Words of Muslim's funeral confirms: "His people to continue his struggle"

Thousands of residents of Jazira and Kobani, along with political and social delegations from North and South Kurdistan, accompanied the corpse of martyr Saleh Muslim, a politician and member of the Presidential Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), to the Martyr Dijla Cemetry in Kobani.

The funeral procession departed from the Martyrs' Families Council towards the shrine. Thousands of people lined the route as the procession passed, while shops closed in mourning. Large crowds gathered at the Martyr Dijla Shrine to receive the body.

The martyr's coffin was adorned with the PYD flag and wreaths of flowers. Upon arrival at the shrine, the ceremony began with holding a minute of silence, followed by speeches delivered by political and social figures.

On behalf of the North Kurdistan delegation, Tuncer Pakirhan; the co-chair of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, said: "On behalf of all the people of North Kurdistan, we offer our deepest condolences. I knew Saleh Muslim personally; he was a revolutionary, a politician, and a remarkable struggler with a long history of struggle for his people. He did not struggle for his family, but for his people and the Kurdish people. He is the martyr of the Kurdish people, and we pledge to Saleh Muslim that we will fulfill his dreams."

The message of condolence sent by leader Abdullah Ocalan to the family of Saleh Muslim was then read by Aras Hesso.

After that, the politician Leyla Zana spoke, saying: "Your great and lofty hopes will be a path to freedom. We offer our condolences to the families of all the martyrs, and I say that you have struggled so that we may reach this stage. Either we live in freedom or we do not live. We must be confident in our struggle and the struggle of our children. Leader Abdullah Ocalan stood at something important, which is the democratic nation, but we did not understand him. He told me in 2015, I am not against the Kurds having a state, but I say the Kurds must act according to their capabilities. The world is changing and we must be prepared for that. Today the world does not live in peace."

Leyla Zana emphasized the Kurdish people's great hope, saying, "Today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today. We must have faith in our people and rely on them. We are not against any people, and we demand their rights as well. To live in freedom, we must struggle with all our might."

Leyla Zana explained, "Coming to Kobani was a dream come true for me, and now I am here." She stressed the necessity of strengthening Kurdish unity, noting that peace could not be achieved without the Kurds. She also pointed out that Saleh Muslim dedicated his entire life to his people's cause, saying, "He never thought of himself; he thought of his people, and today the struggle is our responsibility."

Speaking on behalf of the political delegation from South Kurdistan, Serdar Abdullah said, "It is a great honor to be on the land of Kobani and to participate in the commemoration of the martyr Saleh Muslim. Kobani is the city that managed to defeat terrorism, and thanks to Kobani, the world now enjoys peace. Bavê Welat was a remarkable struggler. For a hundred years, we have been struggling for the Kurdish cause, and among these strugglers is our comrade Saleh Muslim. The Kurds in South Kurdistan and Rojava have been able to gain some of their rights, and we hope that the Kurds in North and East Kurdistan will also gain their rights."

Serdar Abdullah called on all political forces and entities in the four parts of Kurdistan to strengthen their ranks at this stage, saying: "The world, which previously ignored the Kurds, is now taking them into account. Therefore, all political parties and their leadership must unite now."

Following this, Mazloum Abdi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spoke, offering his condolences to the family of the martyr Saleh Muslim. He said, "Saleh Muslim had a long history of struggle, and throughout the years of the revolution, he played a prominent role in all its phases. He is a historic figure in the political movement in Rojava. He struggled against the Ba'ath regime and never wavered. He pursued his political work in the darkest of circumstances, and at every stage, he made significant steps. He strived to unify the Kurdish ranks, and he performed admirably in the field of diplomacy. He was a politician within the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and an opponent within the Syrian opposition. He was a witness to the political history of Rojava, and now he is the martyr of the Kurdish people's struggle."

Mazloum Abdi added, "We pledge to him that we will continue his struggle and will not back down. From now on, we have entered a new phase. An agreement has been signed in Damascus, and this is a new phase. We, as the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration, affirm that we are committed to implementing the terms of the agreement. We have fulfilled all that was required of us. The ball is now in Damascus's court."

Abdi added that one of the steps required from Damascus is the issue of captives, and said: "The captives' clause must be implemented. We are now trying to release the captives before Newroz. The displaced people of Afrin and Serê Kaniyê must return. The most important clause of the agreement is that the Kurdish regions must maintain their administrative, political and military distinctiveness."

Abdi said: "We have entered a new phase. From here in 2012, the beginning of the revolution, we overcame difficult stages, fighting against everyone who tried to harm our people. ISIS reached here, this shrine. We defended ourselves and we will continue to defend ourselves. This new phase requires good organization and preparation. From now on, the names of some of our institutions may change according to the agreement reached, but we must know that our institutions will remain the same; military, administrative, and security. What is required of our people is that we continue our struggle together."

Mazloum Abdi emphasized: "This is not the time for contradictions. We will conduct a comprehensive review in the next phase, but what is required now is to struggle for this new phase. We have already sacrificed many martyrs, and in recent months, a number of martyrs have fallen. We are trying to ensure that these will be our last martyrs. We must organize ourselves according to the requirements of this phase. From now on, the struggle will be political and economic. The main goal of our struggle today is to make our regions an example for all of Syria."

Following this, two telegrams of condolence addressed to the ceremony were read, one from the families of martyrs in North Kurdistan and the other from the Mothers of Peace.

Aisha Afandi; the member of the Syrian Initiative for Leader Abdullah Ocalan's Freedom and the wife of martyr Saleh Muslim said, "Saleh Muslim was a friend of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, and the leader's message is a source of pride and honor." She also expressed her gratitude to everyone who participated in the ceremony and offered support to them and to Saleh Muslim during his treatment.

The martyrs' certificate was then read and presented to his family. Afterward, Saleh Muslim's coffin was carried and laid to rest in the Martyr Dijla Shrine.

It is worth mentioning that martyr Saleh Muslim passed away on March 11th in a hospital in South Kurdistan while receiving the medical treatment, following a period of illness. He leaves behind a legacy of struggle that will remain in the memory of his people forever.

ANHA