TeleSur | – –
“You are among the most radical voices in today’s racist, sexist, capitalist world,” the YPJ wrote to Black Lives Matter.
Fighters from the Kurdish Women’s Defense Units or YPJ, have sent a message of solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.
“To our black sisters and brothers! The people of Kurdistan stand with you!” read the short statement posted Saturday by the group, who has been fighting the incursions of ISIS [Daesh] in northern Syria for close to two years. “Here are the women who fight ISIS in Rojava (northern Syria) – saluting your honorable struggle for freedom, dignity, and resistance!”
The call for Black Lives Matter has become a focal point for discussions around systemic racism and police brutality following the police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in 2014, as well as numerous other incidents since. This past week, police killed Philando Castille and Alton Sterling – both incidents filmed and subsequently shared ober social media – touching off more protests across the United States.
For the women of the YPJ, solidarity and building “world revolution” against racism, sexism and capitalism, go hand in hand.
“As the women in Kurdistan know very well, we need to build our self-defense in all spheres of life. You are among the most radical voices in today’s racist, sexist, capitalist world and the freedom-loving peoples of the world deeply respect and salute your fight! Solidarity is the first step to world revolution!,” the statement continued.
Since the most recentstring of high-profileU.S.police shootingsof Blackpeople, expressions of solidarityfromothercommunities in the United States as well as groups fromaround the world have beenpouring in – with the radical, communistKurdish groups being the latest.
“Black Lives Matter! As we say in Kurdish: “Berxwedan jiyan e!” – Resistance is life!,” the YPJgroup concluded.
Via TeleSur
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Related video added by Juan Cole:
Fusion: “ISIS Fighters, Chapter 2: The Women Warriors Who Fight Terror”
Iconic image. Reminds me of this one. Barcelona, 1936 link to t.co
This will probably make some right winger’s heads explode.
“#Kurdish Women Fighters in #solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter”
YPJ rocks.
I bet right-wingers wouldn’t enjoy hearing what they have to say about the Palestinians either.
Surprisingly, the Kurds have a history of a close relationship with Israel and its government:
link to theguardian.com
link to meforum.org
An estimated 100,000 Kurdish Jews reside in Jerusalem.
The liberal leftist enclave called “Rojava” stands to the far right of our American and western Europe leftist societies. Gay marriage is forbidden, freedom od assembly is limited, pot use and growth is punishable by jail, polygamy is permitted under 2 conditions 1 your wife was unable to conceive 2 she gives permission for the husband to take 2nd wife. Rojava police have absolute right to warrantless search of your person,car, phone ect. They can keep you detained until you remember your password to unlock a device. Private citizens can own a full auto or machine gun in rojava but the number is limited per household. The PYD profits plenty from private business (capitalism) They charge duties on things going into /out of Rojava. One difference that sets them apart from the west is they have a quota system in govt that requires equal number of male / female however this rule does not apply to the far reaches of Rojava for example Al shaddadi. The ideology opposes the feudal patriarchial system of govt. As a practical matter they work with it rather than oppose it in many many cases. Rojava is far more religious than our metrosexual western agnostic societies. Without having lived both places these teens would not have a clue. To a large degree rioting is even tolerated while it is severely cracked down on in Rojava.