VANSHIKA TANDON
The political theory of "Anarchism" in its broadest perception encompasses freedom from any form of hierarchal authority, which is seen as rather damaging to human potential. The authority in this aspect is not limited to government or politics, but also includes persisting religious institutions, patriarchal structures and capitalistic individuals with socio-political dominance. The ideology fosters an understanding that paternalistic authorities advance a dehumanised mindset. People expect elites to make decisions for them and meet their needs, rather than thinking and acting for themselves.[i] Historically, two schools of anarchist-thought were identified based on their perception of the notion of liberty, namely "individualistic" and "socialistic". While individualist-anarchism promotes negative-liberty, socialist-anarchism dwells upon the understanding of positive-liberty and argues that humans have needs that society ought to fulfil by recognising "equality of entitlement".[ii] One such prevailing example of socialist-anarchism has been set by the on-going Rojava revolution in northern-Syria which started as a political upheaval during the spread of "Arab Spring".
Kurds accounted for the largest stateless ethnic population in the Arab region, owing to Turkey's hostilities. The persecution and suppression of Kurdish forces catered to the growth of PKK-a militant-coup against Turkey. By 1978, a growing urban proletariat and a Turkish leftist movement set the stage for the rise of the PKK as a militant nationalist liberation front, defined by a Marxist-Leninist ideology and guided by a leader, Abdullah Ocalan.[iii] Subsequently, the Kurds gained control over Northern-Syria and created an autonomous-region of Rojava. Presently, Rojava acts as a catalyst to politically stable Syria in light of its secular-constitution and sound political-mechanisms which remain gender-neutral. But the region is still under "revolution" because it struggles to find peace with Turkey and ISIS. The critical elements of this revolution include the armed women who set out to fight the repeated terrorism at the border in order to maintain the autonomous administration of the region. While they should be perceived as "extraordinary" feminists fighting for national-freedom and subsequently against patriarchy, media projections identify them as mere "victims" of persisting social-order of the "exotic-east". This Article aims to expand upon this element and establish how these extraordinary feminists remain under pressure. Their future remains dangerous owing to their media representations in the West and the subsequent lack of aid for these revolutionaries.
"They have been unsuccessful because of our resistance. Sometimes they appear at night… ISIS don't like attacking our front-lines because they think they won't go to paradise if they're killed by a woman." [iv]
Various historical accounts narrate that the Kurdish society was different from its Arab-counterparts, essentially regarding the greater traditional freedom enjoyed by women. For instance, Goran Therborn argued that even though women in the Kurdish society rose to power in the absence of a male leader, men did nevertheless accept being led by strong and intelligent women.[v] The Kurds, therefore, set-in motion a different representation of "femininity" by the female-martyrs' through their heroic defence against the powerfully equipped ISIS which operates on the sole motive of occupying territory. However, the Western perceptions of these fighters are inherently flawed due to their representation as political-agency. The media essentialises their status as "victims" and their position due to rigid political freedom, which substantiates the orientalist views of the social-order prevailing in the Third World. The fascination with these fighters can be assumed to stem from the fact that the war between these women and the ISIS or Turkey is an extended form of resistance against gender oppression rather than their anarchist-ideology which entails gender-equality and national struggle. The gender oppression might be an element of this revolution; it is certainly not primary. The prevalent presence of the "Western" in media indicates that the entire world miscalculates the revolution and their subsequent ideological means for achieving political stability.
Therefore, the representations become problematic because the prevailing socio-political situation in Rojava seems experimental in the backdrop of Arab-counterparts with traditional notions of women, freedom, and equality. Their struggle strives to achieve a status-quo, which is different from the developing world. But it is prone to extinction due to its lack of appeal to the first-world nations that perceive the revolution as yet another resistance from traditional values and not as a national struggle in which women become the "protectors".
Ocalan had addressed the revolution to be "female" and furthered that it was the slavery of women throughout society that paved the way for all other forms of hierarchy and state structures.[vi] In-order to negate the oppressive institutions, women were made central to the revolution, and their role was not merely glorified. However, if the ISIS continues to assert power in the absence of aid for these Kurdish fighters, these women's role will be shrunken down to slaves which would in-turn mean the death of the fight against patriarchy, first of its kind in the Third World. The withdrawal of Western forces from Syria can create more pressure for the Kurdish groups because they would be left with no resources to further their demand for autonomy or push back the ISIS. Thus, media projections ought to become prevalent in existing conditions.
Turkey is a crucial player who furthers the crisis through its strategic movement across the territory to gain control and eradicate the democracy, gaining momentum in this region. The UN-brokered peace talks in 2016 consolidated to no viable outcome for Rojava because the militias fighting back ISIS and Turkey lacked representation. More recently in 2020 report, the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic documented continuing, and widespread patterns of violations and abuses against the Kurdish civilians but this did not end in peaceful negotiations.[vii] Thus, it can be concluded that owing to the lack of international friends, U.N. peacekeeping mechanisms act as last resort to those anarchist women who continue to fight despite their precarious circumstances. Multilateral action, possibly by one of the permanent members against Turkey may result in future-certainty for the Kurdish civilians and autonomous persistence of Rojava.
The views expressed and suggestions made in the articles are solely of the authors in their personal capacity and the Center for Middle East Studies and O.P. Jindal Global University do not endorse the same.
References
CNN. Accidental Anarchist - What is the Rojava Revolution? Carne Ross. 21 January 2019.
Harrison, Kevin and Boyd. Understanding Political Ideas and Movements. Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2003.
Mishra, Prem Anand. "POLITICAL THEORY OF ANARCHISM IN GANDHI'S WRITINGS." The Indian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 74, No. 3 (2013): 453-462.
Öcalan, Abdullah. Prison Writings: The PKK and the Kurdish Question in the 21st Century. London and Cologne: Transmedia Books, 2011.
Radley, Loqman. "Assessing International Law on Self-Determination and Extraterritorial Use of Force in Rojava ." Lawfare 13 November 2020.
Tank, Pinar. "Kurdish Women in Rojava." Die Welt des Islams, Vol. 57, Issue 3-4 (2017): 404-428.
Therborn, Göran. Between Sex and Power: Family in the World. London: Routledge, 2004.
[i] Mishra, Prem Anand. "POLITICAL THEORY OF ANARCHISM IN GANDHI'S WRITINGS." The Indian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 74, No. 3 (2013): 453-462.
[ii] Harrison, Kevin and Boyd. Understanding Political Ideas and Movements. Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2003.
[iii] Tank, Pinar. "Kurdish Women in Rojava." Die Welt des Islams, Vol. 57, Issue 3-4 (2017): 404-428.
[iv] CNN. Accidental Anarchist - What is the Rojava Revolution? Carne Ross. 21 January 2019.
[v] Therborn, Göran. Between Sex and Power: Family in the World. London: Routledge, 2004.
[vi] Öcalan, Abdullah. Prison Writings: The PKK and the Kurdish Question in the 21st Century. London and Cologne: Transmedia Books, 2011.
[vii] Radley, Loqman. "Assessing International Law on Self-Determination and Extraterritorial Use of Force in Rojava ." Lawfare 13 November 2020.