Ocala's Angels

The images all contain the Kurdish women bearing arms, dressed in uniform and holding a stern and sombre facial expression. This represents the young Kurdish women as strong, ruthless soldiers. In the photos of the Kurdish women there are no male soldiers, showing that the women are independent and can be as effective an army as an all-male one. The name of these women is "Ocalan's Angels" and Angels are considered to be amazing, hope filling creatures carrying out of God sent mission. This then connotes that these women are an unstoppable force carrying out an important task. The cover lines for the images tell the story of the operations that the Ocalan’s conduct, for example one operation they run is patrol checks to ensure ISIS members do not pass through. The cover lines show how the women complete their tasks effectively and to a high standard, presenting them as a highly efficient force. Quotes underneath photos of the women soldiers, accompanied by their name, adds a personal touch to each individual soldier, showing that they are people as well as an army. The quotes show the extent of each angel’s motivation and passion for the mission that their army was conducting.

Huck was initially a skating magazine targeted at young males but the representation of the women in this article demonstrates the development that the magazine has undertaken to now include much more political and controversial stories within its articles. This would suggest that the audience base of Huck has been expanded or is being conducted in an attempt to expand its reader base. Either way, the people who are now reading this article will have expanded. The representation of the women demonstrates the passion that the people running Huck magazine possess. Their ideology that all stories matter and their belief in equality shining through this exceptional story of women’s strength and independence.

The article aims to entice the audience by constructing the Angels as heroes, making the readers look up to them, wishing that they could be as brave as them, or as strong as them. The audience is positioned as admirers or the Angels who the magazine transforms into their idols by putting them up on a pedistool of valour and glory, causing the audience to admire them and aspire to act like them in many ways. In the article it speaks of a sign put up by the YPJ which states “without you there is no us” which essentially applies to the reader. The key part of the soldiers being women is the message it sends and the example it sets for others and if people are not informed of what the women are achieveing and doing then their mission loses much of it’s significance which is so vital. The readers of the article are the ones who are being informed of this progress and will be able to assist the Angel’s in their mission of change, by telling people about what it is that they are doing and spreading the word of their bravery to those who require inspiration, and the potential enemies of independent women, showing that they will not be defeated.

Bell Hook’s ideas state that the idea of feminism is a struggle to end sexist/ patriarchal oppression and the ideology of domination as well as the idea that race and class as well as sex determine the extent to which individuals are exploited, discriminated against or oppressed. In the article it is told of the Ocalan’s Angel’s mission to show anti- women groups that women are necessary and that they will not be beaten down or silence. Thye are in agreement with feminism as they strive to defeat the IS patriarchal/ sexist oppression. However aswell as this the Kurdish women oppose bell hooks ideas as they are saying that their sex is irrelevant and that they refuse to be discrimated against. The Angel’s even go as far as to say that their female army is more important and effective than the male army.