{"id":2460,"date":"2026-07-19T21:05:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T18:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/?p=2460"},"modified":"2026-07-20T14:24:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T11:24:49","slug":"rojava-a-land-of-resistance-and-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/2026\/07\/19\/rojava-a-land-of-resistance-and-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Rojava: A Land of Resistance and Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Halwest Karim*<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mother of the martyr Hevrin Khalaf1<\/a> called for Kurdish unity and said, “I will always follow Hevrin’s path and fulfill her dream.” Her words reflected a profound lesson in resistance not only for the Kurds but for all humanity. Hearing these words brought me back to the moment when this journey began.<\/p>\n

I was checking the news on my phone. We were all waiting for Mazlum Abdi to say something. Some media outlets had circulated edited clips of him, but they did not shake my trust in him. I believed in the people\u2019s resistance, but I did not trust the circumstances, the international political dynamics, or the possibility of a ceasefire. Some writers and intellectuals began to talk about the failures of Rojava (West of Kurdistan), the brotherhood of nations and other issues. Some people were still excited about the resistance of the freedom fighters in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiya2<\/a> against the attack of the Golan Heights with the support of Turkey and countries with their slogans of freedom and democracy. On the 18th of January 2026, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria-(AANES)3<\/a> called for general mobilization (Safarbari4<\/a>). When I saw this, I was filled with pride and bowed my head in respect of the will and strength of the people. I could not remain still and wondered: what should we do? How can we support this unwavering strength and determination?<\/p>\n

In Southern Kurdistan (the Kurdistan Region of Iraq), fear, anger, and a sense of defeat overwhelmed many people simultaneously. The situation was analysed over and over again. On the 19th of January, I left work to participate in a demonstration in front of the Sulaymaniyah public garden to express solidarity with Rojava. Although hundreds of people attended, it was far fewer than we had hoped for. I had the chance to discuss the situation with my friends. They attributed this setback to The Syrian Democratic Forces-SDF’s5<\/a> handover of the two neighbourhoods and were angry that, after all the resistance, this had been the outcome.\u00a0Was this what all that resistance had led to?<\/p>\n

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In the host family\u2019s yard, Rmelan, 21 January 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I watched the march from Northern Kurdistan at night as people prepared to cross the Nusaybin border6<\/a>. My eyes filled with tears of pride. I told my friends: if we cannot do more than our people in the North, let us at least not do less. On the same night, a call was announced on social media by the National Council of South Kurdistan, calling for a march from the South to break through the Smelka checkpoint7<\/a>. With this inspiring call, thousands of men and women from different backgrounds took to the streets in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and other cities and towns that night.<\/p>\n

On the morning of 20 January, the first convoy of young people from the South left to support Rojava. That afternoon, men, women, young people, and children gathered in front of Sulaimani University. <\/span>As our convoy departed, we listened to revolutionary songs that we had not heard for years or had deliberately chosen not to listen to. Songs such as “I Will Not Lay Down My Weapons” and “I Will Fight Until Victory or Death” filled the air. In the 1990s, we sang revolutionary songs in the schoolyard every morning before classes. At the time, I did not understand the meaning of many of the words or why we were singing them. Then came songs proclaiming,\u00a0“Uprising is Life; Resistance is Life<\/strong>.”\u00a0We needed the spirit awakened by \u015eivan Perwer’s revolutionary songs a powerful sense of Kurdish identity and resilience. These were the songs that gave us strength when we heard the news of the ceasefire. At that moment, I understood why colonial powers and occupying states ban and censor our music, dance, and poetry: they seek to separate us from the very sources of our strength, memory, and determination.<\/p>\n

