Dear friends, sisters, and comrades,
We are writing to you with a new update from Rojava, the heart of the women's revolution, where lives are being defended.
Women's Conference
On Tuesday, a conference of various women's organizations took place in Rojava, led by Kongra Star. The conference opened in Qamishlo under the motto "Let us fight together for the anchoring of women's rights in the Syrian Constitution." Four hundred women from all women's institutions and organizations in Rojava participated, including the YPJ, the Yazidi Women's Organization, the PYD, the Syrian Future Party, Mala Jin, and Jineoloji.
The conference concluded with a declaration addressing the political and military situation, legal issues, the anchoring of women's rights in law, and questions of democratic integration. In the declaration, they demanded that the achievements of the women's revolution in North and East Syria, as well as throughout Syria, be recognized and enshrined as fundamental rights in the constitution. They concluded their statement with the words: "Preserving the achievements of the women's revolution and enshrining them in the constitution is a commitment that will accompany us forever. We will continue our organized struggle to ensure that these strategies are translated into a legal reality that protects the rights of all Syrian women, upholds their dignity, and guarantees them a leading role in shaping comprehensive democratic change in Syria." At the end, the chant "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" was loudly heard, reaffirming the philosophy of the women's revolution.
Newroz Preparations
Preparations for Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, which is celebrated on March 21, have been underway for a few days. In Kurdistan, Newroz is associated not only with the arrival of spring but also with the beginning of the Kurdish people's ongoing resistance.
As a symbol of resistance, Newroz commemorates the liberation of the Kurds from the cruel ruler Dehok.
According to legend, Dehok seized power through violence and had two young people killed daily to feed snakes that had grown from his shoulders. Some guards, however, secretly saved lives by partially replacing the victims. Many people fled to the mountains, where the first communities began to form. The blacksmith Kawa eventually organized the resistance against Dehok and led the people to liberation. With the tyrant's overthrow, suffering and oppression ended.
The Newroz festival, celebrated to this day, arose from the joy of this victory. Fire plays a central role: it symbolizes both Kawa's uprising and the victory over tyranny. To this day, the Newroz fires represent the Kurdish people's desire for freedom and their hope for independence. In preparation for Saturday's festival, smaller fires are being lit every day in various locations throughout Rojava, around which people dance.
On Monday, the Syrian Transitional Government declared Newroz a Syrian national holiday. This was a historic step, as Newroz celebrations were banned and criminalized under the previous regime. The official recognition of Newroz as a public holiday was a key demand of the Kurds and represents a positive step in acknowledging the existence of the Kurdish people in Syria. In Damascus, festive banners were hung in the lead-up to Newroz - but only in Arabic, demonstrating the Syrian Transitional Government's unwillingness to recognize the Kurdish language as a national language.
Floods
What is currently making the Newroz celebrations somewhat difficult is the weather situation in Rojava.
Heavy rainfall has triggered floods and flash floods in several regions. In the Afrin region and the area surrounding Qamishli, two children lost their lives. In Hesekê, around 200 houses were damaged by flooding. This is one of the worst floods in years, caused by heavy rainfall. The bridge at the Sêmalka border crossing between Western and Southern Kurdistan, i.e., Rojava and Bashur, has also become temporarily unusable due to a sharp rise in the water level of the Tigris River.
