Day of Action against ISIS - for Kobane - for Humanity! On Saturday 1 November 2014‏

PLEASE CIRCULATE!
Join the over 100 individuals and organisations worldwide who have backed the call for an international day of action in support of resistance in Kobane - sign the statement and organise an event on 1 November, 2pm!
URGENT CALL FOR ACTION
Statement of 14 October 2014
Global Rally against ISIS – for Kobanê - for Humanity!Date for the Global Rally: 1 November 2014, 2pm

ISIS launched a major multi-front military campaign against the Kurdish region of Kobanê in northern Syria. This is the third ISIS onslaught on Kobanê since March 2014. As the ISIS was unsuccessful on the two previous occasions, they are attacking with larger forces and want to take Kobanê.

In January this year, the Kurds in western Kurdistan (Rojava) established local administrations in the form of three cantons. One of the three cantons formed is Kobanê. The Turkish border is to the north of Kobanê and all the other sides are surrounded by ISIS-controlled territories. The ISIS has approached the Kobanê borders, using US made heavy weapons. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are threatened by the most brutal genocide in modern history. The people of Kobanê are trying to resist using basic weapons against the most brutal attacks of ISIS terrorists, with only the assistance of People’s Protection Unit in Western-Kurdistan, the YPG and YPJ, but without any international help. 

Therefore a Global Rally against ISIS – for Kobanê - for Humanity is vital. 
The so-called international coalition to fight the ISIS, have not helped Kurdish resistance effectively despite witnessing the ongoing genocide committed against Kobanê. They have not fulfilled their real international legal obligations. Some of the countries in the coalition, especially Turkey, are among financial and military supporters of the ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria. 

Therefore a Global Rally against ISIS – for Kobanê - for Humanity is vital. 
If the world wants democracy in the Middle East, it should support the Kurdish resistance in Kobanê. Democratic autonomy in Rojava promises a free future for all peoples in Syria. In this regard, the “Rojava Model” - the secular, non-sectarian, democratic position in Rojava is the model which practices unity in diversity. 

Act Now
It is high time to give the global players the reason to believe otherwise. 

We encourage people all over the world to show their solidarity with Kobanê. Go to the streets and demonstrate.   

We urge you to join the Global Rally for KobanêSupport the Resistance against ISIS – for Kobanê – for Humanity! 

Signatories:

Prof Noam CHOMSKY-US; Archbishop Desmond TUTU-South Africa; Adolfo Perez ESQUIVEL, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1980-Argentina; Hugo BLANCO, leader of the CCP (Campesino Confederation of Peru)-Peru; Prof Bill BOWRING, University of London, Birkbeck College -UK; MICHAEL MANSFIELD QC, President of Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers-UK; Dr FelixPADEL, Sussex University-UK; Lord HYLTON, House of Lords, UK; Margaret OWEN O.B.E, human rights lawyer-UK; NickHILDYARD, policy adviser-UK;  Prof Kariane WESTRHEIM, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC)-Norway; Prof MichaelGUNTER, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC)-US; Dr.ir. JP Joost JONGERDEN, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; Estella SCHMID, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign-UK; Dr. David GRAEBER-anthropologist, author, UK;  Mark THOMAS, writer/comedian-UK; Peter TATCHELL, Director, Peter Tatchell Foundation-UK; Dr Derek WALL, International Coordinator of the Green Party of England and Wales-UK; Stephen SMELLIE, UNISON Lanarkshire, Scotland-UK; FABIO AMATO,  Foreign Representative of the PRC Party and Secretariat of the European Left-Italy; Moni OVADIA, perfomer/musicians/theatrical author–Italy; Michel ROLAND,  President of Médecins du Monde, Belgium; LUDO DE BRABANDER, spokesperson Vrede vzw (Belgian Peace Organisation)- Belgium; WARD KENNES, Mayor of Kasterlee/ MP, Member of the Flemish Parliament-Belgium; StephenBOUQUIN, Prof of Sociology, Universite d’Evry-Val-d’Essone and Chairman of ROOD-Belgium; Em. Prof. Herman DE LEY, Ghent University-Belgium Dr. Suresh KHAIRNAR, National Convenor, All India Secular Forum-India; Kishore JAGTAP, President, Phule-Ambedkar Intellectual Forum-India; Amaresh MISRA, Editor-in-Chief, Medhaj News-India; Feroze MITHIBORWALA, National President of Bharat Bachao Andolan (Movement to Save India from Imperialism & Zionism)-India; Dr Radha D’SOUZA, Indian Association of People’s Lawyers – India; Manuel MARTORELL, historian and journalist-Spain; Osvaldo BAYER, historian, writer and anarchist-Argentina; Stella CALLONI, journalist, international analyst and writer-Argentina; Fernando SIGNORINI, Coach of the Argentinian Soccer Team-Argentina; Nora CORTINAS, Human rights activist, co-founder of the Mayo's Square Mothers-Argentina; Rosana ALVARADO, First Vice-President of the National Assembly-Ecuador; Maria Augusta CALLE, President of the Commission on Sovereignty and International Relations of the National Assembly-Ecuador; Virgilio HERNANDEZ, Member of the Board of Directors of the National Legislative Assembly- Ecuador; Pedro DE LA CRUZ, President of the Andean Parliament–Ecuador; Francisco VELASCO, Former Minister of Culture, Member of the Administrative Board of “Alliance Country”-Ecuador;  Guillaume LONG, responsible for External Relations of Ecuador Alianza Pais Party-Ecuador; Fernando BOSSI, People's Bolivarian Congress-Argentina; Prof Kamal A.Mitra CHENOY,  Centre for Comparative Politic &  Political Theory, School of International Studies-India; Achin VANIK , Professor of International Relations and Global Politics from the University of Delhi (retired)-India; Amir M. MAASOUMI, Peace Ambassador-India; Sushovan DHAR, Radical Socialist-India; Jatin DESAI, veteran journalist & General secretary of the "PIFPD" (Pakistan India Forum for Peace & Democracy) – India; Wilfred DACOSTA, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), New Delhi- India; Sandhya JAIN, Journalist, New Delhi – India; Asha KACHRU, Writer-India; Dr. SureshKHAIRNAR, National Convenor, All India Secular Forum-India; Kishore JAGTAP, President, Phule-Ambedkar Intellectual Forum-India; Amaresh MISRA, Editor-in-Chief, Medhaj News-India; Anwar KOMBAI, Documentary Filmmaker, writer & journalist, Chennai, India;  Javed ANAND, Muslims for Secular Democracy, Mumbai-India;  Rohini HENSMAN, Writer and Independent Scholar, Bombay-India; Jawad MOHAMMED,Lawyer from Chennai-South India; Sukla SEN, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity), Mumbai-India; Sushovan DHAR, Radical Socialist-India; Jatin DESAI, veteran journalist & General secretary of the "PIFPD" - Pakistan India Forum for Peace & Democracy-India; Raghu JAYANTIYA, Engineering Design Manager-UK; Mukta SRIVASTAV, National Alliance of People's Movements, Mumbai-India;  Com. VASUDEVAN, Bluestar Trade Union, Mumbai–India; Com DeeptiGOPINATH, Airport Workers Trade Union, Mumbai-India; Akshay KUMAR, Orissa Farmers Struggle, Bhuvaneshwar-India;  Prof. Rakesh RAFIQUE, Yuva Kranti, Founder, Moradabad-India; Ravi KOHAR, Convenor, Yuva Kranti (Revolutionary Youth), New Delhi-India;  Shelley KASLI, Journalist, Bangalore-India; Salim ALWARE, Indian Muslim Intellectual Forum, Convenor-India; JyotiBADEKAR, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Mumbai-India; Farouk MAPKAR, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Convenor, Mumbai-India; YusufPARMAR, President, Indian Muslim Development Council, Rajkot-India; Arif KAPADIA,  Bharat Bachao Andolan, Mumbai-India; Afaque AZAD, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Mumbai –India; Bhupen SINGH, Journalist, New Delhi-India; Shujaat Ali QADRIQ,Convenor, Muslim Students Organization, Lucknow-INDIA;  Ashraf Ali ZAIDI, Bharat Bachao Andolan, New Delhi-India; SanjaySINGHVI, General Secretary, Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) CPI-ML-India; Luisa MORGANTINI - Former Vice President of EP-Italy; Massimo ARTINI, MP, Vice President of Defence Committe in Parliamnet- Italy; Prof. Annamaria RIVERA, Anthropologist-Italy; Prof. Enrico Pugliese, Sociology-Italy; Prof. Giorgio FORTI, Emeritus at the Faculty, University of Milan, and Member of the Lincei National Academy-Italy; Prof. Maria Immacolata MACIOTI,Association of Sociology in Italy (AIS)-Italy; Alessia MONTUORI, Association ‘Senza Confine’-Italy; Alfonso DI STEFANO, Comitato NoMuos/ NoSigonella Commitee-Catania-Italy; Anna DI SALVO, Associations of the "La Città Felice"; AntonioRAMPOLLA, No Muos, Palermo- Italy; Claudio TREVES, General Secretary of the Labor Union Nidil-Cgil-Italy; Enrico Campofreda, Journalist-Italy; Fabrizio GATTI, alias Bilal Ibrahim el Habib, journalist and author-Italy; Gianni RINALDINI, Former General Secretary of the Labour Union Fiom-Cgil and Member of the Cgil National Board; Giorgio CREMASCHI, Former President of the Central Committee of the Labour Union Fiom-Cgil; Luca CASARINI, co-worker; Pippo GURRIERI, Director of the Sicilia libertarian-Italy; Teresa MOAFFERI, Cobas Scuola; Sicilia, Italy; Anarchist Federation of the Sicilia -Italy; Association s of the ‘Un ponte per…’- Italy; Associations of the 'RUMORI SINISTRI' –Rimini-Italy; Embassy of the Rights, Marche-Italy; MADIBANetwork House- Rimini-Italy; Magazine of the ‘Sicilia Libertaria’-Italy; NO MUOS Ragusa-Italy; Polisportiv of the ACKAPAWA,Jesi-Italy; Polisportiv of the ANTI-RACISTS, Rimini-Italy; Polisportiv of the 'ASSATA SHAKUR' Ancona-Italy; Social Center Groups of the Marche regions-Italy; Social Center of the AQ16 -Reggio Emilia-Italy; Social Center of the INTIFADA, Empoli, Italy; Social Center of the NORTH EAST-Italy; Social Center of the S. LABAS, Bologna-Italy; Social Center of TPO-Italy; YA BASTA!Bologna-Italy; YA BASTA! Marche -Italy; YA BASTA! Trento -Italy; YA BASTA!, Padova-Italy; YA BASTA!, Treviso-Italy; Laxman  SINGH, Research Scholar (Jamia Millia Islamia)-India;  Michel ROLAND,  President of Médecins du Monde, Belgium; Georges-Henri BEAUTHIER Lawyer-Belgium; Hind RIAD, Lawyer-Belgium; Selma BENKHELIFA, Lawyer-Belgium; OlivierSTEIN, Lawyer-Belgium; Joke CALLEWAERT, Lawyer-Belgium; LUDO DE BRABANDER, spokesperson Vrede vzw (Belgian Peace Organisation)- Belgium; DOMINIQUE WILLAERT, Artist- Belgium. 
 