At 1:30 am, we crossed the artificial border separating Southern and Western Kurdistan. The moment I stepped onto that land, my heart felt as though it could no longer contain the emotions I carried. We arrived singing and cheering despite the darkness. I strained to see the land that had become the birthplace of the Rojava Revolution, a land for which thousands of Kurdish women and men, together with people of many other nationalities, had given their lives. Images flooded my mind: the occupation of Afrin, the liberation of Koban\u00ea, the martyrdom of Musa Koban\u00ea8<\/a>, the resistance of Deniz9<\/a> and Ziad Halab10<\/a>, and countless other moments that had shaped Kurdish history. In that moment, I understood that I was standing on a land where resistance had become part of everyday life a land that had inspired people across the world to struggle for freedom and dignity. We got off the bus, where several guards from the representatives of Democratic Autonomous Administration welcomed us. Their faces and hands carried the marks of years of war and hardship. Their hands were as cold as stone, but their spirits remained strong and determined.<\/p>\n

That same night, we were taken by several buses to Rmelan, where we were welcomed by the Martyrs’ Family Council and then assigned to host families. It was early in the morning when a dignified woman opened the<\/p>\n

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Women from Southern Kurdistan with the Council of Martyrs\u2019 Families, Rmelan, 21 January 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

door, embraced us one by one with a warm smile, and introduced herself as the mother of a martyr. In the living room, a photograph of her martyred son hung alongside pictures of several other martyrs and Abdullah \u00d6calan. In the morning and after breakfast, we went in<\/span>to the yard and took a few photographs to remember the visit. I saw the family planting vegetables in a small garden a few metres away, and I thought of the eco-village of Jinwar11<\/a>, which I had long wanted to visit. Yet now that I was in Rojava, I could not go because of the war.<\/p>\n

I touched the soil of the West and said to myself: this is the land that has become a thorn in the hearts of its invaders. This is the land of Rojava the pride of everyone who struggles for freedom and dreams of a new world. After saying goodbye to our host family, we returned to the Martyrs’ Families Council. As part of the day’s program, the women in the convoy visited the Martyrs’ Families Council. After welcoming us and expressing gratitude to the people of Southern Kurdistan for their solidarity, the co-chair of the Martyrs’ Families Council spoke about the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs in the struggle for a democratic life. We realized that this was a land shaped by resistance and unwavering determination. Whoever you speak to on this land carries a story of loss a martyred sister, brother, mother, father, child, or spouse.<\/p>\n

Gharib Hasso, Co-Chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD)12<\/a>, visited us and expressed his gratitude to the people of Southern Kurdistan, to Kurds across all parts of Kurdistan, and to the many international friends and people of different nationalities who had stood in solidarity with Rojava. He spoke about what he described as an international conspiracy against the Kurdish people and Kurdistan, and stressed that they would continue to defend Kurdistan until their last breath. Nearby, several people were reading aloud the names of the young men who had volunteered to go to the battlefield. I slowly approached them and looked at each face, trying to remember them in the hope that we would meet again. Standing there, I felt the weight of the moment the courage of those leaving and the uncertainty of what awaited them.<\/p>\n

After saying goodbye to Gharib Hasso and the others at the Martyrs’ Families Council, we headed to Derik. We visited the PYD headquarters, where we were warmly welcomed by local residents and PYD Co-Chair Parwin Yousef. She warmly acknowledged the solidarity of the people of Southern Kurdistan, Kurds across all parts of Kurdistan, and countless friends and supporters around the world, saying that their solidarity had strengthened the defense of Kurdistan and the struggle for freedom. Accompanied by Parwin Yousef and the families of the martyrs, our convoy visited the cemetery of Martyr Khabat Derik, remembered as the first martyr of the Rojava Revolution. Beneath the snow-covered Mount Judi, we bowed our heads in tribute to the martyrs of the Rojava Revolution and to the women and men from many different nationalities who had given their lives in the struggle for freedom.<\/p>\n

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With the Council of Martyrs\u2019 Families and respected Mr. Gharib Hesso, Rmelan, 21 January 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The comrade who guided us through the cemetery and explained its history pointed out several graves belonging to martyrs whose bodies were never returned to their families. In their memory, photographs of the martyrs had been placed on the graves alongside images of their families and fellow martyrs. Standing beside me, Dr. Razaw Gul\u00ea13<\/a> was deeply moved. She felt the pain of the families and the weight of their loss a sorrow we all shared. Yet she stood before each grave with courage and dignity, bowing her head in tribute. At the end of the day, when we returned to the South, I carried with me a feeling that was difficult to describe. My body had returned, but a part of my heart remained in the West. The sadness of leaving that land has stayed with me, yet it exists alongside a profound sense of pride.<\/p>\n

