Threats against the will of peoples across Kurdistan are steadily increasing. Attacks and massacres targeting the Sheikh Maqsoud (Şêxmeqsûd) and Ashrafieh (Eşrefiyê) neighborhoods continue, alongside ongoing threats by the Turkish state and mercenary groups affiliated with Ahmed Al-Sharaa (al-Jolani). At the same time, the growing threats and attacks carried out by ISIS armed groups have generated deep concern among the people of Shengal, who have already endured a genocidal campaign. In this context, Shengal People’s Municipalities Co-Chair Xwedêda Îlyas and Riham Hesen, a member of the Yazidi Women’s Freedom Movement (TAJÊ) Coordination and the Shengal administration, assessed the current dangers facing the region and spoke to ANF, delivering critical messages to the people of Shengal.
Xwedêda Îlyas said the current phase represents a conflict of interests driven by global hegemonic powers and continued: “There is a world war underway, and it has been going on since 1990. Everyone is fighting for their own interests, and preparations for an even larger war are being made. They want to bring this war to a conclusion in the Middle East, but it will not remain limited to the Middle East alone. States such as Europe, the United States, Israel, and Britain have activated the war in Ukraine to push Russia out of the Middle East and secure their own interests in the region. Agreements signed in the past, such as Sykes–Picot, are no longer considered sufficient, and now there is talk of the David Plan. War has already begun in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. This shows that we are entering a harsh and far-reaching war.”
He added: “We must prepare ourselves against this war. We should not say, ‘Nothing will happen.’ We must be ready for a situation like the attack in 2014. States are not arming themselves to this extent without reason. We are calling on our people to prepare themselves in every respect. We must foresee how a war might unfold and prepare accordingly, so that states dreaming of reviving the Ottoman past cannot turn this situation into an opportunity for their own benefit. For example, there are protests in Iran today, and the United States wants to intervene. The United States has entered a phase of pursuing policies of fragmentation. The peoples do not matter to the United States, Israel, or France.”
The system built by Abdullah Öcalan rests on the will of the people
Xwedêda Îlyas also drew attention to the system established based on Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas and said: “We must put forward a resistance grounded in the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan, who has been building a culture for the past 50 years. In Shengal, a system based on the will of the peoples has been established, and this system does not rely on external politics. This can represent a third line, one that can assert itself. This struggle, which has been carried on for nearly half a century, has defended the lands of Kurdistan, the Kurdish people, and all oppressed peoples through this perspective.
We respectfully commemorate those who lost their lives because of the attacks by mercenary groups in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh; they became the embodiment of the people’s will and did not take a step back. At the same time, they became the will of our Yazidi people. As we have witnessed, against thousands of ISIS-like mercenary groups affiliated with al-Jolani and serving the Turkish state, 300 young people fought for freedom, democracy, and coexistence. Heval Ziyad and his comrades made history and did not surrender their will. Even the final words of Heval Ziyad, who sacrificed his life, were a form of self-criticism addressed to the people. We must strengthen the will of the Yazidi society and once again refuse to submit to anyone. The state wants our fragmentation and, to this day, has done nothing for Shengal. Shengal must follow the path of its martyrs. We must protect and honor these martyrs. Our Yazidi people must organize themselves, because no one will come from outside to protect us.”
Aleppo resistance refuses to bow to oppression
Riham Hesen also addressed the resistance of fighters and civilians in Aleppo and said: “A very harsh and dirty war is being waged now. This war is not only military; it is directed against peoples and cultures. Fighting is ongoing across all parts of Kurdistan. Today, the Kurdish people are being subjected to massacres in Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat). As the Yazidi community, we understand and feel their pain more deeply because we have lived through the same experiences. What we are witnessing today in Aleppo is the continuation of the 2014 genocidal campaign. The people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh are resisting and refusing to bow to oppression.
Comrades such as martyr Ziyad and martyr Amara sacrificed their lives for this cause. They resisted with the will they drew from the ideas and philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan, and that will not be broken. Our hearts are with them. The existing borders have not separated us from one another, and we will remain together until the end. Our enemy is one, and the brutality carried out against us is one. The source of this brutality is the Turkish state and the United States. Their aim is to destroy the people, and they have no respect for any belief or religion. They do not have the slightest respect for the will of humanity. They seek to annihilate the will of peoples. Yet the greatest will be the will of the people. The war being waged today in Rojava and Eastern Kurdistan is a revolutionary people’s war.
In order to prevent a situation like that of 2014 from happening again, the people of Shengal must organize themselves for every possible scenario. Shengal holds a strategic position, and there is no guarantee that this war will not spread to Shengal tomorrow. As Shengal, we must be prepared for all circumstances, read the course of events correctly, and ensure that every member of our society fulfills their patriotic duty through organization. We see clearly how war is being waged against peoples; therefore, to ensure that the genocidal campaign experienced in 2014 is never repeated, we must make every necessary preparation.”