Qamishlo, Syrian Kurdistan: freedom grows encircled by the angry unfree

A quotation in the following article by the father of a Syrian Kurd who's son was killed fighting the bastard child of Saudi Arabia, the Islamic State:

“My son protected his own region, but foreign fighters protected humanity,” he added.

War only makes sense when undertaken to protect one own soil, or humanity.

The extraordinary people of the Federation of Northern Syria – Rojava (also known as West Kurdistan), was carved out not much more than a determination to be free.

Rojava is based on principles of direct democracy, gender equality, and sustainability.  The people are are multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, nonsectarian, and feminist.  JudgingThey f\it the American ideal way more than the presumptive nominee of the unfortunate RepublicanParty (RIP).

Encourage Mrs. Clinton, when she becomes president, to support Rojava with all the power and might of the United States.   They are routinely shelled by the Turkish dictatorship, and are more worthy of support than Turkey.

The newly erected monument in Qamishlo dedicated to the foreign fighters of YPG

Syrian Kurds erect monument in memory of foreign fighters fallen in war against ISIS

Qamishlo – This week a monument was finalized in Syria’s northeastern Kurdish city of Qamishl0 [Qamishli] to commemorate foreign fighters who have been killed in the war against ISIS.

The monument includes the names of foreign fighters Gunter Helsten from Germany, the former Royal Marine Konstandinos Erik Scurfield from the UK, and Reece Harding from Australia, who all died fighting against the extremist Islamic State group. It also includes the names of fighters from Turkey that fought with the Kurds against ISIS.

Speaking to ARA News, Chris Scurfield, the father of Erik Scurfield, said that the monument was supposed to be finished in March, but he is happy that it is finally ready.

The local self-administration in in Jazira canton of Rojava announced last year that they would build a monument for the foreign fighters who gave up their lives to fight ISIS.

“It is fantastic, a beautiful tribute to all foreign heals [fellow fighters] alive and shehids [martyrs],” Mr Scurfield said. “We would also like to thank the Rojavaian people for their love and respect for our son, it has been a great comfort,” he said.

Syrian Kurds are very appreciative of the foreign fighters that joined the People’s Protection Units (YPG). “They are brave people,” a YPG fighter who served with foreign fighters told ARA News. “They were coming to help us, and when they help it’s enough,” he said.

 Bave Shehid Mazlum (51), the father of a killed YPG fighter, told ARA News that foreign volunteers joining the YPG are not foreigners. “We call them our brothers who fight for humanity,” he said. “They are sons of this soil and I offer my condolence to these martyrs.” 

He even said that foreign fighters that sacrifice their lives are more important than his own son that died.

“My son protected his own region, but foreign fighters protected humanity,” he added.

Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg

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 Per Wikipedia:

The Syrian government remains in control of the [Qamishli] airport, the border crossing, and several government buildings and Arab neighborhoods, but most of the city is in the hands of Kurdish and Assyrian militias.

Population 184,231

History

Al-Qamishli streets during Christmas days

Al-Qamishli is situated at the base of theTaurus Mountains, located near the area of ancient Hurrian city of Urkesh which was founded during the fourth millennium BC.

The city dates back to the 1920s, when a sizable amount of Assyrians escaping the Assyrian genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire fled from northwestern Iran and southern Turkey built a small town which they initially called Bet-Zalin. One of the most important funders of the early development projects in the city was Masoud Asfar, an Assyrian who survived the Massacres of Diyarbakır (1895) as a young child. Masoud, along with stepbrother, whose last name was Najjar, established the Asfar & Najjar Corporation, a company that produced wheat in Al-Qamishli. Throughout the 1920s-1940s, the Asfar & Najjar Corporation funded hospitals, Assyrian schools, and churches throughout the city. However, in the 1960s and until the late 1970s, when Assyrians constituted two-thirds of the city's population, the government of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region actively confiscated Assyrian farms, lands, and areas, causing an Assyrian exodus. At this same time, many Kurds, fleeing persecution from Iraq and Turkey, moved in to the region.[7]

The city itself (not the Assyrian Bet Zain) was officially founded as Al-Qamishli in 1926 as a railway station on the Taurus railway.[8]

Al-Qamishli is the second largest city in al-Hasakah Governorate and since 2013 it is regarded as the capital of Rojava, the Assyrians also claim it to be a community capital.

In March 2004, during a chaotic soccer match, a 2004 al-Qamishli riots began when some people started praising Saddam Hussein, turning the match into political conflict against the Kurds. The riot expanded out of the stadium and weapons were used against people of Kurdish background. In the aftermath, at least 30 Kurds were killed as the Syrian security services took over the city.[9] The event became known the "al-Qamishli massacre".

In June 2005, thousands of Kurds demonstrated in Al-Qamishli to protest the assassination of Sheikh Khaznawi, a Kurdish cleric in Syria, resulting in the death of one policeman and injury to four Kurds.[10][11] In March 2008, according to Human Rights Watch,[12] Kurds were also killed when Syrian security forces opened fire on the Kurds when celebrating the spring festival of Newroz and purportedly gathering to revive the 2004 riot in Al-Qamishli. The shooting left three people dead.

The city is renowned for throwing a large Christmas parade every year in December, and celebrating Newroz festival by a large crowd every year in March. 

Google reports no news for June from Qamishli.  This April 24 report is the latest:

Vice News

Qamishli Ceasefire Gives Kurds More Territory in Northern Syria

By Tess Owen

April 24, 2016 | 7:35 am

Both Kurdish and Syrian government forces agreed to a ceasefire after a three-day eruption of heavy fighting left more than 26 civilians dead.

According to the truce document, Kurdish forces can keep the territory they captured in Qamishli during those days of violence. Both sides will release prisoners taken during the clashes.

The fighting which erupted last week between Kurdish and Syrian forces was reportedly the biggest since the Syrian uprisings and subsequent civil war began in 2011. During the clashes, Kurdish security forces seized control of a number of key government controlled positions in Qamishli, including its main prison.

Canaan Barakat, Syria's Kurdish regional interior minister, announced the terms of the truce on Sunday, and said that 17 civilians and 10 Kurdish military personnel were killed last week.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 22 members of Syrian government forces died and 80 were taken prisoner. SOHR also reported that 23 civilians died during government shelling of Kurdish-controlled areas.

A copy of the truce agreement seen by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "each side will keep the territory under its control." Kurdish authorities and media said this meant territory taken from government control would not be returned.