ANKARA - Human and women's rights activist Awin Mostafazadeh said that increasing violence and suppression is the only tool left in Iran's hands and said, "It wants to suppress the entire Iranian society by suppressing Kurdistan and Baluchistan. But the people have already left the Islamic Republic and will not return to it.”

 

 Exactly 45 years have passed since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. The revolution, in which the entire society participated with promises of freedom and equality, turned into an execution regime and an area where women could not even breathe. Since Jina Mahsa Amini, who was murdered by the "morality police" for "not wearing her headscarf properly", the people have been organized around the slogan "Jin Jiyan Azadî" against oppression and violence. Unfortunately, those who try to maintain their existence in the face of this resistance that has spread to every corner of Iran and Rojhilat are faced with the oppression and execution regime of the Iranian government. In the past weeks, 4 Kurdish young people were executed. Human and women's rights activist Awin Mostafazadeh explains that Werishe Muradi, who had been detained for months, was given the death penalty, but the people did not give up their resistance.

 

*We have seen women and many members of the public participate in protest actions in Iran since the death of Jina Mahsa. What is the final course of these actions? What is happening in Iran and Rojhilat?

 

The uprising of the women of Azadi life following the murder of Gina-Mehsa Amini was not an unprecedented event. For many years, the women of Iran and Kurdistan were trying to establish their rights in individual and group fields through everything they could do. Women used every opportunity in the society to be able to be in the field of demand. I can say that they used all the opportunities in the society for education, work, art, entering the civil society and the public arena so that they could institutionalize the issue of women's rights in the society. For years, women have known that the biggest tool of oppression and oppression against them is the government, a government that has a discriminatory structure against women and has violated women's rights since the beginning of its tenure, and has threatened oppression and oppression against them in case of any action by women. has taken. Because the Islamic Republic has the nature of a religious ideology and implements sexual/gender apartheid against women, it has always tried to control the whole society through the control of women. Women have been aware of the government's policy for many years; For this reason, they consider the achievement of women's rights in the path of achieving a free and democratic society and government. I can say that the government also knows this, that's why it wants to suppress the whole society by suppressing women.

 

If we go back to Kurdistan and the city of Jina, where the Women's Life of Freedom movement began, I can say that Kurdish women and minorities in Iran are doubly oppressed, but despite all the repressions, the Kurdistan society has a progressive civil society that has been paying for it for years. The role of women is also colorful in it. These efforts and the background of Kurdistan's historical struggles led to the rise of women of free life, which showed the peak of Kurdistan's progressive and civil society. The voice of women in this uprising, reading strong statements on their behalf and their widespread participation with the company of men in the society and chanting the slogan of a woman's life of freedom, brought the struggle and resistance for rights to another stage. I can say that society and women will never return to their previous era after the widespread protests of the women of Azadi, and this is the characteristic of the movement. For this reason, despite all the repressions, society has entered another stage of resistance and the achievements of this movement can be seen in all areas of women's lives and society. The nature of this internalized movement in the society is getting stronger every day, and even if people are not in the street, this movement is going on its way.

 

* During these protests, women shouted their demands. They wanted the abolition of the compulsory headscarf, the abolition of the morality police, and solutions to many issues that would make women's lives difficult. Is there a change in demands, what do women want?

 

As I mentioned, women and the society reached the rise of women's life of freedom during a struggle, and considering that this movement has been internalized in the society; It has now become a fighting essence. The most important achievement of this movement was its transformation into a nationwide movement that surprised the whole world. The progressiveness of this movement, which is reflected in the slogan of the woman who lives for freedom, was also one of the other achievements of this movement, which shows its desire for freedom and democracy. On the other hand, the fact that women are the center of this movement and this is important, it showed that the society has reached this stage that until women are not free, the society will not be free, and the government wants to control the whole society by controlling women. For this reason, women fought for their rights in different eras with different tools and activism. They know that the Islamic Republic cannot be reformed and they also know that they are in a long struggle with the Islamic Republic, that's why despite all the repressions, they know that they have to continue the struggle until the final destination, so we see that the repressions of the government have the opposite result due to the resistance of women and what is happening in women There is anger towards the government and a strong no to it.

 

* When you look at it, the murdered woman was a Kurd and now the Iranian government's abductions, arrests and violence against Kurdish activists are reflected? Where does this violence feed from?

