Guerrilla fighter Rojda Apocî comes from the village of Paygelani in the Hawraman region of Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat, Iran). She experienced patriarchy firsthand at a young age. She was married off while still a child. Her life was marked by violence, repression and abuse. She clearly saw the contradiction between patriarchal oppression and the history of Hawraman, where women were considered sacred. As the contradictions grew for her, she joined the PKK. The guerrilla fighter talked to ANF about her experiences in the guerrilla and in Hawraman.

"As if people were awakened from their sleep"

"In the guerrilla you can find undiscovered human power. Self-knowledge is deep in the philosophy of the Apoist movement," says Rojda Apoci. "It is as if people are awakened from their sleep. This shows what kind of system we are dealing with. Hevaltî [friendship, comradery] is a concept that has a profound philosophical meaning in the movement. In fact, it is a revival of all the values that humanity has lost. For example, sharing, togetherness, collective life is revived. The movement stays on its feet through this concept."

Rojda Apocî tells the following of her region of origin: "In the old days, women were very respected in Hawraman. The woman was considered sacred as a life-giver and producer. Today, it still seems difficult to speak of this essence. In Hawraman, values from the oldest time of Kurdish culture have been lived. Hawraman is still one of the regions that insist on defending this culture. But this must become stronger and happen consciously. Women must make great efforts to change the perspective on them. In addition to the capitalist system, Sharia laws in Hawraman play an important role in the deterioration of women."

"I want to live in a world where I decide according to my own will"

"I wanted a world where I could make my own decisions, go my own way and live according to my will. And I found it. A woman living under Sharia law is deprived of all her rights. We had to live under these Sharia laws. That's why I was married young and was subjected to oppression and violence. I was looking for a place where I could freely express my thoughts and live according to my own will. I was looking for a place where I could breathe, and I found it here with the guerrillas."

“The women of Hawraman must show their courage one more time”

Rojda Apocî concludes by saying: "When you get to know the movement better, you understand what the system is doing to us. The courage, the faith, the friendly relationships that I see within the movement, especially among women, are really impressive. The women of Hawraman need to show courage again, organize and take the path to freedom. It is a historic task for us to revive the lost values of Hawraman. This movement is the best place to fight against the capitalist system and the Sharia system. Everyone should read Abdullah Öcalan, think about his ideas and join the freedom movement."

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