonstrate once again how determined the Turkish state and the Syrian interim government are to break the spirit of resistance and the belief in a free and peaceful life in Syria. They employ strategies of intimidation and mutual incitement against the Arab and Kurdish populations. These strategies serve to destabilize the population and undermine democratic coexistence.
Release of More Prisoners
During the last days, 300 prisoners held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were released in Hasakah as part of a prisoner exchange. They were welcomed on Thursday evening in the north of the city by family members and representatives of the Autonomous Administration. The released prisoners come from various regions of northern and eastern Syria, including Hasakah, Qamishli, Kobane, Afrin, Deir ez-Zor, Sheda, and Aleppo. They had been abducted in January during the offensive against the Autonomous Administration by troops and militias of the Syrian Transitional Government. Each release is a major achievement and of great importance to the families, some of whom have lived in uncertainty, fear, and grief for years.
Attacks by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
In recent days, the Iranian regime has increasingly attacked camps and civilian facilities in Basur, Southern Kurdistan. On Thursday evening, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard attacked the Sûrdaş camp near Dukan, close to Sulaimaniyah, with eight drones. Fires broke out in several locations. The camp houses family members of fighters from the Komala Party, the camp of East Kurdish political parties. So far, there is no information on the extent of the damage or injuries. The Alliance of Political Forces of East Kurdistan strongly condemns these attacks. An urgent statement was sent to the Secretary-General and the Security Council of the United Nations, the United States government and its allies, the Iraqi central government, and international human rights organizations. The statement points out that the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued its systematic attacks over the past 21 days, repeatedly violating Iraq’s national sovereignty and international law. The regime has carried out numerous missile and drone attacks, destroying refugee camps and facilities of Kurdish parties.
Therefore, it is important to address these attacks and build international pressure. We know that the Kurdish regions and organizations in the Middle East play a central role in the war.
The strategy of peace, diplomatic solutions, and de-escalation for the Kurdish population remains in place and must continue to be defended.
And with that, we send you revolutionary greetings from Rojava.
