News Center- On October 4, 2022, Nagihan Akarsel, a member of the Jineolojî Academy and Jineolojî Journal Editorial Board, was killed as a result of an armed attack in Sulaymaniyah. She lost her life in the attack carried out against her while she was leaving her home in the morning at 9.30. The Jineolojî Academy wrote an article about the life of Nagihan Akarsel for NuJINHA Women’s Agency.  The articles written by the academy is as follows:

Zîlan Nagihan Akarsel was born in 1976, Gölyazı town of Konya’s Cihanbeyli district. The Kurdish name of the town is Xelikan. It is a Kurdish town. They call themselves Kurmanç. Waking up after sunrise is a sin for the people living in this town. They never pour water into the ashes. Nagihan later investigated the source of these traditions. Although the town is a Hanafi town, Nagihan found some cultural similarities with Ezidism and Alevism, with her town and villages in Dersim and Malatya. She thought her love for Dersim and Shengal was because of these similarities.

She listened to women’s stories when she was a child

Zilan spent her childhood in this town- an arid town having many wheat fields. Wheat is very valuable in the town. Spilling a wheat kernel on the ground is like spilling blood. Nagihan never forgot the taste of her childhood memories; the moments when the children of the town played with bare feet to smell the soil after the rain, then went and entered the wheat fields, when all her cousins gathered at her great uncle's house. She listened to women’s stories when she was a child. Her father was like her friend. She began to reject the patriarchal practices when she was very young.

Her love for her country was deep love

She went to school in this town until she graduated from high school. She left her town for the first time when she went to Ankara to study journalism at Gazi University. She became involved in the activities of the Youth Council of Kurdistan (YCK) at university. She was always naïve, having a smiling face and investigative personality. When she went to Ankara, she did not like the coldness and materialism of urban life. She began to search for environments where she could have a communal life and friendship. This search was effective in becoming involved in the activities of the YCK. She loved journalism but never thought of taking a place in the order, and she began to be involved in the Kurdish struggle for freedom. As she learned more about the struggle of her people, she went to Kurdistan and from there to the universe. Her love for her country was deep. That’s why she decided to understand and feel the truth of Rêber Apo (Leader Apo- Abdullah Öcalan).

She was one of the founders of JINHA Women’s News Agency

She was arrested in 2001 due to her political activities at the university and kept in prison until 2007. After being released from prison, she worked as editor and reporter of the Dicle News Agency between 2008 and 2014. At that time, she also followed the courses of the Master's program of Women and Gender Studies at the Hacettepe University in order to learn more about women’s struggle for freedom. She was one of the founders of JINHA Women’s News Agency, which was shut down by a decree in law issued on October 29, 2016. She worked as a reporter for years. She was a teacher, friend, comrade and inclusive person for the Kurdish press. She also developed communication and friendships with women from different segments.

She carried out activities and conducted studies on Jineology

She carried out activities and conducted studies on Jineology, to which Rêber Apo attaches great importance. When the institutionalization process of Jineology started, she participated in the studies of the Jineology Academy. She made great efforts during the establishment process of the Jineology journal. She worked as a board member of the journal and wrote many articles for the journal. She was always open to new ideas for the development of the Jineology journal in order to turn it into a women's platform for freedom.

She wrote articles for many newspapers and magazines

She conducted research and training activities in many areas of Bakur, Başur and Rojavayê Kurdistan. She educated thousands of people and wrote articles for many newspapers and magazines. Wherever she went, she attracted young people’s attention. She gave great importance to children and mothers. After 2018, she published her sociological studies in Afrin and Shengal. As someone who was in love with the culture of Hawraman and the resistance culture of the Rojhilat women, she conducted research on these cultures; however, she never went to Rojhilat Kurdistan even though she really wanted to.

She worked for the establishment of the Women's Library of Kurdistan

From 2019 until the date of her martyrdom, she worked tirelessly for the development of the studies of Jineology in Başûrê Kurdistan. She held many seminars, courses and workshops on Jineology in Başûrê Kurdistan. She organized camps on Jineology for young people. For the last two years, she worked with great excitement to bring together the values, oral culture and research of women in Kurdistan in order to create an organization that can lead women's freedom. For that purpose, she worked patiently, as if digging a well with a needle, for the establishment of the Women's Library of Kurdistan in Sulaymaniyah. Despite all the obstacles and difficulties, she believed that the revolution in Başûr would be a women's revolution.

Her struggle will not be left uncompleted

However, she was killed as a result of an armed attack in Sulaymaniyah on October 4, 2022. This attack was an attack on the rising women's struggle and women’s stance for freedom. Nagihan was the light, consciousness, hope and beauty of women. Standing by her is standing by beauty, goodness and freedom. Nagihan's life energy and love of life will continue to lead us all. We will follow her path, aspirations and dreams. We will not leave her struggle uncompleted…