'Our main aim is to rescue women'

Anti-Terrorist Units (YAT) fighter Rojbin Şam, who has participated in the third phase of the Operation Humanity and Security in al-Hol camp, says that their main aim is to rescue the Yazidi women, who were abducted by ISIS.

SORGUL ŞÊXO

Hesekê - The 19 July revolution started in Kobanê became a source for many women to become heroes and leaders for their society and the Middle East. The journey of Rojbin Şam for the truth began when she left Damascus to join the Women's Revolution in North and East Syria.

Rojbin Şam, being influenced by Rojbin Arab from Syria's capital Damascus, joined the ranks of the Women's Defense Units (Yekîtiyên Parastina Jin, YPJ) as an Arab woman. She grew up by a mother embracing all religions and nationalities. Her mother is a Christian while her father is an Arab. Today, Rojbin Şam follows in the footsteps of Rojbin Arab, an Arab woman from Lebanon who joined the guerillas of freedom in 1993 and lost her life in 1997.

Rojbin Şam, who has participated in the third phase of the Operation Humanity and Security that has been going on in al-Hol camp against ISIS since January 27, spoke to our news agency.

Women can do everything when they decide, they can join the other fighters by singing the song of freedom, Rojbin Şam said. "After the operation to liberate Raqqa ended, the women, who were rescued from ISIS, began to make efforts for freedom. That time, I decided to join the YPJ.”

‘Women have changed’

Rojbin Şam thinks that women should benefit from Abdullah Öcalan's ideas and philosophy. "I saw the difference between the women, who stay at home, and today’s woman, who read the thoughts of leader Abdullah Öcalan. Women in the Middle East or other parts of the world should not accept slavery. There is a big difference between today and yesterday. During the rule of the Baathist regime, the situation of women was very bad, but today, women work and fight. Women have changed.”

‘Our main aim is to rescue Yazidi women’

Speaking about the third phase of the Operation Humanity and Security, she said, “The ideas of ISIS are still going on. Wearing black headscarves by women means that they still accept slavery, the brutal ideology of ISIS. The explosives we found and seized in the camp show that the women of ISIS were preparing for large-scale attacks.”

Rojbin Şam draw attention to the genocide committed against the Yazidi community in Shengal on August 3, 2024. “Thousands of Yazidi women were abducted by ISIS. One of our main aims is to rescue the abducted Yazidi women. Our other aim is to rescue the women, who are threatened for refusing the ideas of ISIS. The aim of the operation is to create a safe environment for all women.”

Rojbin Şam concluded her speech by saying, “Women should refuse and fight the ideas of ISIS. They should support the operation to fight terrorism of ISIS and to rescue women from extremist ideas and defend our region from threats.”