The Kurdish umbrella organization KON-MED said it wants to "celebrate what we have been able to achieve through our resistance so far" at Newroz, the New Year festival on 21 March, and demand freedom for Abdullah Öcalan.
The Confederation of the Kurdistan Communities in Germany (KON-MED) wants this year's Newroz, 21 March, to be in connection with the “End isolation, fascism and oppression! - Time for Freedom!” initiative and be a festival of resistance.
KON-MED said in a statement: “For many peoples beyond the Middle East, the New Year festival Newroz means a new beginnings and resistance. It is one of the oldest, still living celebrations of humanity and represents an important pillar of cultural identity, especially for Kurdish society. The rebellion of the poor blacksmith Kawa against the tyrannical ruler Dehak is a strong leitmotif to this day in many societies such as the Kurdish one.”
The statement continued: “For centuries the existence of Kurds has been denied both in their own homeland in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, as well as in the diaspora, for example in Europe. We have been isolated, assimilated and oppressed. But there has always been a resistance, especially in the last few decades, that has enabled the Kurdish identity to revive. This struggle for basic and human rights is symbolically reflected in the annual Newroz Festival. Not only that: in recent years a renewed awareness of the history, culture and identity of the Kurdish society has developed. It also succeeded in enabling society to strive for direct democracy, gender liberation and an ecological life in the middle of the crisis-ridden Middle East.”
KON-MED reminded that “it was Abdullah Öcalan who paved the way for this revival and awareness. He campaigned for the Kurdish identity, which had been declared dead, and created a political answer to the Kurdish question. Although he was kidnapped as part of an international conspiracy [on 15 February 1999] and has been in isolation in prison for 22 years, he continues to work unstoppably for a peaceful and democratic solution to the conflicts in the Middle East.”
That is why, said KON-MED “we are linking this year's Newroz Festival in Germany with the ‘Stop Isolation, Fascism and Oppression! - Time for freedom!’ initiative. We want to celebrate the Festival of Cultures together as well as what we have been able to achieve through our resistance. And we will be demanding the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and the freedom of all peoples worldwide.”
