URFA - Narin Roj told that she was speaking to Nagihan Akarsel about the resistance in Rojhilat before she was murdered and Akarsel told her that she was proud of the resistance of the women and the slogan "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" behind the resistance.

 

Working with Nagihan Akarsel, academician-journalist member of the Jineology Research Center who was murdered in Sulaymaniyah in the Federated Kurdistan Region on October 4, Zehîde Mamo and Narin Roj spoke about Akarsel's struggle.

 

Zehîde Mamo said that she met Akarsel in 2016, while she was working under the roof of the Jineology Research Center, when they were in  the Cizire Canton. Mamo said that Akarsel had deep knowledge in the field of Jineology and conveyed this knowledge to the women around her, adding, "Her belief in friendship was very deep. Her belief and knowledge in Jineology enlightened us. Nagihan increased our love for Jineology."

 

NAGİHAN AND AFRİN…

 

Stating that they went to Afrin together after their Jineology studies in the Cizire Canton, Mamo defined those days as follows: “I had the opportunity to get to know her better in Afrin. At that time, Nagihan was working on sociology and women's history in Afrin. As she wandered through the villages of Afrin, she saw the historical ruins there. The more she learned, the more deeply connected she felt about the place. She wanted to know every inch of Afrin. She remained there until the invasion of Afrin. After the occupation, she had to move go to Shehba."

 

HER BELIEF IN JINEOLOGY

 

Expressing that Akarsel continued her studies for women during her stay in Shehba, Mamo said, “At that time, a refugee camp was opened in Shehba. She gave information about the women's struggle and played a major role in the organization of women there. Every woman who knew Jineology in Afrin at that time would definitely know Nagihan, know her belief and love for Jineology. Because Nagihan told them about Jineology, she made them love it." Mamo said that the women who met Akarsel both in Afrin and Shehba keep the photos they took together and say Nagihan has a big place in their lives."

 

Narin Roj, a member of the Jineology Academy, who has witnessed Akarsel's struggle in Northern and Eastern Syria, told the following about her acquaintance with Akarsel, "It is a great chance to get to know a person like Nagihan who gives meaning to life." Roj said, “Nagihan was a revolutionary woman who gave meaning to life with her feelings and thoughts and also in terms philosophy. There was something enormous about Nagihan's energy. She was able to reflect this to her environment as well. Nagihan's personality was clear as water and she lived to such an extent that she would not harm any living thing. She had brought herself to the reality of free living with ideological depth and philosophy."

 

Sharing Akarsel's excitement about the work on the Kurdish Women's Library in the Federated Kurdistan Region, Roj said, "With this project, the aim was to strategically regenerate the lost history of Kurdish women and bring the existing history to light. At the same time, thanks to this project, women became aware of their own power and history. Nagihan aimed to enlighten the Kurdish society, especially the Bashur people."

 

AKARSEL: RESISTANCE IN ROJHILAT EXCITES ME

 

Roj spoke to Akarsel about the resistance in Iran and Rojhilat during their meeting a few days before she was murdered, told that Akarsel said: “I am excited that women from Rojhilat resist with the slogan 'Jin, jiyan, azadi'. I am proud of this resistance of women from Rojhilat. I feel both very touched by the videos from Rojhilat."

 

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli