QANDIL Mountains,— Axîn Maku, a member of the military council of the East (Iranian) Kurdistan Women’s Defence Force (HPJ), said: “For us women there is no difference between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Islamic State group IS. Both are nourished by animosity to women and a culture of violence. As an Iranian Kurdistan women’s defence force we will step up the struggle against this.”

Axîn Maku answered the questions of ANF, saying the enlargement of the HPJ in Iran and Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat) would signify a halt to the execution of women, and an end to the culture of violence, prostitution and enslavement.

When was the HPJ founded?

Before the HPJ we were organised as the HJRK. Prior to that we were in the HRK that was founded in 2004. In 2010 we organised ourselves autonomously as the HJRK, but in the spring of 2014 we declared the founding of the HPJ.

What topics did you address at your conference?

Our conference discussed the women’s issue in Iran and Iranian Kurdistan. We discussed concretely how women could defend themselves. We evaluated the deployment of our forces in the mountains of East Kurdistan and are now preparing for active defence.

Could you elaborate?

Although we are present in most areas we need to enlarge our forces. However, in a country like Iran, however much we grow we will still be small. We could set up a joint defence force with Iranian women, as Iranian women need a defence force like the HPJ. Our second goal is to bring Iranian women into our struggle. The enlargement of the HPJ in Iran and Iranian Kurdistan would signify a halt to the execution of women, and an end to the culture of violence, prostitution and enslavement.

Is a joint women’s defence force possible?

Certainly. First we must break down the sexist mentality, which says women are delicate and that fighting is contrary to their nature. The HPJ cannot grow without breaking down this perception. The resistance of the YPJ in Kobane and the YJA-Star forces in Sinjar has profoundly affected Iranian women too, and undermined this perception. For instance, when a woman in Iran had acid thrown in her face, she said: “May the women of Kobanê come and defend us.” Not only Kurdish women, but Iranian and Afghan women have also been influenced by the Kurdish resistance.

In Iranian Kurdistan is there a women’s defence force apart from the HPJ?

Women have participated in the national struggle in Iranian Kurdistan as peshmerga fighters, but they have never had an autonomous organisation. There are currently no active women peshmergas. In Iranian Kurdistan and in Iran the HPJ is the first autonomous women’s defence force.

Who is joining the HPJ?

Women of all ages are joining us, even married women. They are not condemning themselves to a life with a family at home as they used to. I believe married women are seeking freedom as they suffer oppression within the male dominated family. Women now know there is somewhere they can go when they feel they are suffocating. We have created hope amongst Kurdish women. In the past when they were victims of violence they would self-harm, but now we see they are going into the mountains. Women see us as a source of hope and as a solution.

By Beritan Zagros – ANF. Regions and cities names in English may have been changed or added to the article by Ekurd.net.

Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, firatnews.com

Comments

Comments