Abd al-Samad Issa: story of man caught between revolution, steadiness in Rojava

Abdul Samad Omar Issa, Haji Abdul Samad, lives in the neighborhood of Tel Hajar in al-Hasakah city, where the stories of the past and present meet. A man from Karmir village, which is part of the city of Amuda, from the Badina tribe. He was born into a large family of five daughters and four sons in difficult economic circumstances following the death of his father during his childhood. He had quit school to struggle for survival, but his life took a different turn with the outbreak of the Rojava Revolution.

From his village to the center of al-Hasakah: The roots of the conflict

Haji Abdul Samad moved with his family to the city of al-Hasakah in 1970 and settled down in the neighborhood of Tel Hajar. He did not know then that this neighborhood would undergo a great deal of transformation and become part of the story of his struggle. When the Rojava Revolution broke out in 2012, he was among the first founders of the neighborhood councils, which brought together the components of the region, Kurds, Arabs, and Assyrians.

And afterward, in 2013, he participated in the establishment of the communes within the city neighborhoods, making these organizational structures a foundation for the protection and organization of the population in the face of security risks that began to threaten the area. As the formation of the Internal Security Forces and the People's Protection Units began, Haji Abdul-Samad and his companions kept watch over the neighborhoods at night with a stick or a regular pistol, positioned at checkpoints and inspecting vehicles to protect the neighborhood from the entry of mercenary groups of various names that emerged during the years of the Syrian crisis.

People's House: Centre of Struggle and Resistance

In the Tel Hajar neighborhood, Haji Abdul Samad was engaged in the establishment of the first People's House, a center of community organization and coordination of activity to protect the neighborhood. He personally operated this center, day and night, and in the evening he led the checkpoint with the center.

As attacks intensified against Rojava, Haji Abdul Samad was among the first to join the movement and forces that emerged in the city to take part in defending the region from the attacks of ISIS mercenaries and the Turkish occupation state. The struggle for him was not just a duty, but a way of life.

The first injury: faced with death in the Tel Hajar neighborhood

ISIS mercenaries planted an explosive device in front of the Internal Security Forces center in the Tel Hajar neighborhood in 2014. The device exploded and wounded Haji Abdul Samad severely, while his companion Djwar was martyred, whose name was later given to the Martyrs' Shrine in Hasakah city. This was only the beginning of a series of wounds he accumulated over the years of war.

Sere Kaniye/ Ras al-Ain: The Resistance Tent

When the mercenaries were attacking the city of Sere Kaniye towards Merikîs in late 2012 and early 2013, the People's Protection Units and the Women's Protection Units led the battle to liberate the area. During those challenging moments, Haji Abdul Samad set up a tent in Merikîs village, from which he continued to provide logistical support to the fighters, the distribution of aid, and the morale encouragement of the fighters.

Seven consecutive injuries

Haji Abdul-Samad was injured more than seven times during his participation in the People's Protection Units' campaigns against ISIS mercenaries and the Turkish occupation state. His latest injury was at the Tishrin Dam, where he was part of al- Jazira region components' convoy to protect the dam from Turkish occupation attacks. On that day, January 22, 2025, Turkish occupation warplanes bombed the rally of civilian protesters, and Haji Abdul-Samad incurred multiple wounds on his body.

A live testimony from the dam

Haji Abdul Samad recounted those seconds in the following manner: "I saw myself, with my own eyes, Turkish air forces bombarding the civilians at Tishrin Dam. The local men were defenseless; they were there to guard the dam alone. I was hearing booms and could smell heat from fire, but I did not retreat. I got injured in various parts of my body, and I continue being treated up until this point."

Despite being injured, his morale was good, and he condemned the assaults of Turkish occupation on unarmed civilians. Haji Abdul-Samad called all the Kurds to unite in rows to preserve the gains of the Rojava Revolution, saying this revolution is not just an armed conflict, but the will of a people in pursuit of liberty.

Back to the struggle: A promise that will not be broken

After finishing his speech, Haji Abdul Samad promised that he would visit the dam once again to be among the convoys of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria parts to protect the Tishrin Dam from the Turkish occupation attacks.

"I shall return as soon as I recover from my injuries. We shall never abandon our cause. We have seen death before our eyes, but we were not shaken. Because we believe that this earth is worth dying for, and our blood is the price of the freedom we dream," with these words, Haji Abdul-Samad summed up his experience in the struggle, the story of a man who did not break in adversity, did not falter in the face of injury, but remained steadfast in his vision of defending his land and preserving the legacy of the revolution he had believed in since the beginning.

T/ Satt.

ANHA