YPJ General Command pointed out that the walls of slavery have been torn down with the liberation of Raqqa and said, “Raqqa’s freedom has given women of the world hope.” YPJ saluted the fighters in the Deir ez-Zor fronts.
Women's Defense Units (YPJ) General Command has issued a written statement on the first anniversary of the liberation of Raqqa from ISIS gangs. The statement stressed that the liberation of the city was the victory of women’s will.
The statement included the following:
“We celebrate the first year of the liberation of the city of Raqqa, known as the capital of ISIS gangs, under the lead of YPJ fighters for all the women of the world and all our female comrades fighting against ISIS in the Middle East. We salute all our martyrs who fought heroically with respect in the person of Martyrs Zozan, Arin and Sozdar, and repeat our promise to fight to our comrades.
“WE TORE DOWN THE WALLS OF SLAVERY”
As it is known, until October 17, 2017 the city of Raqqa was under ISIS occupation. With a press conference on October 19, 2017 we announced to the public that ISIS gangs had been defeated in Raqqa. Our forces participated in the Operation to Liberate Raqqa and the “Great Battle” with the spirit of the Kobanê resistance, to avenge the Northern Syrian revolution’s martyrs and to make the gangs answer for the tyranny against women and children.
The ISIS gangs called Raqqa their “capital”, where they held thousands of defenseless women captive, selling them in slave markets and killing them. The walls of slavery the gangs put up around the Arab society, and the black chadors covering the women’s faces were torn down by our fighters.
“A STRONG BOND WAS FORMED BETWEEN KURDISH AND ARAB WOMEN”
ISIS gangs became the bane of humanity with their inhumane massacres, terrorizing the world. They attacked the women and the peoples of the world in their attacks against Yazidi women. The women who stood against ISIS gangs were murdered. The liberation of the city of Raqqa was the revenge of Yazidi women. Raqqa had been under ISIS occupation for years, and was liberated in a historic, great resistance. The liberation of Raqqa was a great blow against the thinking created by the patriarchal system. The relentless struggle in Raqqa created a great hope for the women of the world and formed a strong bond between Arab and Kurdish women.
SALUTING THE FIGHTERS IN DEIR EZ-ZOR
Our forces have liberated the city of Raqqa with their glorious fight against ISIS gangs and achieved great gains. The Operation Cizire Storm and the Battle to End Terrorism are in progress as a result of the heroic resistance in Raqqa. We salute our comrades fighting heroically in the fronts of Deir ez-Zor. The success of this fight against ISIS gangs will be a gain for freedom and democracy, and a hope for the future for the peoples of the world.
On this basis, we celebrate the first anniversary of the liberation of Raqqa for all peoples of Northern Syria and all of humanity. In the person of our comrades Hêlîn Cûdî, Arîn Qamishlo and Berfîn who was martyred in Deir ez-Zor, we remember all our comrades martyred on the path to freedom. We repeat our promise to the martyrs that we will fight.”