 
Kariane Westrheim, Chair 
Prof Dr Michael Gunter, Secretary General 
EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC)
 
Kariane Westrheim kariane.westrheim@gmail.com <mailto:kariane.westrheim@gmail.com>  Mobile +47 976 42 088
www.eutcc.org

UK contact: Estella Schmid
Peace in Kurdistan -Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish QuestionEmail: estella24@tiscali.co.uk <mailto:estella24@tiscali.co.uk>  Tel: 020 7586 5892 www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.com

KURDISH NEWS UPDATE: BATTLE FOR KOBANE, 7 October 2014‏

YPG: ISIS are suffering in Kobane
7 October 2014 / Kurdish QuestionYPG (People's Defence Units) Press Centre has released a statement providing information about the ongoing clashes in the Kobanê town of West Kurdistan, Rojava, where ISIS gangs continue to suffer heavy losses despite using advanced heavy weaponry in their intensified attacks targeting the town for the last 22 days.
http://kurdishquestion.com/kurdistan/west-kurdistan/ypg-isis-are-suffering-in-kobane/270-ypg-isis-are-suffering-in-kobane.html
 
Syrian Kurds reportedly holding back Isis militants in Kobani
7 October 2014 / GuardianStreet-to-street fighting is under way in the battle for Kobani in Syria, but Kurdish fighters who live in the area have the upper hand, a resident has said.
Islamic State (Isis) fighters were moving in on Kobani’s outskirts on Tuesday after puncturing the Kurdish frontline late on Monday, but Kurdish fighters appeared to be holding the centre of the city against the advance.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/07/syrian-kurds-isis-militants-kobani
 
Hundreds from Cizre cross border, meet with YPG fighters
7 October 2014 / DicleThousands in Cizre district of Şırnak have gathered outside the DBP (Party of Democratic Regions) office and marched to the border as Kurds took to the streets across North Kurdistan in solidarity with Kobanê today.
http://www.diclehaber.com/en/news/content/view/423364?from=919196554
 
Police attack demonstrators for Kobanê in Istanbul
7 October 2014 / Kurdish InfoIstanbul police have staged brutal crackdown on demonstrators who wanted to march to the AKP office after gathering in Kadıköy district in solidarity with Kobanê and in protest against ISIS attacks.
http://www.kurdishinfo.com/police-attack-demonstrators-kobane-istanbul
 
Öcalan: We will resist to the end
7 October 2014 / ANFMehmet Öcalan conveyed the following message of the Kurdish leader after returning from the island; “Our people in Kobanê are going to resist to the end. Resistance will be manifested everywhere and every single Kurdish-populated area where ISIS is present. No concessions will ever be made to ISIS which is an artificial organisation and will also cause trouble to the states, governments and persones supporting it. Which country ever is supporting ISIS will itself be inflicted a damage. We will resist the ISIS to the end. Our people has to resist.”
http://www.kurdishinfo.com/ocalan-will-resist-end
 
Kurdish protesters gather at Heathrow Airport as anti-Isis demonstrations are held across Europe
7 October 2014 / IndependentKurdish protesters have gathered at Heathrow Airport today as anti-Isis demonstrations take place across Europe. Protesters across the continent have demanded more help for the besieged Kurdish forces struggling to hold the Syrian town of Kobani.
Demonstrators in Heathrow's Terminal Two held flags and anti-Isis placards during the demonstration.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/kurdish-protesters-gather-at-heathrow-airport-as-antiisis-demonstrations-are-held-across-europe-9779919.html

'Unite against ISIS!’ Kurds occupy London’s busiest Tube station
6 October 2014 / RTKurdish activists in London have occupied the capital’s busiest Tube station to protest against what they see as lackluster UK support for Kurdish fighters currently battling against Islamic State (IS/ISIS/ISIL) militants in Iraq.
http://rt.com/uk/193580-kurd-protest-london-isis/
 
Kurdish demonstrators occupy the European Parliament
7 October 2014 / Kurdish InfoThe European Parliament has been occupied by hundreds of Kurdish demonstrators who have been gathering in front of the Parliament since early Tuesday morning in solidarity with Kobanê and in protest against ISIS gangs.
http://www.kurdishinfo.com/kurdish-demonstrators-occupy-european-parliament
 
Kurds in Europe rise up for Kobanê
7 October 2014 / ANFTens of thousands of Kurds have poured into the streets across Turkey, Europe and the world today in solidarity with the Kobanê resistance and in protest against the ongoing intensified attacks of ISIS gangs on the besieged Kurdish town. Demonstrators demanded urgent action worldwide in support of the Kurdish forces fighting inhuman gangs affiliated to the so-called Islamic State.
http://en.firatajans.com/news/news/kurds-in-europe-rise-up-for-kobane.htm
 
UN Secretary General Calls for Action to Protect Civilians in Syria’s Ayn al-Arab
6 October 2014 / Ria NovostiUN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged "all those with the means to do so" to protect the residents of the largely Kurdish town of Ayn al-Arab in Syria amid the assault of the Islamic State(IS), the United Nations said in a press release.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20141007/193748553/UN-Secretary-General-Calls-for-Action-to-Protect-Civilians-in-Syria.html
 
Kurdistan National Congress issues an urgent call for support for Kobane
7 October 2014 / Peace inKurdistan Campaign“As we write, the terrorist organization IS is advancing in to the city of Kobane in Western Kurdistan (Northern Syria) and they have already entered some districts of the city. The Kurdish defence forces, the YPG, are heroically defending the city and civilians against the IS attacks, with very limited weapons and no technical support against IS’ advanced artillery. 
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/resources/kurdish-national-congress-knk/knk-thousands-of-civilians-in-kobane-are-threatened-with-a-massacre/
 
