Women activists’ encompaasing the entire globe are raising their fist to confront imperialism, fascism, and all forms of reaction. Together with the broad masses, they draw inspiration from their heroes and martyrs, and are determined to be torch bearers in cause of national and social liberation. Sadly the ruling governments liquidate their kind through murder framing them with false charges to languish within prison walls.
Martyrs
In recent times many women have laid down their lives to serve the cause of national and social liberation. We recall the martyrdom of Kerima Lorena Tariman (Ka Ella), 42, who was martyred one year ago in Silay City, Negros Occidental, together with Joery Dato-on “Ka Pabling” Cocuba. An artist and intellectual, Ka Ella devoted herself to the peasant masses of Negros and remained wedded their cause. A year after her death, the people of Negros continues to honour her contributions to their just cause for national and social liberation.
We also remember today Sosin Mihemed (Sosin Bîrhat), commander of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), who along with three other fighters were martyred in a drone attack launched by the Turkish Armed Forces on the Til Temir Military Council communications center in Rojava on August 19, 2021. Bîrhat played a crucial role in the revolutionary war of defense in Rojava and armed offensives against occupying Islamic State and Turkish forces in Northern and Eastern Syria.
Subsequently Jiyan Tolhildan, Roj Xabûr and Barîn Botan were assassinated by the Turkish state last July 22 after attending a forum by on women in the revolution. All revolutionary forces condemn the fascist Turkish government for the dastardly killing.
Tolhildan projected the leading role of the YPJ in the struggle of the Kurdish people for national self-determination. She illustrated the important role of women to counter all kind of attacks by the occupying forces as well fighting the patriarchal mentality. Tohildan and Roj Xabûr were both members of the YPJ while Botas was member of the YAT.
Adora Faye arrested
It is imperative for the artists, poets, rights defenders and other democratic organizations world over to demand the immediate release of Adora Faye de Vera. Adora Faye was arrested by police last Wednesday afternoon in her place of residence in Quezon City, and later brought to Calinog town, Iloilo, where she was framed with false criminal charges. She joins at least 800 other political prisoners in the Philippines who continue to suffer unjust incarceration.
Adora Faye is an artist, a poet, and a dedicated and relentless servant of the people in Phillipines.. At a young age, she joined hands in the fight against the Marcos martial law regime and fought in all fields of battle against the fascist dictatorship.
She and her two companions were abducted in 1976 by military forces in Quezon province and kept in a military “safe house” in Bicol. They were subjected to brutal forms of torture, including being forced to carry out sexual acts. Her two companions–Flora Coronacion and Rolando Federis–were later disappeared by the military.
Adora Faye was repeatedly raped by her captors and later forced to undergo an abortion. She was sexually enslaved for more than a year. She would succeed in freeing herself from her torturers one year later.
She later joined the armed revolution in the Bicol region where she served the peasant masses, joined in their struggle for land reform and continued to fight the notorious dictatorship. In 1983, in an attack by Marcos’ fascist troops, she was shot in the leg which caused her fatal injuries.
Adora Faye was released along with hundreds of other political prisoners in 1986 after the downfall of the US-Marcos dictatorship. She was among those who succeeded in bringing Marcos to the book for gross human rights violations. Their victory was a landmark jurisprudence and established historical reference for the multitude of crimes against humanity perpetrated by the military and police forces under the US-Marcos dictatorship.
In the face of unaltered social and political conditions, Adora continued to relentlessly render service to the cause of women’s liberation and the people’s national democratic movement. Over the past years, inspite of facing hurdles like injuries and weakened physical state, she braved the most tortuous paths, in trekking long distances just to be with workers, peasants and other oppressed sectors of society.
Throughout her life and now at 66 years old, Adora Faye never flinched from serving the people. She continues to dip her pen, producing poems and songs .She shares her vast knowledge to elevate consciousness of youth and knit anew nucleus of revolutionaries.
Adora Faye continues to shimmer the torch in the struggle against imperialism, feudalism, bureaucrat capitalism. She is being punished by the reactionaries for not in serving the people. It is gross injustice for all her service she rendered to the cause of the oppressed and exploited masses,
Harsh Thakor is freelance journalist who has extensively studied revolutionary movements worldwide
