“The personality of peace is the most creative, the most courageous, the most militant, and the most free personality. Personalities who did not grow are prone to brutality, violence, and war. The nature of women is on the side of peace.”
A. Öcalan
On this historic day, when the freedom fighters come down from the mountain, they destroy their guns to help build peace. On this day, the representatives of Kongra Star in Başûr (South Kurdistan), where the event took place, shared their thoughts and the opinions from people in society.
The people of Başûr, and especially women, are on the side of peace. The trust in the fight for freedom and the line of the people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, makes people believe that this process will lead to victory. They believe that when the guns fall silent, it will be a victory for both the Kurdish and Turkish people. There is, of course, some fear about what will happen to the people if the arms are laid down. It is necessary to put pressure on the Turkish state to take steps and bring about change and so these are concerns felt by the people. But especially among women, there is trust in the movement of the people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan—a trust that the PKK is not like other parties.
But what is peace really? As a term, its meaning— for Kurdish people and women—is to defend a life lived according to their identity, and to live in harmony with the other communities of the region. The thoughts and discussions within society, including among elderly women, show this line. War brings something different to the table, so the fight that has been waged until now and the meaning of peace: people understand that it is only through this way, true harmony in society can be achieved. In this sense, people—especially women—read the situation clearly, without falling into the lies of the enemy. They fight for a life of dignity and peace, not only for one side but for the whole of society. People understand that war serves the interests of those in power. Society seeks harmony and the possibility to live together with different identities, and there is a good discussion in this regard.
We all know that war alone can not bring victory. War is a tool. After this, we have to build peace. So today, peace is full of meaning – for all society:
“Women and peace are inseparable. Where women are at the forefront, there is life and peace. Where there is war, women are the first victims, and most violence is committed against them.
War itself is a product of the authoritarian mentality of masculinity – it is based on the destruction of women and society. Communal life, togetherness, democracy, and peace are the characteristics of mother society, and the goals and desires of intellectual and free women.
History shows us that political and social reconciliation is impossible without women. In the past, women have played a significant role in peace. The role of women in political struggle is fundamental. Without women, politics loses its meaning in the self-administration of society.
Women carry a great responsibility on their shoulders, and the current stage calls on them to lead the national unity and democratic struggle—efforts that can achieve great success through joint struggle.”
(Berivan Mohammed – Journalist and activist)
Women in history have mostly always sought peace: this is also visible among the people of Başûr. Women have always sought peace because they build the society around them and want to defend it. This is especially evident in Başûr, because for many years women have seen what war is, what it brings, and how it affects society and women. All of Kurdistan has experienced war at the hands of the occupiers, but especially in Başûr: with the suffering caused by the Anfal campaign and chemical weapons. Here, war has had a big impact on the society and on women, with poverty, migration and a lot of sufference. This is why the influence of war in Başûr is stronger, and why they no longer want to hear about it.
Those who want peace are the ones with a strong standing—the courageous people. We have used war as an instrument, but not everyone has the strength to build peace. The courageous ones stand at the forefront of society and build peace, and this is especially true for women. Strong people can build peace in society, and even with the enemy. Peace is especially present in the character of women. In the universe, there is harmony and equilibrium, and women represent a small universe. The characteristics found among women are also reflected in the universe—they are connected. Historically, those who most defended this harmony of society in the face of war were women, showing their ecological connection with the harmony of the universe.
For this reason, those who can make peace happen concretely are women themselves. This is widely discussed among the people of Başûr and is visible across all levels of societ. Women can both wage war and defend peace. For this reason, women fight for peace: they struggle to make peace happen and create a belief in peace. The processes that women have started, both in the political and social spheres representing women’s thoughts and organizations, are having a strong influence on the society they live in and their surrounding communities. We strongly believe that the victories of women will become victories for society as a whole. We all see that women can make peace a reality. A meaningful, durable one.
Those in power, or the enemies of women, perpetrate all kinds of violence to prevent women from participating: attacks against women and the women’s movement aim to keep women silent through all forms of abuse and harassment. This behaviour is rooted in patriarchal and state mentality. But what is becoming clear today is that women are not stepping back, and they are no longer afraid. This is because they are organized together, and each fights for peace and truth.
