Kongra-Star and women’s movements in North and East Syria released a statement marking the 25th November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The statement reads as follows:

59 years ago in the Dominican Republic, the Mirabal Sisters became leaders in the unparalleled resistance that had risen against the Trujillo dictatorship. They did not allow the dictatorship to make them surrender their lives and their principles. They taught people that in the pursuit of democracy and freedom organized political resistance is necessary, and that they must never give up. Six months after their deaths, the Dominican people brought the dictatorship to its end. The Mirabal Sisters, the way they risked their lives and their resistance led to this accomplishment. Today, they have become in the whole world symbols of hope, and the belief of those women who fight and have fought against fascist dictatorships. We bow with respect in memory of the Mirabal Sisters, murdered by conspiracy on the 25th of November, 1960, and all women who have given their lives for struggle and freedom. We offer our gratitude to the Saras, the Seves, and the Hevrîns, those who followed in the noble path of the Mirabal Sisters.

As women of Northern and Eastern Syria, we dedicate all of the actions this 25th of November to our friend and comrade, co-chair of the Future Syria Party Hevrîn Khelef, who was murdered by Daesh thugs; we dedicate them to our friend and comrade who struggled against the darkness of Daesh, the YPJ fighter Amara Renas; and we dedicate them to the member of the Women's Justice Committee, Dayê Aqîde. These comrades struggled to bring about honourable peace, democratic unity, and a co-operative and egalitarian life for the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria; they lived, struggled, and in the end were murdered by the enemy in a blatant and calculated manner. They too are like the Saras who resisted fascism on the 12th of September, like the Seves who resisted Erdogan's fascism, and like the Mirabal Sisters who did not bow their heads, but resisted the Trujillo dictatorship. They were proof of the 9 years of women's revolution in Rojava. They became heroines of the honourable life and the unity of peoples. And for honour and the unity of peoples, they were ready to risk their lives. We have promised already that we will not give in to the occupation attacks of the fascist Erdogan. In their memory, we will carry out our actions of this 25th of November with the awareness that “occupation is violence, with the spirit of Hevrîn we will eliminate fascism and occupation.”

Through the 9 years of struggle, the greatest enemy of the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria has been Daesh. The strongest supporter of Daesh is the fascist dictatorship of Erdogan. These attacks against our land, which began on the 9th October, 2019, is another front of this vicious counter-revolution. They aim to continue on our land a war that embodies the epitome of violence. We, who have been experiencing it these last 9 years, we know well that they are implementing fascism, occupation, and organized violence against all peoples and women. That women are face to face with individual violence is a product of the fascist mindset and of organised violence.

This organized violence has resulted in displacement, demographic change, ecological destruction, unemployment, economic crisis, denial of rights to health and education, and many violations of human rights. Today, we are experiencing every kind of violence on every aspect of life. We are struggling in an unparalleled resistance.

On the 9th of October a targeted campaign was started on the land of North and East Syria against the women’s and the people’s revolution. Against this counter revolution we will increase our resistance. In the memory of Hevrîn we will develop equality in leadership and the co-chair system, in memory of Amara we maintain our essential quality of self defence, and in memory of Dayê Aqîde we will develop true democracy and justice. Just as the people of the Dominican Republic defeated the Trujillo dictatorship in memory of the Mirabel sisters,we will defeat Erdogan’s fascism in the name of all the Hevrîns of the world.

We know that our struggle is one part of a struggle taking place in every corner of the world, that everywhere women are standing up against dictatorship and fascism. We take strength from their struggles and we send strength to them. In this way, we call on all women of the world to call for Erdogan’s prosecution for his war crimes, and to make a collective struggle with us against these war crimes and for truth and justice. We send greetings in return to all the solidarity from women of the world for our struggle. Together we will defend the land of North and East Syria and increase our resistance. On this basis we call out to all women of the world to intensify our struggle against the organised violence of the state, against fascism, colonialism, the poltics of occupation and every type of violence that takes place against women.

Long live the Rojava women’s revolution!

Long live democratic unity of the peoples!

JIN JIYAN AZADÎ!

Kongra Star women’s movement

Women’s Council of North and East Syria

Women’s Council of Syria

Union of Syriac Women

Democratic Council of Syria

Women of the Future Party of Syria

Young Women’s Organisation

Women’s Coordination of the Democratic Administration

Union of Communist Women