Rojava is emerging as a universal line of resistance that will determine the fate of the Third World War. While the United States and Israel continue their efforts to secure a larger share in the new world order through joint plans, Turkey is pursuing a colonial expansion policy via HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) and aims to commit genocide against peoples who have come together for the first time in a free system.
In Rojava, where different languages, religions, and cultures live together freely, the Democratic Autonomous Administration puts up determined resistance against the gangs of Damascus, ISIS, and the Turkish state. Internationalists who have come to Rojava from thousands of kilometers away to repel occupation attacks see the Rojava Revolution as a revolution of hope.
German internationalist Raman Bilal, who has been involved in the Rojava Revolution since 2019, spoke to ANF about the global significance of the revolution and the impact it has created.
Raman Bilal said: “We define the Rojava Revolution as a ‘Revolution of Hope’ outside Kurdistan. Rojava has truly become a symbol of hope. When we look at history, we see many revolutions and uprisings against the hegemonic system. Rojava represents the continuation of these struggles in the 21st century.
In the 20th century, this leadership was assumed by the Soviet Union. Thanks to its power, it could stand against the NATO system and give hope to other peoples. Many movements based their socialist and communist identities on the Soviets. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, this hope also collapsed. During the 30 years I lived in Europe, I closely observed the destructive impact of this collapse on peoples and revolutionary movements. There was no longer a force to stand against the system; no one believed such a force could be reborn.
With the emergence of the Rojava Revolution, interest was rekindled. The defeat of ISIS, an organization no one could stop, in Kobanê had a huge global impact. Internationalists from abroad also took part in this war, and martyrs were given. With this impact, hundreds of internationalists flocked to Rojava. To date, internationalists from 52 different countries have been martyred; this is one of the greatest legacies of the revolution.
Kobanê became the symbol of Rojava. Rojava proved its strength there. The idea that it defeated ISIS spread throughout all of Rojava. ISIS did not attack Rojava of its own will, but with the backing of forces behind it. Hundreds of people rediscovered hope. The Rojava Revolution is a border-transcending revolution; today we see how it has spread to Bakur and Bashur Kurdistan. With the call for mobilization, people from everywhere, especially Kurdish young people, flocked to Rojava and united here. Beyond the geography of Kurdistan, uprisings took place worldwide.
Those who came here are not just ‘friends of the Kurds’; internationalists feel a sense of belonging by contributing labor and by embracing their dreams. This mobilization means claiming those dreams. Rojava showed that the power to stand against the dominant system still exists. Revolutionary movements want to preserve this hope.
Now the question is: ‘Why is the world silent?’ States are silent because they represent their own systems and hostility toward the Kurds. But peoples and revolutionaries have not been silent and are not silent. Mobilization continues abroad; this is a direct result of the Rojava Revolution, which has stood for 14 years.
Until the gains of the revolution are secured, resistance and uprisings must not stop. We have never taken a step back in the face of any obstacle, and we will not. These gains are not limited to Kurdish rights alone; they are the continuation of thousands of years of democratic and revolutionary struggles. We are the followers of this history.”