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Silava Efrîn (Meryem Mihemed) and Bêrîvan Qelender (Xemgîn Nûcan), two fighters of Women’s Defense Units (YPJ), lost their lives eight years ago in Afrin and ever since then they have been commemorated by the Kurds as the “first female martrys in the battle against the ISIS.”
On the eighth anniversary of the deaths of two Kurdish female fighters, ANHA did an interview with Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, the author of the book “Daughters of Kobani”.
Lemmon has sensitively narrated the story of the resistance of the YPJ with “The Daughters of Kobani”.
Lemmon said she was impressed by how women fighting against ISIS realised the gender equality through their struggle.
”Many people in the US and of course around the world are unaware of the leading role of women in the war against ISIS. It is very important to make this story accessible to US readers, and to the world, to people who do not know about this story,” she said.
“It is a personal matter for me to write about the women’s struggle against ISIS to make the world a safer and more livable place. This book based on a story of friendship, sisterhood, and politics. It is the story of women who are on the battlefield; of women who do not hesitate for a future of peace.”
Lemmons defined it as a “privilege” when Kurdish female fighters shared their stories with her. Commemorating fighters Silava and Berivan as “women who changed the course of the history”, she said, “I wanted the readers and audience of this story to learn about this story to comprehend and to get to know this story with all its aspects and layers; to learn how fearless and courageous and humorous these people were and to learn how they loved each other and about the strong friendships they have built with each other.”
Regarding the book being adapted into a feature films Lemmon underlined that the YPJ’s statement on this regard is very important to her.
”I would like everyone to learn about these women, whom I had the privilege to meet with, such as Rojda, Azeema, Newroz and Narin. I was so inspired by all the young women I met and shared so many experiences with. Thank you. I send my best wishes to all the brave people out there who work hard every day for a better future,” she said.
