We publish two statements about Newroz, Internationalism and the revolutionary struggle in Kurdistan.
One is written by members of the Internationalist Commune, the other one by an activist in the feminist campaign “Gemeinsam Kämpfen – für Selbstbestimmung und demokratische Autonomie“. The campaign started on November 25, 2017, with demonstrations in Hamburg, Berlin and Celle. The aim of the campaign is to spread the knowledge of the revolution in Rojava, the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, as a women’s revolution.
Statement by Internationalist Commune:
Dear comrades today on Newroz the day of resistance the military defeat of the IS in North-East-Syria has been finally announced. That’s why we want to greet first at all Leyla and all hunger strikers and congratulate all our comrades for Newroz and we remember with respect our thousands of martyrs who played their role in the defeat of the IS and gave their life in the struggle for a free life. The fundament of this military success is the 21s century socialism of Rêber Apo based on radical people’s democracy, women’s liberation and social ecology and 45 years PKK movement struggle.
We congratulate all young people in the world on Newroz 2019, with the hope that it will strengthen our unity and revolutionary struggle. We call all young people to the streets with the belief that Newroz 2019 and the defeat of IS will be the beginning of a phase in which the socialist and revolutionary youth will take their revenge for fascism and will spread the resistance spirit of Newroz everywhere.
In the current phase the special psychological warfare of the capitalist forces especially the fascist Turkish occupying state is directly confronting the youth. Fascism attacks, the most dynamic and alive part of society, the youth and wants to create a homogenous, quiet generation of youth, that remains calm, without struggle, separated from society. We know that the youth has no more patience for it and therefore we call the youth to see Newroz as a starting point out of this truth in order to take revenge for colonization, IS-tyranny and fascism.
To stay calm and to expect something from the fascist regimes is to deceive ourselves and to loose any dignity. Today we have more reasons than ever to fight fascism. Against all this dirty and hegemonic policy one can destroy fascism only with a revolutionary attitude and unity of the global youth.
The Revolution led by the Kurdistan Liberation Movement created great meaning for the values of freedom that the peoples of the Middle East have achieved through fighting the enslaving system and through resistance. The seeds which have been planted by Rêber Apo take root in the soil and our people rise up with the spirit of Newroz and humanity’s struggle for a free and democratic life, by carrying the history to the current in creating thousands of modern day Kawas in the struggle against Dehak.
We celebrate this day starting with Mazlum Dogan and Zulkuf Gezen and all our people, the resisters in the mountains and prisons, and hunger strikers led by Leyla Guven. Together we’re dancing the halay for freedom.
The IS, which for years has tyrannized the peoples of Syria and Iraq, the Middle East and the entire world, has been military defeated in North-East-Syria by people’s self defense forces. We remember with respectour thousands of martyrs who played their role in the defeat of the IS and gave their life in the struggle for a free lfe. The fundament of this military success was layed by the 21st century socialism of Rêber Apo based on radical people’s democracy, women’s liberation and social ecology and the 45 years struggle of PKK.
The global support of the people’s and democratic forces have also contributed to the victory over the IS. But Kurds, Arabs and Suryoye fought in the front line and paid the highest price for it. More then ten thousands of revolutionaries, also internationalists from all over the world have lost their lives in the struggle against the IS. More than twice as many have suffered permanent damage. The common historical struggle of the peoples for freedom and equality has at the same time led to the ideological and political direction of this revolution and the democratic system which got implemented.
The brutal fascist dictatorship of IS which was build on the people of the Middle-East, was mainly nourished by the problems created by the capitalist system. The revolutionary forces which fought against IS seeking for freedom, on the other hand, have the goal to build a democratic Middle East based on the brotherhood of peoples and democratic autonomy.
The decisive factors for the defeat of the IS are the ideology of a democratic society, the solidarity of the peoples of the region and the world, and the values that have emerged from it. We have defeated the IS with the model of a democratic nation and a confederalist system based on a self-determined society and women’s liberation presented by Abdullah Öcalan. This ideological-political line led the armed struggle to success.
The IS has mainly attacked the Kurds and the peoples of the region, but it has acted with massacres, fear and cruelty against the whole of humanity. People all over the world have seen the Kurds resisting the IS in Şengal, Mexmûr and Kerkûk as well as in Kobanê and in the whole north of Syria. Thus, out of solidarity with the Revolution people took to the streets everywhere and especially in Northern Kurdistan and Turkey people provided great support for the struggle against the IS.
