Şehîd Mizgîn (Hozan Mizgîn) clearly showed us what music has to do with the fight of the guerrilla
What would life be without music? In times when cultural genocide is advancing all over the world, it is more important than ever to understand the connections between art, culture, and revolutionary struggle. Instead of asking “either passion or politics,” we must understand life in its entirety and live according to holistic principles. An example of such a life is that of Şehîd Mizgîn (Gurbet Aydin), who, as a Kurdish woman, musician, politician, and guerrilla fighter, waged an all-encompassing struggle against genocide and fascism and for a meaningful, artistic, and free life. Şehîd Mizgîn was born in 1962 in Batman (Northern Kurdistan, occupied by Turkey). She became acquainted with the Apoist movement at an early age and therefore decided to join it at the age of 18. In the PKK’s academy camp in Lebanon, she was trained as a revolutionary by Rêber Apo (Abdullah Öcalan). He recognized her special connection to music, which is why he gave her the task of building up the art and culture movement in Europe. In 1982, she set off for Europe with Şehîd Şefqan. Together, they established music and folklore groups and organized an annual festival. They also produced their own songs, which they used to spread the philosophy of the movement among the people. She knew what a powerful means of expression music is and used this awareness to convey the culture and history of the Kurdish people to new generations. An entire generation of Kurds grew up with her songs in their ears. Keeping one’s own culture alive is particularly important in the diaspora. She was aware that the struggle for Kurdish culture is not separate from the political struggle, which is why she returned to Kurdistan after a few years. There she played an important role in building the Kurdish women’s movement.
Only by agreeing on common values, organizing on this basis, and building alternatives in all areas of life can the struggle for culture bear fruit.
After the martyrdom of Şehîd Bêrîvan (Binevş Agal), a comrade of Şehîd Mizgîn who was very close to her, Şehîd Mizgîn laid down her microphone and joined the ranks of the ARGK (People’s Liberation Army of Kurdistan). Even in society, she had a great effect on the people around her with her warm, open, and revolutionary attitude. In military combat, these qualities made her a successful commander. She was the first female guerrilla commander at the regional level.
Her location was betrayed, and on May 11, 1992, Turkish soldiers launched an operation against Şehîd Mizgîn’s unit. Even in this situation, she proved her character. She fought with her comrades until the last bullet and went down in the history of the Kurdish freedom movement as a courageous and warm-hearted artist and guerrilla fighter.
An entire generation of girls was named after her in her memory. What she built for Kurdish culture continues to this day and has a major influence on the lives of thousands of Kurds in the diaspora, as well as in their homeland of Kurdistan.
