ANKARA - While Mélanie Ory, a member of the French Academy of Jineology, evaluated the Paris Massacre as "silencing the resistance", she also said that this was not successful: "Jin, jiyan, azadi; These three words flew from the mountains of Kurdistan and landed on our streets. This shows me that women around the world are united.”

 

11 years have passed since the murder of PKK co-founder Sakine Cansız (Sara), Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) Paris Representative Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn) and Kurdish Youth Movement member Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî), who were murdered in Paris, the capital of France, on January 9, 2013. While the real perpetrators of the massacre were not revealed during this period, the massacres against Kurdish women did not end; Nagihan Akarsel was murdered in Silêmani city and Evin Goyî was murdered in Paris last year. While it is obvious from which structure and system all these massacres are fed, women are aware of the reality of the massacres that are attributed to a hitman and continue to organize against the system and the attrition. Women who unite around the Kurdish Women's Movement and eliminate borders come together in every field.

 

Members of the Jineoloji Academy, Kurdish women and women from many other nations, who have been meeting every week for 6 months in France, are embroidering embroideries with the portraits of Sakine, Leyla and Fidan. The women who organized this workshop are exhibiting these in Marseille while discussing the women's struggle together. During the march against the massacres on January 6, women carried their struggle embroidery on the streets and showed resistance.

 

One of these women, Mélanie Ory, who work on Jinelogy, made evaluations to JINNEWS about the massacres that were not intended to be brought to light.

 

'We are in a time of great shaking’

 

Saying that she first met Kurdish women in movies, Mélanie stated that these movies over-aestheticized Kurdish women and that she started researching to find out who they were. Mélanie said, “I discovered, I think like many, Kurdish women through films. Films that aestheticized women fighters. As if women had never carried weapons. This made me curious and I wanted to know more. At the same time, I was building my feminist identity. I think we are in a time of great shaking, of great transformation. Women have always spoken, have always defended themselves against oppression. Only, we didn't listen to them. Today, we organize ourselves among women and that is a great power.”

 

'The purpose of the assassination was to silence women who chose the path of struggle'

 

Mélanie stated that the murder of three Kurdish women in Paris was an attack against this struggle. “I was not in Europe when they were murdered. I learned what happened to them much later. When I became interested in the Kurdish Women's Liberation Movement. I discovered who these women, these activists, were. Not long ago, I saw a film about the life of Sakine Cansiz. It's a bit strange but through this film and her writings, I have the impression of knowing her, in any case, she represents a comrade for me. Watching this film, I said to myself that I had missed inspiring female activist figures in my childhood and youth. Thinking about them gives me a lot of strength, erases my doubts. And I think that the aim of these assassinations was that, to forever silence these women who chose the path of struggle. They represented a threat to capitalist and patriarchal states. For me, the threat they represent legitimizes their struggle even more” she said.

 

A deep aversion to silence

 

Mélanie describes the massacre that took place in France 10 years later, before the incident of the residents was brought to light, and the silence of the French government as "unity of interest". Mélanie added “Governments are linked to each other. They join forces on certain things to benefit their interests. What can we expect from these States? First there was the assassination of Nagihan Akarsel in Sulemaniye two months before those of our comrades in Paris. She was a friend of jineoloji. This loss has already affected me. I said to myself: But, we're doing nothing wrong. When Evin Goyi was assassinated, I was deeply disgusted, I felt helpless, I felt sorry for my Kurdish comrades. And then I said to myself ‘Sehid namirin’. I was very angry to see how quickly the French government chose to handle this event.”

 

'Resistance is scary for states'

 

Stating that the attacks are a way to silence the struggle, Mélanie said that states are afraid of women's power of change and transformation. Melanie said, “ Attacking women and young people is a well-known practice to silence the struggle. I think that governments are afraid of women because they know their transformative power and they are not ready for change and transformation. Kurdish women show a great capacity for resistance and that is scary, very scary. They also have a great spirit of camaraderie and love is at the heart of their struggle. And that, for me, is very inspiring. For the States, it must be scary!”

 

'Three words flew from the mountains of Kurdistan and landed on our streets'

 

Discussing the failure of states to prevent the struggle despite the attacks and massacres against Kurdish women and the gathering of all women around "Jin jiyan azadî", Mélanie said: “Jin, jiyan, azadî” was taken up here in France, after the death of Jina Amini. And then afterwards, we could hear it in the demonstrations, those of November 25 and March 8. These three words flew from the mountains of Kurdistan to land in our streets. This situation shows me that women around the world are fighting and uniting. I had never felt it before. Last year, I participated in the 2nd International Conference of Women in Struggle organized by the women's liberation movement. There were more than 600 of us from all over the world. Kurdish comrades have once again shown their determination to organize, share and fight.

 

'I am happy that my path crossed with the Kurdish Women's Liberation Movement'

 

 “I am part of a Jineology committee in France,” said Mélanie, “I had the chance to participate in a camp with friends from all over Europe. As I already said, I went to this 2nd International Conference. I see the colossal work that Kurdish women do to share their thoughts, share their ideology. They have a great way of meeting women in struggle and sharing with them. Feeling connected to all these women around the world who are struggling gives me strength to continue. I am delighted that my path crossed that of the Kurdish Women's Liberation Movement. Jin, jiyan, azadi!”