Today, on the anniversary of the two contemporary fighters who gave their lives in the heart of fascism in Kobanî, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) commemorated the path of Rivana Rojava and Arîn Mîrkan with a military ceremony in the city of Hasakah. The YPJ renewed the spirit of its martyrs and reaffirmed the pledge made to their people and comrades.
Rivana spent only one year in the YPJ
During the ceremony, YPJ commander Dorşîn Kobanî delivered a speech in which she remembered all the martyrs of the revolution through the example of these two devoted fighters. She began: “As is known, during the battle of Kobanî, in the midst of war, comrade Rivana, a woman with strong patriotic values, joined the ranks of the Women’s Protection Units. With her resilience, participation, determination, and insistence on resistance, she fought until her very last breath.”
The commander stated that in the battle of Kobanî, which witnessed immense resistance, fighters of the YPJ and YPG resisted to the very end, determined to prevent the enemy from entering the lands of Kurdistan. She continued: “Comrade Rivana had not even completed a year in the YPJ. In the same year, when ISIS mercenaries were attacking with all their brutality, Rivana was surrounded and wounded. After being injured, she detonated herself among the mercenaries, and thus attained martyrdom.”
Arîn became a symbol of resistance, like Rivana Rojava in Kobanî
Commander Dorşîn Kobanî went on to commemorate Arîn Mîrkan, describing her life and struggle: “Like Rivana, comrade Arîn became a symbol of resistance in the battle of Kobanî. She struck the hearts and minds of the invaders, carried out her sacrifice without hesitation, and joined the caravan of the immortal.”
On the anniversary of both fallen fighters, Dorşîn Kobanî noted that thousands of brave women, inspired by Rivana and Arîn, rose within the YPJ, responding to the enemy who declared, ‘Kobanî has fallen and will fall,’ by saying, ‘It is your mindset that will fall.’
The commander stressed that the spirit born in the battle of Kobanî spread throughout Rojava and the revolution. She concluded: “The same spirit later emerged in Tishrin Dam, Qara Qozax Bridge, Deir Hafer, Shahba, Aleppo, and Manbij. This, too, is thanks to the thought and struggle of Leader Apo, who instilled this spirit in us. In the end, we say: our comrades who sacrificed their lives have drawn a path for us to follow, and we will always raise the banner of resistance high.”