If Kobanê falls, the US and Turkey will be to blame
4 October 2014 / RoarmagAs I write these words, Kurdish fighters are waging a heroic battle <http://roarmag.org/2014/09/kobane-rojava-is-turkey/>  to keep the strategically important city of Kobanê on the Syrian-Turkish border from falling into the hands of ISIS. Kobanê has been under siege since mid-September, when ISIS forces launched a ferocious three-way assault on the city, terrorizing the local population and causing up to 160.000 civilians to flee to Turkey. 
http://roarmag.org/2014/10/kobani-isis-kurdish-resistance/
 
Turkey to let Kurds bleed
7 October 2014 / Anti-imperialist campThe quintessence: none of the regional and global players want Kurdish self-rule in Northern Syria to survive!
The decisive role is being played by Turkey: In Kobani Ankara got the final say. The Turkish calculus is obvious. If Rojava held on it would serve as a precedence enormously strengthening PKK.
http://www.antiimperialista.org/kobani
 
Washington's Secret Back-Channel Talks With Syria's Kurdish 'Terrorists'
7 October 2014 / Foreign PolicyBy Jake Hess: Everry day, the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) advance closer to Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish town in northern Syria, close to the Turkish border. As the Islamic State rains down mortars on the town, the vastly outgunned People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia, are attempting to resist the weeks-long assault. While Turkish troops watch from across the border and the U.S.-led air campaign continues, none of the powerful forces in the region have intervened decisively -- leaving the YPG to face the jihadist advance on its own.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/10/07/washington_secret_back_channel_talks_with_kurdish_terrorists_turkey_syria_robert_ford_exclusive
 
The Monocle Daily: David Philips on KobaneIs the Syrian border town of Kobani about to fall or will a defence mounted by female Kurdish fighters help stop Isis advances? We also discuss the Hong Kong protests and find out why Zurich is a hub for innovation.
http://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-monocle-daily/761/
 
A critical time for the Kurdish struggle
7 October 2014 / Revolutionary CommunistBy 23 September 2014 140,000 Kurdish people had left Kobane Canton in Rojava (West Kurdistan) in Syria for Turkey. Over one hundred villages were evacuated in the face of an Islamic State (IS) attack. IS was reported to have 40 tanks and 30 armoured personnel carriers 12 miles from Kobane city. Kurdish groups were amassing a large fighting force to resist the attack. Turkish police and soldiers forcibly prevented Kurds from crossing from Turkey to fight IS. 
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/index.php/middle-east/me/3764-ac071014

KURDISH NEWS WEEKLY BRIEFING, 27 September ­ 3 October 2014‏

1. ISIS Advances On Syria's Kobani Despite U.S. Coalition Airstrikes
2 October 2014 / Huffington PostTurkey's parliament authorized the government on Thursday to order military action against Islamic State as the insurgents tightened their grip on a Syrian border town, sending thousands more Kurdish refugees into Turkey.
The vote gives the government powers to order incursions into Syria and Iraq to counter the threat of attack "from all terrorist groups," although there was little sign any such action was imminent.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/isis-advance-kobani_n_5919726.html

2. Kobane Defense Minister Ismet Hasan Warns About a Massacre in Kobane
2 October 2014 / Mutlu CivirogluAccording to reports last night, Kobane is about to fall, or there is a possibility it might fall. What is the situation now?Yes it is true. Generally, the clashes are ongoing in the surrounding areas of Kobane. The clashes that started 18 days ago are still continuing. ISIS is attacking Kobane with all its force and heavy weaponry. We only have light arms. We are fighting with Kalashnikovs and RPGs. This is the situation as of now, and they have not been able to enter Kobane until now. We are defending Kobane. They have surrounded Kobane on all sides but we are defending the city. They are attacking us with their artillery and tanks.
http://civiroglu.net/2014/10/
 
3. Islamic State siege of Syrian town threatens Turkey's Kurdish peace
26 September 2014 / ReutersThe siege by Islamic State militants of a largely Kurdish Syrian border town has become a rallying point for Turkey's Kurds, not just against the Sunni insurgents but against the Turkish state, endangering a fragile peace process with Ankara.
Fuelled by suspicions that Turkey is supporting the Sunni Muslim militants, the Kurds have clashed at Mursitpinar in Turkey with security forces who have fired water cannon and tear gas partly in a bid to prevent them joining the fight across the border in the Syrian town of Kobani.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/26/mideast-crisis-turkey-kurds-idUSL6N0RQ3TG20140926?feedType=RSS&feedName=cyclicalConsumerGoodsSector 
4. Turkey's PKK peace process 'at risk' from Syria crisis
28 September 2014 / BBC NewsA top Kurdish politician has warned that Turkey's peace process with the Kurds risks collapsing in the face of Islamic State (IS) attacks on the Kurdish Syrian border town of Kobane. Speaking to the BBC from Brussels, a leading member of the Kurdistan National Congress, Adem Uzun, said that Turkey had been helping Islamic State militants in their attacks against Syrian Kurds.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29403550 
5. HDP welcomes government’s progress on Kurdish resolution
1 October 2014 / HurriyetThe government’s move to endorse the ongoing Kurdish resolution process by establishing a new body has been welcomed by Selahattin Demirtaş, the co-leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), who held a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Oct. 1. “We deem this a positive step. We believe taking practical steps in line with this move will be to the advantage of the resolution process,” Demirtaş told reporters following the meeting. “We, as the HDP, will support the process through moves both inside and outside of Parliament.” 
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/hdp-welcomes-governments-progress-on-kurdish-resolution.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72419&NewsCatID=338  
6. Abdullah Ocalan: Kobane Decisive For Peace Process!
2 October 2014 / Kurdish QuestionThe HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) delegation has released a statement about the details of the meeting they had with the Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan in Imrali island prison yesterday. According to the delegation, Öcalan recalled the fact that the Kobanê reality and the resolution process were an indivisible whole, and called on everyone to defend "this democratic journey and struggle for humanity that has cost everybody a lot". Öcalan said the current critical process witnessed quite significant developments and knife-edge times for not only the region but the future of humanity.
http://kurdishquestion.com/kurdistan/west-kurdistan/abdullah-ocalan-kobane-decisive-for-peace-process.html
 
