As part of the global Öcalan Books Day events, Abya Yala feminists from various Latin American countries initiated a campaign focused on the works of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). This campaign aimed to challenge the isolation of the Kurdish leader by engaging with and disseminating his writings.
🔴Öcalan Books Day events continue worldwide, as Latin American feminists stage book readings of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's writings on a 'third gender revolution'.#AbyaYala | #OcalanBooksDay | #AmericaLatina
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As a significant part of this initiative, participants read from Öcalan’s book ‘Killing the Dominant Male’, specifically a chapter titled ‘Instituting the Third Major Sexual Rupture against the dominant male’. Women activists from diverse backgrounds, including Bolivia, Paraguay, and Ecuador, participated in this initiative.
‘Killing the dominant male’ in this context does not refer to literal killing, but rather to the metaphorical killing of masculinity and the transformation of the dominant male role. Through this collaborative reading, they challenged the censorship of Öcalan’s works and his severe isolation in a Turkish prison, and highlighted the importance of international solidarity and intellectual exchange in the fight against sex-based oppression and for the advancement of women’s rights.
Öcalan’s text argues for a third ‘sexual’ revolution, emphasising that genuine freedom and equality are unattainable without gender equality. He critiques the deeply institutionalised male domination, asserting that it enslaves not only women but men as well, perpetuating itself through both sexes and their interactions. According to Öcalan, the history of dominant masculinity coincides with the emergence of class societies, where the nature of the ruling class parallels the character of dominant masculinity. The text delves into the historical oppression of women, considering their captivity as indicative of societal decline and general enslavement.
This gathering, featuring cross-continental voices, showcased another instance of international solidarity which illustrates the widespread influence and relevance of Öcalan’s ideas.
