Xebat Derik - Incarnation of the Rojava Revolution

January 14^th, marks the 9^th annual anniversary of the martyrdom of struggler Xebat Derik, one of the pillars of the Rojava Revolution and one of the founders of Peoples' Protection Units, the YPG, after he was shot by a bullet on January 7^th, 2012, on which he was transferred into one of Aleppo hospitals, to martyr in the hospital in spite of all bids to save him.

Xebat Derik,(Mahmoud Mohamed Mohamed), who was born in Kasan village of rural Derik in 1962, of a patriotic family, is a name that is being echoed by the whole people in Rojava: Derik, Afrin and Kobani, the personality that has turned into a symbol for the Kurdish people, struggler and fighter that never hesitated to sacrifice for the sake of his people freedom. 

Xebat did not pass the primary phase in school, due to the hardships his family was undergoing on which he moved into the city of Derik in search of a job, as he was used to be active since childhood.  

Owing to the living hardships his family as all other Kurdish ones were undergoing, inflicted by a dictatorial regime that never concedes to their rights, Xebat headed to the Syrian capital, Damascus, in the seek for a job, as majority of Kurd youths that were forced, due the racial policies adopted in the Kurdish areas, to head to bigger cities as job opportunities were unfound in their areas. 

During military service in the Syrian Arab Army in Lebanon, he was acquainted with Kurdistan Liberation Movement, according to his elder brother Mohamed, the experience that affect him greatly to join the movement and attach in 1985 to the Ma'sum Qorqemaz Academy, in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, to be trained by leader Abdullah Ocalan as he was supervising preparation and training of cadres of the movement, in 1987 Xebat headed to Kurdistan Mountains for the sake of fighting.    

On Kurdistan Mountains

On the Kurdistan mountains, Xebat in a very short period of time proved his capabilities on all arenas, to occupy a leading position in the revolution, as he was chosen for the leadership of the two Eyalets of Gerzan and Amed, then a general commander in the Botan Eyalet, to be dubbed as Xebat Botan.    

In a statement released by the Peoples' Defence Forces, the HPG, after Xebat was martyred, it was stated that '' he was a legendary field commander on Kurdistan Mountains, as playing a primary role in the course of the Kurdistan liberating fighting'', and noting that the dearly sacrifices in the way of fighting and victories made by which '' he was the legendary field commander on the Kurdistan Mountains'', indicating how much he was attached to the philosophy and ideas of leader Abdullah Ocalan.  

Xebat was known for his comradeship, and modelling himself to serve the society in which he lives, and abide by all his responsibilities and duties, as it was indicated by his comrade Abdul Rahman Haj Hesen. 

The Rojava Revolution

With the onset of the Syrian Revolution, before derailment and divergence and militarization from the adopted course to serve regional agendas, fighter Xebat Derik returned to Rojava as he was imbued with philosophy and thoughts of leader Abdullah Ocalan in addition to revolutionary experience rarely found in Kurdistan to lead the revolution.

It was well known by fighter Xebat Derik that the Autonomous Administration that is the core of the democratic nation, is a decisive factor for the society, for it is the way to organization and the deterrent to anarchy, as there is a big difference between the Autonomous Administration and an imposed one, for the former is emanated from the society on the contrary to the latter that gives legitimacy to itself as an authority and seduces the society to be turned into a colony.         

Based on this, fighter Xebat Derik was well informed on the leader's thoughts and ideas to which he clung and fought for, that is any society that lacks an autonomous administration would be impossible for it not to turn into a colony, as the first step in the way of annihilation in the framework of melting down as a consequence. For all this, Xebat Derik started to organize people in Rojava on all arenas as focusing on the youths in particular.

In this relation, Hisein Selmo, one of the figures that was contemporary with Xebat in the city of Qamishlo, says that fighter Xebat Derik was one of first pioneers that called for people to organize themselves, and to depend on themselves to reach the sought aims as all people in the region.

Political and ethic society  

In ''Freedom Sociology'', leader Abdullah Ocalan says that ''the two factors of politics and security of the democratic civilization play a primary role in the setting up of the political and ethical society, the democratic policy is not merely a model, rather it expresses institutional complementarity too, as politics and democracy do not suffice to be practised in absence of activities and associations, as parties, groups, councils, media and arenas, as the main role for the association is deliberations and deciding on common issues, as life never goes on properly in absence of deliberations and making decisions otherwise it would turn into anarchy and tyranny.    

This has always been the destiny of the democratic society, for such communities sway between the anarchy and tyranny, so the real aim for the political fight that is democratic politics is to set up a democratic community''.

In this relation, struggler Xebat spared no efforts to organize people in associations, for, in common with all his comrades, he commenced on laying the foundation for all associations and institutions that are present now in north eastern Syria.  

From his part, Abdul Rahman Haj Hesen, that accompanied fighter Xebat at the commencement of the Rojava Revolution, said:'' with the return to Rojava of Xebat Derik, he set on founding a basis to organise society, as he devoted himself in service of the people in Rojava''.

Fighter Xebat Derik was well aware of the necessity of the people self-organization and self-governance apart from authority that contravenes democracy, and excludes community from administration, for this he was sparing no bids to lay the foundation stone for the system of the Autonomous Administration that adduces to democratic breakthrough via giving inclusion to the community into the administration, as he was used always to assert  that democracy is a self-governance means with the participation of the whole society.      

