Rojda Felat (born c. 1977 or 1980) is a
Syrian Kurdish senior commander of the
Women's Protection Units
(YPJ) ar, وحدات حماية المرأة
, image = File:YPJ Flag.svg
, caption = Flag of the YPJ
, dates = April 2013–present
, commander1 = Nesrin ...
(YPJ) and
Syrian Democratic Forces
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svgborder
, caption = Flag
, active = 10 October 2015 – present
, ideology = DemocracyDecentralizationSecularism ...
(SDF), who has fought in the
Rojava conflict
The Rojava conflict, also known as the Rojava Revolution, is a political upheaval and military conflict taking place in northern Syria, known among Kurds as Western Kurdistan or Rojava.
During the Syrian civil war that began in 2011, a Kurdish- ...
since it began in 2012, and has led several major campaigns against the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
(ISIL). A revolutionary
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, Felat's stated goal is to achieve social transformation in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
through the YPJ, "liberating the Kurdish woman and the Syrian woman in general from the ties and control of traditional society, as well as liberating the entirety of
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
from terrorism and tyranny".
Biography
Early life
As Rojda Felat has disclosed relatively little about her life, her biography before taking up arms is largely unknown;
even her age and birthplace are disputed. Because of that, ''
T-Online
t-online.de is a German news portal, owned and published by digital multi-channel media company Ströer. It reaches over 179 million visits per month coming from 29 million unique visitors. The editorial team is located in Berlin.
History
In ...
'' went so far as to describe her as "mysterious".
According to an interview she gave ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' in late 2017, Felat was born around 1977 as the child of a poor farming family near
Qamishli
Qamishli ( ar, ٱلْقَامِشْلِي, Al-Qāmišlī, ku, قامشلۆ, Qamişlo, syc, ܒܝܬ ܙܠܝ̈ܢ, Bēṯ Zālīn, lit=House of Reeds or syr, ܩܡܫܠܐ, translit=Qamishlo) .
Various other claims regarding her origins have circulated on the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
, however, with the Turkish news agency ''Jihan News''
and other SDF officials
putting her birthdate at 1980 and/or her birthplace at
al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah ( ar, ٱلْحَسَكَة, al-Ḥasaka; ku, Heseke/حەسەکە; syr, ܚܣܝܟܐ Hasake), is the capital city of the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in the northeastern corner of Syria. With a 2004 census population of 188,160, it is the e ...
.
Many reports by other media agencies have repeated the information of ''Jihan News'',
while others claim that Felat was born in 1962, 1966 or 1968, with one media agency even saying that she is from
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. This last claim was denied by a close associate of her, who told ''T-Online'' that she was definitely a Syrian Kurd.
Due to her family's poverty, Felat was only able to attend a university relatively late in her life. By 2011, she was studying
Arabic literature
Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...
at
Hasakah University. Before the
outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, Felat claims that she had intended to eventually attend the national military academy and become a
Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six ...
officer. Upon the spread of the
civil uprising against
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
in 2011, however, she decided to leave Hasakah University and return to her hometown Qamishli, where she quickly joined the
Democratic Union Party's
People's Protection Units
The People's Defense Units (YPG), (YPG) ; ar, وحدات حماية الشعب, Waḥdāt Ḥimāyat aš-Šaʽb) also called People's Protection Units, is a mainly-Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democra ...
(YPG).
Military service
Siege of Kobanî and first commands
With the uprising escalating into a civil war, Felat received just a few days of
training
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or Physical fitness, fitness that relate to specific practicality, useful Competence (human resources), competencies. Training has specific goals of improving on ...
before she was issued a weapon. As part of the
Rojava-Islamist conflict, she went on to fight against
Islamist Syrian rebel
A number of states and armed groups have involved themselves in the ongoing Syrian Civil War as belligerents.
Syrian Arab Republic and allies
A number of sources have emphasized that as of at least late-2015/early-2016 the Syrian Arab Republic ...
forces in the
al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13)
Al-Hasakah ( ar, ٱلْحَسَكَة, al-Ḥasaka; ku, Heseke/حەسەکە; syr, ܚܣܝܟܐ Hasake), is the capital city of the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in the northeastern corner of Syria. With a 2004 census population of 188,160, it is the e ...
. Around late 2014, however, she was in the
Kobanî Canton
Euphrates Region, formerly Kobanî Canton, ( ku, Herêma Firatê, ar, إقليم الفرات, syc, ܦܢܝܬܐ ܕܦܪܬ, translit=Ponyotho d'Prat) is the central of three original regions of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Sy ...
and among the YPG/YPJ forces that ended up
being besieged in the town of
Kobanî
Kobanî (, , also rendered , ar, كُوبَانِي, Kūbānī) (Kurdish: Kobanî/ کۆبانی) officially Ayn al-Arab ( ar, عَيْن الْعَرَب, ʿAyn al-ʿArab ), is a Kurdish-majority city in northern Syria, lying immediately ...
by the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
(ISIL). By this time a
NCO in the
Women's Protection Units
(YPJ) ar, وحدات حماية المرأة
, image = File:YPJ Flag.svg
, caption = Flag of the YPJ
, dates = April 2013–present
, commander1 = Nesrin ...
