“Today is a festival of all women around the world, but I can say that it is a day of mourning for us, Kurdish women,” representatives of Kurdish community conducted a protest against violence toward Kurdish women in Shahumyan Square today.
They showed photos with beaten and injured Kurdish women in them to passersby, sang, danced and grabbed passersby’s attention.
In protest activist Zarif Kalashyan’s words, “Our women freely live in Armenia. We are talking about Turkey, our women are repressed there. We study here, we have our school, our language, we speak. We walk down the streets and speak loudly, but there they don’t. They look around, close doors, in order no one overhears.” Ms. Zarif also said that they demanded freedom for their MPs by this protest too, “We certainly want freedom for our Ojalan, since Ojalan brought freedom to our women. It is the very reason, for which we have gathered.” The protesters were mainly women. They assured that Kurdish men admire women. In response to our question whether they exploited women, Ms. Zarif assured that “there is no such thing among us, since we have taken the path of Ojalan, there is no violence. I woke up in the morning and said I am going to a rally, he allowed me. My husband always allows me. I have participated in meetings too, I have been everywhere.”
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According to Vras Khumoyan, a representative of the community, the rights of Kurdish women are infringed more than those of Armenian and Russian women, “The Kurdish women are blind, their eyes are not open, they are tortured people and I wish them freedom.” In response to our question whether Russians’ freedom was acceptable for them, she said, “Well, for example, polygamy is unacceptable, we will not accept it, it is an issue of shame, we cannot be like Europe. The God told woman, ‘I am above and your husband is on the earth, you should obey him.’ E.g., smoking is not good either, although my grandmother smokes.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
