Revolution in Syria and Quakerism

by Nicole Fite
Brooklyn Meeting

In the spirit of faith in action, I recently spent two years working and living with the women-led revolution in northeast Syria, also known as Rojava. I’m writing to let fellow Quakers know about it and some similarities with Quaker values and structures. 

Perhaps surprisingly to some, within the chaos of the Syrian civil war, the northern third of Syria has operated autonomously since 2011. The people there have built a decentralized, grassroots, and multi-ethnic democratic experiment based on a pillar of gender equality. It is called the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and now governs all of the former ISIS territory in Syria. In my opinion, it is the most exciting and inspiring thing happening on Earth, though few people are aware of it.

In northern Syria/Rojava there is an autonomous women’s militia and police force. At every level of the government structures, men and women govern together in a “co-chair” system. All ethnic groups—Kurds, Arabs, Christians, and others—are represented. In Raqqa, the former capital of the Islamic State, an autonomous women’s police unit enforces women’s rights on streets that used to be sex slave markets. I know—it seems like we all should have heard of this—but as we see, good news hardly makes the cycle. I can confirm it’s very real and unfolding daily.

This revolution has only been possible on the bedrock of a deep faith in the possibility of change. My relationship with Quakerism primed me to experience the deep spiritualism at the heart of the revolution over my two years there. It also primed me to appreciate the political and social project being built, as there are many parallels with Quaker structure and philosophy. The democratic structure of the Autonomous Administration closely mirrors the ladder-up ladder-down structure of yearly meetings. Philosophically, there is an intense focus on equality among friends (they use the word friend to refer to others) and a commitment to putting the sense of the community above individual needs when making decisions.

To help trace these similarities and others, I advised on the writing of a document called “Of Kurds and Quakers,” which can be found online. It provides much more background than I have been able to in this short article and makes a brief comparison between the Kurdish freedom movement, which forms the backbone of the revolution in Syria/Rojava, and Quakerism. I would love to be in dialogue with anyone who is interested enough to check it out!

I hope this has sparked (pun intended) an interest for some friends. I am more than happy to speak to any Quaker meeting or community group about the situation in Syria and the Kurdish freedom movement, the spiritualism of revolution and social change, and how to keep hope alive! 

It is my hope that this article will alert a few more Quakers to this incredible spark of hope in the world. It is also my hope that some may be moved to act in solidarity, as it is actively being attacked. But first, know that all the former ISIS territory in Syria is now controlled by a truly progressive, gender-equal, decentralized, democratic experiment. Now you know, if you didn’t before. 

Have a great day.

Nicole would love to hear from interested Friends; please email her via [email protected].