by Meredith Tax
civil war, Syrian, 165–68, 211
Cizire canton, 53, 170, 178, 181
economy, 173
Kurdish women in, 41–42, 139–40, 154, 176
Clinton, Hillary, 203
Cockburn, Cynthia, 140
Cold War, 20–21, 61, 64, 255–56
colonialism, 60, 123–24, 128, 226
commune, 159, 170–71
community economy, 173–77
Constitution, KRG, 97–98
corruption, 99, 246, 248
crisis of masculinity, 24, 28
cultural revolution, 103
Curukkaya, Selim, 148
Daesh
Assad and, 211–12
beliefs of, 230–35
birth of, 201, 210–15
caliphate, 14, 37, 221, 232–33, 262–63
defeat of, 35, 78, 241
flag, 200
genealogy, 14
Islamism, 34, 180, 201, 203, 216–19, 231
Jabhat al-Nusra and, 14, 212–14, 219, 221
Kirkuk and, 38–39, 43–44
Kobane battle and, 17, 38–39, 43, 141, 179–91, 239–41, 248
KRG’s non-aggression pact with, 43
leaders, 236–41
media, 237
oil and, 234–35
al Qaeda and, 14, 203, 210–14, 216, 218–19, 221
rape by, 41, 225
in Raqqa, 215–23
recruits, 237–39
revolution of, 56–57
Rojava liberated from, 17–19, 34–35, 54
at Sinjar Mountain, 36, 37–45, 56, 58, 182, 190
suicide bombers, 104, 240, 251
Sunni Muslims and, 56, 230, 232–33, 239
in Syria, 14, 42, 211, 215–23
in three-way struggle, 37
Turkey and, 180, 182–87, 222, 248–49
US and, 17, 42, 182–83, 185–86, 194–95
women and, 20, 28, 34, 141, 201, 218–19, 225–30, 238–39
Dakhil, Deelan, 225
Dall’Oglio, Paolo, 217
Davutoglu, Ahmet, 184, 193, 247, 249, 251–52
DDKO. See Revolutionary Eastern Cultural Hearths
“Declaration of Democratic Confederalism in Kurdistan” (Ocalan, A.), 157
DEHAP, 14, 156
Demirbas, Abdullah, 158–59, 254–55
Demirel, Suleyman, 111, 116–17
Demirtas, Selahattin, 187, 249, 252–53, 255
democracy
Ocalan, Abdullah, and, 124, 126, 150, 157
in Syria and Turkey, 35
democratic autonomy
grassroots, 159–64
Kurdish women and, 160–61
PKK and, 155–58, 161–63, 261
PYD and, 53–54, 164–73, 175, 194, 256
in Rojava cantons, 164–73, 259–63
of Syrian Kurds, 164–73
of Turkish Kurds, 153, 155–64, 252–53
democratic confederalism, 56, 150, 157
democratic economy, in Rojava cantons, 173–77
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. See DFLP
Democratic Labor Party. See DEP
Democratic Society Congress. See DTK
Democratic Society Movement. See TEV-DEM
Democratic Society Party. See DTP
Democratic Union Party. See PYD
DEP (Democratic Labor Party), 14, 118
Dersim, 68–69
DFLP (Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine), 73
diaspora, Kurdish, 92, 106
Dicle, Hatip, 113, 116
Dirik, Dilar, 141
district people’s council, 170–71
Diyarbakir prison, 107–8, 134–35
Dogan, Fidan, 152
Dohuk, 85
Dostar, Heval, 189–90
“draining the swamp” strategy, 118
dress code, Daesh, 226–27
DTK (Democratic Society Congress), 14, 157, 253
DTP (Democratic Society Party), 14, 156–58, 245
Dundar, Komaran, 108–9
Eastern Kurdistan Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units. See YRK-HPJ
economy
democratic, in Rojava cantons, 173–77
women and, 175–76
Egypt, 23
Ehmed, llham, 256
Ellis, Robert, 193
Engels, Friedrich, 32
equality, Kurdish women and, 47, 102, 142, 150, 198, 260
Erbil, 85, 98, 100–101
Erdogan, Recep Tayyip
Islamism of, 243–44, 246
support for, 193
as Turkey’s president, 52, 149, 152, 161, 180, 182–85, 193, 243–46, 247–52, 254
Turkish Kurds and, 149, 152, 161, 180, 182–85, 244–45, 247–52, 254
