Haj Issa rejects attempts to change Kobani's name

Farhan Haj Issa, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration in Kobani, affirmed that the name "Kobani" carries historical and humanitarian symbolism that cannot be altered. He rejected any attempt to change or Arabize the city's name and urged Syria's interim government to end the Arabization policies pursued by the former Ba'ath regime.

In an exclusive interview with ANHA agency, Haj Issa said:

"Today we are facing a historic, vital issue concerning the future of our people. We are talking about a name with global historical significance. When people hear the name, they feel its presence; it brings joy and hope to hearts. That name is Kobani."

He added:

"Kobani represents pain, sacrifice, joy, and happiness for all its people. When the world speaks of Kobani, it speaks with admiration for that small place that became a global symbol of resistance. That is what Kobani represents."

"Rejecting the Arabization of Place Names"

Haj Issa explained that the Ba'ath regime changed the names of Kurdish towns and villages into Arabic, citing examples such as Sheran becoming Al-Farazdaq, Halanj becoming Al-Ghassani, and Shawk becoming Al-Jawhara.

"When we looked at Syria's map during the Ba'ath era, we could no longer recognize our own towns and villages because their names had been Arabized."

He continued:

"It is shameful for the current interim government in Syria to approach the city of Kobani and its name with the same mentality as the Ba'ath regime, which committed grave crimes against Kobani, sought to erase the existence of its people, and targeted their values, culture, and heritage."

Haj Issa called for an apology and for Kurdish rights to be enshrined in Syria's new constitution. He stressed that such violations should end following the fall of the Ba'ath regime on December 8, 2025.

He said:

"We must begin by restoring the names, then recognize the Kurdish people as an indigenous people of this homeland. They have made great sacrifices for Syria and introduced Syria to the world through their struggle—from Ibrahim Hanano to the late Osman Dadli—who fought for the brotherhood of peoples and for uniting Syria's communities on the basis of equality without exclusion."

"Kobani Is a Global Symbol"

Haj Issa reaffirmed the Autonomous Administration's and Kobani residents' commitment to preserving the city's name.

"As the Autonomous Administration of Kobani, as Kurdish figures, as the Kurdish community, and as the people of Kobani, we insist on the name Kobani. We reject changing it into Arabic. The Ottomans tried to change it and failed. The Ba'ath regime also failed. Kobani will remain Kobani."

He noted that Kobani has become a symbol recognized worldwide, recalling that November 1, 2014, was declared the International Day of Kobani and its Resistance.

"Kobani will remain Kobani, whether people accept it or not. Kobani lives in our existence, our identity, our culture, and in the language of our martyrs who sacrificed for it."

Addressing Syria's interim government, he concluded:

"Do not revive the fallen Ba'ath mentality. The remnants of the Ba'ath regime have no role, no place, and no right to change Kobani's name. We hope they will come to understand that the name Kobani will remain as it is, because the Kurdish people's commitment to this name will never change."

ANHA