This article first appeared as a guest article in lowerclassmagazine.
It’s 4.30 in the morning. In the cold wind and rain we are gathering in front of the center of the people’s council of a small city in North-East Syria. In the spotlights of the vans and pick-up trucks an atmosphere of tension and decisiveness. We came to say goodbye to the 150 people – youth, mothers, elderly. They are about to leave, heading towards Aleppo to open a corridor between the territory of the autonomous administration of North-East Syria and the encircled quarters of Aleppo.
For days Islamist militias under the leadership of the „transitional government“ and Turkey have been besieging the quarters of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiye. Both quarters together are about half as big as Berlin-Kreuzberg and home to around 400.000 people. Many of them come from Afrin, which has been occupied by Turkey since 2018. Already on the 7th January Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the office for Foreign Relations of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) declared: „The Syrian government declared war on the Kurds.“
The attacks begin just hours after a meeting between Israel and Syria under the mediation of the US. This, all parties evaluated positively as it was agreed upon to set up a direct communication channel. The attacks follow a pattern which we can witness since the fall of the Assad regime: to the outside appeasement and security deals, on the inside war. Previously, in March, the Syrian security forces, dominated by the HTS militias, attacked Druze communities in the Suweida region of Syria. In July more than 1500 Alawites were killed in the coastal region of Syria.
The calculations of the interim government are more than obvious: manifesting their reign. However, in reality, they are destroying the basis for a lasting peace and stability in Syria. A democratic solution has given way to dirty deals and the division of the country into spheres of influence by foreign powers. It seems, that is what is meant when it says in the recently published security strategy by the White House that „Syria remains a potential problem, but with American, Arab, Israeli, and Turkish support may stabilize and re-assume its rightful place as an integral, positive player in the region.
The politics of US imperialism and other actors of the capitalist modernity have yet again brought the horrors of war into those parts of the city that already in 2013 were the stage for historical resistance against the gangs of al-Nusra. Back then, the people and especially the youth organised and became pioneers for the strategy of revolutionary people‘s war.
Since then Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiye have been organised after the example of Rojava: decisions are taken in local councils. Security in the neighbourhood is practices by local Asayish (local armed forces). In all institutions the co-chair system has been a lived practice. Women play a central role, in society as much as in the defense of the quarters. Just like other places, the women’s revolution has lead to deep transformations. It highlights that if we want to be successful as socialist we cannot leave the topic of women’s liberation to a theoretical ‚after the revolution“.
While the rain is getting stronger, the singing of internationalist from Germany is breaking the moment of silence. Slogans echo from the opposite side of the street: „Long live the resistance of Aleppo!“ Long live the resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiye!“. An elderly man carries a blanket. In a soft tone he says „In case it gets cold“. He learned from the resistance at Tishreen dam, where he alongside hundred others for several weeks supported the fight at the front with civil protest.
After an intense farewell the convoy of around 30 cars begins to move. Shortly after they have passed the last checkpoint in Deir Hafer, leaving the territory under SDF control in order to do a vigil for the opening of a humanitarian corridor, the SDF press center announces a ceasefire in Aleppo. What preceded this are events that are hard to grasp in depth.
For five days the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiye, should to shoulder with some hundred lightly armed fighters, resisted against four divisions of the Syrian interim government who also drew on support by Turkish drones and secret service intelligence. Despite the meager chance to defend their quarters, the people took a conscious decision. The people’s council gathered, discussed and announced to not surrender but instead to resist.
We will remain in Sheikh Maqsoud until victory or until martyrdom. We will never capitulate.“The internal security forces (Asayish) followed the decision of the people. Their commander Ziyad Helebe underlined, that they are willing to fight until their last breath. „We will remain in Sheikh Maqsoud until victory or until martyrdom. We will never capitulate.“
This were his last words to the Kurdish people.
All of them knew, that they are not just defending the two quarters but all of North and East Syria. It is likely that in the near future the war will continue to Deir Hafr, Tishreen and Deir Ez Zor. The war of annihilation, directed against the revolution has already begun. To prevent it, we call campaigns such as RiseUp4Rojava and WomenDefendRojava to immediate actions.
One thing is for sure: the values that those courageous fighters and all these people who took the decision to not surrender, will have the final say – if we carry what they said into the world.