KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council member Mustafa Karasu spoke to ANF regarding the upcoming Kurdish New Year Newroz, March 21 and its importance for the Kurdish people and struggle.

"GENOCIDE AND ATROCITY CAN BE RESISTED WITH THE SPIRIT OF NEWROZ"

Remarking that the greatest resistance against genocide and atrocity could be given with the spirit of Newroz, Karasu stressed that the Kurds would face with extinction by the genocidal colonialism if they didn't celebrate Newroz.

Karasu said keeping the Newroz alive and lighting the Newroz fire was therefore a major resistance against genocidal colonialism, adding; “Aware of this reality, the Apoist movement, Leader Apo and PKK has always made huge efforts to enhance the Newroz.”

"WHAT RESURRECTS THE KURD IS THE SPIRIT OF NEWROZ"

Karasu stressed that taking to the squares on Newroz is the manifestation of the will for free life and said: “In this sense, serhildans have also started on Newroz. The Newroz spirit is what created the serhildans of the 1990’s. On Newroz, the people of Cizre and Nusaybin rose up and declared to the world that the Kurd won’t live under this system of genocide anymore. Those who took to the squares on Newroz, the Newroz resisters and the people in Nusaybin and Cizre by the early 1990’s declared that the Kurds have a new aspiration, they won’t live under the system of genocide anymore and they will resist and break the system of genocide. In this sense, the importance of Newroz in the Kurdistan freedom struggle is great. The Newroz’s of 1990, 1991 and 1992 are the Newroz’s that resurrected the Kurd. Because of that, after the serhildans on Newroz 1990-91-92, Leader Apo said “Resurrection has been completed, now it’s time for emancipation.” So, the uprisings on Newroz’s resurrected the Kurd, made the Kurd stand tall again. What makes the Kurd stand tall again is the spirit of Newroz, the character of resistance in it, and the spirit. It is the essential values of the Kurd. Newroz includes the essential values of the Kurd. In this sense, every Newroz sees the national sentiment of the Kurd rise, Kurds are reminded of their existence regardless of their ideology, political stance or class status, in remembering their existence they take to the squares to manifest the existence of the Kurd, and they celebrate Newroz. No Kurd wants to stay at home on Newroz. The old, the young, women, children, they don’t want to stay at home. Because Newroz is the day to actualize themselves, for the children, the elderly, the infirm alike. It is a day to remember one’s self. It is the day that the Kurd feels most Kurdish, that the longing for a free and democratic life is at a maximum. In this regard they run to the squares, shout out loud against the genocidal colonialism, they resist, they don’t bow down to tyranny and show that they won’t, manifesting their will to resist. The passion for resistance puts forth its spirit. The Newroz grounds are places the passion, the will and the stance for resistance is renewed and strengthened every year. They are places where the oath for resistance is sworn. In this sense, it is of the utmost importance to be in the squares on Newroz day. Taking to the squares means manifesting the will for a free life and insisting on the free life. Newroz grounds for Kurds are grounds for popular congresses. Every group in a Newroz square is a group of a people’s congress. In this sense, the speeches, slogans, aspirations voiced in Newroz are a people’s congress showcase of what kind of a Kurdistan the people want, what kind of a life they want, what kind of a democracy they want. The people put forth their program for a democratic and free life on Newroz’s. Every Newroz is of the utmost importance for Kurds. For Kurds, the absence of Newroz is the absence of the Kurd. Not taking to the squares on Newroz day, not remembering the values of Newroz, not commemorating the martyrs of Newroz and not putting forth the Kurd’s values and will to live a free and democratic life is self denial, ignorance and abandoning one’s self for the Kurd. Because of that, Kurds take to the squares on every Newroz and put forth the will that we exists, we want to live as Kurds, democratic and free.”

"NEWROZ IS THE WILL FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NATION FORMED THROUGH HISTORY"

KCK Executive Council Member Mustafa Karasu also pointed out the following:

“Undoubtedly, as Newroz is the Kurd’s will for a free and democratic life, it is also the will of the brotherhood of peoples. Newroz is the historic spirit of the democratic nation theory put forth today by Leader Apo. Newroz is the will for democratic nation formed through history. In this sense, we also see Newroz as the Kurds’ will to live together peacefully with all neighboring peoples. We see Newroz as the will to live together as Êzidîs, Sunnis, Alevis, all Kurds. We see Newroz as the will to live together for Êzidîs, Alevis, Sunnis, Christians, Muslims, everybody. That is why Newroz is strong with the Kurds, it is the will to exist for the Kurd, it is the Kurd’s culture for existence. There are aspects of it unique to Kurds, but Newroz is also celebrated by all the peoples of the Middle East, so it also is a culture that ensures the brotherhood of peoples. In this context, supporting the Newroz culture is to have the democratic nation understanding that defends the brotherhood of peoples, away from chauvinism and nationalism. Those who celebrate Newroz can’t be nationalistic. Peoples who celebrate Newroz can’t be nationalistic. They will have the democratic nation understanding, they will respect all other nations. Today the Turkish state is against Newroz. Because Newroz nullifies monism. Like Newroz is the awakening of spring in a sense, the coexistence of all colors together, it also means all different nations, identities and cultures being together for the peoples.

