DILUCAN BOZÎ

Kobanî–  “Women are neither helpless nor weak. They will not be doomed to be sold in slave markets. They cannot be controlled by force or ignoring. Yes, they become the pioneers of the struggle against the authoritarian mentality,” Dilişan İbiş said in one interview.

Dilişan İbiş followed the path of many Kurdish women journalists, such as Gurbetelli Ersöz, Şilan Aras, Nujiyan Erhan and Deniz Fırat. She was a war reporter despite her young age. She felt anger against the attacks of ISIS on people in NE Syria and she wanted to report the atrocity of ISIS against women to the whole world. It has been four years since Dilişan İbiş was killed in the attack of ISIS against civilians in October, 2017.

She tried to highlight women’s resistance

Dilişan İbiş was born on September 26, 1992, in Kobanî. After completing her primary and secondary school education in Kobanî, she went to Aleppo to study business management at university. When the revolution started in Rojava, she returned to Kobanî. Her journalistic career started in 2013 when she began to work for Dengê Kobanî Radio. She became a war reporter when ISIS began to attack Kobanî and Girê Spî. She tried to highlight the resistance of women against ISIS in these cities.

She carried out important works in journalism

When ISIS entered Kobanî, Dilişan İbiş crossed the Turkish border with a group of journalists and they were arrested by Turkish police. They started a hunger strike in prison in order to protest inhuman practices against them. They were released on the 13^th day of their hunger strike. After being released, Dilişan İbiş went to the Cizire Region and began to work for Dengê Cudi Radio. After the liberation of Kobanî, she returned to her homeland and began to work for Dengê Kobanî Radio again in 2015. Dilişan İbiş worked as a reporter of Ronahi TV for two months. In 2016, she began to work as a war reporter of Rojava-based news agency ANHA.

She was killed in the attack of ISIS

On October 12, 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched an operation into areas controlled by ISIS in order to save civilians. Dilişan İbiş, her colleagues Rizgar Deniz and Hogir Mihemed went to these areas to cover the situation of civilians. Meanwhile, ISIS carried out an attack against civilians. Dilişan İbiş and Hogir Mihemed were killed in the attack while Rizgar Deniz was wounded. Rizgar Deniz, who was kept under treatment for two months, passed away at the hospital. On October 13, 2017, Dilişan İbiş, who was the voice of all women in NE Syria, was laid to rest in the Martyr Dicle Martyrs Cemetery located in Kobanî by her family, colleagues and many people. On the fourth anniversary of her death, Şilan Mihemed, an employee of Dengê Kobanî Radio, spoke to our agency.

“We try to protect her efforts”

Şilan Mihemed began to speak by commemorating the press workers who lost their lives. “I began to work for ANHA in 2012. I met her while working in the press. She was a very friendly friend. Dilişan played an important role in Dengê Kobanî Radio. She was one of the founders of the radio. She was also a teacher. She solved all problems immediately and she taught new employees how they could do their job. She made great efforts. That’s why dozens of employees of the radio try to protect her efforts and to follow in her footsteps.”

“We are where we are thanks to her”

Şilan Mihemed added that Dilişan was an honest person and that they received morale and enthusiasm from her. “Dilişan was a friendly person and she tried to help everyone. She was a friend and teacher for everyone. She wanted to report the atrocity of ISIS against women to the whole world. She struggled for women’s freedom. She wanted to be the voice of truth. We are where we are thanks to her and those who lost their lives.”