On the occasion of the upcoming spring and resistance festival of Newroz and the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the organizing process of the Kurdish freedom movement, the Kurdistan Women’s Communities (KJK) Coordination released a statement, saying, "Let us carry out a historical reckoning based on half a century of experience in freedom struggle and revolution. Let us transform the 21st century into a revolution of self-organized peoples led by women."

The statement by the KJK Coordination on the occasion of the Newroz festival includes the following: "We greet with the passion of revival and resistance Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] and our comrades resisting in the mountains, the dungeons and in all areas of struggle and celebrate the Newroz festival of the women and our people. We are now approaching the 50th Newroz festival and feel the historical responsibility of resistance for the struggle under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan, which has been progressing for half a century. We feel responsible for those who do not let themselves be intimidated, who do not bow down and who say 'the end will be spectacular’. We feel responsible for those who love life so much that they are ready to die for it and who say 'resistance means life', for people with a consciousness like that of Mazlum Doğan. We greet with all our hearts the women and our people who participate in resistance in the mountains, the plains, the dungeons and the squares against the torture system in Imrali and rise to fight against fascism. We remember with respect and gratitude the Newroz martyrs who lit the Newroz fire with their bodies and challenged colonialism in the Apoist spirit. We want to remember them and all the martyrs of the Kurdistan Revolution in the person of the Newroz martyrs Mazlum Doğan, Zekiye Alkan, Rahşan Demirel, Ronahî, Bêrîvan and Sema with gratitude.

The focus of anti-colonial resistance

In Mesopotamia lie the roots of humanity. The Kurdish, Arab, Persian, Syriac and Turkish people see the true meaning of Newroz: the success of the common struggle against a tyrant. Newroz festival has been celebrated as a festival of resistance for thousands of years. For this reason, Newroz is the starting point of a huge resistance against all kinds of colonialism and a place to feel freedom. The ancient region of Mesopotamia experienced the worst tyranny. But it has also seen great revolutions and revolutionaries from Kawa to Mazlum Doğan.

"Öcalan spread the flame of revolution"

Abdullah Öcalan has been relentlessly resisting for half a century. He created a revolution of consciousness and people and brought the struggle against the patriarchal state mentality and colonial order to the level of a world revolution with his paradigm of democratic modernity based on the democratic nation and women's liberation. Rêber Apo became a trailblazer of the peoples and a symbol of Newroz with his resistance against the torture system of capitalist modernity on the prison island of Imrali. He infected the peoples of the Middle East and the world with the flame of revolution kindled in Kurdistan.

The Kurdish freedom movement broke out in March 1973 and has resisted continuously ever since. It produced many leading women of historical significance who were tested in torture and fire, such as Sara, Rahşan and Zekiye. With the struggle of women, which has now expanded to all spheres of life and which reaches a climax on March 21, Newroz has taken on a completely different meaning. With their resistance and historical role, the women of Kurdistan have shown how powerful and determined they are and the freedom they have already fought for. They have wrapped their bodies in the Newroz fire and proved that no one is strong enough to extinguish this fire of freedom. The women never accept surrender and so they show their Newroz attitude. The women of Kurdistan have renewed themselves, have become aware and are leading the globalization of the revolution of freedom. They lead the resistance against the source of colonialism and exploitation, against the sexist, criminal, violent patriarchal state mentality and fight for the freedom and dignity of the society.

"Extending the struggle in the spirit of the people's revolutionary war"

Women have made March 8 a beacon of resistance. The Kurdish women have launched a campaign against fascism between March 1 and 21 and have ensured that the Newroz festival acquires a meaning of freedom more than ever and that the reality of women is linked to Newroz. For two years now, our campaign 'Time to defend women and free society against fascism' has been going on. Let us as women, as Kurdish people, flock to the Newroz squares and extend the struggle with the determination of the revolutionary people's war. Let us make Newroz a focus of common struggle in the spirit of uprising, resistance and victory of the women and peoples of Kurdistan determined to succeed.

"We will start a historical reckoning"

In this sense, let us make Newroz a celebration of freedom. Let us begin a historical reckoning based on half a century of revolutionary experience. Let us turn the 21st century into a century of revolution of women and self-governing peoples. With this awareness and historical responsibility, the Kurdish youth should pour into the squares in the spirit of Mazlum Doğan, take their place in the ranks of the freedom struggle and participate in the resistance. We women must resist sexism and colonialism with the fire of freedom of people like Zekiye, Rahşan, Ronahî and Bêrîvan. We must celebrate this Newroz in the spirit of victory over fascism displayed by the women and young people of Werxelê, Zendura and Mamreşo. Let us carry the flame of resistance that the guerrillas of Kurdistan lit in the mountains to the plains, cities and all squares, giving a proper answer to today's tyrants as Dehak did then. Let Newroz live up to its essence once again and defeat fascism. Let us liberate the Kurdish leader Rêber Apo. With this feeling, in this conviction and in this determination, we congratulate again on the Newroz festival all women and peoples who fight for freedom. Newroz pîroz bê."