Stories of forced Displacement from Afrin and Shahba

 Amid the echoes of bullets and the advance of the Turkish occupation tanks, thousands of the people of Afrin and Shahba embarked on a new forced displacement journey, added to a long record of suffering since 2018. They left behind their homes and dreams, carrying memories of pain and hopes of returning to their homes, despite all the oppression and violations they were subjected to.

 Zamji Abdo: Waiting for the return and the specter of a second displacement

 In the temporary shelter camp in the town of Çil Agha, Zamji Abdo talked about his journey with forced displacement.

Zamji, a father of four children, was initially displaced from his village in Afrin after it was occupied in 2018 by the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries. He settled in Shahba, where he endured harsh living conditions for years, hoping to return to his hometown. But the recent attack by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries forced him to leave this country as well.

 “I was living in the hope of returning to my village. Despite the cold and hunger in Shahba, I could smell the scent of nearby Afrin. But the recent attack made us leave again, ” Abdo says

  “We had to walk in the bitter cold, after the mercenaries forced us to leave our car and all the belongings we were carrying. That moment my children walked a long distance without a cover to protect them from the frost," Abdo added.

 Abdo adds: “When I returned to retrieve our car, I found that they had shot at it. They were telling us in clear messages: You are not welcome here, you Kurds must leave. Those messages were harsh, but we will not give up our right to return.”

 Kamiran: The journey of a displaced musician for the sake of heritage

In another corner of the camp, Kamiran, a musician who left behind a center to teach children to play the tanbur in Shahba describes his journey of forced displacement, saying:

“When the attacks started, I took my only musical instrument and left on foot. There was no room for me in the car that was carrying my family, so I walked for hours in the bitter cold. My limbs became numb from the cold, and I could not continue on the road until one of the displaced helped me and took me in his car.”

Kamiran only carried the tanbur with him, leaving behind more than 10 other musical instruments. He says: "This instrument is not just a musical instrument. It is part of my identity as the people of Afrin. I carry it with me wherever I go to preserve our musical heritage. Even if I am displaced hundreds of times, I will not abandon our heritage and identity."

A struggle for survival in front of his children's eyes

(M.E.), 40 years old, was living with his small family in Shahba after the first forced displacement from Afrin. However, the recent attacks by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries on Shahba and Tal Rifaat forced him to leave with his family to escape the mercenaries, but the mercenaries blocked his way.

He recounts what happened to him, saying: "I tried to escape with my family, but they stopped us on the way. They separated me from my wife and children and beat me in front of them. They put a knife to my chest and threatened to kill me. They took me to an unknown place blindfolded, while they ordered my family to return home." M.E. continues: "They were cursing me with harsh words and hitting me with the their guns."

 Fadia Omar: Women between humiliation and steadfastness

 M.E.'s wife, Fadia Omar, recounts the scenes of oppression she experienced during the attack by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, saying: "When they attacked us, they raided the houses and dragged the women outside by their hair. They forced us to wear the veil, and they began to curse us with words that no human being could bear. They used to say to us: You are infidels, you are pigs. Even the children were not spared from their insults."

 Fadia adds: "We used to accept the most basic necessities of life just to be close to Afrin. We dreamed of returning, but the last attack brought back memories of Afrin with all its painful details."

Hanan Haj Qassem: Memories of Displacement and the Third Displacement

Hanan Haj Qassem, who was displaced from the Salah al-Din neighborhood in Aleppo, has gone through a repeated displacement journey since the beginning of the war.

She tells her story, saying: “We moved from Aleppo to al-Bab, then to Deir Jbeil, and from there to Shahba. Each time we carried with us a new hope, but the reality was worse. During the last displacement, we spent four days on the roads in the cold. We had little water and food, and my children got sick.”

Hanan continued: “The mercenaries opened fire on the convoys of displaced people. Some were injured, but we continued walking despite the fear and terror. The children were crying, and the women were screaming. We did not feel safe until we reached Raqqa, where its people welcomed us with generosity and safety.”

 Despite everything that the forcibly displaced have gone through, the hope of returning to Afrin and Shahba remains alive in their hearts. As Zamji says: "We may be far from Afrin now, but it is in our hearts. We will not give up our land and identity, and we will return no matter how long it takes."

 Kamiran concludes: "Afrin is not just a place, it is an identity, a heritage, and a hope. I will keep playing the tanbur, because its notes are the voice of our steadfastness and our dream of returning."

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