(YPJ), Felat commanded a small, lightly armed
squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
of eleven other women during the siege.
Her unit took part in the Battle for Mishtanour Hill, where she fought alongside
Arin Mirkan, who became famous for her
suicide attack
A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...
on an ISIL tank. Despite the bitter resistance of the YPG/YPJ, the hill eventually fell to ISIL, whereupon Felat and her squad retreated further into Kobanî. By the time the siege was broken in January 2015, Felat had been wounded by shrapnel, and five of her subordinates killed while two others were also wounded. The rest of her squad eventually returned to civilian life, and only Felat continued to be active in the military. When the YPG/YPJ launched a counter-offensive to drive ISIL from the countryside surrounding Kobanî in early 2015, Felat was first given command of 45 fighters, and then 300.
From that point on, she rose to become one of the YPG/YPJ's most important commanders.
Operations in eastern Syria and Raqqa campaign
Felat took part in the capture of
Tell Hamis
Tell Hamis ( ar, تَلّ حَمِيس, Tall Ḥamīs) is a town in northeastern Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria. The Wadi Jarrah flows through the town. It is the administrative center of the Tell Hamis Subdistrict, consisting of 129 lo ...
during the
eastern al-Hasakah offensive
The Eastern al-Hasakah offensive was launched in the Al-Hasakah Governorate during the Syrian Civil War, by the Kurdish-majority People's Protection Units, Assyrian Christian militias, and allied Arab forces against the jihadist Islamic State of ...
, the
Tell Abyad offensive
The Tell Abyad offensive or Martyr Rubar Qamışlo operation was a military operation that began in late May 2015 in the northern Raqqa Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War. It was conducted by the Kurdish-majority People's Protection Units ...
,
and the
Al-Shaddadi offensive.
In May 2016 she led a
first offensive against the ''de facto'' capital of ISIL,
Raqqa
Raqqa ( ar, ٱلرَّقَّة, ar-Raqqah, also and ) (Kurdish languages, Kurdish: Reqa/ ڕەقە) is a city in Syria on the northeast bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. T ...
, while commanding 15,000 fighters.
Her forces captured 23 villages, though in the end the offensive stalled, as the SDF redeployed its fighters for the more successful
Manbij offensive
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict= Manbij offensive (2016)
, width = 400px
, partof= the Rojava–Islamist conflict and the American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
, image=Manbijof.png
, image_size=350px
, caption= Map showing SD ...
, in which Felat also took part.
Sometime in mid 2016, an ISIL bombing at a wedding in al-Hasakah killed 22 of her family members and relatives.
In November 2016, the SDF launched
another campaign to capture Raqqa, with Felat in overall charge of the operations in the northern Raqqa countryside. This time, the troops under Felat's command succeeded in capturing their objectives, whereupon the attention of the SDF shifted to the
Tabqa Dam
The Tabqa Dam ( ar, سَدُّ الطَّبْقَةِ, Sadd aṭ-Ṭabqah, ku, Bendava Tebqa; syc, ܣܟܪܐ ܕܛܒܩܗ, Sekro d'Tabqa), or al-Thawra Dam as it is also named ( ar, سَدُّ الثَّوْرَةِ, Sadd aṯ-Ṯawrah, ku, Bendav ...
and surrounding areas. These were targeted in the course of the
offensive's second phase, which commenced on 10 December and during which Felat served as leading commander for the YPJ units involved.
In the subsequent phases during the campaign to capture Raqqa, Felat continued to serve as one of the most important YPJ commanders,
and took part in the
operations to capture the
Tabqa Dam
The Tabqa Dam ( ar, سَدُّ الطَّبْقَةِ, Sadd aṭ-Ṭabqah, ku, Bendava Tebqa; syc, ܣܟܪܐ ܕܛܒܩܗ, Sekro d'Tabqa), or al-Thawra Dam as it is also named ( ar, سَدُّ الثَّوْرَةِ, Sadd aṯ-Ṯawrah, ku, Bendav ...
, Tabqa Airbase, and
al-Thawrah
Al-Thawrah ( ar, ٱلثَّوْرَة, aṯ-Ṯawrah), also known as Al-Tabqah ( ar, ٱلطَّبْقَة, aṭ-Ṭabqah, also ), is a city in Raqqa Governorate, Syria, approximately west of Raqqa. The name "al-Thawrah" literally means "The Revo ...
city from ISIL.