women and, 247
Ertas, Mehmet Ali, 135
EU. See European Union
Euphrates Volcano, 186
European Union (EU), 106, 119, 149, 193, 246, 256
Fakih, Lama, 194–95
Falk, Richard, 18
Fanon, Frantz, 70, 72, 87, 89
Faris, Naima, 39–40
female genital mutilation (FGM), 26, 28, 47, 98, 102
female labor, 28–29, 32
feminism
Barzani, Masoud, and, 102
fundamentalism and, 30–31
in Gorran, 101–2
in Iraq, 97–98
militarism and, 140
of Rojava cantons, 54, 56
Western, strategic thinking by, 31–32
FGM. See female genital mutilation
Fidan, Hakan, 152
Filkins, Dexter, 43, 206–7
Fitzherbert, Yvo, 188
Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley, 20
Ford, Robert, 191–92
Fraihi, Hind, 238
France, 152–53
Fraser, Susan, 152
Freedom Falcons. See TAK
Free Syrian Army. See FSA
Free Women’s Movement of Kurdistan. See TAJK
Free World narrative, 20–21
Freire, Paolo, 125
Freud, Sigmund, 144–45
Friedman, Thomas L., 182
FSA (Free Syrian Army)
Daesh and, 216–18
Syria and, 168, 180, 188, 196, 198, 213, 216–18
fundamentalism. See also Islamism
dangers of, 30–31
rise of, 24–26, 28–29
Galbraith, Peter, 92
Gandhi, Mahatma, 142
gas reserves, 98–99
gender relations
PKK, 136, 138–39, 145
PYD and, 171
in war, 140
Geneva Convention, 105
genocide
Armenian, 52, 68, 159
of Iraqi Kurds, 48–49, 81–83
of Turkish Kurds, 68–69, 92
of Yazidi, 40, 44
Germany, 193
global financial institutions, 262
globalization, 22–23, 25, 28–29
Gorran (Movement for Change), 13, 49, 99–102
Goss, Porter, 192–93
Graeber, David, 18–19, 33, 260
grassroots democratic autonomy, 159–64
Grojean, Olivier, 90, 126–27
Gulf War, 49, 83
Guney, Omer, 152–53
Gungor, Cetin, 88
HADEP, 14
Haig, Alexander, 65
Haji Bakr, 211, 214–16, 239
Hajo, Siamend, 192
al-Hamz, Abdel Aziz, 221
Hardi, Choman, 85, 97, 100, 102
Hassan, Kawa, 100
Hassan, Ruqia, 222
HDP (People’s Democratic Party), 14, 53, 163, 181, 184, 249–52
Helms, Richard, 65
Helsinki Watch, 106–7, 111
Hemo, Sipan, 195
HEP (People’s Labor Party), 14, 52, 110–13, 116, 118
Hiller, Benjamin, 168
Hilterman, Joost, 97
Hitler, Adolf, 234
homosexuality, 145
honor killings, 102
HPG-YJA-Star (People’s Defense Forces and Free Women’s Forces), 14, 163
human rights
false accusations about, 194–98
PKK and, 116–17, 147–49, 153
violations, 47, 67, 81–84, 106, 111, 114
women and, 26–28
Human Rights Watch, 84, 106
Hussein, Saddam
in Iraq, 48–49, 64–66, 79–85, 92–93, 95–96, 102–3, 207, 234
Iraqi Kurds and, 48–49, 64–66, 79–85, 92–93
women and, 102–3
Ignatius, David, 206
Imagined Communities (Anderson), 151
Imset, Ismet G., 85, 117, 119
India, 142
individual consciousness, transformation of, 120–21, 124–25
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), 20
intellectual class, 162
International Women’s Day, 154
In These Times panel, 18
Iran
geography of, 13
Iraq at war with, 48–49, 79–80, 83, 102
Iraqi Kurds and, 65–66
Kurds in, 48, 79
revolution in, 79
Shah of, 65–66, 71, 79
US and, 79–80
Iraq
army, 37–38
chemical warfare in, 79–82, 92
feminism in, 97–98
geography of, 13
Iran at war with, 48–49, 79–80, 83, 102
Islamism in, 207–9
Kurdistan in, 49–50, 60–63, 81, 85, 92–103, 107, 190
land reform in, 62
1979 as turning point in, 79
oil in, 64, 98–99
al Qaeda in, 14, 206, 209–10
