Many writers, politicians and intellectuals attended the ISIS forum in Rojava from various countries, and one of the participants was lawyer, journalist and writer Srushah Halabjay from Southern Kurdistan.

Srushah has been a journalist since 2003, and is very glad to be in Rojava. “It is very important to have a forum on ISIS held in Rojava. Here there are wounds inflicted on women by ISIS. And the region becomes ever more significant as ISIS was ended here by women’s hands.”

Srushah said, “In this process our women realized their own strength, and they have shown that they can achieve results with this strength. They showed the whole world that women will always respond to all who impose terror, all who wish to invade our lands, not just ISIS. In Kobane, in Shengal, many of our martyrs have put their bodies on the line in this war to liberate our lands. We must in turn resist until only one woman is left, focus on the fight and be worthy of their efforts.”

Srushah Halabjay said there were participants from 13 countries in the forum and continued: “We must never forget that the freedom of women the world over is through the emancipation of Kurdish women. I salute the struggles of all women who fight against terrorist forces in Algeria and everywhere else. As the Kurdish people, we are not an ignorant society. We don’t say, ‘They killed us, so we should kill them.’ We want these persons to be put on trial in a court of law and we want everybody to take their place here. We want to resolve this issue on a legal basis.”

“HE RESISTED ALL HIS LIFE, WE REMEMBER WITH GRATITUDE”

Srushah Halabjay said she was deeply sorrowed to hear of KCK General Presidential Council Member Diyar Xerib’s (Helmet) martyrdom in a Turkish state airstrike against Qandil: 

“I remember once again all our martyrs with gratitude. Martyr Diyar falling on our lands, in Qandil, is a great sorrow for us. Martyr Diyar was a great revolutionary, I had the pleasure to meet with him a few times. At the time he had a critique that our people didn’t stand up against injustice enough. But he was always a friend who believed that everybody can come back from a bad path, and do good things for national unity. He continued his resistance throughout his life, and we remember with gratitude.”

“TURKISH STATE INVADES OUR LANDS”

Srushah Halabjay said the Turkish state has invaded Afrin and the lands of Southern and Northern Kurdistan: 

“We all know that the invasion attacks in Afrin were made by the Turkish state’s hands. Today ISIS and all terrorist groups send their wounded to Turkey for treatment from towns near the border. In this forum many foreign journalists and doctors said they witnessed this firsthand. Turkey supported ISIS, sometimes under the tables, sometimes officially, but always treating their wounded. There have been images of ISIS members shown all chummy with Turkish soldiers. 

It is clear that the Turkish state wants to invade our lands. To that end, they tore down the peace process in 2014 and massacred the people. We stand against this with our efforts. Erdogan is at the brink of a great collapse. We must aim to resist against Erdogan’s hegemonic ideology. We hope that we women will focus on the resistance and liberate Afrin. In Bashure Kurdistan, KDP’s politics is really just partnering with the Turkish state. That is why we face such extensive attacks in our villages and towns.”