7. Refugees Flood Turkish Border as Islamic State Steps Up Attacks on Syrian Kurds
28 September 2014 / New York TimesShelling intensified Sunday on Kobani, the Syrian town at the center of a region of Kurdish farming villages that has been under a weeklong assault by Islamic State militants, setting fire to buildings and driving a stream of new refugees toward the fence here at the border with Turkey.
The extremist Sunni militants have been closing in on the town from the east and west after moving into villages with tanks and artillery, outgunning Kurdish fighters struggling to defend the area. The Kurds fear a massacre, especially after recent Islamic State attacks on Kurdish civilians in Iraq. More than 150,000 people have fled into Turkey over the past week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/world/middleeast/refugees-flood-turkish-border-as-isis-steps-up-attacks-on-syrian-kurds.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimesworld&_r=1 
8. ‘Their fight is our fight’: Kurds rush from across Turkey to defend Kobani
26 September 2014 / GuardianIn the village of Yumurtalik, just over two miles west of the Syrian town of Kobani on the Turkish side of the border, picnic blankets dot a pistachio orchard; groups of men and women sit around eating and chatting. Some distribute flatbreads, olives and cheese, while others stand at the edge of a field, pointing at the barbed wire that separates the two countries.
“This border has no meaning for us,” says Rahman, 40. “We are all of the same blood. The pain in Kobani is our pain, and their fight is our fight.” Every now and then the thuds of missiles can be heard in the distance. The frontline between Islamic State (Isis) and the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defence Units (PYD) has steadily crept closer to Kobani over the past week.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/26/kurds-rush-across-turkey-defend-kobani-isis-syria 
9. Kurds Outraged as Turkey Closes Border to Volunteers for Kobane Fight
30 September 2014 / RudawKurdish activists expressed outrage as the Turkish military began preventing any young person from crossing the border to fight Islamic militants in Syria, where Kurdish forces have been fighting to save the city of Kobane. Turkish troops were out in force in Mursitpinar, on the Turkish-Syrian border that abuts Kobane.
"Kobane’s fall means Kurdistan’s fall,” said Ferhat Encu, a 29-year-old Turkish-Kurd from Sirnak. ”We can’t sit here and just watch. I’m trying to get into Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan), but the Turks have blocked the border,” said Encu, who was a frontier guard before leaving to fight for Kobane earlier this month. He returned for a break, and now cannot go back.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/30092014
 
10. Kurdish hunger strikers stage protests seeking support against Isis jihadis
1 October 2014 / GuardianMembers of the Kurdish diaspora have been staging protests and hunger strikes around the world in support of calls by Kurdish leaders in Syria for weapons to help their forces fighting Islamic State (Isis) in the besieged border town of Kobani, where they fear a massacre if support does not arrive soon.
While Kurds have taken to the streets of European cities, those in Britain have initiated a hunger strike close to the gates of Downing Street as part of a campaign calling for the UK to provide Kurdish forces with advanced weapons.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/01/kurds-hunger-strike-downing-street-isis-uk 
11. Syrian Kurdish leader fears Kobani massacre if weapons don’t arrive
30 September 2014 / Al ArabiyaA Syrian Kurdish leader called on Tuesday for Western states to provide weapons to his forces fighting Islamic State in the besieged Syrian border town of Kobani, warning that his fighters were outgunned and risked massacre if help did not arrive soon.
Saleh Muslim, head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has close links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey, said that his calls for arms had so far been rebuffed by the United States and European nations, blaming Turkey for obstructing his efforts.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/30/Syrian-Kurdish-leader-fears-Kobani-massacre-if-weapons-don-t-arrive.html
 
