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Heval Arslan
”Exactly seven years ago, the hearts of progressive thinkers, women, environmental activists, left-wingers, anarchists, socialists, feminists and democrats across the world beat as one for Kobane (Kobanê). On 1 November 2014, millions of people in five continents and 80 countries stood up for Kobanê,” writes Heval Arslan for the Women’s Supplement of the Yeni Yasam
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On 15 September 2014, ISIS launched an offensive against Kobane Canton in northeast Syria, from three different directions. After the Syrian civil war started, Kobane was the first city, together with Jazeera (Cizîre) and Afrin (Efrîn) to breathe life into the Rojava Revolution with the declaration of self-rule on 19 July 2012. After capturing al-Raqqa, moving on to and defeating Mosul and perpetrating the genocide of the Yazidis in Shengal (Sinjar), ISIS attacked Kobane in an attempt to suppress the revolution.
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On 15 October 2014, a female Kurdish fighter by the name of Arîn Mirkan was to change the direction of history on Mishtanour (Miştenur) Hill. When Arîn Mirkan sacrificed her life on Mishtanour fighting against ISIS, all Kurds rose up. Everyone was talking about the action of one Kurdish woman against the world’s darkest forces. The name Arîn Mirkan resounded across the world as a symbol of Kobane’s resistance, and 1 November was declared World Kobane Day.
…Kobane was completely liberated on January 26, 2015.
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The internationalist and Kurdish resistance fighters in Kobane displayed an extraordinary struggle based on the principle of, “Kobane has not fallen, Kobane will not fall.” This extraordinary struggle, resistance and determination has made Kobane universally known.
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The Kobanê resistance was also a women’s resistance. The women’s liberation revolution in Kobanê led the way for social revolution, changed society with a women’s perspective and achieved a new community spirit. Hospitals, schools and universities were established in the city. Recently, the first students graduated from Kobane University, and most of these were young women.
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Today, on “World Kobanê Day”, Turkish president Erdogan is once again threatening the Rojava Revolution. Erdoğan, tried to take control of Kobane using ISIS, but having failed to do so intends, 7 years later, to enter the city.
He aims therefore to repress this city which has become a symbol of hope for the world, and also to repress the revolution, which is an integral part of the city. At this point, let all those who support humanity, and women in particular, fill the streets with the spirit of World Kobane Day by raising the flag of united struggle against fascism.