resistance in, 29–30
Saddam Hussein in, 48–49, 64–66, 79–85, 92–93, 95–96, 102–3, 207, 234
US and, 49, 79–80, 83, 95–97, 107, 205–10
women in, 102–3, 207–10
Iraqi Kurdish militia. See peshmerga
Iraqi Kurdish parties, 13. See also Gorran; KDP; KRG; PUK
Iraqi Kurds
autonomy of, 19, 43, 92–103, 151
equality and, 47, 102
genocide of, 48–49, 81–83
history of, 48–50, 59–66
Iran and, 65–66
Islamism and, 97, 102
Kirkuk and, 63, 65, 84–85, 96
Kurdistan of, 49–50, 60–63, 81, 85, 92–103, 107, 190
paradigm of, 57
PKK and, 114–15, 151–52, 190–91
Saddam Hussein and, 48–49, 64–66, 79–85, 92–93
at Sinjar Mountain, 36, 37–45
Syrian Kurds and, 39
Turkish Kurds and, 59–61, 114–15
as US allies, 38, 96–97
IS. See Islamic State
Ishtar, 32–33
ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), 14. See also Daesh
ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria/Iraq and al-Sham), 14, 210. See also Daesh
“The ISIS Papers,” 232–34
Islam. See also Sunni Muslims
patriarchal belt and, 23–24
PKK and, 161–62
Rojava backlash and, 198
Shia, 83–84, 204–7, 209
Islamic State (IS), 14. See also Daesh
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria/Iraq and al-Sham. See ISIS
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. See ISIL
Islamism
of Daesh, 34, 180, 201, 203, 216–19, 231
of Erdogan, 243–44, 246
in Iraq, 207–9
Iraqi Kurds and, 97, 102
moderate, 246–57
of al Qaeda, 201–6, 209
Italy, 146–47
IWW. See Industrial Workers of the World
Jabhat al-Nusra
Afrin under attack by, 174–75
Daesh and, 14, 212–14, 219, 221
in Raqqa, 215–16, 218–19
Turkey and, 180, 185
Jamaat e Islami, 25
jash (children of donkeys), 63, 80, 84, 93–94
Jensen, Robert, 118
Jerf, Naji, 222
jihadis, 202–3, 237–38
Jineology, 33–34
Jongerden, Joost, 71, 87, 149, 157
journalists, 182–84, 188–90, 221–23
Julani, Abu Mohammad al-, 212–14
Justice and Development Party. See AKP
Kalkan, Duran, 250
Kandiyoti, Deniz, 24, 28
Kaya, Gonul, 33–34
KCK (Association of Communities in Kurdistan), 13, 54, 88, 155, 163, 181
KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party)
Barzani, Masoud, leading, 13, 38–39, 43–44, 80, 94, 98, 189–91
Barzani, Mullah Mustafa, and, 61–66
Gulf War and, 83
history of, 49
KNC and, 191
in KRG, 38, 93–94, 98
McDowall on, 63–64, 84, 93–94
PKK and, 86, 94, 189–91
protests against, 101
PUK fighting, 80, 94–95
Saddam Hussein and, 48–49
Sinjar Mountain and, 38–39, 41
split, 63–64, 80
Talabani and, 62–64
tribalism of, 93, 99
KDP-S, 164–65
Kemalism, 51–52, 67–76, 243
Kenya, 147–48
Kerry, John, 185
Keskin, Eren, 135–36
KH. See Kurdish Hezbollah
al-Khanssa Brigade, 226–30
Khomeini, Ayatollah, 79
Kirkuk
Daesh and, 38–39, 43–44
Iraqi Kurds and, 63, 65, 84–85, 96
Kisanak, Gultan, 134–35
Kissinger, Henry, 65–66
KJK (Kurdistan Women’s Liberation Movement), 13
KNC (Kurdish National Council), 191–92
Kobane, Meryam, 182
Kobane canton
backlash, 191–99
battle of, 17, 38–39, 43, 141, 179–91, 239–41, 248, 259
importance of, 179–80
in media, 182–84, 188
Obama administration and, 182–83, 185
PYD in, 17–18, 38, 168, 183, 185–87
refugees, 183, 189
setting up of, 53
YPG-YPJ and, 38–39, 41, 180–82, 184–88
Korean War, 140–41
Korn, David A., 124
KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government), 13
