Swedish Committee for Rojava member Edvin Marklund said the system in Rojava raised hopes and enhanced tenacity also among the Swedish left which has been through stagnation for a while.

Speaking to ANF, Marklund stressed that the Rojava system demonstrated the possibility of building an alternative system in the Middle East where regimes of dictatorship and semi dictatorship prevail.

Some leftist groups in Sweden came together and founded a committee in solidarity with Kobanê during the times of intense attacks by ISIS gangs on the town. The unity which was later called Committee for Rojava has so far organised many activities in solidarity with Rojava and primarily Kobanê.

Edvin Marlund, one of the founding figures of the Swedish Committee for Rojava, said the committee was founded as a result of a necessity for international solidarity, saying; "During the times of siege in Kobanê, we searched what kind of a system was practiced in Rojava. We saw that it was an interesting and positive system and we formed a committee for solidarity with the political structure there”.

Marklund summarized how the formation and works of the Committee as follows: “We didn’t restrict our works only with providing material support. We acted with a sense of going to Rojava, seeing the system and the culture on the ground and supporting the construction there. We first launched a campaign to collect clothing to be sent to Rojava, and later sent 10 tons of clothes to the people there."

Marklund stated that they later on organised several evening events to raise financial support, the income of which they sent to YPG/YPJ combatants fighting the ISIS gangs. He said they printed and sold t-shirts with YPG and YPJ logo pictures in order both to raise financial support and introduce the YPG and the YPJ to the society there.

'WE ACTIVELY JOIN THE REBULDING OF KOBANÊ'

Marlund went on saying that 6 members of the Committee have so far visited Rojava and stayed there for a period of 2 to 4 weeks in order for an active participation in the reconstruction of Kobanê and an exchange of views. He added that the health staff they sent to the town several weeks ago will permanently serve in Kobanê.

Marklund said he wanted to go to Kobanê in order to found a music studio with another member of the committee and commented on the embargo imposed by the Turkish state on the town; “We arrived at Turkey in August but our crossing into Rojava was prevented by the Turkish state. We couldn’t achive to cross into Kobanê but we were able send the equipment we had brought with us to the town. Through internet and telephone connections, we told the people there how to set up the equipment. The studio was set up and the first song they played there was broadcast yesterday. We will copy the songs into CDs and sell them here, and send the income from it to Rojava.”

'DONATION CAMPAIGN AND PERFORMANCE ON NOVEMBER 1 KOBANÊ DAY'

Telling about other campaigns of the Committee, Marklund said they also collected and sent 100 thousand Kronor to Rojava for the renovation of a devastated school building, adding that that they will further organise a donation campaign, conferences and a big show in Stockholm on November 1st International Kobanê Day to raise funds for building a new school in Rojava.

Marklund said solidarity with Rojava gained a particular importance today because the system built there demonstrated the possibility of building an alternative system and ensuring fraternity among peoples from different ethnic and faith origins in the Middle East where regimes of dictatorship and semi dictatorship prevail.

COURSES ON ROJAVA

Marklund told they would also start courses in the coming weeks in order to develop a better understanding of the Rojava system, in which the sense of democratic confederalism will be discussed in the first place.

According to Marklund, the democratic confederalism theory of Öcalan ensures the right of self-determination to the peoples, which they value very much. He noted that their aim with these courses was to have the Swedish community get acquainted with this sens and help it spread.

Stressing that the committee aimed to have an influence on not directly the Swedish government but rather representatives of civil society organisations and ordinary people, Marklund added; “We demand that the Turkish state change its attitude towards PKK and PYD, the PKK be removed from the list of terrorist organisations and the cantons of Rojava be officially recognised by the Western countries”.

Commenting on their approach towards the U.S., Marklund said “We see that the Middle East policy of the U.S. is based on its own interests. They in fact do not care about the Kurds who carry out the most accomplished and effective war against the ISIS on the ground . The U.S. just wants to benefit from it”.

'WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM HERE AS WELL'

Stressing that the system in Rojava is based on gender equality and multi-culturalism, Marklund added: “This is of great importance for not only the Kurds but also all the peoples of the region and even for us who live in Sweden. We would of course want the same system to be realized here as well, for it is literally grounded on democracy and human rights. It is not a top-down governance and people rule themselves. For all these reasons, we consider the maintenance of this system of importance”.

Recalling that Kobanê and Rojava waged major resistance against the ISIS gangs, Marklund gave the following message to the people of the town: “They should keep the resistance going. We will also continue supporting them with all our means. They were very kind to us in Rojava and we want them to maintain this approach of theirs."