 

When I look at the society and the Islamic Republic, we see that the government has lost its popular legitimacy and violent repression is the only tool left for the government. The Islamic Republic has fallen in the minds of the people and now it wants to continue its survival by repression. The increase in arrests, executions, and heavy sentences for citizens and activists is also because it wants to intimidate and suppress the society, so that the people will finally be silent and accept the Islamic Republic. But the people have passed the Islamic Republic and will not return to it, and they continue to resist in any way.

 

* What are their attitudes towards Kurdish women and how do Kurdish women organize against this and how do they carry out their self-defense?

 

The Kurdish woman has lived the oppression and repression of the government against Kurdistan and has grown in a context of struggle and movement against this oppression and repression. For this reason, I think that in spite of all the restrictions, exclusions and repressions of the government against Kurdish women for activities, Kurdish women have been in the field in different periods and in any way they could. Look at the lawsuits of mothers in Kurdistan, look at the symbols and mourning dances and lullabies of women, how they are grieving, but they are not silent in front of the crime. If we look at all the symbols, speeches and actions of women and the society, we will realize that the society has taken the path of resistance to fight in the conditions of severe repression. Let's not forget that these achievements did not happen in one day, but in every period of activism and organization, they have been different until they have reached here. What is very important is that Kurdistan society and women have reached this stage that resistance is life and they must continue the path of resistance and struggle, even if it is long.

 

* I would also like to ask this: In the past weeks, 4 protesting Kurdish youth were executed in prison and there are many activists sentenced to death penalty. How do you evaluate these executions? What's the latest situation?

 

The Islamic Republic plans to suppress and execution is a tool of maximum violence that the Islamic Republic has used and continues to use to intimidate and oppress the society. I think that because the women's movement for free life started in Kurdistan and because Kurdistan has not accepted this government during the entire life of the Islamic Republic, it has a grudge against Kurdistan. It looks at Kurdistan as an enemy and suppresses Kurdistan with this view of security. By suppressing Kurdistan and Baluchistan, the Islamic Republic wants to suppress the entire Iranian society. Because Kurdistan and Baluchistan played a significant role in the women's rise to freedom. For this reason, we see that the amount of executions, arrests and repressions in the society of Kurdistan and Baluchistan has increased a lot. The group execution of four political prisoners after 19 months of forced disappearance was a terrible crime and repression of Kurdistan. When we see that the bodies of these four prisons have not yet been handed over to their families and their burial places are unclear; We understand the hatred of the Islamic Republic of Kurdistan. I think that until the society and people remain silent both inside Iran and outside Iran, the Islamic Republic will carry out the repression more easily. For this reason, the cost of repression should be increased for the Islamic Republic.

 

*The executed activists also had a Kurdish identity. Did the people in Iran react to these executions? What is the government's attitude towards the protests?

 

The execution of these four Kurdish political prisoners caused widespread reactions outside Kurdistan. We saw the protest and strike of the political prisoners of Ghazalhasar prison and the women of Evin prison. Many personalities and especially public opinion in Iranian society reacted to these group executions. Kurdistan also condemned these crimes of the Islamic Republic in a general strike, and now this mother of four political prisoners filed a lawsuit. It shows that people do not bow down to the Islamic Republic despite all the repressions. We also saw the last messages of these four political prisoners, which were full of resistance and not blushing for the Islamic Republic. Look, now there is a sea of blood and crime between the people and the Islamic Republic, the people have left the Islamic Republic and cannot return to it.

 

The Islamic Republic is currently dealing strongly with any kind of protest. Because it has never been a popular and democratic government and wants to continue its survival with oppression and oppression. The Islamic Republic as an inefficient government, a religious and repressive dictator who has involved the people of Iran in poverty and misery and cannot take care of the people, but uses their wealth for regional adventure and terrorist goals; Currently, it has lost its popular legitimacy and is extremely afraid of any protest, because it cannot serve the demands of its people, nor can it become a democratic government, which is what the people want. For this reason, the people do not consider this government as popular and want to pass it.

 

* Will this state of revolution and activism continue? Will women and Kurds be successful and achieve gains?

 

As I mentioned, a real movement never goes back; Rather, it makes itself stronger and more progressive and will continue on its path. The fact that people are not on the streets now does not mean that the movement has ended, but the discourse of this movement has been institutionalized and internalized in people's lives and thinking. One of the most important achievements of this movement is the realization of the discourse of libertarianism, democratization and human rights, which is highlighted in the slogan of the woman of freedom. Let's not forget that this movement, which led to extensive changes, was the result of years of effort and struggle, and after this, it will continue on its way by benefiting from the experience of unity, collective power and field struggle of different generations, and in the right conditions and time. He will do the right thing.