Had it not been for the peoples and the fighters who fought according to a political line, the coalition founded by forty states could not have done anything, despite all their weapons. The IS, which has become a plague for the whole world, lost influence in a short time thanks to the high price paid by the revolutionary-democratic forces.
Within the common struggle against the IS, in Rojava and Northern Syria, different peoples, nations and religions have created a deep emotional bond between eachother and the basis for a democratic system has been laid, which can be regarded as a model for peace, stability, democracy and freedom which is affecting the whole of Syria, Middle East and beyond.
Hundreds of internationalists from all over the world have come to Rojava to protect the democratic system in Northern Syria. Many of them have fallen or been injured. These values will continue in our future struggle as cornerstones of a democratic-free system. Their longings will live on in a free Kurdistan, in a democratic Syria and Middle East.
You have paid the biggest price for the defeat of the IS and played a decisive role in this victory. Therefore, most of all, you have the right to celebrate the victory over the IS. The victory over the IS must be celebrated everywhere, everywhere it must be made clear that the struggle for a free and autonomous Northern Syria and a democratic Syria will be waged against every aggressor.
Newroz is the beginning of spring, it is the resurrection of freedom. It is an order to all of us to rise up and bring the revolution to success. Newroz is exactly the time to take revenge. Newroz is the call for youth rebellion. The youth resists with Newroz, renews itself with Newroz and becomes bigger with Newroz.
Our call goes to all young people of the world, whatever their language, culture, faith, colour or anything else may be, let us destroy fascism together with the living spirit of Newroz in such a way that it will never again be able to gain a foothold on this ground. The freedom sounds of the youth will clean the ears that have become hard of hearing. Therefore, we say the rage of the youth will take revenge for our fallen comrades and destroy fascism in any case. On this basis we congratulate the whole youth from the bottom of our hearts with revolutionary feelings for Newroz.
With the spirit of Mazlum Dogan and Zülküf Gezen we’re expecting a new year of even higher resistance. The struggle goes on , Afrin will be liberated and the revolution and socialism will be spread internationally. We call all our internationalist comrades to celebrate this historical moment of victory and show the world that no once can stop the people’s will for freedom and a life in dignity!
Newroz pîroz be!
Berxwedan jiyan e – Resistance is life!
Break the isolation, Smash Fascism, Liberate Kurdistan!
Statement by an activist in the feminist campaign “Gemeinsam Kämpfen – für Selbstbestimmung und demokratische Autonomie“:
To all of us out there,
to us (radical) leftists, internationalists, anti-capitalists,
to those who believe in and work for a free society:
Just in time for Newroz, the QSD announced the military defeat of the IS. Where black flags blew yesterday, it’s now YPJ flags.
This does not mean that Daesh is ideologically defeated, but it means a great deal to the people of the region – just the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian war, today, for example, for the first time in many years, people in Raqqa can celebrate without Fears their Newroz, many ezidic families reunite after years of imprisonment, torture and ignorance, and thousands of women and girls have been freed from the hands of Daesh.
Thousands and hundreds of thousands are on the streets throughout Kurdistan – wherever these people have been and will be overshadowed by war and the threat of annihilation for years and centuries. People celebrate in Kobane, Cizre, Afrin and Baghouz, the images create goose bumps, meaning hope and confidence and faith in what people have achieved together across all differences and divisions.
And we?
Also for us this victory has a meaning. Internationalists fought there, did press work, learned Kurdish in the commune, got to know activists from other regions of the world and their struggles, that what they learned there brought back home, the seeds of democratic confederalism here as well sown.
Those who fight there also fight for and with us. And are we fighting with them too? Are we really convinced of the belief in a liberated society, or are we more like that? Why do not we have the basis on such an evening on such a historic day with an impressive amount of people going on the streets and saying “Thank you YPG / YPJ, thank you SDF”?
Again and again we try here in the capitalist metropolis the easy way to go, we want to keep ourselves open, not commit ourselves to an ideology, a common path. As a result, we do not develop any strategy, no common strength. We define ourselves through contradictions rather than similarities – while thousands are dying in Kurdistan and Syria, and thus minimizing the likelihood of terrorist attacks in Europe, we keep splitting up.
Since Kobanê, we have entered a new phase of internationalist solidarity that has a common ground in the practical utopia of Kurdistan. What do we need and how can we connect more with each other, so that it is possible to understand and feel this Newroz also as our own and, above all, as a joint departure?
Let us continue to search together for answers, there is no alternative and we will not regret it.
Newroz pîroz be!