12. Turkey provides ISIL with lifeline: Expert
22 September 2014 / Press TVPress TV has conducted an interview with Zayd al-Isa, Middle East expert from London, about Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) calling on all Kurdish fighters to cross into Syria to defend the city of Kobani against the advancing ISIL militants.
What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.
Press TV: How do you feel about this statement coming out of the PKK? Certainly it seems to hit the mark on the head in the sense that Turkey has been supporting ISIL and now all these refugees are running into Turkey because of what it has done in Syria?
Al-Isa: Well it is hugely important and highly significant particularly that comes from the PKK who have been involved with intense ongoing negotiations with Turkey to sort out and deal with the issue of the Kurds within Turkey. 
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/22/379627/turkey-provides-isil-with-lifeline/ 
13. Demirtaş asks government to aid Kurds in fight against ISIL
30 September 2014 / HurriyetPeople’s Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş has called on the Turkish government to support Kurds in their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as he crossed the border to visit Kobane on Sept. 30. Demirtaş called for strong action against ISIL from the Turkish government, saying this would help the peace process at home with outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants.,” he said. 
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/demirtas-asks-government-to-aid-kurds-in-fight-against-isil.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72364&NewsCatID=338 
14. 200 Turkish intellectuals call for help to Kobane
27 September 2014 / HurriyetTwo hundred Turkish academics, writers and civil society activists issued a statement on Sept. 27, calling on the Turkish people as well as all international organizations, especially the United Nations, to take a strong position in defense of Kobane, which has been under siege of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.
It goes onto say: “It could not be overlooked that political calculations of Turkey had also a role in the development of this monstrous political formation created by the hegemonic powers, the USA in particular…The ISIL assault on Kobane marks the intersection of the regional crisis and domestic conflicts in Turkey. Turkish government could not absolve itself of its political responsibilities by providing humanitarian aid to the people of Kobane fleeing from ISIL.”
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/200-turkish-intellectuals-call-for-help-to-kobane-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72250&NewsCatID=338 
15. Cheering Kurdish forces engage ISIS militants in dramatic firefight in a besieged town on the Syrian-Turkish border
27 September 2014 / Daily MailDetermined Kurdish forces have been striking back against advancing ISIS militants in a besieged town on the Syrian-Turkish border.
In a dramatic firefight taking place this evening, the forces could be seen advancing onto the ridgeline occupied by ISIS extremists near the Kurdish town of Kobani. 
Dozens of Kurdish spectators gathered just metres away to cheer on the fighters in a chorus of deafening shouts and applause, as red flares from tracer bullets propelled across the darkening sky. 
Footage of the live firefight was filmed from the Turkish side of the embattled border, which has been under attack from ISIS extremists for the past ten days.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2772030/Dramatic-pictures-refugees-fleeing-Syria-coalition-airplanes-strike-besieged-border-town-attack-ISIS-militants.html
 
16. ISIS behead captured Kurds in Syria
1 October 2014 / Daily StarActivists say ISIS militants have beheaded nine Kurdish fighters, including three women, captured in clashes near the Syria-Turkey border.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday that the nine Kurds were captured during fighting over the northern Syrian town of Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab.
There have been fierce clashes around Kobani since mid-September, when ISIS launched an assault to seize the area.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Oct-01/272618-isis-behead-captured-kurds-in-syria.ashx#axzz3EuIFXHBq 
17. The amazing (and bizarre) homemade Kurdish armor fighting ISIS in Syria
28 September 2014 / RTIrregular armed forces have to rely on their ingenuity to arm themselves. And while rifles and mortars can be bought on the black market, getting hold of a tank or two can be a bit tricky. But you can always make a DIY version with your own hands.
At least that’s what fighters of the Kurdish militias in northern Syria do. Called People's Protection Units, or YPG, they have been dedicated to protecting Kurds from whatever the three-year-long war in the country may throw at them. Lately it’s been the Islamic State, the terrorist group that proved to be worthy of being bombed by America itself.
http://rt.com/news/191312-syria-kurds-home-made-armor/ 
18. Interview With YPG Commander On The Attack On Kobanê And Its Objectives
28 September 2014 / Rojava ReportA member of the YPG Rojava General Command Meysa Ebdo sat down with journalist Ersin Çaksu in an interview for Özgür Gündem which appeared yesterday. Ebdo was speaking on the font in Kobanê, where the YPG continues to resist an ongoing ISIS offensive against the canton which began on September 15th. The YPG commander called the ISIS attacks a crime against humanity, and pointed her finger at international and regional powers, in particular Turkey, who are supporting ISIS in their attempt to destroy the canton. Ebdo made it clear that Kobanê would not fall to ISIS and that the Kurds would not allow the Turkish military to enter into the area to form a buffer-zone. Below is a transcript of the interview, translated into English.
http://rojavareport.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/interview-with-ypg-commander-on-the-attack-on-kobane-and-its-objectives/
 
19. Israeli intelligence created ISIL-type groups: Rickard
24 September 2014 / Press TVPress TV has conducted an interview with Scott Rickard, a former American intelligence linguist, from Orlando, to discuss the Israeli involvement in the ongoing crisis in Syria. 
Press TV: Are you surprised at all when you see this footage of ISIL militants actually upgrading in Golan Heights ?
Scott Rickard: I am not surprised. Israel is probably one of the most secretive and hush-up participants in this incredible criminal warfare on Syria. As you said they bombed Syria three times last year. They downed the Syrian aircraft today, yesterday on your time. In fact, these individuals have been tremendously involved. 
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/24/379894/israeli-deeply-involved-in-syria-crisis/ 
20. Kurdish troops, backed by U.S. aircraft, recapture key town on Syrian border
30 September 2014 / McClatchy DCKurdish militia have captured a strategic border town on the route between the Islamic State-held cities of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq as part of a three-front offensive launched to retake territory lost to the group over the summer, Kurdish officials said Tuesday. The offensive, which was described as “limited” by a Kurdish security official, was supported by the heaviest anti-Islamic State coalition airstrikes in a week, with warplanes flown by the United States and its alliesstriking at least 20 targets -- including the first strikes by British planes since Parliament approved military action in Iraq.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/09/30/241530_kurdish-troops-backed-by-us-aircraft.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
 
