KURDISTAN: Kurdistan democratic confederalists

Source: Anarchy in Action

 

Photo: taku.net

With a population of 30 million, the Kurds are the world’s largest stateless people. They form the majority of Kurdistan, a region in Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. Since 1999, their struggle for self-determination has taken an anarchstic turn, and communities in Kurdistan have established direct democratic governance modelled on the anti-authoritarian neo-Zapatista movement and the theories of US anarchist Murray Bookchin. While Kurds comprise the majority, the movement has been diverse and multi-ethnic. For example, in the canton of Jazira in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan), Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Chechens, Armenians, Muslims, Christians and Yazidis co-exist and share political power.^[1]

The struggle for Kobane: an example of selective solidarity

By Leila Al Shami

comrades from DAF join the struggle to defend Kobane

The heroic resistance of the people of Kobane in fighting the onslaught of the Daesh (ISIS) fascists since mid-September, has led to a surge of international solidarity. A multitude of articles and statements have been written and protests have been held in cities across the world. Kurds have flooded across the Turkish border to help their compatriots in the fight despite being brutally pushed back by Turkish forces, and others including Turkish comrades from DAF (Revolutionary Anarchist Action) have gone to the border to support in keeping it open to help the flood of refugees escaping to Turkey. There have been calls to arm Kurdish forces and calls to support DAF and send aid for refugees.  Yet this solidarity with Syria’s Kurds has not been extended to non-Kurdish groups in the country that have been fighting, and dying, to rid themselves of fascism and violent repression and for freedom and self-determination. It’s often said incorrectly, that sectarianism lies at the heart of the Syrian conflict. It’s necessary to understand to what extent sectarianism plays a role in our response too.

KURDISTAN/SYRIA: Anarchists join struggle against ISIS in Kobane

The city of Kobane has been under attack by Daesh (ISIS) fascists for a number of days leading to a mass exodus of Kurds from the city. But many Kurds are now returning to fight and defend the city despite being pushed back at the border by Turkish forces. Inside the border, Kurdish forces along with the Free Syrian Army continue to fight against Daesh.

Turkish and Syrian Kurds tear down the border fence to cross into Kobane in neighboring Syria. Photo:AFP

Fathers of ISIS

[there are a lot of ridiculous conspiracy theories circulating about ISIS at the moment- this article provides a good overview on the origins of the group]

by Ziad Majed

The organization abbreviated as ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) is not new in the region, nor is it a newfound expression of the crises afflicting Arab societies at a moment of profound transformations, initiated by 2011 revolutions.

To the contrary, ISIS is the offspring of more than one father, and the product of more than one longstanding and widespread sickness. The organization’s explosive growth today is in fact the result of previously existing, worsening conflicts that were caused by the different fathers.