HAVRÎN CENGAWER

News Center- In an interview with NuJINHA, Delal Botan, member of the East Kurdistan Women's Defense Units (HPJ) commented on the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” uprising that started in Iran and Eastern Kurdistan following the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini by Iran’s so-called “morality police” on September 16, 2022.

The “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” revolution did not emerge from just a headscarf or a strand of hair, Delal Botan said. “The anger and hatred that were built up against the government turned into a revolutionary uprising. This anger was no longer an ordinary uprising. When we looked at people's faces, we could see how angry they were about the oppression inflicted against them by the government for years. Years of oppression suddenly exploded like a bomb, and women led this explosion.”

‘A feeling of excitement and search arose inside us’

Speaking about the first moments of the uprising, Delal Botan said, “In the first days, there were not many protests in our region. We were three friends at school and decided to attend the protests. Although we felt fear and hesitation, we chanted our slogans. Slowly, our other friends joined us. We chanted the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ slogan, which we did not really know what it meant at first. During the protests, a feeling of excitement and search arose inside us and we began to ask questions such as ‘Women means life, why do we not have this life?’ A movement that emphasizes the importance of women and women's thoughts exists. A life based on the ideology and philosophy of leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) led me to participate in the struggle for freedom.”

‘Always make great efforts for your existence’

At the end of her speech, Delal Botan called on women and young people to “always make great efforts for your existence and freedom. You are strong and there is still a long way to go. Leader Apo says, ‘don’t betray your dreams, and fight for freedom’.”