In this relation, Haj Hesen says:'' with the return of Martyr Xebat to Rojava all hopes of the Kurdish people were revived, as they were pent up due to the adopted policies of exclusion, denial and annihilation, so he laid the foundation for most associations, particularly military ones''.   

Peoples' Protection Units

Xebat Derik was well aware that any society imbued with ethics and politics is not viable without self-defence, for a society that is unable to defend itself would lose political and ethical features.

In the throes of the revolution in both Rojava and Syria, and based on conservance with the plots that being hatched against Syrians in general and Kurdish people in Rojava in specific, fighter Xebat focused on the Self –defence System, for he had never forgotten the massacre perpetrated by the Ba'athist Regime against the Kurdish people in the March 12^th, 2004, Revolution of Qamishlo had.   

Fighter Xebat Derik used to say that if the Kurdish people had had self-defence forces at the time, the Ba'athist Regime would had never perpetrated massacres and would had never put people in detention centres, for all of this, he commenced to lay the foundation for the Self Defence Forces.   

In this context, Sabri Haj Ahmed, that took part in some meetings held by fighter Xebat Derik, said that in all meetings and symposiums with people of the region he used to focus on self defence system, and the necessity to cooperate for the sake of setting up a military force to defend the region, revolution and all gains that would be made''.  

Sabri added :'' he constantly used to call for self-dependence in protecting the revolution, and to abstain from depending on other powers, and all ISIS and current attacks adduce to the sound visions adopted by fighter Xebat for the future of the region''.   

Though fighter Xebat Derik did not witness the official proclamation of the Peoples' Protection Units, the YPG, but he is considered as one of it's main founders, as his cadets that were trained by him and made acquainted with command and knowledge that community which insist on entity and reject colonialism and all species of dependency from one part won't be able to adopt a stance and build concerned associations and bodies that advocate self-defence, are today on the course that was initiated by Martyr Xebat.

On July 19^th, 2012, formation of the Peoples' Protection Units, the YPG, was declared officially which bore the responsibility to liberate the whole region from the Ba'athist Regime, and reverting all bodies and institutions to the people to be run democratically.       

In search of a solution

Peoples' Protection Units, the YPG, performed unprecedented resistance in defending the region against all mercenary groups, the al-Nusra Front and then ISIS, to prove to the whole world a pattern of self defence system and the necessity it entails for the sake of survival.

In this relation, Nuri Mahmoud, the official spokesperson for the Peoples' Protection Units says that formation of the YPG all emanates from the legacy, experience and the political memory of Xebat Derik that he bore due to the pan-nationalist ruling regimes, and as a corollary to all species of suppression and racially instigated practises, as they sought a solution to the peoples survival after searches and studies into the issue in common with his comrades prior to the Rojava Revolution.    

Due to sacrifices made and fight performed, Peoples' Protection Units made the nucleus for the Syrian Democratic Forces, the SDF, that was formed in October 2015, and in the company of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS fought bravely until it was put to an end geographically in March 2019, in addition to standing up to the Turkish Occupation Forces and all the affiliated mercenary groups.

For the sake of YPG formation

Mahmoud gave assertion that Xebat contacted all societal components to put into organization on political, economic, social and hygienic arenas but emphasis was given to the formation of a military force to defend society and be able to approach all and that he played a main role in setting up such units, saying:'' he had the leading role in this project that sought to offer protection to the revolution'', adding : ''he devoted all his life and capabilities to set up such units'', that made him a target for all enemies and traitors''.  .  

Nuri made clear that the organizational system that was laid by fighter Xebat Derik was turned into an inspiration for all peoples that live with the Kurdish people, especially Arabs and Syriacs that took advantage from such an experience and commenced organizing themselves, on the contrary to the Syrian peoples in other areas that used just to chant slogans during the revolution that never materialised on the ground. 

Nuri Mahmoud went on to say that the model initiated by fighter Xebat Derik was echoed by the Syrian people in other areas such as Manbij, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor on the chance that be applied there after the fact was apprehended, saying:'' today, in the whole North Eastern Syria the project that was initiated by Martyr Xebat Derik is being shown a great popular solidarity''.

Mahmoud said that the other Syrian areas underwent extremism, terror and sectarianism that led to mutilations and cannibalization that never took place in North Eastern Syria. 

Mahmoud noted that people in North Eastern Syria well know that the truck traced by Martyr Xebat Derik was the way to overcoming ISIS, racial discrimination and chauvinism that were proven in Kobani, Sere Kaniye and Afrin.   

All ought to bear responsibility

Nuri Mahmoud, the official spokesperson for the Peoples' Protection Units, the YPG, noted that based on the initiative taken by Xebat, all individuals ought to bear responsibility to defend the legal project that never applies to the military arena alone, rather on all arenas, asserting that organization and belief in capabilities is the sole way to achieve victory as the whole world knows that this people overcome ISIS by self-dependence. . 

Xebat Derik as an icon

Mahmoud went on to say that:'' all gains made in North Eastern Syria are corollary to sacrifices made by Xebat Derik and 11 000 martyrs and more than 22 000 injured of the Peoples' Protection Units, the YPG, and Women's Protection Units, the YPJ, and Syrian Democratic Forces, the SDF, all adopted the truck initiated by Martyr Xebat Derik for the sake of freedom and democracy''.

YPG's, Mahmoud, concluded that :'' Martyr Xebat Derik ought to be an icon for all of us, in all arenas, at the onset of the revolution we did not have capabilities, today we have, that ought to be put into practise properly for the protection of all gains made for the coming generation and to guarantee freedom and democracy''.

L.A.

ANHA

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