When politician carries weapon: Rojava turns mobilization into culture of self-defense

In Rojava, the role of a politician is not limited to practicing politics and demanding rights; it extends to protecting his land and neighborhoods from any external threat. Since the declaration of general mobilization on January 18, young people, politicians, doctors, engineers, and university students have become fighters carrying weapons and participating in neighborhood protection and the organization of self-defense groups.

This step is not merely a temporary response to unfolding events; it has become an entrenched culture in Rojava. Hundreds of volunteers have engaged in organizing and protecting neighborhoods in cities, towns, and villages, making the defense of security and stability a national and moral duty practiced around the clock, reflecting the residents’ commitment to safeguarding their achievements and the values of their democratic society.

Azhar Ahmad, one of the Kurds who decided to take up arms to protect his neighborhood from threats and attacks by sleeper cells and groups attempting to destabilize the city of Hasakah, did so following the general mobilization announced by the autonomous administration, based on what he described as both a national and moral duty.

Azhar Ahmad is a Kurdish politician, a member of the Central Committee of the Kurdish Left Party in Syria, and a member of the Relations Office of the Syrian Democratic Council.

With the participation of neighborhood volunteers, Azhar Ahmad succeeded in establishing 10 protection groups comprising more than 85 members, including youth, women, and elderly individuals.

These protection groups are distributed across the neighborhoods of al-Kalaseh, Dulab Awis, Majrja, Omran, and areas near the Khabur River. They operate in an organized manner, with each group managed by a volunteer responsible for arranging shifts among participants.

Some of these groups provide 24-hour protection in neighborhoods exposed to the risk of sleeper cell activity, while others begin their duties at the start of curfew hours, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m.

The groups were formed in battalion-style structures within the framework of the revolutionary people’s war, legitimate defense, and self-protection, amid the threats facing the region.

Their tasks include monitoring neighborhood movements, tracking suspects and sleeper cells, inspecting passing vehicles, enforcing curfew hours, safeguarding security and stability, and intervening in case of emergencies.

The protection groups also coordinate with security authorities and Internal Security Forces when suspects or sleeper cells are apprehended attempting to undermine neighborhood security.

This engagement in the general mobilization and neighborhood protection serves as support and assistance to military and security forces in maintaining security and stability, reflecting a spirit of solidarity and mutual trust among the region’s residents.

Azhar Ahmad expressed pride in the Kurdish people of Rojava for joining the general mobilization and stepping forward to protect the region in order to ensure security and stability.

He called on all Kurds to fulfill their duty amid the sensitive circumstances facing the region, urging all segments of society to assume responsibility during this phase.

According to Azhar, neighborhood protection began on January 7, coinciding with attacks on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods and the commission of massacres and violations against Kurds by factions of the Interim Government.

Azhar noted that the objective behind forming these groups is to protect the values and gains of the Rojava Revolution and to prevent attacks on neighborhood security and stability by enabling residents to organize themselves.

He affirmed that youth awareness during this sensitive period has played a major role in protecting the region, boosting morale, and strengthening a sense of Kurdish identity across different parts of Kurdistan, stating:
“The younger generation views self-defense as a national duty, and it has become a deeply rooted culture among the Kurds.”

The system of self-protection, within the framework of the revolutionary people’s war, has become a culture and a moral and national duty among Kurds in Rojava a path through which they express solidarity and collective responsibility.

It has evolved into a way of life for the people of Rojava, a firmly established culture and ethical and national obligation, which explains the level of security and stability witnessed in these cities.

In this context, Bawer Hasso, Diyar Ahmad, and Renas Hasso, young volunteers in neighborhood protection stated that they participate daily in protection shifts based on national duty and responsibility, in response to the general mobilization, aiming to protect the region from attempts to undermine its security and stability.

The volunteers called on all young people to join the general mobilization and participate in neighborhood protection to support military forces and ease their burdens, emphasizing that protection is both a moral and humanitarian duty.

ANHA