STRUGGLES

LGBT movements in Rojava
We asked the Women's Body about the rights ofLGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)
people. They replied to us that they have met no LGBT people in Rojava. It seems more likely
to us that this is because LGBT people are not happy to be open about their identities in
Rojava. When we asked this question, a man in the room voiced his opinion that people in
Rojava would not accept homosexuality as it was 'against their culture'. These remarks,
along with other responses to our questions about LGBT issues while we were in Rojava,
were in stark contrast to our interviews in Bakur, where strong LGBT movements are
leading, gradually, to a change in people's mindsets, at least within the radical social
movements. However, we hope that these movements and ideas will gradually permeate
across the border to Rojava. (Please see our article, Turkish Militarism in Bakur, on p105 of
this book for more information about LGBT rights in Bakur).
Education Body
We were warmly welcomed by the co-heads ofthe Education Body, Samira Haj Ali and Aeed
Haj. With big smiles, they told us that they are against discrimination ofall kinds. They
explained that they are responsible for the education ofchildren from five years old. The
Women's Body is responsible for kindergartens.
“At the start ofthe Rojava revolution, we thought about how to create an education system in Cizîrê
canton and in the whole ofRojava. We are trying to change the school curriculum step by step, but we're
in a state ofwar right now. According to the social contract, everyone has the right to study the school
curriculum in their own language. This is the most important policy that we're implementing. People
now have the right to be taught in Kurdish, Arabic and Syriac. Arabs will be taught in Arabic, and
Kurds in Kurmanji. Children in the fourth grade and higher will be taught a second language as well.
Kurdish is being taught this year, and next year Arabic and Syriac will be introduced into the
curriculum. We are preparing for the next year's Syriac and Arabic curriculums.”
Samira and Aeed told us about the Mesopotamia Academy, attended by people who are over
eighteen. It has been open for roughly three years, and students can study history, languages
and sociology. There are also institutes to train teachers in Kurdish.
democratic confederalism in rojava
Unsurprisingly, Samira and Aeed stated that their greatest obstacle is the siege on the border.
Their biggest problem is that they don't have a printing press, as both Turkey and the KRG
have prohibited a large/industrial printer from being imported to Rojava. Because ofthis, the
Education Body have to use small office printers for all oftheir educational materials. They
ended the meeting by telling us what life was like before the revolution:
“Under the regime, non-Arabic languages such as Kurmanji were banned. Before the revolution we had
to live under one leader, with one language, as one people, and one flag. It was a fascist regime run by a
dictator. Everyone in Rojava should now accept the rights ofothers to live in peace, to accept each other.
We are a mosaic here.”
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