Kongra Star Coordination member Mahmud: ‘Turkish state aggression targets women too’ – Part One

Coordination member Ayşe Mahmud said that as Kongra Star, they have started campaigns to end violence against women, and that the Turkish state has further fuelled violence in Northern and Eastern Syria with its special war policies.

Kongra Star Coordination member Ayşe Mahmud spoke to ANF about the work carried out in 2021 by the women’s movement in Northern and Eastern Syria, the struggle of women and the level reached by violence against women.

From what perspective did the Northern and Eastern Syrian women’s movement enter 2021? The women’s movements in all four parts of Kurdistan throughout the year, as well as Rojava, had a slogan, ‘Time to Defend Free Women and Society Against Women’s Crimes. What was the aim of the campaign, what kind of struggle accumulation emerged in this process?

Kongra Star held its 8th congress in 2021. Many delegates from all Northern and Eastern Syria cantons attended the congress. Many of the decisions taken at the congress were implemented. In fact, all our work throughout the year was developed based on these decisions. Initiatives and campaigns that can get effective results have been developed. One of these campaigns was called ‘No to massacre and occupation, let’s protect life and women’. Lots of different training and actions were taken throughout the campaign. One of the priority decisions of the Congress was that related to the need to achieve freedom for Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. It was at the center of all our work and actions. Our work has also developed within this framework.

We also worked on raising awareness and education of society. This year, the ‘Dem dema azadiye’ campaign was launched, promoted by Kongra Star. The first aim of this campaign was the freedom of Leader Apo. Of course, connected with this was the freedom of the society of Northern and Eastern Syria. Many seminars were given on the basis of introducing Leader Apo’s ideas and philosophy to society and raising awareness of this principle. Actions have been taken. The first phase of the campaign is over.

The second phase started on 15 November. Of course, we will develop the second phase of the campaign within the framework of this slogan. Our actions continue at the level of all cantons. We wanted to develop a democratic nation project among the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria. We wanted not only women, but the whole society to take part in the campaign.

What effect did the campaign have on society, how much did it raise awareness, what kind of plans do you foresee for the future?

Along with the 25 November process, we also started the ‘No to violence and occupation’ initiative. As part of this initiative, all Northern and Eastern Syrian women stood up together with the slogan ‘no to violence’. The initiative was spearheaded by Kongra Star, but all women’s organizations and institutions under the umbrella of the Northern and Eastern Syria Women’s Assembly took part in it.

This year, we wanted to give a different colour to our actions. For this reason, in the action planning, men also organized no-violence marches in all cantons. This year, many trainings were given by Kongra Star. Among them was the training for men. Men gave these courses, not women. Now men can educate their own sex on the basis of freedom.

A day has been set for political women murdered by the invaders. It was women who were particularly targeted and murdered by the Turkish state. The main purpose of these attacks is to break the will and resistance of the free, leading woman. On this basis, our main goal is to raise the fight against violence all over the world, to provide a moral, political and egalitarian society.

Another important point in the campaigns we organised this year was the actions developed by Arab women. Arab women established the Zenobiya Women’s Union in their own field. In particular, it was aimed to break the mentality created by ISIS in society and to bring society to a level of sensitivity about it.

In addition to the campaign, different research and work was carried out. Among them, the establishment of some committees, which was one of the decisions of the 8th congress. We had many committees established before. With the development of the work, the need for the establishment of other committees emerged. One of them was the ecology committee. Preparations were made for the establishment of an ecological council this year. All institutions will be included in this assembly. In this sense, many meetings have been held and are continuing. Finance, press and health committees were also established.

What attacks and challenges did you face in 2021, and what kind of struggle did these challenges imply?

During the year, we encountered many serious problems while carrying out our work. One of them was the invasion attacks and threats of the Turkish state. In some areas, our Kongra Star members became the target of the Turkish state. Our friends were killed in Kobanê. Of course, the purpose of these attacks was to break the will of the struggling woman, but the Turkish state could not achieve its goal. On the contrary, each fallen friend has increased our determination to struggle.

There was some violence in the community. These violent incidents were carried out through the special war policies that the Turkish state tried to impose on society through MIT. Just as ISIS wanted to develop a mentality in society, the Turkish state also developed this mentality in society and caused the death of some women, killed by their father, spouse or brother. The murder of a child named Eydê in Hesekê was a very heavy and sad event.

The Turkish state constantly tried to break this will and unity. Whenever we make progress in society, the Turkish state targets it. Although this situation affected our work from time to time, our struggle against it continued.

Our committee, which fights against such incidents, including domestic violence, women’s deaths and child marriage, is making great efforts to prevent all these. This is the primary work of the Justice Committee and Mala Jin [Women’s House].

There were 5 female suicides this year. As we always say, suicide is a social problem. For this reason, our efforts to make society conscious continue. The number of women killed and murder attempts this year across Northern and Eastern Syria is 18. Of course, this number is too high. This society was under the occupation of ISIS for a long time. For this reason, this mentality still exists in society from place to place. Many people are affected by this mentality. In some places, the killing of women is still seen as legitimate. It takes time and struggle to break this mentality and save society from it.

The second wife ‘tradition’ in society is still at the level of 64 percent. Again, marriage at a young age is at the level of 64 percent. If we consider it from the point of view of our society, it is a very high number. In addition to making broader evaluations on what society can do against this in the coming year, it is also among our goals to take much tougher decisions against them. There is already multi-faceted work being done on this in the social field. Many committees have also been established in this area and work continues. One of these committees is the children’s committee, established within the social area. It was children who were most affected by the war and whose rights were violated.