FOR ME, WOMEN’S FREEDOM İS MORE VALUABLE THAN THE FREEDOM OF THE HOMELAND
The following text is a brief compilation of messages and speeches that Abdullah Öcalan delivered to women militants on various dates. As can be understood from the text, these evaluations were made under heavy isolation conditions imposed by the Turkish state from February 15, 1999 to the present day. One of the significant reasons for these inhumane practices, which have been applied against a single person with the approval of all hegemonic world powers, is our leader Abdullah Öcalan’s contribution to women’s freedom and the ways in which his stance has shaken this exploitative system to its core. As Kurdish women, we have developed a great level of organization through our leader’s perspectives. On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, the KJK (Kurdistan Women’s Communities) wants to offer some of our leader’s speeches on women’s freedom to all women of the world as a gift.
The Imrali torture system, which is incompatible with national laws, international treaties, universal rights, and moral values, is an enemy of women and peoples, an usurper of rights and freedoms, and a product of hierarchical, patriarchal, and statist systems. Our leader has always been in favor of social solutions, radical democracy, and women’s freedom. Our leader, who has taken his anti-hierarchical, patriarchal, and capitalist system struggle to a collective level, has been continuing this struggle under the heaviest torture-isolation conditions for 24 years.
Since the establishment of the Imrali torture system, which is governed by special statuses and practices, it has become a place where fundamental rights and freedoms are neglected. The right to meet with lawyers and family, and the right to communicate with the outside world have been completely eliminated.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, we hope that all women will take a stand against the torture and inhumane practices imposed on our leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is the hope of freedom for a people, a friend of women’s freedom, and a combination of universal values of humanity, and actively participate in the “DEM DEMA AZADIYE YE” (The Time for Freedom is Now) campaign. We congratulate you on this 8th March International Women’s Day with these wishes.
Long live March 8th!
Long live the Women’s Revolution!
JIN JIYAN AZADÎ (Woman, Life, Freedom)
For me, women’s freedom is more valuable than the freedom of the homeland.
It is clear that the status to which woman is condemned is completely anti-Jîyan (meaning “life” in Kurdish) and anti-Jîn (meaning “woman” in Kurdish) in character. It is still incomprehensible to me how a man can live with a woman under the current condition, let alone make the concept of honor revolve around the woman while turning its meaning upside down. I have considered fighting against this to be the true sense of honor. I believe that this fight is already creating the desired woman and therefore life, in yourselves and in the institutional expressions of society. Generally, in the world and specifically in Middle Eastern societies, the most meaningful social struggle must be based on this foundation. I am proudly carrying out this struggle with high performance. But what is important is your successful individual and institutional emergence from under this struggle’s weight. I do not want to repeat what I have already said about this struggle. There is no limit to my friendship and comradeship with women. The theoretical depth and practicality found in these things will be the true measure of acceptable masculinity. This perspective is, in my opinion, also the fundamental principle of aesthetics and productivity. Beauty can only be achieved by capturing and experiencing this depth in perspective. Living the homeland, nation, and freedom must be based on this fundamental principle. I address women and say that I believe that women’s emancipation will create a sun-like effect based on intelligence, defense, and beauty in the Middle East. We are closer than ever to real freedom. I know that freedom cannot be easily built. It may require a price and may be challenging, but I am also struggling here and trying to provide an answer. We will build freedom. The will for freedom of the Kurdish people gives me hope. Freedom is more valuable than bread and water. A revolution that cannot emancipate women is not a revolution. An organization that cannot organize women is not an organization. Those who don’t save life cannot save the nation. For me, a woman’s freedom is more valuable than the freedom of the nation. Everyone wants to be with a woman in different ways. My relationship with women has always been on a high level. I never allowed it to go low. That’s what’s important. I will continue to offer my contributions with my labor power as well as respect and loyalty to our noble martyrs and your reality of being jin-jiyan. I am proud of the empowered woman. However, it has been revealed that some men in our ranks are intimidated by the empowered woman, and even obstruct her progress. We do not condone this. The empowered woman is our pride. Living with an empowered woman is valuable. The empowered woman is life. The weak woman, the dependent woman, is problematic in terms of our moral values, and weakens us. A man who imposes this is imposing a life that is problematic both in terms of class and moral values. A man who seeks a slave-like woman, who seeks only a woman dependent on him, is the source of gender inequality in our assembly and represents a serious deviation from freedom at the national and societal level. Therefore, if you are consistent, recognizing that being a strong woman is a guarantee of equality and freedom in all areas, it should be considered a duty to see it as something worth living for, and even to show it in an enriching way through struggle. I describe myself as a worker of love. I live for you. Your longings are my reason for living, I am with you.
THERE IS A FREE WORLD TO BE WON. THERE IS A FREE LIFE TO BE WON.
I am a women’s freedom fighter and very radical about it. I believe that women’s liberation will create a spring-like sun in the Middle East based on intelligence, defense, and beauty. With the belief that one day the strong woman will defeat the oppressive and reactionary man, I wish that you elevate your struggle in accordance with the spirit of the process. I greet, embrace, and wish success to all comrades and friends in all fields and moments wisely, beautifully, and lovingly, and I celebrate your time’s year and years. I hope the new era will also bestow upon you the honor of meeting with it.
ABDULLAH OCALAN