ŞERİN MUHAMMED

Qamishlo – From a city long scarred by wars and ignored by international policies, women are raising their voices, not with symbolic slogans, but with a call for peace born of pain. In Qamishlo, women step out of the shadows carrying the banner of dignity and resistance, demanding a peace that is not imposed from above but built from the ground through organization and continuous struggle.

 

September 1st, marked worldwide as the International Day of Peace, became an occasion for women in Qamishlo, in North and East Syria, to send a message to the world, urging a genuine commitment to achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

 

Despite facing constant challenges and conflicts that deprive their communities of safety and stability, their dream of peace and democracy continues to shine on the horizon, and they continue their march toward it with struggle and determination.

 

The women draw inspiration from the call of Leader Abdullah Öcalan for peace and democracy, a call that has long urged an end to wars and the building of a future based on mutual respect and understanding among peoples.

 

‘The voice of women is the voice of peace’

 

Women from Qamishlo expressed their positions. Fasla Musa, a member of ‘The Peace Mothers’ movement, said that the international community must listen to the voices calling for peace. "For more than forty years, we have been raising this call, but no one has responded. Today, war has reached every corner of the world. Wherever we look, we find killing and destruction, while the world turns a blind eye to our suffering."

 

“Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has called for peace and democracy for decades, has been held in Imrali prison for 26 years because his ideas clash with the interests of dominant states that live off the blood of peoples. The time has come for freedom-loving societies to heed his call and extend their hands to build a future of peace” she added.

 

“We are mothers, sisters, and wives of martyrs. We demand peace and justice. We have sacrificed what is most precious to live with dignity, not to be deprived of life as well. We do not want any people to be killed or displaced. We want peace for all. Mothers and children deserve to live in safety, far from bloodshed. We must all rise against the plans that seek to drown the world in wars. The voice of women is the voice of life, the voice of peace, and it must be heard” she continued.

 

‘The states that declared peace are the same ones igniting wars’

 

Wadha Wanki also stated that "Leader Abdullah Öcalan has always called for peace and democracy, but his calls are constantly ignored and violated by capitalist states, led by Turkey.”

“It is tragic that the same states that declared September 1st as the International Day of Peace are the very ones igniting wars and destruction for their own interests, despite having the power to stop conflicts around the world,” she said.

 

“In Gaza, children die of hunger. In Syria, women are killed at the hands of jihadists. In Ukraine and Russia, wars rage on, burning the land, taking lives, and subjecting women to violence before the eyes of the world, all without any serious action. Where is the peace they claim to celebrate?” she pointed out.

 

“The people of North and East Syria stood against the most dangerous terrorist organizations and achieved victories on the soil of Kobanî, defending all of humanity. Yet, our sacrifices are not recognized, and those who committed massacres against us are not held accountable. We are a people who believe in peace and defend our land against every threat. If we did not believe in peace, we would not have faced terrorism with such courage.” she emphasized.

 

Concluding her statement, Wanki said “We demand our rights and the right to live in peace. We live together on the same land, with all our diverse communities, working to advance the democratic nation project. It is time for the world to hear our voice, see our reality, and stand with us to restore peace to our region and to the world, and to free Leader Abdullah Öcalan.”