As the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins, the leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party have shared messages calling for peace, unity and resistance against injustice, while the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) advocated for resistance against denial and extermination attacks as a form of worship for Muslims during Ramadan.
The KCK, in a statement released on Sunday by its Committee for Peoples and Beliefs, critically analysed ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, with a focus on the Turkish state’s treatment of the Kurdish people and the Israeli state’s actions against Palestinians.
“The massacres and tragedies caused by the Turkish state’s attacks in Kurdistan, as well as the Israeli state’s attacks on the Palestinian people, are unrelated to Islam, Judaism, or the traditional cultures of the Middle East,” the KCK said, urging “the Muslims of Turkey and the mindful people of Israel to rise up against the mentality that uses the model of the nation-state to subjugate our just and moral religions, throughout the month of Ramadan.”
Moreover, the KCK made a case for unity, stating that democracy, freedom, equality and unity can be achieved through solidarity among peoples of all faiths. Highlighting the Islamic principle that “every act of resistance against those who misuse Islam to subjugate people is regarded as a form of worship,” the KCK called on Muslims, particularly those in Kurdish regions within Turkey, to take up their social responsibilities during the sacred month.
“Muslims of Kurdistan will show a conscientious, moral attitude, living and protecting true Islam against terrorist forces such as the AKP [Justice and Development Party, the ruling party in Turkey known for its conservative and Islamist stance] and Hüda Par [Free Cause Party, a fundamentalist Islamist party aligned with the AKP and alleged to have links with Kurdish Hizbullah (unrelated to Hezbollah in Lebanon), known for its involvement in violent activities during the 1990s], which are infested in haram,” the KCK said, noting the resilience and integrity of the Kurdish Muslim community.
Concurrently, the DEM Party and its co-chairs, Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları, on Sunday shared messages of celebration for Ramadan on social media, advocating for peace, tranquillity and tolerance for the act of fasting. They expressed hope that Ramadan would pave the way for a future marked by equality and freedom, showcasing the party’s commitment to the co-existence of diverse belief and ethnicity.
