#YPJ# said they bear full responsibility for the liberation of all women of all nations and reaffirmed their commitment to freedom and to protecting the values of the peoples, calling on all to unite in the joint struggle for freedom.
The General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) released a statement marking the 13th anniversary of the July 19th Revolution in Rojava.

The YPJ statement on Saturday includes the following:

“First and foremost, we congratulate the July 19th Revolutionits’ leader, Abdullah Öcalan, the martyrs of the revolution, the people of Kurdistan and the world, and all women.

In the 21st century, Kurdish women shaped their struggle around the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (Woman, Life, Freedom). The July 19th Revolution, led by women, was the crowning moment of this struggle. The cries of resisting and revolutionary women shattered the ideological walls of ISIS’s jihadist mindset and became a beacon of freedom for all women and peoples. Every people, and especially every woman, continues to face attacks driven by ethnic, gendered, and religious fanaticism. In this context, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) have become a source of hope, light, and safety.

The July 19th Revolution holds great significance not only in Kurdish history, but also in the history of Arab, Armenian, Syriac, Alawite, and Druze communities. Syria can preserve its historical mosaic through the richness and diversity of its peoples. Today, the capitalist system resembles Zeus, devouring human minds in order to preserve and sustain itself. This system increasingly deepens and perpetuates chaos in the Middle East. In contrast, the July 19th Revolution, which developed under the leadership of women, emerged as a model of democratic solution and democratic modernity for both the Middle East and the world. Through the Rojava Revolution, a shared consciousness and ideology was formed between Kurdish women and all women in the region.

The resistance of Kobanî, led by Arîn and Kullhat, reached its peak. During the battle of Kobanî, women, youth, and even the elderly from all parts of Kurdistan flocked to the revolutionary frontlines, joined by internationalists from across the world. They supported and united around a revolution for humanity. ISIS, which had attacked all human values with its extremist mindset, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of this resistance. This resistance, built on the unity of women and peoples, became a fortress of struggle across all four parts of Kurdistan and the world. Through this defeat, we can say that social socialism triumphed over the capitalist system.

The Women’s Protection Units succeeded in introducing the Kurdish women’s struggle to the world during the revolution in northeastern Syria. Once again, they proved to the world the importance of free women’s ideology and willpower, as well as the need for legitimate self-defense and organization. The YPJ fought at times like Adela in the mountains of Shengal, becoming the voice of Yazidi women’s cries. In Raqqa, they became the voice of women who tore off their black veils and defied ISIS. Sometimes they stood with the elderly on the frontlines, sometimes with mothers in the arenas of resistance, and other times with children standing bravely against tanks and artillery.

We, the Women’s Protection Units, are the comrades of martyrs like Slava Afrin, Avesta Xabûr, Sûsên Berxwedan, Jiyan Tolhildan, Jinda Tel Temir, Şervîn Serdar, Roj Xabûr, Şîlan Qamişlo, and Werşîn. We carry a great legacy of martyrs. As the Women’s Protection Units, we bear full responsibility for the liberation of all women of all nations. We reaffirm our commitment to freedom and to protecting the values of the peoples of this region and the world. We have reached these days through great sacrifice. Yet, even today, grave threats persist against women and the peoples of the region from the ideology of jihadist mercenaries. For this reason, we once again call upon all women and peoples to unite in the joint struggle for freedom. A democratic Syria is possible through this united resistance.”[1]