21. PYD delegation holding meetings at PACE
30 September 2014 / Hawar NewsThe attacks of ISIS gangs on the Kobanê canton of Rojava (West Kurdistan) is on the agenda of the Council of Europe. The PYD delegation, including its co-chair Salih Muslim, will be holding meetings at the Council of Europe for the whole week. Following the attacks of ISIS on Iraq and South Kurdistan, the Council of Europe has changed the title of the discussion from “The attacks of ISIS against the Christians” to “Attacks on humanity: The attacks of ISIS in Syria and Iraq”.
http://www.hawarnews.com/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2553:pyd-delegation-holding-meetings-at-pace&catid=1:news&Itemid=2 
COMMENT, OPINION AND ANALYSIS
22. Solidarity With Kobanê – An Urgent Task
1 October 2014 / Socialist ResistanceThe city of Kobanê in Aleppo province, northern Syria, is being heroically defended against ISIS by local people and by the People’s Protection Units (still mainly Kurdish but including Arabs and Assyrians). A high proportion of the fighters are women, mainly young but also middle-aged, and some Free Syrian Army forces who have moved to Kobanê are also fighting there, but the defenders have no heavy artillery and only a few home-made armoured vehicles, while ISIS have all the heavy weaponry and vehicles they captured in the summer from the Iraqi army and possibly from the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party), as well as weapons and vehicles given them by their sponsors. ISIS is able to shell heavily from great distances, and have concentrated most of their Syrian forces round Kobanê, so for some days the situation has been critical, although the defenders are very determined and seem to be just about coping.
http://socialistresistance.org/6773/solidarity-with-kobane-an-urgent-task
 
23. The Mirage of ISIS, by David MorganOctober 2014 / Live EncountersDavid Morgan explains why the US-led campaign against ISIS ultimately lacks integrity and its aims lack credibility. Kurds are on the front- line against ISIS but not all Kurds are equally favoured by the West. Undeniably the Islamic State or ISIS presents a great danger, especially to non-Sunni minorities and women in the Middle East, and the group has demonstrated that it is capable of committing the most heinous and ruthless crimes that sicken all normal feeling people. Nevertheless, the rhetoric raising the alarm of its “imminent threat” to the world issued from the mouths of Western politicians seems much exaggerated and overblown. Interestingly, when addressing the UN General Assembly, US President Obama claimed that Russian aggression in Europe posed an even greater threat to world peace than ISIS. He cannot have it both ways; either ISIS is an existential and unique threat sufficiently menacing to warrant waging war or it isn’t.
http://liveencounters.net/?page_id=8537 
24. In the Rubble of US Imperialism: the PKK, YPG and the Islamic State
25 September 2014 / ZabalazaThe mainstream news has been filled with stories about the horrors being committed by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, and how the United States (US) ruling class and their state supposedly want to stop this for humanitarian reasons. What has not been widely covered in the corporate and state controlled media, however, is why the IS came to exist; the real reasons for the US state’s new round of intervention in the Middle East; and how the US state wants to isolate and likely destroy the only two forces that have been effective in fighting against the IS: the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
http://zabalaza.net/2014/09/25/in-the-rubble-of-us-imperialism/
 25. Turkey and the PKK: How to deal with Syria’s Kurds
4 October 2014 / EconomistA SENIOR commander of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a rebel group that has been fighting for Kurdish self-rule inside Turkey since 1984, declared on September 21st that the Ankara government had until October 1st to meet several conditions. “Otherwise we may resume our war,” said Cemil Bayik at the PKK’s headquarters in the Qandil mountains in northern Iraq. On October 1st the government duly issued a directive that lets unspecified observers monitor its peace talks with Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned PKK leader (pictured on the flag). A long-running PKK demand was thus fulfilled and an 18-month-old, mutually observed, ceasefire salvaged. But for how long?
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21621872-emergence-another-kurdish-entity-its-borders-unsettles-government-how-deal
26. Western blind spot: the Kurds' forgotten war in Syria
29 September 2014 / OpenDemocracyThe current narrative from Cameron and Obama is simple: the head-chopping Islamic State is a threat to all of humanity, so western forces need to return to the Middle East. Yet this narrative is far from supported by the empirical evidence. Non-existent weapons of mass destruction and non-existent Islamic fundamentalist jihadists were used to justify the invasion of Iraq in 2003 by George Bush and Tony Blair. Iraq was transformed from secular totalitarianism to chaos: in turn, chaos and opposition to occupation seeded a jihadist movement.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/derek-wall/western-blind-spot-kurds%27-forgotten-war-in-syria 
27. An analysis of the International coalition intervention led by the USA
1 October 2014 / International ViewpointIn recent weeks we have seen the establishment of an USA led International coalition also composed of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan to launch a joint military operation, on Syrian territory, with the tacit support of the Assad regime as we will see, against Daech (also known as the Islamic State (IS)).
Several levels of analysis are needed to understand the dynamics of this intervention.
http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article3634&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook
 
28. Sexualized violence in Iraq: how to understand and fight it
29 September 2014 / OpenDemocracyIn July 2014, whilst catching up with an older Iraqi male friend, he surprised me  by saying: “ISIS, is going to rape even more women than were raped in Yugoslavia, particularly Shi’a women”.  I was stunned because as a secular, previously staunchly non-sectarian Iraqi he had apparently bought into sectarian propaganda about the danger posed by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). At the time, the threat of sexual violence from ISIS was played up heavily by Nouri al-Maliki, then prime minister. After ISIS and other Sunni militants took the city of Mosul on 10 June 2014, Al-Maliki and his allies tried to rally Shia Iraqis, using the threat of sexualized violence as a form of sectarian aggression. 
https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/nadje-alali/sexualized-violence-in-iraq-how-to-understand-and-fight-it 
29. The Female State – Behind the scenes on the frontline
September 2014 / 60 MinutesA 60 Minutes special programme following the women fighters of the YPJ in Rojava.
http://bcove.me/7n4w27yb 
30. These Remarkable Women Are Fighting ISIS. It's Time You Know Who They Are
October 2014 / Marie ClaireThere's a group of 7,500 soldiers who have been fighting an incalculably dangerous war for two years. They fight despite daily threats of injury and death. They fight with weapons that are bigger and heavier than they are against a relentless enemy. And yet they continue to fight. They are the YPJ (pronounced Yuh-Pah-Juh) or the Women's Protection Unit, an all-women, all-volunteer Kurdish military faction in Syria that formed in 2012 to defend the Kurdish population against the deadly attacks lead by Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, the al-Nusra Front (an al-Qaeda affiliate), and ISIS.
http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/inspirational-women/these-are-the-women-battling-isis?src=soc_fcbks
 
