Mizgîn Marînos

 

After the commemoration event held in Shengal on August 3, Kurdistan Free Women’s Organization (RJAK) members Xewla Mihemed Hesen, Ciwana Abdulbaqî and Seyran Ehmed, who were detained by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Public Order, have not been heard from for 20 days. In this context, women activists and journalists started a petition and sent a petition to the Kurdistan Regional Parliament's Human Rights Committee, Women's Affairs High Council. Calls continue to be made from women's organizations and political parties for the three detained RJAK members. While the KDP has not yet taken a positive step towards the calls, the Martyr Rüstem Cudi Camp People’s Assembly Co-chair Pakistan Bilen evaluated the events and the KDP’s attitude to our agency.

 

Pakistan said that the situation the KDP is in is based on hostility towards women and society, and emphasized that when this situation is analyzed well, the system desired to be implemented in the Federated Kurdistan Region will be better understood.

 

‘KDP is entirely enmuffled to betrayal’

 

Reacting harshly to the detainment of RJAK members, Pakistan said: ‘’In the process we are going through, we see that the KDP’s hostility to Kurds has never ceased. If we look at the history of the KDP, we will see that it has done this every period. The KDP is entirely enmuffled to betrayal. Whenever the Kurdish people enter a successful process, whenever they have reached a critical stage and are close to taking the achievements to the next level, the KDP takes a stance against it. It does its utmost to prevent success.

 

‘The detainment of RJAK members is a continuation of the Yazidi edict’

 

Drawing attention to the 5000-year-old misogynist system of the state and governments, Pakistan underlined that the existing systems create themselves through women’s labor and culture. Pakistan stated that this system is still being tried to continue and said: ‘’Woman is always left face to face with arrest, killing, harassment and rape. But on the other hand, the woman’s body was used as a commodity under the name of freedom. This system, which was created with the power mind, has made the society this way today. If we look at the current situation of the KDP, we can actually understand the existing system from misogyny policies. The killing, abduction and sale of women in the 74th edict against Yazidis was also a result of this existing system. The edict that took place in Shengal was a blow to the will of the Yazidi woman. The detainment of RJAK members by the KDP public order should be read as a continuation of the edict against Yazidi women. The purpose of this is to prevent Kurdish women from being a will. In order to prevent women from rebelling against the system, the KDP continues its destruction policies. This shows that as long as this policy exists, these pressures will be made against the power of women.’’

 

‘The Yazidi community should strengthen their self-defense’

 

Mentioning the Yazidi people's self-defense and resistance, Pakistan underlined that the Yazidi people, who have faced many persecutions so far, should preserve their autonomy and develop their self-defense. Stating that women should play the biggest role for the defense of society, Pakistan said: ‘’The people must unite and resist against the enemy. Beyond that, there is no force that will defend the Yazidi community and protect them from massacres.’’

 

‘We should protect our gains strongly’

 

Stating that they define the 21st century as the century of women, Pakistan continued: ‘’Our enemy is making a serious effort against the achievements we have achieved as the Kurdish people and women in this century and is doing its best to undermine this success. But we know very well that the 21st century will be the century of freedom and success for women. Of course, this will not be easy. The occupants will continue their dirty games until the end. That is why we, as Kurdish women, must increase our struggle and resistance in order to reach our goal early. We must resist even more strongly against the attacks of the KDP against our society and women. Where there is resistance, success is also near. We women should be aware of this and read this process well. We must protect our gains strongly, form our unity and take our stance accordingly.’’

 

‘Silence is partnership’

 

Pakistan, which also reacted to the silence of the political parties, politicians and international institutions in the region against the detention of RJAK members, reminded that the three women have not been heard from since the day they were detained, and expressed their concern for their life safety. She stated: ‘’Any silence against what is done to Kurdish women is partnership with the enemy.’’ Pakistan noted that the Kurdish people should see the parties well and resist against it. Pakistan continued: “As the Kurdish people, we should never be in a state of waiting. We should form our unity and each one of us must do what we have to do.’’

 

‘People of Başûr should protect three women’

 

Finally, Pakistan addressed the people living in Federated Kurdistan. Pakistan said that the they should not remain silent about what KDP did and said: ‘’I call on women living in the South (Başûr), women’s organizations, civil society and rights organizations not to remain silent about these barbaric practices against women. Three RJAK members should be protected. Let them join the resistance for women. If we women do not raise our voice against what is being done, they will suppress us and the existing pressures will increase. A policy of elimination is being carried out against women.’’