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At the PYD Centre with Ms. Parvin Yusuf, Derik, 21 January 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I leaned against the bus window and listened to my heart throughout the journey, speaking silently to myself, quiet for a while, angry for a while, taking deep breaths one after another. I was angry at a world system shaped by power and inequality\u2014a system that, in my view, continues to deny justice to the Kurdish people and others struggling for dignity and freedom. I was angry at the forces seeking to destroy the experience of self-governance and the women’s revolution.<\/p>\n

I thought of Mazlum Abdi\u2019s strength and courage in the most critical moment. He said “No”. I thought of the united forces of the people who took up arms and fought with determination. I felt deeply proud of a Kurdish leader who stood with his people, said No to surrender, and whose people responded with a collective “Yes” to the call of Safarbari. I thought to myself how painful it was to leave that sacred land at such a sensitive moment. I felt as though a part of my being had been left behind there. At the same time, I felt immense pride in the leadership and resistance of the women there, women who had become a source of strength and inspiration for me and for many women around the world.<\/p>\n

I told myself that women are not truly protected on this planet. What has often been expected of us is to become objects and servants. Yet the women\u2019s revolution in the West has challenged the patriarchal mentality imposed upon us and confronted the images, roles, and social prisons that patriarchal systems, industrial structures, and media institutions have constructed over centuries to define and control women. I was constantly talking to myself, reflecting on how my family had experienced displacement and migration many times throughout my life. I thought of my childhood, the children of Hasakah, Qamishlo, Koban\u00ea, the villages of the West, and every child who had been forced to become homeless.<\/p>\n

During the Kurdish uprising and mass displacement of 1991, a deep and unfamiliar fear took hold of me as a child, a fear that has never completely left me. I was seven years old then, but it was not my first experience of displacement. Before I was four, my family had already been forced to flee Mergapan, where my parents had been living as Peshmerga14<\/a>, to the Iranian border during the Anfal campaign15<\/a>. Long before I understood the meaning of exile, displacement had already become part of my life.<\/p>\n

This is our shared story a story shaped by displacement, resistance, sacrifice, and an enduring hope for freedom. Yet our story is not finished. We are entering another chapter of Kurdish history, another stage of resistance. We continue to believe that one day the Kurdish sun will rise over Rojava, over Western Kurdistan.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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With the mother of martyr Hevrin Khalaf, at Martyr Khabat Cemetery in Derik, 21 January 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

*Halwest Karim<\/strong>\u00a0 is an ecofeminist, ecological activist, and PhD researcher in Ecology and Economy. She is Co-Founder of the Ecology Academy in Southern Kurdistan and an Anchor of the Solidarity Economy Thematic Group of the Global Tapestry of Alternatives. Her work connects ecology, gender justice, and community-led alternatives, with a focus on biodiversity conservation, ecological justice, and the relationships between colonialism, capitalism, and ecological destruction.<\/p>\n

