Journalist Evrim Kepenek had a conversation with Hişyar Özsoy from the Initiative for Respect to the Deceased and Justice, discussing how women’s bodies have been viewed as conflict zones in wars and the impact of the relationship between masculinity and militarism on women.
“A mother from Germany made a tearful plea, saying, ‘We received a video showing our daughter unconscious in a car with Palestinians, being driven around in the Gaza Strip. We kindly request your assistance or any information you can provide. Thank you very much.’
She believed her daughter had been abducted by Hamas forces at a music festival in Israel. The mother mentioned she had seen a video of her daughter being transported in the back of a van through the streets.
These words, initially shared on social media and later reported in the news, once again highlight the fact that, in times of war, women’s bodies are often seen as battlegrounds, regardless of the countries or parties involved.
I use ‘once again’ because, in reality, those of us living in Turkey have witnessed instances where new frontiers have been opened on women’s bodies, and cases of disrespect toward the deceased have emerged.
Examples such as the exposure of Ekin Van’s naked body on the streets in Muş and the public display of Taybet Ana’s lifeless body for seven days in Silopi on December 19, 2015…
Who knows, perhaps those who spoke out against the torture inflicted on a lifeless woman’s body by Hamas chose to remain silent about these cases in Turkey, just as, once upon a time, some turned a blind eye to the sexual assaults committed by Serbian soldiers against Bosnian women in the heart of Europe.”
We don’t have to delve too far into history to find instances where attacks on women’s bodies, whether they are alive or deceased, were used as displays of power in conflicts. One such example is the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Some of you may recall the haunting words of a Ukrainian woman: “The Russian soldier who raped me was the same age as my son…”
However, there are international agreements that tie the protection of human values during wartime to legal obligations, such as the Geneva Conventions.
The convention signed in Geneva on August 2, 1949, is widely regarded as one of the most significant achievements of the last century.
Following an international conference driven by the commitment to establish rules for warfare and safeguard its victims, four conventions were signed. These documents now form the cornerstone of humanitarian law.
Within the Geneva Conventions, which outline rules for safeguarding the victims of armed conflicts, some of the serious violations include:
- Willful killing, torture, or inhumane treatment.
- Willfully causing serious injury that cannot be justified by military necessity.
- Unlawful and wanton destruction of property.
- Forcing a prisoner of war or protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile power.
- Willfully depriving a prisoner of war or a protected person of the right to a fair and regular trial.
These conventions were established to ensure the humane treatment of all individuals, with a special emphasis on women, during times of conflict. They serve as a reminder that international law unequivocally prohibits such acts of violence and cruelty.
‘Those not treated equally in life remain unequal in death’
Hişyar Özsoy, a volunteer with the Initiative for Respect to the Deceased and Justice, sheds light on how conflicting parties fail to adhere to the Geneva Conventions, stating, “This phenomenon isn’t limited to just this war or the conflict between Palestine and Israel. It’s a recurring pattern when wars erupt. “People who aren’t treated equally in life remain unequal in death either.”
She underscores the need for attention to the actions taken by Hamas toward a dead European woman. She challenges society’s double standards, asking, “We’re not questioning why this became a headline. Let’s consider this: If this woman were Palestinian, would it have received the same level of attention? Similar atrocities have been happening to Palestinian women for years. It’s not about seeking revenge, but why does one form of inequality gain so much attention while other violations go unnoticed? All funerals, all deceased individuals deserve equal respect and treatment… The mistreatment of Kurdish women in Turkey often goes unnoticed. We must oppose such actions regardless of the parties involved in the conflict. I say this with full awareness of the suffering endured by the Palestinian people, and I stand against the injustices done to them as well…”
“They don’t define the enemy as human”
Hişyar Özsoy recalls the statement by Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in which he declared that Gaza would be “completely besieged” and said, “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
Özsoy points out that the deceased are treated as “carcasses”:
“In the Initiative for Respect to the Deceased and Justice, we advocate that no one, regardless of their political or ethnic identity, should torture the dead bodies of others. We understand from the Defense Minister’s statement that people are being seen as animals. On the other hand, the horrors of what Hamas does to women are terrifying. In wars caused by men, men vent their ugliness on women’s bodies. Masculinity goes hand in hand with militarism…”
“We are familiar with the saying, ‘The first casualties in war are the truth,’ but we need to add one more: Women are not war spoils.”
Source: Bianet