シリア北部に住む21歳の女性ローカン・アブラヒムさんは、内戦で学校が閉鎖されると、自ら行動を起こした。戦場と化したシリアで、同胞のクルド人を守るために組織された、女性だけのクルド人武装部隊に入隊したのだ。
シリア全域で戦火が激しくなるにつれ、北部に住むクルド人たちは、一般人を守るべく民兵組織を結成した。アブラヒムさんが所属する「The Woman's Protection Unit」（女性防衛隊）は、クルディスタン労働者党（PKK）系で、19歳から25歳までの女性だけで構成されている。女性兵士らは、シリア北東部で2週間の軍事訓練を受けたあと、故郷に戻る。
「私たちは人を殺すために武器を持っているのではありません。自分たちを守るためです」とアブラヒムさんは語る。
国連難民高等弁務官事務所（UNHCR）が8月19日（米国時間）に報告した（日本語版記事）ところによると、それまでの約1週間で3万人近いシリア人が北部から脱出したという（8月15日から17日にかけて2万人、18日に約6000人、19日だけでほぼ3000人がイラクへの国境を越えたと発表された）。その大部分は、クルド系シリア人だ。
アブラヒムさんと女性防衛隊についての詳細は、冒頭の動画（英語）をご覧いただきたい。
※シリア北部では最近、共にアサド大統領に敵対するシリア系クルド人と、イスラム過激派「ヌスラ戦線」の衝突が激化。シリアに自治区樹立を目指すクルド人と、イスラム国家樹立を目指すヌスラ戦線との間で対立が深まっている（日本語版記事）。
クルド人は、トルコ・イラク北部・イラン北西部・シリア北東部など、中東の各国に広くまたがる形で分布する、独自の国家を持たない世界最大の民族集団。第一次世界大戦でオスマン帝国が敗れ、フランスとイギリスによって引かれた恣意的な国境線により、各国に分断された。総人口は2500万～3000万人で、シリアには約90~280万人が住むとされている。クルディスタン労働者党（PKK）は、クルド人の独立国家建設を目指す共産主義の武装組織で、本拠はトルコ。アメリカやEUなどによってテロ組織認定されている。
[Eline Gordts（English) 日本語版：遠藤康子/ガリレオ]
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