Thousands bid farewell politician Saleh Muslim in Qamishlo

Thousands of Kurds, Arabs, and Syriacs from Rojava gathered at the March 12th Stadium in Qamishlo to pay their final respects to the corpse of the prominent Kurdish politician and Democratic Union Party (PYD) presidential council member, Saleh Muslim.

The ceremony, organized by the Qamishlo Martyrs' Families Council, was attended by Kurdish and Arab political figures, representatives of Kurdish and Arab tribes, in addition to representatives of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and political parties from both North and South Kurdistan.

The ceremony began with holding a minute of silence. Then, Obeid Atah; the co-chair of the Qamishlo Martyrs' Families Council, recalled Saleh Muslim's struggling path which lasted for more than 50 years for the sake of the Kurdish cause, emphasizing that he struggled tirelessly and selflessly throughout those years.

He noted that the deceased served the Kurdish people under the most difficult circumstances, struggled against the Ba'athist regime and armed factions, as well as against Turkey's policies in the region.

He added that the grief over his passing is not limited to Rojava alone, but extends to all parts of Kurdistan. He also pledged to continue following in the footsteps of the martyrs and to persist in the struggle to achieve the aspirations of the martyr Saleh Muslim for freedom.

For her part, Fawza Youssef; the member of the presidential council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), offered condolences on behalf of the party to the people of Kurdistan.

She added: "He struggled against the Ba'ath Party, he was tortured in its prisons; however, he never hesitated to defend the cause of his people. He was a Kurdish fighter." She praised the solidarity shown by Kurds in all parts of Kurdistan and conveyed greetings from Qamishlo to Hewlêr, Sulaymaniyah, Amed, and Mahabad.

She pointed out that the activist Saleh Muslim had a long history of struggle for freedom, as he has worked tirelessly since the 1980s to spread the thought and philosophy of Abdullah Ocalan, defending the rights of the Kurdish people in all four parts of Kurdistan and upholding the word of truth. He came from a patriotic family that struggled and fought, with a long history in the ranks of the revolution.

Fawza noted that the martyr Saleh Muslim was not only a politician but also a writer and intellectual who worked to develop the literature of the Rojava Revolution. He translated volumes of Abdullah Ocalan's works to broaden the mindset throughout Kurdistan.

Fawza Youssef pointed out that the martyr Saleh Muslim struggled for a long time to achieve Kurdish unity, as he always emphasized the necessity of unifying the position and discourse of the Kurdish people.

She added that the deceased was deeply moved during the Kurdish conference held in Qamishlo, where he wept because one of his long-awaited dreams had been realized.

She indicated that he had established a patriotic and democratic family deeply involved in the struggle and had encouraged his sons to join the ranks of the revolution. One of his sons was martyred defending Rojava against ISIS.

She also affirmed that Saleh Muslim was an advocator of women's issues and worked to ensure their participation, freedom, and rights.

She emphasized that the Kurdish colors; green, red, and yellow, would remain raised high, and that the struggle would continue to fulfill the martyr's aspirations and guarantee the Kurdish people's rights in the constitution.

During the ceremony, a delegation representing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) laid wreaths at the martyr's coffin, and the party representative Luqman Rudi delivered a speech on behalf of the party leader Bafel Talabani.

Sardar Abdullah; a Kurdish politician from South Kurdistan, also delivered a speech on behalf of politicians from South and East Kurdistan.

The martyr's daughter, Perwin Muslim, welcomed the attendees and thanked the officials of South Kurdistan for their warm reception and providing medical services to her father, affirming her commitment to continuing the struggle in his footsteps.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the corpse of martyr Saleh Muslim was carried on the shoulders of his comrades and devotees, and a large procession departed from Qamishlo towards Kobani for holding a funeral befitting his struggle.

ANHA