Islamic State will never conquer free Kurdish women: YPJ fighter Jinda Welat
Women’s Resistance Units (YPJ) fighter Jinda Welat, who participated in the Kobane resistance against the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS/ISIS/ISIL) group at the southwestern front, spoke to ANF on the 2nd year anniversary of the Kobane victory.
Welat stated that the resistance of a small town like Kobanê spread across the entire world and Kurdish women proved their strength through this resistance. She said Kobanê became universal and had a great impact on the Middle East and Rojava.
Welat stressed that a person’s commitment and will get stronger when fighting against “dirty beings such as the ISIS gangs”, and that three years ago she and her comrades fought a dirty menace and system in Kobanê that “has been troubling humanity for thousands of years.”
Jinda Welat is from Kobanê and joined the YPJ right before the IS attacks on the town. Despite her lack of experience, she fought valiantly on the front line against IS.
YPJ’s will was stronger than the heavy weaponry of ISIS
Welat stated that they had to repel the attacks of the ISIS jihadists in order to liberate Kobanê, and very few resources were available to them at the beginning of the battle.
“We lacked guns and military equipment. The gangs (IS) had many different types of heavy weaponry. They were attacking the YPG and YPJ with powerful weapons. But the YPJ’s will was stronger than their heavy weapons. This will made the victory possible.”
Welat emphasised that the most violent attack took place at Mursitpinar border gate on 29 November, when the jihadists wanted to take the border gate under control but were repelled by YPG and YPJ fighters. Welat emphasised that YPG and YPJ fighters displayed a “glorious resistance with high morale and self-sacrifice against ISIS gang groups.”
We did not surrender, we enhanced our resistance
Welat remarked that the strength and persistence of YPG and YPJ fighters, who wanted to prevent the repetition of Shengal tragedy, brought the victory. She noted that IS was waging psychological warfare and carried out beheadings and other cruelties in order to break the morale and the will of YPJ fighters. “However, we did not surrender. Instead, we became more angry and enhanced our resistance.”
The YPJ fighter stated that Kurdish women such as Arin, Ozgur, Gulan, Viyan, Hebun, Zozan, Sterk, Evar, Nujiyan and Zehra became “immortal and set an example to the rest of the world with their resistance against IS.”
YPJ fought IS with the philosophy of Ocalan
Remarking that the ideology and resistance philosophy of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan was the basis of the YPJ resistance in Kobanê, Welat said such difficult periods strengthen the will of the people.
The YPJ fighter said they resisted IS with faith, will, and the spirit of their ideology and self-sacrifice. “We did not fight a bunch of gangs but the mentality of thousands of years.”
We are indebted to the self-sacrfice of the youth of Northern Kurdistan
Welat also underlined the importance of the support and solidarity the people of North Kurdistan (Turkey’s Kurdish region) showed during the Kobanê resistance and said they were indebted to the self-sacrifice of the youth of North Kurdistan who answered their call and played a historic role at the forefront of the war both in Kobanê and at the border.
“The people of North Kurdistan mobilised for material and moral support for Kobanê. They showed incredible support to the people of Kobanê that crossed into North Kurdistan.”
Our martyrs won the battle of Kobanê
Welat went on to commemorate the fighters who died during the Kobanê resistance and said the legendary resistance and spirit of Kobanê shows that the gains of Rojava revolution came through self-sacrifice. “YPJ and YPG put up a great resistance with the help of peoples from different ethnic and faith groups, at a time when the Turkish president Tayyip Erdoğan said ‘Kobanê is about to fall.'”
The will of free women will never surrender
Remembering YPJ fighter Arin Mirkan, who blew herself up to destroy an IS tank, Welat said the message was clear: “The women you massacred and sold in markets are now fighting against you. You will never conquer the will of free women,” Welat said.
Welat noted that Mirkan’s action awoke women all around the world and “showed that Kurdish women would never accept slavery and would always voice their desire for freedom across the world.”
Women broke the chains of slavery with the battle Kobanê
“Kurdish women have made many gains and inspired women across the world with their sacrifices. Women are now reconstructing society from its ashes.
“The Rojava revolution is a women’s revolution, and broke the chains of slavery with the war of Kobanê,” Welat said.
The YPJ fighter emphasised that the women’s struggle against cruelty had changed the course of history.
“Kurdish women are playing a leading role in the struggle for the freedom of women across the world, and the YPJ members feel obliged to fight to their last drop of blood and gain victory against IS, who attack the unity of peoples and values of freedom,” she said.
Source: Kurdishquestion