Stellan Vinthagen: Rojava revolution is a bright spark for oppressed people

Swedish Professor Stellan Vinthagen pointed out that the Rojava revolution is like a bright spark which ignites at a time when the strength of global authoritarian regimes has been greatly strengthened, calling for the revolution to be defended by all available means.

20 July, 2022 06:48

NEWS DESK- JEHAN BILKIN

Many writers, professors, artists, journalists and academics continue to support the Rojava revolution. Swedish Professor Stellan Vinthagen spoke to ANHA about the Rojava revolution.

Professor Vinthagen described the Rojava revolution as an "inspiring struggle" for people all over the world, and said the system which developed was an experiment to develop an independent society.

Professor Vinthagen said that " I think the revolution in Rojava is a very inspirational struggle and an experiment for people around in the whole world. And I think what is particularly interesting is the experiment with developing an autnonomous society".

Vinthagen drew attention to the reasons for the hostility of some states to the Rojava revolution and the women's freedom by saying : "There are many particular reasons in the context of Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran of the neighbouring states. There are also the worries from larger states of the example that the Kruds are setting for a socialist, feminist and autonomous society that is ruling itself. That is something which puts the fear into a lot of states and it puts the fear into people that are running global capitalists. Therefore, I think the solidarity links between Rojava and other autonomous experiments are key. I don`t believe that the friends of the Kurdish experiment are going to be states or corporations. It has to be people in other similar experiments and struggles.

Vinthagen criticized the silence of countries on the crimes of the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries, and evaluated them, saying:

Well, I see it as a similar silence as we see when Israel is comitting crimes against Palistinians, or when Marocco is comitting crimes against western Saharawis, or when Indonesia is comitting similar crimes against the west Papuan indigenous population, or when China is comitting that against Tibet or when India is doing that against people in Kashmir. It is a pattern. We see it happening all the time. It is a matter of the cynical politics of states. So i don`t think we can rely on the interests of states when it comes to protecting human rights. It has to be a matter of people to people solidarity. Obviously, there are journalists and commissions within the United Nations that can react and has reacted but that is just not enough. It has to be a matter of building better and stronger people to people solidarities.

Who is Stellan Vinthagen?

Stellan Venthagen was born on October 13, 1964. He is a Swedish professor of sociology, academic activist, and director of the Resistance Studies Initiative at the University of Massachusetts. He is also the co-chair of the Resistance Group at the University of Gothenburg. Editor of the Journal of Resistance Affairs and a member of the Council for Resistance Studies. He is an advisor to the International War Resisters (WRI) and the International Center for Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC). He is a professor, organizer and activist in various countries since 1980 and has conducted more than 30 nonviolent civil disobedience activities and was subsequently imprisoned for over a year.

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