Asya Abdullah: women lead

JINHA

KOBANÊ - Asya Abdullah, the co-president of Rojava, says that women have not just taken part in the revolution in the region, but led it.

The third anniversary of the revolution in the Rojava autonomous region in Syria is approaching this July 19. In the days leading up to July 19, JINHA is investigating the model of women-led revolution that has been used in Rojava. Our series ends with a conversation with Asya Abdullah, the co-president of the autonomous region.

As in revolutions throughout history, women have played a key part in the Rojava revolution. The people of Rojava have struggled to build a society where all groups (religious, linguistic, ethnic, gender identity) can live freely, in place of the Ba'ath regime. What distinguishes Rojava the most is the principle of women's leadership that is at the heart of the revolution's system of democratic autonomy.

Since 2012, Rojava has been a prime target for reactionary groups--most notably Daesh. In the third year of the revolution, YPG/YPJ forces gained worldwide recognition for their efforts to push back the attacking gang. We asked Asya Abdullah, the co-president of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), for her reflections on the revolution over the past year.

"What emerged in Rojava was an immense willpower and belief," said Asya. "No gang has been able to maintain itself in the face of this willpower, nor will they be able to." She said that the YPG/YPJ forces have spent the past year resisting the efforts of Daesh and the states supporting them to bring authoritarianism to Rojava.

The year has also been one of new diplomatic advances in the international arena for Rojava, said Asya. The past year disproved predictions that the system of bottom-up, autonomous democratic decision-making was not a lasting one. "Many people said that the system we wanted to build wouldn't last," said Asya. "Many believed that it was dangerous for society to have the right to make its own decisions."

Asya characterizes the fundamental distinguishing points of the Rojava revolution as "first, it being a women's revolution; second, the determination on democratic autonomy; and third, it being a national victory." Rojava represents a fruit of struggle for the Kurdish people. Kurdish women, in particular, have been struggling for liberation for the last 40 years, Asya noted.

"Success for women is success for democratic autonomy. Women make determined decisions for themselves in every area of life," said Asya.

Now, organizing efforts along these lines continue in Rojava . "There is increasing work on how to bring together all women under one roof. There's also work on identity in Syria," said Asya, commenting on the main projects in the region now.

One of the key issues on the agenda for Rojava this year is the reconstruction of the city of Kobanê. Many parts of the city were razed in the long Daesh siege. Kurdish and international representatives gathered at a conference in the main Kurdish city of Diyarbakır, Turkey in May. The conference voted to rebuild Kobanê as an equitable, ecological and woman-friendly city.

Now, work has begun on rebuilding the health and educational infrastructure in the city. Asya said that it is a priority for the reconstruction process to include all the people of Kobanê as well as supportive institutions. "For those from outside, if they have the opportunity, let them come and help," she said.

(ekip/gc/fk/cm)