Heine Strømdahl: Friday ohhh bloody friday

Friday, ohh bloody friday.

Al-Hasakah, Rojava, 2003-2015

(Read the full text + pictures here: Friday ohhh bloody friday

Copenhagen, friday evening the 20. of march 2015:

Pic: Rådhuspladsen, Copenhagen 1903-2015. Kurdish Newroz celebration. Taken by Heine Strømdahl.

Friday evening, the 20. of march, I was present at a joyous kurdish Newroz – kurdish Newyear - gathering at Rådhuspladsen in the heart of Copenhagen, just outside the city hall. The (danish) kurds were so glad! Smiling faces, beaming with excitement and joy. Men and women exchanging hugs and kisses. Little children clothed in colourful kurdish dress, kurdish flags fluttering all over... some music and dancing and the traditional kurdish Newroz fire! Among the invited speakers were danish MPs: Mogens Lykketoft, Holger K Nielsen, Bertel Haarder. All three of them have shown interest in kurdish issues. Danish kurd Özlem Cekic, MP, was also present. I enjoyed the crowd. It was a privilege to stand there among these beautiful people. I am grateful that they call Denmark ”home” – as I think many of them do, even as they still cherish their own ancient cultural traditions.

Pictures: Rådhuspladsen, Copenhagen 1903-2015. Kurdish Newroz celebration. Özlem Cekic, MP, can be seen at the right side of the pic. Picture: Heine Strømdahl.

Pic: Keywan Yari, Facebook

Picture: Newroz celebration in Istanbul. Source : Beril Videt: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Newroz_Istanbul(3).jpg

Friday, ohh bloody friday

But there is also a very sad note to this day. A few hours later the shocking news hit the headlines: The same evening at least 47 kurds were brutally murdered by the enemy, ISIS, in Hassaka in Rojava – ”A de facto autonomous region in northern and north-eastern Syria” with a majority of kurds ⁱ - in a evil devilish twin carbomb attack targeting the dancing and celebrating kurds.

”The car bombs detonated during celebrations of Nowruz, the Iranian/Persian and Kurdish new year, when Kurds gather for games, food and dancing. Among Kurds, the ancient spring festival commemorates the death of a tyrant about 2,500 years ago. In Syria, it also gives members of the stateless ethnic minority a chance to celebrate their identity.” Quote: International Business Times. ⁱⁱ

A sad way to end this festival, which is such a happy occasion for the amazing kurds.

ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rojava#cite_note-Econ1-36

ii http://www.ibtimes.com/isis-syria-kurdish-festival-bombings-kill-least-20-islamic-state-blamed-1-attack-1854318

Pictures: Twitter: Kurdistan News.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon later issued this statement:

”Statement attributable to the Spokesman of the Secretary-General

on attacks in Al-Hasakah,

Syria

New York, 20 March 2015

The Secretary-General

condemns the attacks targeting Nowruz celebrations in AlHasakah

City

in northeast

Syria today. Initial reports suggest that two separate bombings killed and injured

up to 100 persons, including women and children. These heinous attacks took place during a

holiday that is customarily a time for Kurdish communities to come together to share their

hopes for the new year. The Secretary-General

extends his deepest condolences to the

bereaved families and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.

The SecretaryGeneral

takes note of the reports linking ISIL/Daesh to the attacks. The terrorist

organization’s despicable agenda includes efforts to incite sectarian and ethnic division among

Syria’s diverse communities. It must not be allowed to succeed.

The Secretary-General

reiterates his condemnation of all acts of violence against civilians in

Syria, and his demand that all sides in this brutal conflict stop the use of indiscriminate

weapons in populated areas.”

A graphic and hearbreaking video shot in the immediate aftermath of the attack appeared shortly after on YouTube.

Warning! Graphic Video: Aftermath of Hasaka Bombings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjBaM9PV2SA&feature=youtu.be

Three days of mourning

Three days of mourning was declared the next day by the administrations in Rojava:

”Three days of mourning have been declared across Rojava in memory of the victims of yesterday’s bombing attacks on Newroz celebrations in city of Hasekê (Al-Hasakah), The declaration was made by the general coordinating body of the three canton administrations of Cizîrê, Kobanê and Efrîn.”

A statement released by the coordinating body condemned the barbaric attacks..

The statement read: “ISIS gangs carried out this barbarıc attack against civilians, mostly women and children, and showed their complete disregard for the values of humanity. As a result of this attack, which was carried out by these gangs after they have been defeated in the battles of Kobanê, Til Hemîs and Til Berak, dozens of civilians celebrating Newroz were killed and hundreds more were wounded.”
The statement also declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack in the Cizîrê Canton. It also offered condolences to the families of the injured and the dead and wishes of a speedy recovery on behalf the Coordinating Body of the Rojava Cantons and promised to continue their struggle.

It ended with a call for people to join in the funeral processions of the martyrs and to support their families.” source: The Rojava Report: https://rojavareport.wordpress.com/2015/03/21/three-days-of-mourning-declared-for-victims-of-newroz-attack/

But these are certainly not the first casualties the Rojava kurds (and Rojava arabs and assyrians and Syriacs) have sustained in their own ”war on terror”. Hundreds of YPG/YPJ fighters have fallen in the battle against ISIS and in february about two hundreds assyrians were abducted by ISIS.