Silence of international community gives green light to Erdogan to commit more massacres

FIDAN ABDULLAH /AL_SHAHBA

Hawar news agency (ANHA) interviwed with the head of the Lebanese Social Association Newroz and a member of the Lebanese Women's Union and a member of the Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights Hanan Othman

The text of the dialog is as follows

- During your visit to Afrin canton during Resistance of the Age and after forcible displacement towards al-Shahba canton, how do you evaluate the situation of the people of Afrin and women in particular?

In early March 2018, a Lebanese women's delegation came to Afrin to join the first campaign organized by Kongra Star to lift the siege on Afrin and to support the people in Afrin in general and women especially in the mythical resistance that they made with the letters of sacrifice, redemption and boldness that unprecedented in history.

We had the honor of joining the women's rally on the occasion of the International Women's Day, which painted a beautiful mosaic painting. We crossed streets of Afrin with the strength and courage of the woman who was at the height of her steadfastness and defiance of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries. She screamed loudly and said she was able to stand up facing the enemies Despite lack of possibilities, we were amazed by the large crowds of women who were entering the city of Afrin besieged and exposed to bombardment and air and land invasion, in order to support Resistance of the Age .

In June, following the forcible displacement of the Afrin residents we headed toward to al-Shahba canton, we went with a women's delegation of rights activists to the area to support the Afrin residents.

All those we met in the camp from the men and women of Afrin confirmed their readiness to deal with all the harsh conditions for the sole goal of liberating Afrin from the occupation and clearing the land of mercenaries and return as soon as possible, explaining that their camps will become the arena of resistance until victory.

The woman did not give up in Afrin one day. She stood up to the attacks of the Turkish occupation and his mercenaries, and showed a historic resistance that resonated with the whole world, as we found it continuing in the struggle and struggle after it was forcibly evicted from its homes in Afrin.

- Since the occupation of Afrin, the Turkish occupation state has been practicing immoral practices against women in Afrin. How do you comment on these violations?

Women in Afrin have a history of struggle and hardness of will and resistance. Equality has been applied at all levels. All these developments are radical and unmatched in most countries that claim democracy, including the Turkish occupation state, which has not touched up to all these gains and developments. For aggression on Afrin from all media, political and military aspects. At the beginning of the aggression it was clear that the mercenaries of the Turkish occupation targeted women. The first examples of moral degeneration and their hatred of the Afrin people and women are the crimes of attacking the corpses of the fighters.

- The woman in Afrin did not remain silent under the occupation, she resisted by all means, which showed her beating and humiliation as a result of standing in the face of mercenaries of the Turkish occupation, how do you see this position of women?

The women in Afrin city exposed to the violence and physical and phsychological torture but did not succumb to all the violations that occur daily, women in Afrin and children  are considerably maltreated  from Turkish occupation but through the resistance of women not on the fronts of fighting, All fronts and squares have shown the whole world the reality of women's struggle for freedom and democracy. This courageous stand for Kurdish women is to defend the democratic approach in the Middle East. This struggle not only targets the occupation but also targets exclusionary mentality against all women.

- The Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries kidnapped more than 119 women and their fate is unknown. In your opinion, who is responsible and who requires action to stop attacks on women?

All these violations and acts committed by the occupation against the people considered war crimes and international crimes against humanity, which are serious violations of human rights, international silence and media silence regarding all violations and injustice against the people of Afrin. The international community is directly responsible for these crimes. Humanitarian and human rights, where turn a blind its eyes on tragedy and the humanitarian disaster, and this position gives the government of Erdogan the green light in its brutal and contrary to all international laws and standards.

- In light of the increasing number of kidnappings, the rape and killing of women, what do you think of the besieged women in occupied and outside Afrin?

We believe that the solidarity of women all over the world will be the strongest weapon in the face of Turkish fascism. We also call upon all Kurdish women and all other nationalities to join forces and brave revolutionary to defend the women's revolution because violating any woman is a violation of all women. Around the world to join any activist or movement that contributes to the liberation of Afrin and helps in the triumph of the women's revolution and defeat this dreadful terror as women's organizations must move and put an end to violations.

(T/S)

ANHA