Rojava

Britain: Jeremy Corbyn stands with Afrin, Theresa May sells Turkey more jets

As Turkey鈥檚 air force bombed the Afrin canton in northern Syria, causing growing civilian casualties in a region that is home to hundreds of thousands of refugees, British Prime Minister Theresa May signed a new deal worth 拢100 million with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on January 28 to help Turkey develop new fighter jets.

By contrast, the socialist leader of the Labour Party opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, sent a message to a protest against Turkey鈥檚 invasion that expressed his solidarity with Afrin and the Kurdish people.

Turkey: Left-wing HDP opposition calls for support for Rojava

The left-wing Peoples鈥 Democratic Party (HDP) has condemned Turkey鈥檚 invasion of the Afrin region in northern Syria (known as Rojava in Kurdish) in collaboration with mostly jihadi Syrian militias.

The HDP, with strong roots in Turkey鈥檚 Kurdish minority, has itself faced worsening repression from the regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Australians say 'Stop Turkey's war on Afrin and Rojava' 鈥 add your name to the sign-on statement

As concerned Australians, we condemn Turkey鈥檚 invasion of the mainly Kurdish canton of Afrin in northern Syria, and demand that the Australian Government do all in its power to protest and stop Turkey鈥檚 brazen criminal aggression.

Afrin invasion: Turkey attacks northern Syria鈥檚 democratic revolution 鈥 with Russian and US approval

Three years after Kurdish-led forces liberated the northern Syrian city of Kobane from ISIS 鈥 after a months-long siege that captured the world鈥檚 imagination 鈥 the democratic, multi-ethnic and feminist revolution in Syria鈥檚 north is facing a new assault.

'Turkey, hands off Afrin, stop the attacks': Australian socialists

After receiving approval from Russia, the Turkish state has launched an air strike with 69 jets, bombing the Afrin centre and Cindir锚s锚, Reco, Shera, Sh锚rawa and Mabeta districts in northern Syria, on January 20.

'Don't let Afrin become another Kobane', say human rights activists, academics in open letter

Academics and international human rights activists launched a petition calling upon world powers to act against Turkish aggression against Afrin, .

Raqqa largely liberated, Rojava revolution holds commune elections

The flags of the Women鈥檚 Protection Units (YPJ) and Shengal Women's Units (YJS) were planted in the city centre of Raqqa, which had been the capital city of ISIS, on September 14.

Iran: Kurdish uprising erupts in Rojhilat

Mass protests and strikes have erupted across Rojhilat (Iranian Kurdistan) since September 3, following the killing of two kolbers (cross-border porters who transport merchandise) by Iranian border guards the previous day. The Iranian regime has responded by militarising the area, attacking protests with security forces and pro-government thugs and making mass arrests.

Several Iranian Kurdish organisations and political parties have supported the uprising. They have called for unity between political forces in Rojhilat and with other progressive movements in Iran.

The revolutionary feminists fighting ISIS

It was in the autumn of 2014, only months after Islamic State (ISIS) achieved huge territorial gains inside Syria and Iraq, committing genocidal and femicidal massacres, that a revolutionary silver lining arose from the little-known town of Kobane in Syria鈥檚 north.

Having overrun聽Mosul, Tel Afar and Sinjar in Iraq, as well as a vast expanse of territory inside Syria, ISIS prepared to launch an attack on the north of Syria, known by Kurds as Rojava.

What ISIS did not anticipate in Kobane was that it would encounter an enemy of a different kind 鈥 an organised, political community that was ready to defend itself courageously by all means necessary, and with a worldview that turns ISIS鈥檚 death ideology on its head.

For first time in Arab history, women form self-defence battalion

Arab women have announced the foundation of 鈥淢artyr Amara Arab Women鈥檚 Battalion鈥 under the umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), ANF News said on July 12.

Formed in 2015, the SDF is an alliance of progressive armed groups 鈥 the largest of which are the Kurdish-based People鈥檚 Defence Units (YPG) and Women鈥檚 Defence Units (YPJ), although including a growing number of other groups聽 鈥 that is subordinate to the grassroots structures of the Democratic Federation of North Syria.

Inspiring call for solidarity with Kurdish freedom struggle

Solidarity with the Kurdish freedom struggle was stepped up at an inspiring conference held in Melbourne over the June 30鈥揓uly 1 weekend.

The conference, held at Victoria University (VU), discussed the bold experiment in radical democracy, feminism and ecology that is taking place in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (DFNS). Most importantly, the conference resolved: 鈥淚t is a duty of supporters of the liberation struggle in northern Syria to make determined efforts to publicise its inspiring achievements and build practical solidarity with it鈥.

Rojava conference to discuss support for commune-style democracy

A conference on the Rojava Revolution will be held as the struggle in northern Syria enters perhaps its most critical phase.

鈥淭he Rojava Revolution in Northern Syria: An experiment in radical democracy, feminism & ecology鈥 will be held in Melbourne on June 30 and July 1. The event aims to inform participants about the revolutionary process, to discuss the problems it faces and to build support for it.