Thousands of people from Rojava bid farewell to the deceased PYD politician Salih Muslim on his final journey from Qamishlo. Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, as well as representatives of various social groups, took part in the ceremony organized by the Council of the Martyrs’ Families at the Martyrs of March 12 Stadium.
In addition to many people from the region, representatives of Kurdish and Arab tribes as well as politicians attended the ceremony, as well as a delegation from Bakur and Bashur with representatives of various parties and movements. The ceremony began with a minute of silence. Afterwards, a message from Abdullah Öcalan, which he had sent following the death of the long-time politician, was read out.
“The loss does not only affect the people of Rojava”
Ubeyd Etê, co-chair of the Council of Martyrs’ Families, spoke on behalf of the council. In his speech, he paid tribute to Salih Muslim’s more than five decades of commitment to the Kurdish cause. Etê said Muslim had fought without hesitation and without personal expectations and served his people even under the most difficult conditions. At the same time, he recalled that Muslim had opposed both the Baath regime and armed groups, as well as the policies of the Turkish state in the region.
“The loss does not only affect the people of Rojava, but people in all parts of Kurdistan,” Etê continued. In conclusion, he emphasized that the struggle of the martyrs would be continued and their goals would be realized.
Foza Yûsif, also a member of the Presidential Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), also spoke at the ceremony. She expressed her condolences to the Kurdish people and sent greetings to Kurds in all parts of Kurdistan—from Qamishlo to Hewlêr and Sulaymaniyah, and from Amed to Mahabad.
Supporter of the women’s movement
Yûsif recalled that Salih Muslim had been continuously active in the Kurdish freedom movement since the 1980s. “He spread the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan and advocated for the rights of the Kurdish people. He was repeatedly arrested and severely tortured by the Baath regime. Nevertheless, he never gave up his commitment to the Kurdish cause.” At the same time, Yûsif honored Muslim not only as a politician but also as an author and intellectual of the Rojava Revolution. He translated books by Öcalan and thereby contributed to political awareness in Kurdistan, the politician said.
Yûsif also emphasized that Muslim had worked for many years for Kurdish national unity, shaped a politically engaged family and encouraged his children to also take part in the revolution. His youngest son, Şervan, fell in 2013 in the fight against ISIS while defending Rojava. Furthermore, he supported women’s liberation and advocated for the rights and social participation of women, she added.
In a message delivered during the funeral, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Jalal Talabani described Salih Muslim as a lasting symbol of the Kurdish struggle. “We stand before a martyr with his head held high, a symbol of Kurdistan’s freedom. He gave his life for the cause of his people, and his name will remain immortal in the memory of the Kurdish struggle,” the message read.
The statement, which was read on his behalf by Luqman Wardi, a member of the PUK Leadership Council, described Salih Muslim as a symbol of Kurdish identity in Rojava and a comrade in arms. It noted that the Kurdish people had lost a prominent leader who devoted his life to the struggle of his people until the end.
The message also highlighted that Salih Muslim was not only a leader but also a close friend and comrade of Jalal Talabani. It added that although he was born in Kobani, his struggle extended across North, South and East Kurdistan, making him a national Kurdish figure.
Talabani extended his condolences to Salih Muslim’s family, his comrades, the people of Rojava and all parts of Kurdistan, describing him as a devoted fighter who dedicated his life to freedom and to the Kurdish cause.
Burial in Kobane this weekend
At the ceremony, a delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) laid a wreath. Luqman Werdî spoke on behalf of PUK leader Bafel Talabani.
Serdar Abdullah addressed the gathering on behalf of other parties from Bashur and Rojhilat.
In her speech, Salih Muslim’s daughter Perwîn Muslim thanked the authorities in South Kurdistan and promised to continue her father’s political path.
At the end of the ceremony, companions and relatives bid farewell to Muslim’s coffin, which was transferred to Kobane. The politician is to be buried there next to his son Şervan.
Salih Muslim died on Wednesday at the age of 75 in a hospital in Hewlêr (Erbil) in South Kurdistan due to kidney failure.
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