AVAJÎN HÊLÎN

Qamishlo- About 10 years ago, a massacre was committed against Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylamez in France’s capital Paris. After 10 years, another massacre was committed against Kurds in Paris. In the gun attack on the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Center in Paris, The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Member Emine Kara (Nom de guerre: Evîn Goyî), Kurdish musician Mîr Perwer (Mehmet Şirin Aydın) and Abdurrahman Kızıl were killed. The gun attack that took place in Paris on December 23, 2022 is called “The 2nd Paris Massacre” by the Kurdish people.  NuJINHA spoke to Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) Co-chair Rûken Ehmed about the massacres in Paris.

Figures who left their mark in history

Starting her speech by drawing attention to the massacres committed against the Kurds and the resistance of the Kurds against the massacres, Rûken Ehmed said, “Kurds have always been subjected to massacres and genocidal attacks. The pioneers and leaders of Kurds have always been targeted. Thousands of Kurdish women such as Besê, Zerîfe and Berîtan were on the frontline in the Sheikh Said rebellion, the Dersim rebellion, the Koçgiri rebellion and Kurdistan Freedom Movement and they left their marks in history with their resistance.” Underling that the spirit of these women became the legacy of struggle and resistance, Rûken Ehmed said, “Those who led the Rojava Revolution and organized themselves and their society were women. The women, who ignited the spark of the revolution and spread it across Syria, paid a high price for the people from all nations and religions of North and East Syria. Hevrin Khalaf was one of these women. She led the revolution by participating in politics. Dozens of women such as Zehra Berkel, Hebûn Mele Xelîl, Mother Emine, Mother Eqîde, Zeyneb Saroxan, Jiyan Tolhildan and Hediye Brahîm played a leading role in fight against ISIS and the patriarchal system. They fought to the end.”

‘Their aim is to annihilate society’

Emphasizing that women’s resistance has frustrated the plans of the Turkish state, Rûken Ehmed said, “The Turkish state has used all kinds of methods to attack the people demanding freedom. But the people are determined to have freedom so they have frustrated all against attacks by standing firm. The main aim of the Turkish state is to leave society without leaders. The Turkish state aims to annihilate the Kurdish people by targeting the leaders of the revolution.” Rûken Ehmed stated that nation-states established systems to destroy societies and said, “The nation-states are the enemies of women and humanity because they protect themselves by breaking the will of societies. Societies, particularly women, do not accept this. They wage a great struggle to protect their will and existence.”

‘Who is behind the massacre?’

Recalling the first Paris Massacre that took place on January 9, 2013, Rûken Ehmed said, “On January 9, 2013, Three leading women Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez were murdered in Paris. The murderer was not prosecuted for various reasons. Ten years have passed since this massacre took place. The Kurdish people demand justice every year, on the anniversary of the massacre.”

Rûken Ehmed added, “The massacre that took place on December 23 is the continuation of the massacre that took place on January 9, 2013. If France had revealed the massacre in 2013, the second massacre would not have been committed. Who is behind the massacre? Who planned it? The French state must answer these questions.”

The resistance of Emine Kara

Speaking about Emine Kara (Evîn Goyî), Rûken Ehmed said, “Comrade Evin was the voice and hope of people and women. She led them. At the beginning of the Rojava Revolution, Evîn came to Rojava and she played an important role in the establishment of the Autonomous Administration system and the implementation of the Democratic Nation Project. She made great efforts. Like her name (Evin means love in Kurdish), she was in love with life, freedom, women and society. She was both revolutionary and intellectual. She wrote what women and society faced. As women of North and East Syria, we will always follow in the footsteps of Evin. We will wage a stronger struggle to realize her dreams and hopes.”

‘Society was targeted’

Highlighting that the Kurdish people will fight for the punishment of the perpetrators, Rûken Ehmed said, “Since the massacre took place in Paris, the Kurdish people have taken to the streets in Kurdistan and other countries. Their anger grows every day. They know that this attack is not an ordinary attack but a planned attack. Our society was targeted in the massacre.”