HESNA MIHEMED

 Shahba- 12 years have passed since the revolution in Rojava that started in North and East Syria on July 19, 2012. Following the revolution, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) was established to build a free and equal life in all facets of life, especially in military, politics, education, health, culture, arts and economy. The struggle to build an equal, free and democratic life continues in northeastern Syria despite the ongoing Turkish attacks aiming at destroying the gains of the revolution.

 In an interview with NuJINHA, Şêrin Hesen and Mûfîda Koto, two displaced women of Afrin living in Shahba, about the gains of the revolution in Rojava.

Şêrîn Hesen, Co-chair of the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) of Afrin and Shahba, commemorated the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the revolution that started thanks to the philosophy of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. “The revolution started in Kobanê and then spread to Afrin and across Rojava Kurdistan. Before the revolution, people from different nationalities lived together; however, the policies of the Damascus (Syrian) government tried to assimilate the Kurds. After the revolution, Mala Gel (People’s House) and then Mala Jin (Women’s House) were opened. People have rebuilt their lives thanks to the system based on democracy.”

‘Everyone was included in the system with his or her own language and culture’

Pointing out that many institutions serving people were opened in Afrin following the revolution, Şêrîn Hesen said, “The people could solve their problems through those institutions. The women’s participation in those institutions was very high. In 2014, the AANES implemented the system based on democracy in North and East Syria, including Afrin. Everyone was included in the system with his or her own language and culture. During the revolution, the women of Afrin took part in military, politics, diplomatic and social life.”

‘The first women's science center was opened in Afrin’

Jineology Academy was first opened in Afrin, Şêrîn Hesen said. “Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) first mentioned Jineology (Women’s science) in his book titled, ‘The Sociology of Freedom’. The opening of the first women's science center in Afrin was the biggest gain of the revolution in Rojava. The Jineology Academy conducted its first research on the historical places in Afrin, which had been neglected by the governments for their own interests. The research revealed the existence of goddesses in history. For this reason, Afrin is known as a city of women.”

‘We keep resisting with the spirit of the revolution’

 Şêrîn Hesen pointed out that they kept resisting with the spirit of the revolution despite the displacement. “We are the women of Afrin, who were forcibly displaced from their homeland. We keep resisting in Shahba with the spirit of the revolution and defending the gains of the revolution. We believe that all problems in Syria and in the Middle East will be solved by the spirit of July 19 (Rojava Revolution).”

‘My dream comes true’

Mûfîda Koto, a displaced woman of Afrin and a Kurdish teacher, told us that a school providing education in Kurdish had been opened in Afrin following the revolution. “People had the opportunity to learn their language. We received education in our mother language in the first days of the revolution but we faced many challenges due to the system of the regime that had been established in schools. Establishing a modern system in a society that had been subjected to genocidal policies was not easy. But we did not give up and now we have universities and colleges that provide education in Kurdish. Thanks to the revolution, my dream comes true.”

Emphasizing the efforts of the fighters in the revolution, she said, “They sacrificed their lives to have a free country. We will realize their dreams.”