Farhan Issa: ISIS sights to destroy Kobani's revolution 

On September 15, 2014, ISIS mercenaries launched an attack on the city of Kobani. The mercenaries seized most of the city, while the resistance fighters were surrounded in a narrow street. The balance of power later shifted in favor of the resistance fighters, who managed to liberate Kobani on January 26, 2015, after nearly 134 days of heroic resistance.

ANHA agency interviewed Farhan Hajj Issa, co-chair of the Kobani Administration, to discuss the ISIS attack 12 years ago and the outcomes of the Kurdish resistance in Kobani.

Issa, co-chair of the Kobani Administration, said on the anniversary of the 2014 attack on Kobani that they sought to destroy their revolution, adding, “They wanted to destroy the will that emerged in Kobani, including the freedom project for a democratic Syria. On July 19, when the revolution began in Kobani, it carried all its colors within it. In Kobani, that first step of the revolution created the color of life within it.”

Issa continued, “ISIS first moved into Shengal and then to various areas, including Kobani. It aspired to carry out a massacre in Kobani that would serve as a lesson to the entire world. On November 1, the whole world mobilized its supporters in Kobani, and thousands of people took to the streets demanding support for it.”

Issa added that one of the defining characteristics of the people of Kobani was making resistance and will the foundation of their struggle, saying, “The support of the peoples of the world for the Kobani resistance is well known today. In Kobani itself, within the framework of protecting the will, the agreements reached on January 29 aim to change Syria’s future through a decentralized government in Syria, while taking into account the will of the regions, particularly that of the Kurdish people. One of the defining characteristics of the people of Kobani is that they made resistance and will the foundation of their struggle. Today, this struggle is being pursued through diplomatic and democratic means.”

Issa said that in Kobani, democratic will and the will to preserve the language are the foundation, adding, “The Kurdish people established their place at the beginning of the building of Syria, and many prominent figures participated in building the Syrian state. Today, we will not be content with merely protecting this value in this struggle. Rather, Syria’s future must be built by recognizing the will of the people. Today, the Kurdish decision must be clear in Damascus and in many other places.”

He explained, “Once again, there must be no bias against the Kurds or positions and interventions coming from abroad, because such practices contributed to the emergence of dictators, such as the collapsed Syrian regime led by the Baath Party.”

He continued, “Those who managed to stand against a force that was at the same time among the most deadly and powerful forces received great support from the peoples of the world. But Kobani was under a severe siege from the north, south, west and east. It was besieged only by the will of the people of Kobani, the will of its fighters, and the will of its women and young men from the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) and People’s Protection Units (YPG).”

Farhan Hajj Issa added, “This will cannot be defeated, so no one should deceive themselves. The transitional government in Damascus must recognize the agreements reached between Mazloum Abdi and the Damascus government, which take into account the characteristics of the people of Kobani, the characteristics of the Kobani region, and the characteristics of the Kurdish regions throughout Rojava. It must learn the lesson of this history: that the strength of the Kurdish people is truly sufficient to withstand any challenge at any time, and that the Kurds will live freely because they have enjoyed the winds of freedom for 14 years. No one will now be allowed to plant any other hope in their hearts.”

A-H 

ANHA