Twins Kerwan and Weysi, who have joined the battle to liberate Raqqa, said: "Our goal is not the liberation of the Raqqa town alone. With Raqqa also our childhood memories will see freedom."

The twins answered ANF’s questions about the previous and current situation in their home, Raqqa.

Can you tell us a bit about Raqqa before the war?

Weysi: Before the war broke out we were living in Raqqa. Our home was near Rimela. My brother and I were going to school there. Life in the city was nice, there were many places around people could visit. There were also many social meeting spots that were frequented by the youth.

Kerwan: The majority of Raqqa's population was Muslim, but there were also many people from different faiths. Not only Kurds and Arabs, but also Turkmen and Syriacs lived here. There was a mosaic of peoples. Nobody regarded the others foreign. They did not view any language, religion or ethnicity as an outsider. But when ISIS came, everything changed.

When did you leave Raqqa?

Weysi: One of the first things ISIS did was to close all the parks and social locations where the people would gather. There was a big mosque, whose namesake I am. It was a historical mosque. The ISIS gangs detonated it and destroyed it completely. They brought life to a total stop and enforced darkness on us. Then it became clear that we could no longer stay in Raqqa. We had to go to Serêkaniyê with our whole family.

When you went to Serêkaniyê, what did you do next?

Weysi: When we finally managed to reach Serêkaniyê, war broke out also there, and the Serêkaniyê Operation was launched. My father and all my uncles joined the battle for Serêkaniyê. Our family as a whole fought against the ISIS gangs. So we, too, wanted to join. But because we were still underage the comrades did not allow us.

When did you join?

Weysi: Later in 2015, me and my brother joined the ranks of the YPG. We are YPG members since then.

You were born and raised in Raqqa, and now you have joined the operation to liberate the city. What does this mean to you?

Weysi: Raqqa bears great importance to us. It is first of all our home where we were born and raised. Our childhood remained in Raqqa. Our memories and everything in our life are in Raqqa. Liberating Raqqa means liberating our childhood memories to us.

Kerwan: We actually wanted to fight within the attack units at the very front lines. We wanted to liberate Raqqa step by step with our own hands and own weapons. But the comrades told us that there was need in the industrial field and wanted us to stay there. There is no doubt that every kind of work here is in fact vital. And every effort done for the revolution is precious. You cannot label it a bigger or lesser effort.

Weysi: Sometimes I head to the front lines to repair the vehicles of the comrades. I cannot help but remember Raqqa before the ISIS ravaged the city. I remember the streets on which my friends and I used to play in our childhood. Now they stink of explosives, yet I do not get distressed because of that. Because Raqqa is getting cleared and liberated.

What kind of Raqqa do you dream of?

Kerwan: The YPG, YPJ and SDF have liberated countless areas from ISIS until now. When you go to those areas today, you see that are even more beautiful and freer than they were before. Kobanê, Manbij, Hawl, Shaddadi and Tal Abyad. All of them are now much more beautiful than before. I believe that also Raqqa will be better than it was in the past. As long as people get freed from this dark nightmare, it does not matter if we have a house or not. We will rebuild our city hand in hand, and as free human beings, and take care of it more than ever before. We will build up our lives anew like in Manbij and Kobanê.

Weysi: Lastly, I want to say this to Raqqa's people: Return to your soil as free humans. People are struggling in these lands immensely for six years now. ISIS is about to finish. And this land will be freer than it was anytime before and will become a place where humans will be able to lead free lives. Come, let us take revenge for our childhood years together.