On 25 April 2017, Felat visited the site of a
major Turkish airstrike against the YPG near
al-Malikiyah
Al-Malikiyah ( ar, ٱلْمَالِكِيَّة, al-Mālikīyah; ku, دێرکا حەمکۆ, translit=Dêrika Hemko; ) also known as Derik, is a small Syrian city and the center of an administrative district belonging to Al-Hasakah Governorate. ...
along with YPG and US officials. In October 2017, Felat commanded a contingent of SDF fighters who successfully captured Raqqa. Felat and others were pictured waving SDF flags in the former Islamic State capital city's iconic al-Naim square after SDF forces declared victory in the
Battle of Raqqa.
At the occasion, she noted that "her heart was jumping for joy" as the YPG/YPJ leadership had believed that the battle for the city would be "much more difficult" than it had been.
By late 2018, Felat was taking part in the
Deir ez-Zor campaign which aimed at defeating the last ISIL holdouts in Syria east of the
Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
.
In early October 2019, Felat took part in a conference in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, declaring that the war against ISIL was continuing while stressing the importance of
democratic confederalism
Democratic confederalism ( ku, Konfederalîzma demokratîk), also known as Kurdish communalism or Apoism, is a political concept theorized by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan about a system of democratic self-organization ...
.
Personal life
Felat is a strong adherent of the YPG/YPJ. She has decided to never marry or have children, and instead intends to serve in the military for the rest of her life.
A nonpracticing Muslim,
she is a follower of
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan ( ; ; born 4 April 1949), also known as Apo (short for Abdullah in Turkish and Kurdish for "uncle"), is a political prisoner and founding member of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Öcalan was based in Syria from ...
's revolutionary ideology and self-identifies as radical feminist,
fighting for social reforms in Syria that would improve the rights and lives of women of all ethnicities. Among her personal heroes are the Polish-German radical Communist
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg (; ; pl, Róża Luksemburg or ; 5 March 1871 – 15 January 1919) was a Polish and naturalised-German revolutionary socialist, Marxist philosopher and anti-war activist. Successively, she was a member of the Proletariat party, ...
,
PKK
The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan, but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of sout ...
leader
Sakine Cansız
Sakine Cansız (; ku, Sakîne Cansiz, ; 1958 – 9 January 2013) was one of the co-founders of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). A Kurdish activist in the 1980s, she was arrested and tortured by Turkish police. A close associate of Ab ...
, and the Iraqi Kurdish activist
Leyla Qasim
Leyla Qasim ( ku, Leyla Qasim ,لەیلا قاسم; 1952 – 12 May 1974) was a Feyli (tribe), Feyli Kurdish people, Kurdish activist against the Iraqi Ba'ath regime who was executed in Baghdad. She is known as a national martyr among the Kurds ...
. Felat is also critical of
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...
, saying that "the capitalist system views us
omen in generalas objects".
As a military leader, she is inspired by
Otto von Bismarck
Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of J ...
,
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
,
Saladin
Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سهلاحهدین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...
,
as well as her deceased comrade
Arin Mirkan.
Felat has been described as talented military leader, though she herself has simply said that she is "good at strategy".
In regard to the military capabilities of the female fighters under her command, Felat has commented that "Often, in military matters, people look down on women with condescension, claiming we're too delicate, that we wouldn't dare carry a knife or a gun. But you can see for yourself that in the YPJ we can operate a
dushka, we know how to use mortars and we can conduct demining operations."
She also praised the suicide attack of Zuluh Hemo (a.k.a. "Avesta Habur") against the
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...
during the
Turkish military operation in Afrin
Operation Olive Branch ( tr, Zeytin Dalı Harekâtı) was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army (SNA) in the majority-Kurdish Afrin District of northwest Syria, against the People's Prot ...
, saying that her sacrifice prevented Turkish forces from "shelling children and civilians in
Afrin" and urged other women to follow Hemo's example.
Felat comes from a poor farming family,
and several of her relatives were victims of ISIL, further motivating her to fight against the Jihadist organization: Besides 22 of her family members who were killed in an ISIL bombing in al-Hasakah,
her younger brother Mezul was killed by a roadside bomb while serving with the YPG in 2013.
Recognition
She is portrayed in the documentary ''I am the Revolution'' by
Benedetta Argentieri Benedetta is a feminine given name of Italian origin, the feminine equivalent of the masculine name Benedetto, a cognate of Benedict. Persons having the name include:
*Benedetta Barzini (contemporary), Italian actress and model
*Benedetta Bianchi P ...
.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Felat, Rojda
Female army generals
Kurdish female military and paramilitary personnel
Kurdish feminists
Syrian feminists
Living people
Kurdish military personnel
People of the Syrian civil war
People from Al-Hasakah
People's Protection Units
Syrian Kurdish people
Women in war in the Middle East
Women in 21st-century warfare
21st-century Syrian people
Year of birth missing (living people)