Barzani, Masoud, and, 19, 38, 43–45
capitalist modernity of, 34
Constitution, 97–98
Daesh’s non-aggression pact with, 43
demonstrations against, 100–101
economy of, 175
history of, 49–50, 93–99
KDP in, 38, 93–94, 98
PKK and, 151–52
PUK and, 38, 93–94, 98
Turkey and, 38–39, 45
Kurdaxi, Dara, 175
Kurdish Hezbollah (KH), 112
Kurdish National Council. See KNC
Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party. See BDP
Kurdish women
in Cizire, 41–42, 139–40, 154, 176
democratic autonomy and, 160–61
equality and, 47, 102, 142, 150, 198, 260
fighters, 20, 28, 41–42, 47, 56, 128–29, 132, 136–46, 137–38, 149
history of, 46–47
imprisoned, 134–35
in Iraqi Kurdistan, 94–95
movement of, 31, 33–34, 141–42, 259
Ocalan, Abdullah, and, 127–30, 135–36, 142–43, 149–50
in peshmerga, 138–39
in PKK, 34, 37, 54–56, 108, 128–30, 132, 133–36, 138–46, 258
at Rojava’s center, 54, 56, 260–62
Kurdistan
geography, 13, 19, 37, 48, 85
Iraqi, 49–50, 60–63, 81, 85, 92–103, 107, 190
Ocalan’s dream for, 34–35, 123–24
Kurdistan Democratic P
arty. See KDP
Kurdistan National Front, 80
Kurdistan Regional Government. See KRG
Kurdistan Revolutionaries, 71–72
Kurdistan Women’s Liberation Movement. See KJK
Kurdistan Workers Party. See PKK
Kurds. See also Iraqi Kurds; Kurdish women; Syrian Kurds; Turkish Kurds
Cold War and, 61
Daesh defeated by, 35, 78, 241
diaspora, 92, 106
future of, 37
history of, 45–53, 59–61
independent state desired by, 151
Iranian, 48, 79
nationalism of, 55–56, 60–61, 69, 164
refugees, 49, 66, 82, 84, 182
religions of, 45, 194
revolution of, 53–57, 59, 71–72
tribalism of, 45–46, 60–61, 63–66, 87–88, 93, 99
uniting of, 44–45
in WWI, 46
Kutschera, Chris, 122, 148
Kuwait, 49, 83
Lawrence, Joey, 188, 264
Lawrence textile strike of 1912, 20
Leverink, Joris, 169–70
Liberating Life: Woman’s Revolution (Ocalan), 56
Libya, 241
Local Coordination Committees, 165–66
local councils, 168–69
local police force largely made up of women (asayish), 172, 176–77
The Looming Tower (Wright), 201–2
The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), 19, 35
Lorraine, Percy, 68–69
Lubbock, Eric, 114
Mahajan, Rahul, 118
Mahmood, Aqsa, 230
Mahmoud, Houzan, 96–98, 141, 209–10
Mahsum Korkmaz Academy, 89–90, 125, 135
al Majid, Ali Hasan “Chemical Ali,” 81
Makhmour, 78
Malay, Mustafa, 114
Mao Zedong, 72, 118
Marcus, Aliza, 247
on Kurdish autonomy, 257
on PKK, 115, 122, 129–30, 136, 155, 158, 161–63
marriage, PKK and, 142–44
Marxism, 32–33, 56, 70–72, 125, 151
masculinity, crisis of, 24, 28
Matin, Kamran, 165
matriarchy, 33
McDowall, David
on KDP, 63–64, 84, 93–94
on Turkey, 52, 68, 110, 117
media
backlash in, 195
Daesh, 237
journalists, 182–84, 188–90, 221–23
Kobane canton in, 182–84, 188
Mehta, Hansa, 27
Mesopotamia, 32, 123–24
militarism, 140–42
military conscription, 91, 119
Milosevic, Slobodan, 25
MIT (Turkish military intelligence), 152–53
mixed-sex military units, 137–38
Mojab, Shahrzad, 47, 102
Molyneux, Maxine, 138
Monroe, Derek, 98
Mosul, 38, 43, 220
Movement for Change. See Gorran
Muslim, Enver, 181
Muslim, Salih
excluded from peace talks, 256
PYD and, 50–51, 164–65, 167, 169, 171, 193, 198
Muslim Brotherhood, 165, 192, 198
Nasr, Vali, 203
nationalism, 25, 161, 234, 243