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1<\/a> Hevrin Khalaf\u00a0was a Kurdish-Syrian politician and Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party. She was killed in October 2019 during the Turkish military operation in northern Syria and became a symbol of women\u2019s political leadership and resistance. For more information please visit https:\/\/wave-network.org\/inspiring-thursday-hevrin-khalaf\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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2<\/a> Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah\u00a0are predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo that have long served as important centers of Kurdish self-administration and community organization. In early 2026, they came under intense military pressure during clashes involving Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government forces. Heavy shelling, displacement, and civilian suffering were widely reported. For many Kurds, these events symbolized the broader struggle over the future of Kurdish self-governance and autonomy in Syria.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3<\/a> T he Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) is the de facto autonomous administration governing parts of northern and eastern Syria. It was formally established in 2018 and is based on a system of democratic self-administration involving diverse ethnic and religious communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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4<\/a> Safarbari\u00a0is a Kurdish term meaning\u00a0general mobilization. It refers to the collective mobilization of people from different communities and backgrounds to support and defend Rojava during times of conflict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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5<\/a> The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a multi-ethnic military alliance, composed predominantly of Kurdish fighters alongside Arab, Syriac, and other local forces, established in late 2015. The SDF played a leading role in the campaign against ISIS in Syria, fighting major battles with the support of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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6<\/a> Nusaybin is a predominantly Kurdish city in southeastern Turkey, opposite Qamishli in northeast Syria. During the siege of Koban\u00ea, it became an important center for solidarity demonstrations and cross-border support for Rojava.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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7<\/a> Semalka (Smelka) Checkpoint\u00a0is the principal border crossing between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Southern Kurdistan) and Rojava (northeast Syria) across the Tigris River. During the Syrian conflict, it became a vital route for civilians, humanitarian aid, and political and diplomatic delegations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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8<\/a> Musa Koban\u00ea\u00a0was a Kurdish fighter who became one of the best-known symbols of the resistance during the 2014\u20132015 Battle of Koban\u00ea against ISIS. He gained recognition for his role as a sniper defending the city during the ISIS siege and later came to symbolize courage, sacrifice, and Kurdish resistance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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9<\/a> Martyr Deniz\u00a0was a Kurdish woman fighter remembered for her role in the defense of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo in early 2026. According to Kurdish accounts, after exhausting her ammunition she chose to take her own life rather than be captured by forces affiliated with Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani). She is remembered by many Kurds as a symbol of women’s resistance, courage, and sacrifice in the defense of Rojava.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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10<\/a> Ziad Halab (Ziad Aleppo) is remembered as a Kurdish fighter associated with the defense of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo. According to local accounts, he remained in the neighborhoods during the attacks and was killed while defending them. He is commemorated as one of the fighters who took part in the resistance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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11<\/a> Jinwar is an eco-village in Rojava established by women in 2018 as a self-sustaining, women-led community. It provides a collective living space for women and children affected by war and displacement and is based on ecological living, agriculture, and women\u2019s self-governance. For more information please visit https:\/\/jinwar.net\/about-us\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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12<\/a> The Democratic Union Party (PYD) is a Kurdish political party founded in Syria in 2003 and one of the main political forces in North and East Syria. It is associated with the political movement advocating democratic confederalism, gender equality, and ecological approaches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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13<\/a> Dr. Razaw Gul\u00ea comes from a Kurdish family with a history of political struggle and sacrifice. Her mother, Gul\u00ea Derw\u00eash, was an early activist involved in urban resistance against the Ba\u2019ath regime. During the 1980s, Dr. Razaw\u2019s parents were arrested under Saddam Hussein\u2019s regime, imprisoned, and later reported to have been executed. Although documents confirming their execution were found in the 1990s, their burial place and remains remain unknown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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14<\/a> Peshmerga a Kurdish term meaning \u201cthose who face death.\u201d The term came into widespread use during the Kurdish national struggle of the 1940s, particularly in the Republic of Mahabad (1946), and today refers to the armed forces of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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15<\/a> Anfal campaign was a military and genocidal campaign carried out by the Iraqi Ba\u2019ath regime under Saddam Hussein between 1986 and 1989 against the Kurdish population in northern Iraq. It involved mass killings, forced displacement, chemical attacks, and the destruction of more than 4,000 villages, including the Halabja chemical attack. It is widely recognized as a genocide against the Kurdish people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Halwest Karim* The mother of the martyr Hevrin Khalaf1 called for Kurdish unity and said, “I will always follow Hevrin’s path and fulfill her dream.” Her words reflected a profound lesson in resistance not only for the Kurds but for all humanity. Hearing these words brought me back to the moment when this journey began. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4,59,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-herstory","category-history-of-womens-struggles","category-womens-movement-of-kurdistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2460"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2472,"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2460\/revisions\/2472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jineoloji.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}