WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM

Rihan Loqo: Women must build the new Syrian constitution

Rihan Loqo said that women in Syria have waged an important struggle against nationalist, religious, sexist, and state-centered mentalities, and added that "women must build the new Syrian constitution."


NÛJIYAN ADAR
QAMISHLO
Thursday, 19 December 2024, 

The Turkish state, seeking to turn the collapse of the Assad regime into an opportunity, continues its attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria.

Kongra Star spokesperson Rihan Loqo said that the mercenaries trained by the Turkish state aim to weaken the unity of peoples and undermine women’s will. She noted that these groups, despite having different identities, serve the same purpose.


Highlighting that the Autonomous Administration model is unprecedented, Rihan Loqo said: "Between 2005 and 2012, women became the pioneers of social change, and this revolution was realized under their leadership. Women have built their own systems in communes, councils, defense, academia, the economy, and justice in Northern and Eastern Syria. The Autonomous Administration has promoted a paradigm based on the democratic family, co-leadership, democracy, equality, and freedom. This remarkable organization has contributed to the emergence of a new model not only in the region but also globally. One of our most significant achievements is the co-leadership system, which was realized through the philosophy of Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Women, Life, Freedom)."

Loqo continued: "The Rojava Revolution developed based on the science of Jineoloji (women’s science), which played a critical role in the establishment of all institutions within the Autonomous Administration. Built with the contributions of women, the Autonomous Administration today, led by Kurdish women and in unity with Arab, Syriac, Armenian, Circassian, and Turkmen women, is fighting against nationalism, sexism, and religious extremism through the Women’s Confederation. The organization and collective action of women have enriched the Rojava Revolution. For this reason, the Rojava Revolution has gone down in history as a Women’s Revolution. The establishment of the YPJ (Women’s Protection Units) and Women’s Internal Security Forces further highlights our distinctiveness, as their struggle against DAESH (ISIS) has been widely seen."

The system aims to isolate women from life

Emphasizing the struggle waged against patriarchal mentalities from Rosa Luxemburg to Sakine Cansız, Rihan Loqo highlighted the fight for a new Syria following the fall of the Assad regime and stated: "Kurdish women have fought relentlessly against nationalism, sexism, and religious extremism. Northern and Eastern Syria are part of Syria, and Syria is part of the Middle East. In the 21st century, a huge resistance led by women has been waged and continues to be waged against the patriarchal mindset. Nationalism, sexism, and religious extremism prevent the establishment of a free life, democratic families, democracy, and equality. Women’s voices and their will are being silenced. Women are being systematically excluded from all areas of life, especially politics. The primary goal of these mentalities is to erase women’s presence, ideas, and actions. We do not just criticize this mentality; we actively wage a war against it through women’s united struggle.

Women have been fighting in Syria for many years. We have paid a heavy price for an equal, democratic, peaceful, and free life. We want a new Syria that is democratic, equal, just, and rooted in peace. This new Syrian constitution must be built under women’s leadership, and women’s rights must be guaranteed. The cultural richness of Syria’s peoples must be preserved, and their existence safeguarded, as seen in the Social Contract declared in Northern and Eastern Syria. Just as the Social Contract protects the rights of women, children, people with disabilities, the elderly, in short, every individual in society, the new Syrian constitution must do the same. Without this, it is impossible to speak of a democratic, equal, just, and peaceful Syria."

Militias organized under various names were trained by the Turkish state

Rihan Loqo pointed out that since the Rojava Revolution, the Turkish state has targeted the brotherhood of peoples, women’s will, democracy, equality, and, by extension, the Democratic Nation project. She stressed that the Syrian government must not fall into the Turkish state’s trap when rebuilding the country, and added: "The Turkish state’s aim is the dismantling of the Democratic Nation project. Indeed, it has mobilized all its resources to eliminate this project. Up to now, it continues its attacks using technical means and militias it has trained. All of these militias have been trained for years by the Turkish state. We cannot view groups like Baghdadi-led militias, or figures like Erdoğan and Jolani, separately. Those who overthrew the Syrian regime have, in earlier periods, carried out massive massacres.

Despite these intense attacks, Northern and Eastern Syria remain the safest, most stable areas where peace and justice are upheld in Syria. Since the fall of the Syrian regime by HTS and the subsequent announcement of the interim Syrian government, we have been carefully monitoring developments. So far, we have not encountered any approach that defends women’s will and freedom or recognizes women as a force or entity. From day one, women were required to wear headscarves. Women scientists were targeted and killed. It is evident that a rigid, religious system based on Sharia law is being aimed for in Syria. For this reason, our struggle against sexism and occupation will continue without pause. It was not easy to build a system rooted in women’s freedom. Everyone should know that we will not compromise on our women-centered freedom system."

Only with Öcalan’s paradigm we can resolve the crisis

Recalling Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's past assessments regarding the Syrian crisis, Rihan Loqo said that Öcalan possesses the power to resolve global crises and concluded her speech with the following remarks: "Mindsets that prioritize national interests over the welfare of peoples continue to deepen the crisis day by day. Recently, a meeting was held with Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], but it was not followed up. If there had been continued dialogue with Leader Apo today, the Syrian crisis would not have reached this level of depth. Forces prioritizing nation-state interests are well aware of this, which is why isolation persists without interruption. If we stand for the brotherhood of peoples, peace, democracy, harmony, and justice, Leader Apo's views must reach the people. The trust of the peoples living in Northern and Eastern Syria in Leader Apo's paradigm is complete, and they strongly advocate for an urgent visit with him.

The ongoing war today is a war of existence and non-existence. For this reason, it is a war for freedom. The peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria have waged an extraordinary struggle for over 12 years, paying great sacrifices in the process. Led by women, this has been a war of existence, during which ISIS was eliminated, and thanks to YPJ and YPG, not only Northern and Eastern Syria but also the world was saved from a major catastrophe.

In this historic moment, I call on everyone to embrace the philosophy of Jin, Jiyan, Azadî and to unite around the struggle for a free life, woven with huge labor and sacrifice."