BERJÎN KARA

Makhmour- On January 9, 2013, three Kurdish politicians, Sakine Cansız (Sara), Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn) and Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî), were murdered in Paris by the Turkish state. Although 11 years have passed since the massacre, French authorities confirm its cooperation with the Turkish state with their silence by not trying the perpetrators. This massacre revealed how the Turkish state is afraid of the women’s freedom movement. NuJINHA spoke to Leyla Arzû Îlhan, member of the İştar Assembly in the Martyr Rustem Cudi Camp (Makhmour Refugee Camp), about the personality, stance and struggle of Sakine Cansız, one of the pioneers of the Kurdish women's movement.

 “When you spent time with Sara, you could see the pain that the ruling power inflicts on Kurdish women. Comrade Sara was from a place where Kurdish women and girls threw themselves from the cliffs not to be taken captive by the invaders and to prevent their bodies, souls and hopes from being destroyed. She was from Dersim. The people of Dersim never accept surrender. When the Middle East was remapped and Kurdistan was divided into four parts, a massacre was conducted in Dersim because the people of Dersim did not step back from their resistance. Comrade Sara grew up by listening to the painful stories of the massacre. Her books tell of her resistance before the PKK was founded. When you read her books, you can see how she fought state oppression and the ruling system.”

 ‘Her whole life was a struggle’

Sakine Cansız rose up against oppression imposed on society in her childhood, Leyla Arzû Îlhan said. “In her book, she wrote, ‘There was something I wasn't happy with but I didn't know what I wasn't happy with.’ After the establishment of the PKK and the emergence of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan), the Kurds woke up from their sleep. It was also a great chance for comrade Sara. Her whole life was a struggle.”

‘Women led the revolution for freedom’

Speaking about the situation of Kurdish women in the 80s, Leyla Arzû Îlhan said, “At that time, Kurdish people could not name their children in their own language. Many Kurdish women like comrade Sara led the Kurdish people's revolution for freedom. Comrade Sara never accepted the system imposed on us by the rulers and fought against it. When we read the life story of comrade Sara, we see that the military junta in Turkey targeted not only the people in Kurdistan, but also Kurdistan, particularly in the 80s.”

When Sakine Cansız was targeted in Paris, the ideology of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan was targeted because his ideology is based on women’s freedom, Leyla Arzû Îlhan highlighted. “Today, the paradigm of leader Apo is embraced not only by the Kurdish people or Kurdish women but also women all around the world. Today, Arab women struggle against the system in North and East Syria thanks to this paradigm. Women, particularly Latin American women, gather around the thoughts and ideology of leader Apo because they want to live free.”

‘The enemy always tries to intimidate women struggling for freedom’

Leyla Arzû Îlhan noted that the Turkish state and the powers that want to eliminate the women’s freedom movement have always targeted the pioneers of the Kurdish women's freedom movement. “The enemy always tries to intimidate women struggling for freedom. The Turkish state aims to destroy the women’s freedom struggle by targeting pioneering women.”

‘We must strengthen the struggle’

Leyla Arzû Îlhan emphasized that they would strengthen the struggle of Sakine Cansız and Evin Goyi. “We must strengthen the struggle and make it successful with Sara's spirit of resistance to achieve freedom and peace.”