MAKHMOUR– The Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo governorate, in addition to Hasakah governorate, recently witnessed an escalation represented by a series of attacks targeting cultural identity and Kurdish symbols, which sparked a wave of widespread condemnation among residents and civil and women's organizations, who considered these practices a systematic attempt to strike the gains achieved in Rojava and undermine shared coexistence among components.

On the thirteenth of October, Kurdish symbols and images of martyrs were desecrated during a demonstration in the Ghweiran and Nashwa neighborhoods in Hasakah governorate, and the attack was repeated on the sixteenth of the same month with the targeting of a cemetery in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo governorate.

Laila Arzu Ilhan, a member of the coordination of the "Ishtar" Council in the Makhmour refugee camp, spoke to our agency about the attacks and conspiracies targeting the areas of Rojava. At the outset of her speech, she condemned the attacks targeting the gains of the revolution, especially in Hasakah and Aleppo governorates and the entirety of Rojava. "We face, on the one hand, the reality of a ruling regime that seeks to preserve its existence by attacking social values and societal sanctities, as it aims to extend its influence over society by intimidating people and undermining the gains achieved by society. It has now become clear that the ruling mentality is launching attacks in the areas of Rojava against the gains of the Kurdish people. They are attacking the sacred values of this people, as attacks are being launched on cemeteries that are symbols of resistance and the people's struggle against the repressive authority and corruption, where the most revered members of society rest."

Laila Arzu Ilhan believes that the ruling regime is trying to perpetuate its existence and entrench its dominance over society through these practices. However, those values that were formed thanks to the society's toil and sacrifices with its blood, and were established to protect it, remain the most sacred thing this society possesses, and the residents continue their struggle in defense of them, confirming that the mentality that sought to eliminate all the gains of the peoples of Rojava still exists.

Regarding the attacks being waged against the people in Rojava, she explained that they are being carried out by the Syrian interim government in Damascus, saying: "Neither the Kurdish people nor the peoples of Rojava accept these attacks. We must realize that the Rojava Revolution has turned into a revolution for women, for society, and for societal values. A despicable mentality targeted the symbols of the Kurdish people in Hasakah, and through the attacks of the Syrian interim government we saw how the assault on a single braid of hair united the entire Kurdish people from the parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora, and this unity thwarted the plans of the dominant powers."

Demanding the Protection of Rojava's Gains

Laila Arzu Ilhan drew attention to the efforts of leader Abdullah Öcalan, explaining that "in response to the attacks that targeted the people of Rojava at the beginning of this year, leader Öcalan took the initiative, with the aim of protecting human values, by moving based on the philosophy of democratic integration to neutralize this war that the powers that be had engineered. Thanks to his call and the people's embrace of this integration path, those plans failed. However, these malicious conspiracies have not yet been completely uprooted; it is evident that the same mentality that sought to destroy all the gains of the people of Rojava and Syrian society is trying today again to implement its policies in the cities of Hasakah and Aleppo, where dozens of different societal components coexist," confirming that the failure of these dominant forces is inevitable "thanks to our struggle and solidarity."

She called for protecting the values and symbols of the Kurdish people. "We condemn the attacks targeting the symbols of Kurdistan and its values, and we also condemn the attempts aimed at undermining Kurdish society and all democratic components that seek shared life by targeting the Kurdish woman. We renew our call to preserve our values and symbols. We should not allow the forces that seek to spread enmity within society to achieve their goals. The failure of these dominant forces is guaranteed through our struggle and solidarity based on the foundations of freedom, democracy, and equality."

"The Struggle of Women and Peoples Will Protect Values and Gains"

Laila Arzu Ilhan confirmed at the end of her interview that the areas where one can live a safe life inside Syria are those located in Rojava. However, the ruling forces seek to turn this area, which is fully qualified for life, into a place marked by chaos and crises. Despite that, we still have hope that the struggle of women and peoples who fought for years against gangs such as ISIS will today be able to confront the mentality of ISIS remnants and any ideology based on destroying societal diversity, and then protect their sacred values and gains.