"THE TURKISH STATE IS ANTI-KURDISH AND ANTI-NEWROZ"

In this sense, the Turkish state is also anti-Newroz as well as anti-Kurdish. They are anti-Newroz because they are anti-Kurdish. Building up Newroz is rising against the one state, one nation, one flag, one homeland fascist notion repeated by Tayyip Erdoğan every day. The month of Newroz is also a time to rise against the monism of the Turkish state. Newroz’s are very important for the Kurds and the peoples. In this sense, Newroz 2017 is much more important. Because the Turkish state is ignoring the Kurdish existence. They want to destroy the Kurdish existence. They want to crush every value the Kurds hold. The first acts of the trustees were to remove the signs in Kurdish and shut down the Kurdish cultural institutions. The trustees targeted all that is Kurdish. Today the AKP government is in alliance with MHP. This is an anti-Kurdish alliance. The anti-Kurdishness is the reason the MHP have allied with the AKP. Today the AKP government is acting as an enemy to the Rojava revolution, to the Êzidîs achieving free and democratic life. For this, it is of the utmost importance that the Kurd rises up this Newroz. There must be a stance against this genocidal system. The AKP-MHP government is an administration of genocide. The April 16 referendum is the attempt to legitimize, officialize and legalize this genocidal administration. The Kurdish people rising up this Newroz will be the resurgence of the resurrecting Newroz’s, the Newroz’s of Cizre, Nusaybin and Şırnak. It will be an insurgence against the destruction of Şırnak, Nusaybin, Cizre, Silopi, the places where Newroz has been celebrated most strongly and the Kurd has been resurrected. Newroz 2017 will be the day to embrace the cities that were home to the resurrection of the Kurd on Newroz days, the places serhildans stepped onto the stage of history, where the Newroz flames rose highest. In this context, Newroz 2017 is of the utmost importance.

"WE MUST TAKE TO THE SQUARES, WHATEVER THE PRICE MAY BE"

Newroz 2017 must be a Newroz of embracing the Kurd and our existence, and rising up against the genocidal colonialist attacks on our existence, as would befit the historic importance. It must be the day the Kurd puts forth that their existence can’t be destroyed, genocidal colonialism can’t disrupt the Kurdish freedom struggle, or crush the passion for freedom, or destroy the Kurd’s aspiration to a free and democratic life. This Newroz, the Kurdish people must rise up everywhere, in Amed, Mardin, Urfa, Van, Batman, Hakkari, Ağrı, Dersim, Bingöl, Bitlis, Muş, Serhat, Botan, in cities, everywhere. Every city, every town and neighborhood must turn into a Newroz Serhildan. Of course, like in the past, the squares must be filled by hundreds of thousands of people. But if the enemy prevents that, every neighborhood and every street must be turned into a Newroz ground. If the genocidal colonialism bans Newroz, the Kurdish people must turn every neighborhood and every street into an area of Newroz resistance stance. The Newroz character is clear. The Newroz’s of 1990-91-92 are the ones that resurrected the Kurd. The stance in these Newroz’s is also clear. We have hundreds of, thousands of martyrs. But despite that, these Newroz’s were celebrated. The Kurdish people must remember this. We won’t give up on our free life. We can’t give up on our aspiration for a free and democratic life. Whatever the price may be, however cruel the enemy may get, we must take to the Newroz grounds, we must celebrate Newroz, we must show the world one more time our will to live a free and democratic life. And we must show the genocidal colonialism that the will of the Kurds, the people of Newroz, won’t be broken or intimidated. Leader Apo called the Kurdish people ‘the people of Newroz’. The people of Newroz means the people of resistance, and the will to build the free and democratic life, and the strength to rise up against all tyranny. On this basis, I celebrate Newroz 2017 for all of the Kurdish people. I salute the martyrs of past Newroz’s once more with respect and gratitude. Ronahi, Berivan and Zekiye Alkan, martyred in Europe in 1993 when they set themselves on fire, Rahşan who set herself on fire in İzmir, Kadifekale, and all Newroz martyrs I salute and we repeat our promise to uphold the memory of all Newroz martyrs. I am calling on our people to take to the squares to uphold the promise of the Newroz martyrs and to celebrate Newroz in the strongest manner.”