NÛPELDA DENÎZ

Makhmur-Sakine Cansız (Sara), one of the founders of the PKK, Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn), Paris Representative of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), and Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî), member of the Kurdish youth movement were murdered in Paris on January 9, 2013. 10 years later, another massacre was committed against Kurdish people in Paris on December 23, 2022. The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Member Emine Kara (Nom de guerre: Evîn Goyi), Kurdish singer Mîr Perwer (Mehmet Şirin Aydın) and Abdurrahman Kızıl lost their lives in the massacre. Following the second massacre in Paris, Kurdish people and their friends took to the streets to protest and condemn the massacres saying that the Turkish state has been targeting the Kurdish Women’s Freedom Movement  the philosophy of “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (English: Women, Life, Freedom” by cooperating with international powers.

Women living in the Makhmur refugee camp spoke to NuJINHA about two massacres that took place in Paris against Kurdish people.

‘She was modest, warmhearted and persuasive’

Amîna Piranî, a mother living in the camp, told us that she knew Sakine Cansız, one of the pioneers of the Kurdish Freedom Movement, very well. “I met comrade Sara in the camp. I loved her very much because she was a friendly, warmhearted and persuasive woman,” Amîna Piranî said while talking about Sakine Cansız.

‘Sakine Cansız made great efforts for women’

Stating that she would never forget the efforts made by Sakine Cansız and her respect, Amîna Piranî said, “Sara was a modest woman. She had a good relationship with old people and children. She had a space in the heart of every citizen living in the camp. Her murder badly affected every individual in our camp. The students of comrade Sara are now freedom fighters. Comrade Sara made great efforts to empower women in all spheres of life. She was a pioneering and honorable woman.”

‘We will strengthen our struggle’

Mentioning the leading role of the Kurdish women in history, Amîna Piranî said, “The more we hate our enemy, the closer we are to success. We must avenge our friends by not forgetting the oppression imposed on us by the enemy. I call on all women, particularly Kurdish women not to forget comrade Sakine Cansız and all our comrades and to strengthen our struggle for freedom. Comrade Sara was the pioneer of us, women. We will never forget her and our revolutionary comrades.

“If leader Apo (Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan) had not given us the opportunity to recognize our personality, our rights and our gender, we would be in the same situation now. Throughout history, women have achieved many gains by struggling. Comrade Sara was one of the first friends of leader Apo. All oppressed peoples should join hands with the Kurdish people to stand by the leader.”

‘France must solve the Paris massacres’

Criticizing the silence of the French government, Amîna Piranî said, “First of all, the French government should apologize to the Kurdish people. France must solve the Paris massacres. So far, we have done no harm on any people or state. All we want is our rights. Kurdish people are forced to leave their homeland and settle in Europe due to the pressures of the Turkish state. However, they are left unprotected in Europe.”

‘Kurdish women should be aware of their power’

Another mother living in the camp, Wesile Gabarî reacted to the murder of Kurdish women in Paris by saying, “We, as Kurdish women, commemorate all our martyrs of Kurdistan with respect. We strongly condemn the massacres that took place in Paris. All Kurdish women must strengthen their struggle against these conspiracies and massacres. The conspiracy against our friends is the conspiracy against all of us. We are determined to struggle to the end. Kurdish women are strong women, they should be aware of their power.”

We will never bow down

Wesile Gabarî called on all women to strengthen their struggle against the Turkish attacks and said, “Our leader has been held in Imrali prison for years. Comrade Sara was one of the first friends of leader Apo. Leader Apo is the leader of all oppressed people and a defender of human rights. For this reason, we must do our best to protect our leader. Everyone should know very well that Kurdish women will exist forever. We, as Kurdish women, will never bow down to the enemy. All Kurdish mothers and women and all women should speak out and say, ‘We exist, we will exist and we will never surrender’.”