Tariq Yusifi,
We the Kurds are a nation and have a country known as Kurdistan. We have our own national language, culture, custom, music, dance, national fests and ethics; that is why we should a free life and based on our own social and cultural norms we should live freely. Kurdish people have been struggling for their legitimate rights for centuries. To achieve freedom they have sacrificed millions of youth, elderly, male and female and will keep doing so.
The cynical superpowers whose objective is only to sow the seeds of immoralities and subjugation of humans have always prevented Kurds achieving their freedom by playing role in the policies of assimilation and denial imposed on the Kurds. The breakdown and disintegration of Kurdish successive rebellions is an undeniable evidence to show how the West particularly the United States as their chief have always supported the anti-Kurdish fronts and thwarted the Kurdish attempts at freedom.
The Kurdish liberation struggle led by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is reaching its apex now. Relaying on the internal dynamic of Kurdish society, this struggle is pursuing an ethical politics and by getting strength from its own people it practises a correct policy emanating from the philosophy of Leader Apo [Abdullah Ocalan]. Due to the fact that this struggle has a different mentality and places the will of its people above all the possible interests, believes only in its people, refuses to accept slavery, promotes a free life and free personality, it has become under attacks of the imperialists and designated as “terrorist”.
This movement is being labelled “terrorist” because it cannot be slaved and take order from the White House or move according to their instructions; because by having analysed the previous Kurdish national movements the PKK have worked out the weaknesses of each of these groups, and tries not to let the history repeat itself and fills up the previous weak points with strength and come out victorious. Therefore the PKK turns the previous overcomes to experience for the current struggle. The PKK is “terrorist” because the PKK’s leader is not solely the leader of the PKK and the Kurdish people but of all the oppressed people of the Middle East.
The Kurds do now boast its own philosophy and no system can captivate it or use it to secure its own interests. The PKK is “terrorist” because it takes the unity of the peoples particularly the Kurds as its bases and the unity and coherence of the peoples promotes changes in this system with its ugly politics. This is because the maintenance of their interests and the promotion of their system lead to the disintegration of the peoples and dissolution of the Kurds. A question raising here is, those who buried 183 thousands Kurds alive were terrorist or are the Kurds? Those who used prohibited and chemical weapons against the Kurds and killed 5000 innocent civilians are terrorists or are the Kurds? Those who massacred thousands of Kurdish youth in East of Kurdistan (Iran) by declaring Jihad against them are terrorists, or are the Kurds? Those who executed the teacher of school [Ferzad Kemangir] and plunges the Kurdish youth into drug addiction are terrorists or are the Kurds? Why have you hitherto been silent pretending dumb?
Those who massacred thousands of Kurds in Northern Kurdistan [Turkey] and imprisoned thousands of Kurdish children and muted the journalists are terrorists or are the Kurds? Those who used prohibited weapons against Kurdish guerrillas and massacred 34 Kurdish workers in Roboski are terrorists or are the Kurds? Why they pretend to be blind failing to see? Why?
This is because we have the right to make decision and say that the terrorists are you that support the occupying powers [of Kurdistan] that seek to drain the Kurds off their blood. You are terrorists, sponsoring the actual terrorists for our annihilation.
If struggle for freedom is an act of terrorism, we are proud to be terrorist. If resisting capitulation and standing for oneself is an act of terrorism we are proud to be terrorist. If protecting the honour of our nation is terrorism we are proud to be terrorist and chant long live long live terrorists.
Tariq Yusifi in the 45th day of hunger strike in Strasburg
*Fifteen Kurdish political activists including Tariq Yusifi launched an indefinite hunger strike on 1st March in Strasbourg at Church of St. Maurice’s Hall under the slogan of “Freedom for Ocalan, Status for the Kurdish people”. The hunger strike which is in its 46th day has been largely ignored by the European “independent” media.