“A lasting peace is a social achievement—especially for women. Peace is not merely the absence of war, but something that must be actively built. Historically, women have always longed for peace, as they know the horrors and destruction of war better than anyone; they are often its first and most affected victims. So, unless women are free, society cannot be free. Lasting peace cannot be achieved without the participation of women in political and administrative affairs—they are essential actors in this process. It is the duty of the Kurdish people, especially women, to unite and become the driving force in establishing peace and freedom in society. At the same time, peace is a democratic necessity. Therefore, all peoples—regardless of differences in faith, nationality, or sect—must work together to achieve it.”
(Shahla Mohammed Ahmad / Banu Halabja Women’s rights activist.)
The call for peace in Başûr society and all of Kurdistan has had a powerful emotional impact, with the people deeply trusting in it. It is true that in Başûr and Bakur there are different movements, but this call for peace comes from the strength of the people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan. We see that he can fight for 50 years and then make peace—showing the immensity of his person. The people and women in Başûr believe in the strength of the people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas. But as we said before, the people in Başûr are more afraid of the enemy’s reaction and what it can do against the people and the militants. They feel this while believing in the freedom movement and knowing in their hearts, they are fighting for freedom. Despite this fear, many people are truly moved by this development and the peace that will come from it.
The process of peace has been reflected in the work for national unity that has been ongoing; even before the call for Peace and Democratic Society, there were meetings and positive ideas from women, with the belief that the mixed-gender movement alone cannot realize this unity, but women can. For this reason, recently there has been a large movement—women in Başûr involved in this process.
Particularly in the past year, women have been at the forefront and have been inspired by the call for Peace and a Democratic Society. People have come together from many sides, not only from political parties but also from other societal organizations and institutions. Peace has made it possible for those who would not usually come near each other to break down barriers and achieve many victories.
Kurdish women and people are at the forefront of building the peace process, and women have discussed it thoroughly. Intellectuals and politicians also recognize that without women, peace is not real—both among each other and with the enemy. As we know from history, the Kurdish people have always fought strongly, but in peace we were not as victorious.
Today, people are trusting the peace process that the people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has built—they believe that the Kurdish people and women are making peace which is meaningful and long-lasting. To build peace in the Middle East, Kurdish women and people need to put their strength at the forefront. Among the people of Başûr, as in all of Kurdistan, we see that Kurdish women and Kurdish people can be the guarantee for peace among all peoples.
“Human society can never take steps toward democratization without embracing coexistence. Democratic politics is built on the foundation of living together, mutual acceptance, and communal life. Middle Eastern societies are generally diverse and multi-ethnic, yet this diversity has often been met with genocide. This coexistence is crucial—not only in the political sphere but also in the social sphere—to end violence against women and patriarchal domination. Mutual acceptance, democratic coexistence, and peace must be the goals of all our efforts at every level.”
(Berivan Mohammed – Journalist and activist)
We all see (and the people also feel) – the hope we place in the Kurdish people and process. It is true that at the international level there is much silence from the side of the States, but on the side of the democratic forces, there are still people who are making this process heard. For this reason, our people need to raise their voices—and the democratic forces all over the world need to join them. The international community needs to take a position to also defend this process of building up peace. We ask to make this reality visible to public opinion, because this is not a result for one party or another – but for all of society. International support will help the people here to freely build the new kind of society they so deeply need.
There is still work to be done for public opinion and for the Kurdish people. This is a strong process, and we need to make our voices heard by everyone. We must use all our strength—in action and in thought—to bring this process to the entire world.
The Turkish state may see this as its historic victory, but we need the Turkish state to take further steps. They do not need to respond with hostility; rather, we must reach the people in Turkey to help them understand that the peace that the people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, and the Kurdish people are building, is also a great opportunity for them. We can bring alive again the Kurdish-Turkish relationships that were so good for thousands of years. It is necessary for the Turkish State to fully understand this reality. The Turkish State needs to see this as a strategic historic step, not just a tactical event. For this, we need the support from both the Kurdish and the Turkish people.
Peace is important because without peace there can be no democracy. Where there is war, there is injustice; where there is peace, there is equality. This is essential for democracy and very important for society. Society needs this more than water and bread. So today society is united in asking for peace. Society is not on the side of war—the ones who hold power, the hegemonic forces, are on the side of war because it serves their interests. But society wants freedom and equality, and for this reason, it is essential that peace and democracy happen.
Source: ANF News