31. Divided Kurds fight the Islamic State
2 October 2014 / European Council on Foreign RelationsThe rise of the Islamic State (IS) is dangerous for Kurds across the region. For over a year, the group has fought deadly battles over territory with Kurds in Syria; now it threatens to undo the hard-won security of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, deepening the latter’s dependence on external powers and putting it on the back foot. IS is also having a significant impact on intra-Kurdish rivalries, strengthening the hand of Abdullah Öcalan, head of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), over that of Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, who heads the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
http://www.ecfr.eu/content/entry/commentary_divided_kurds_fight_the_islamic_state330
 
32. The Defense of Kobani
27 September 2014 / Jerusalem PostThis week witnessed the second determined attempt by Islamic State forces to destroy the Kurdish enclave around Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) city in northern Syria. Kobani is one of three autonomous enclaves maintained by the Kurds in Syria.
As of now, it appears that after initial lightning advances, the progress of the jihadis has been halted; they have not moved forward in the last 24 hours. The arrival of Kurdish forces from across the Turkish border is the key element in freezing the advance.
http://www.meforum.org/4832/the-defense-of-kobani <http://www.meforum.org/4832/the-defense-of-kobani> 
33. The experiment of West Kurdistan (Syrian Kurdistan) has proved that people can make changes
1 September 2014 / AnarkismoWhat you read below is the experience of my visit, for a couple of weeks in May this year, 2014, to the North-East of Syria or Syrian Kurdistan (West of Kurdistan) with a close friend of mine. Throughout the visit we had the total freedom and opportunity to see and speak to whoever we wanted to. This includes women, men, youth, and the political parties. There are over 20 parties from Kurdish to Christian, of which some are in the Democratic Self Administration (DSA) or Democratic Self Management (DSM) of the region of Al Jazera. Al Jazera is one of three regions, (cantons) of West Kurdistan. We also met the Kurdish and Christian political parties who are not in the DSA or DSM. 
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/27301

34. Turkey: Help Regime Change in Syria, & We Help You ‘Degrade and Destroy ISIL’
29 September 2014 / Kurdistan TribuneTurkey, the only Muslim NATO member, bordering both Iraq and Syria, is more reluctant than ever and more than any other nation—big and small—to take military action against the Islamic State—despite calls by its NATO ally, the United States and its regional strategic partner, Kurdistan Region.
The Islamic State kidnapped 49 Turks, including diplomats and children, from the Turkish consulate in Mosul on June 11 as they took control of the city in a lighting advance. Just a week later, the Turkish government, based on a court ruling, imposed a media blackout on the hostage crisis arguing that any coverage would endanger lives. 
http://kurdistantribune.com/2014/turkey-help-regime-change-syria-help-degrade-destroy-isil/ 

36. The British Muslim Women Making A Stand Against Isis
30 September 2014 / Morning StarLOOKING at a huge, rather beautiful poster of a young Muslim woman wearing a vivid Union Jack hijab, I know I’m not in standard leftie territory — and that’s before Theresa May pops in to press the flesh.  
Not many media launches are both timed to coincide with the school run and surrounded by heavy security either. But Sara Khan is used to doing things differently. 
Khan is the driving force behind new anti-extremism group Making a Stand, launched last week in Whitehall. 
She is also the Director of Inspire, a group which I note is described by the Guardian as a “women’s human rights organisation.” 
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-c8b1-The-British-Muslim-women-making-a-stand-against-Isis#.VC2GiyldVy5
 
37. Does NATO's Outgoing Head Have Kurdish Skeletons in His Closet?
29 September 2014 / TelesurIn just a few days Anders Fogh Rasmussen will leave NATO's top civilian job, but questions remain over how he secured the position in the first place, write Ryan Mallett-Outtrim and Chris Spannos. The secret story of how the outgoing head of the most powerful military alliance landed his job “has everything,” according to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
“It has the Kurds. It has the destruction of an entire TV station. Corrupt deals between intelligence agencies and the judiciary. The corruption of a Scandinavian country, Denmark. And the head of that country, the prime minister, doing a corrupt deal to get his job,” Assange told teleSUR English in an exclusive interview.
http://telesurtv.net/english/telesuragenda/Does-NATOs-Outgoing-Head-Have-Kurdish-Skeletons-in-His-Closet-20140929-0053.html 
38. The 4th New World Summit – Stateless States, Brussels
30 September 2014 / Peace in Kurdistan CampaignFrom 19 – 21 September politicians, activists, academics, artists and philosophers gathered at the New World Summit in Brussels to rethink the concept of ‘state’. Founded by visual artist Jonas Staal, the New World Summit uses the space of art to develop parliaments for stateless politics. This fourth summit took place inside the Royal Flemish Theatre, giving voice to twenty stateless states within a specially built parliament arena.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/2014/09/30/the-4th-new-world-summit-stateless-states-brussels/
 
39. 2nd Kurdish Conference, Washington DC: "The New Kurdish Reality in the Middle East: Perils, Prospects and Possibilities"
26 September 2014 / KurdListOrganised by the HDP representation in the US, the second Kurdish conference included sessions on Developments in the Iraqi Kurdistan and the plight of Ezidis; The Kurdish Situation in Syria: A Democratic Model for the Future; The Peace Process in Turkey; he United States, the Kurds, and the Future of the Middle East. You can watch the whole event online here.
http://www.kurdslist.org/live_event