After we have brought out the personality of Zîlan, the old masculinity has died. – Rêber Apo
On the 30th July 1996 Şehîd Zîlan (Zeynep Kinaci) made her selfsacrifizing action in Dersim. She joined the Guerilla in 1995 and as an result of an attempt to assasinate on Rêber Apo on 6th May 1996 in Damascus Şehîd Zilan was able to understand what was going to happen. The attack on Rêber Apo would have been the first attempt of global imperial forces to eliminate the Freedom Movement of Kurdistan. What we call the international conspirancy today, was planned to start on this day and developed with time. On 9th October 1998 this led to the point where Rêber Apo left Syria. A day in the History of humanity that can be noted as the start of the international komplo against Rêber Apo. This led to the kidnapping of Rêber Apo on the 15th of February 1999. What consequences this would have for the kurdish people, as well as for all the people that fighting for freedom and for a different life, was clear for Şehîd Zîlan before the komplo would have even started. She understood what was happening and she was aware of the meaning of this struggle for the whole humanity. With her socialist and freedom loving mindset she understood what was needed in order to take steps against the international conspiracy. What Şehîd Zîlan did was to defend the life that she loved so much and again and again she expressed this also in her letter where she stated:
‘My will to live is very strong. My desire is to have a fulfilled life through a strong action. The reason for my actions is my love for human beings and for life!’ – Zîlan (Zeynep Kinaci),1996
The personality of Zîlan is a personality, which has the desire of a of a great life, struggle, organization, freedom and love. To be Zîlan means to be brave, to love, to give meaning to life, to be combative. She is for us a commander and the forerunner of the truth. Because this action was carried out by a woman, it is even more meaningful. – Rêber Apo
Especially as young women all over the world we are faced with a sexism that became systematical and global. Maybe this system has a 5000 year old root, but life has its root in Freedom and in the expression of this. This action as well was a result of the struggle to create a life in freedom. It is an expression of the free will for all the women of the world. Şehîd Zilan expressed with her action how powerful a women can be and what she can change. For the Freedom Movement of Kurdistan this action had a great meaning as it would change aswell how women inside the movement where seen and approached. What was clear to everyone after this action was that a women is capable of anything. Exactly this was an attack to the sexist mindset in the mentality of dominant masculinity. This was the point of understanding that the vanguard for freedom is the woman. And that the free woman will also create a free man. With her personality and her action it was made clear for everyone what the attributes of a free woman are. With this it also gave a clarification for what a free man is and a free live. This was also the time when Rêber Apo announced the Womens Freedom Ideology on 8th March in 1998. This was when history got changed, the history of the women changed. A new page was written in the manifest for Freedom.