For eleven years now, the Christian population in Northern and Eastern Syria has been defended by the Syriac Military Council (MFS), which was founded on 8 January 2013. Two and a half years later, on 30 August 2015, the HSNB also launched the autonomous women's defense forces in Bethnahrin - Aramaic for the land between the Euphrates and the Tigris. Both associations belong to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and have defended Christian-populated villages in the Khabur Valley against the Islamic State. Today, especially around Til Temir, they are resisting Turkey and its Islamist militias.

On its eleventh anniversary, the MFS underlined in a statement that it will continue to fight against terror and violence as part of legitimate self-defense and to protect the Aramaic, Assyrian and Chaldean communities in the Khabur Valley.

The Council pointed out that the primary goal of the MFS from the beginning has been to close the wounds that the Syrian war has opened deep into the souls of society. “Healing the wounds and rebuilding what has been destroyed, also includes fighting for peace and freedom, social justice and gender equality. Peace and freedom are fundamental rights that every human being is entitled to. Our commitment is to the ideal of making this possible for all people in our regions. We are fighters on the path that leads to peace, freedom and justice.”

The MFS paid a high price to protect Syria and its people, said the statement, adding: “We made many sacrifices to move from darkness into light. Despite the most difficult conditions, we have never hesitated to fulfill our task of defending the Rojava project, which means freedom, justice and democracy for the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria, against all aggressors and their intentions of destruction. We fought against ISIS, which is a threat to the entire world. And we have defended ourselves against the Turkish state, which is waging a war against us with the aim of expelling the population, annexing our territories, and carrying out increasingly bloodthirsty attacks that are leading to new waves of refugees.”

MFS called for a political solution for Syria

The statement added: “The MFS underlines that a political solution is necessary to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria and protect what we have achieved together with the other councils under the umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces. We reiterate that we will keep our promise to the Syriac peoples and continue to fight for their security until peace and freedom prevail in our regions.”