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Dear friends,
We are writing to you with the latest updates from Rojava, the heart of the women’s revolution.
The past few days have been a series of ups and downs regarding the implementation of the agreements of the integration accord. Some small steps are encouraging, yet at the same time we see an assimilation policy in the way the transitional government is carrying out the implementation.
The resistance of society is therefore essential, and the power of organization forms the basis of democracy.
Decree No. 13
On Wednesday, the registration processes for Syrian citizenship began.
This step can be seen as positive; however, at first all citizens were required to register as Syrian-Arab, which in turn denies Kurdish identity.
After numerous protests, the government withdrew this requirement, and people can now register as Syrian citizens.
Prisoner Exchange
In recent days, we have heard an increasing number of gunshots in the city of Qamishlo. Looking up at the sky, we could see colorful fireworks.
For every person who returns from the captivity of the Syrian transitional government to their hometown, fireworks are set off. The released individuals are welcomed with joy by their families and society. The uncertainty, concern, and lack of knowledge do not completely disappear, but they do bring great relief.
In recent days, a total of 400 people have been freed, including some fighters from the women’s self-defense units, the YPJ. So far, 870 prisoners out of the 4,000 missing in North and East Syria have been released.
No information has been given about the German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann and her Kurdish colleague Ahmed Polat.
Suweida
The residents of Suwayda reaffirmed their commitment to the right to self-determination during a demonstration today and demanded the return of the displaced. At the same time, they appealed to the United Nations to put pressure on the troops of the transitional government to withdraw from the Druze villages.
Zain Abu Sarhan from the village of Labin appealed to the United Nations and the guarantor states to intervene and enable residents to return to their villages:
“We will not give up our land and our villages. We demand the withdrawal of the so-called security forces and tribal militias from the villages in the west and north of al-Maqran, after we were displaced for nine months and our homes were destroyed. We also demand a rapid return and the implementation of our right to self-determination.”
Serekaniye
On October 9, 2019, the Turkish state launched an occupation war against the region in northern Syria, particularly in Serekaniye (Ras al-Ayn) and Gire Spi (Tal Abyad), which violates internationally recognized human rights. The attacks on northern Syria were justified under the pretext of establishing a “security zone.” Since then, the area has been occupied by Turkey and its militias (SNA). The attacks were not only the cause of the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. At the same time, a place where democracy, women’s rights, and freedom of belief existed was destroyed.
Despite these ongoing conditions, internally displaced people from Serêkaniyê are demanding their return. Many currently live in the Washokani camp near Hasaka.
However, the humanitarian situation there is deteriorating, characterized by increasing economic hardship and declining aid.
Huriya Deham Suleiman, a displaced woman from the village of Lilan near Serêkaniyê, said:
“Some residents have already tried to return individually to their homes and villages. I also went back. But there were no signs of life – the houses are destroyed, and the village is still full of landmines.”
She added: “We want to return safely to our villages. We have been living in a real tragedy in the camp for years, especially since aid from organizations has been cut.”
“We want to return safely to our homes and receive support for reconstruction after seven years of destruction,” she said.
Raqqa
Last week, workers in Raqqa demonstrated for their wages, which the Syrian transitional government has not paid for months. When we walk through the streets of Raqqa, we see how difficult everyday survival has become.
People in Raqqa are currently standing in long lines in front of shops to buy bread. In Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, which are under the control of the provisional Damascus government, the prices of bread and fuel have skyrocketed. The population has hardly any access to bread and clean water.
Iran–USA–Israel War
Since the beginning of the Iran–USA–Israel war, we have condemned the illegality of this war and the self-serving way in which the USA and the Zionist state of Israel instrumentalize it. Their alleged defense of the Iranian people and the overthrow of the theocratic regime are nothing more than pretexts to legitimize their aggression, which aims at geostrategic and economic advantages. The genocide and plundering of the Palestinian people continue in massacres and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Iran, in Rojhilat, and in other countries of the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon and Iraq, where Bashur is becoming another site of aggression.
In the face of geopolitical polarization and patriarchal hegemony, we as women clearly distance ourselves from the warring parties and advocate for a third path based on dialogue and the pursuit of peace, freedom, and respect.
Despite the ceasefire between the USA and Iran, Israel’s war against Lebanon continues. A meeting to clarify a ceasefire is expected in the coming days. Thousands of people in Lebanon are forced to flee and leave their homes. Hundreds of civilians have already been killed and thousands injured.
Despite the ceasefire, attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq continue. A drone from Iranian militias was shot down over Hewlêr. Since the end of February, hundreds of attacks have been recorded.
Attacks by the Israeli state in the Gaza Strip also continue. The Israeli state is in the process of passing the death penalty for Palestinians and once again demonstrates its brutality through different strategies in its war of aggression.
The struggle for peace means resisting the expanding wars of aggression in Iran and Lebanon, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as well as the waging of wars over resources and power on the backs of working people worldwide. Peace means supporting global struggles for liberation instead of imperial interests. Peace means opposing war and rearmament, opposing militarization both externally and internally.
War and Patriarchal Violence
War and patriarchal violence are closely interconnected and affect women in particularly harsh ways. In armed conflicts, existing power structures are often further intensified: women not only experience the general consequences of war such as displacement, poverty, and the loss of relatives, but are also frequently subjected to targeted violence. This includes sexualized violence, forced marriage, and exploitation. At the same time, in times of crisis women often bear the main responsibility for the survival of their families, even though they have fewer protections and resources available. These experiences show that war deepens patriarchal inequalities and has long-term social and psychological consequences for women.
Town Twinning
One form of supporting cities, municipalities, and their struggles is cooperation through town twinning. Partnerships should not only be understood as municipal projects, but also as an expression of political rapprochement and mutual solidarity.
On Thursday, the Kurdish metropolis of Amed and the Palestinian city of Yatta agreed on a town twinning partnership.
We too can build town twinning partnerships from anywhere and thereby strengthen relationships, information work, and our solidarity.
What we learn above all in everyday life in Rojava, what we see in the tireless resistance of society, is its necessity for building a democratic society and a democratic Syria.
The basis of this understanding of democracy is the liberation of women, because only when women can live self-determined lives and have rights can a society be free and democratic.
With that, we send revolutionary greetings from Rojava.
