URGENT CALL FOR ACTION
Statement 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 Kobanê

Support 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 Felix PADEL, Sussex University-UK; Lord HYLTON, House of Lords, UK; Margaret OWEN O.B.E, human rights lawyer-UK; Nick HILDYARD, policy adviser-UK; Prof Kariane WESTRHEIM, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC)-Norway; Prof Michael GUNTER, 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; Stephen BOUQUIN, 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. 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; 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 Deepti GOPINATH, 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; Jyoti BADEKAR, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Mumbai-India; Farouk MAPKAR, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Convenor, Mumbai-India; Yusuf PARMAR, 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; Sanjay SINGHVI, 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; Prof.Maria Immacolata MACIOTI, Association of Sociology in Italy (AIS)-Italy; Prof. Annamaria RIVERA, Anthropologist-Italy; Prof. Giorgio FORTI, Emeritus at the Faculty, University of Milan, and Member of the Lincei National Academy-Italy; Claudio TREVES, General Secretary of the Labor Union Nidil-Cgil-Italy; YA BASTA! Bologna-Italy; Social Center of TPO-Italy; SOCIAL CENTER OF S. LABAS, Bologna-Italy; MADIBA NETWORK HOUSE- Rimini-Italy; ASSOCIATIONS OF THE 'RUMORI SINISTRI' –Rimini-Italy; POLISPORTIV OF THE ANTI-RACISTS, Rimini-Italy; SOCIAL CENTER OF THE AQ16 -Reggio Emilia-Italy; SOCIAL CENTRES GROUPS of the Marche regions-Italy; AMBASCIATORS OF THE RIGHTS OF MARCHE REGIONS-Italy; YA BASTA! OF THE MARCHE -Italy; Antiracist POLISPORTIV OF THE 'ASSATA SHAKUR' Ancona-Italy; POLISPORTIV OF THE ACKAPAWA JESI-Italy; YA BASTA! BOLOGNA-Italy; SICILIA ANARCHIST FEDERATION-Italy; NO MUOS Ragusa-Italy; MAGAZINE OF THE SICILIA LIBERTARIA-Italy; PIPPO GURRIERI, director of the Sicilia libertarian-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; Alfonso DI STEFANO, Comitato NoMuos/ NoSigonella Commitee-Catania-Italy; Anna DI SALVO, Associations of the "La Città Felice"; YA BASTA! OF TRENTO-Italy; YA BASTA OF TREVISO-Italy; YA BASTA OF PADOVA-Italy; THE SOCIAL CENTER OF THE NORTH EAST-Italy; Teresa MOAFFERI, Cobas Scuola; Sicilia, Italy; Alfonso Di STEFANO, Committee NoMuos/NoSigonella, Sicilia, Italy; Anna Di SALVO, La Città Felice, Sicilia Italy; THE SOCIAL CENTER INTIFADA/COMMUNITY IN RESISTANCE OF EMPOLI-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; Olivier STEIN, 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 Mobile +47 976 42 088


www.eutcc.org

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