At the commemoration event to be held in Hesekê this year on the occasion of 24 March, International Martyrs' Day, the theater play Prometheus will be performed in memory of martyr Elefteria Hambi. The play, prepared by Şanoya Çiya and the International Studies Coordination, is directed by Ekîn Ronî.

Collective effort

The play, written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BC, tells a political tragedy and is being brought to the stage thanks to the joint efforts of international revolutionaries and Rojava theater actors.

Prometheus is best known for defying the Olympian gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge, and more generally, civilization.

The punishment of Prometheus for stealing fire from Olympus and giving it to humans is a subject of both ancient and modern culture. Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, condemned Prometheus to eternal torment for his transgression. Prometheus was bound to a rock, and an eagle - the emblem of Zeus - was sent to eat his liver (in Ancient Greece, the liver was thought to be the seat of human emotions). His liver would then grow back overnight, only to be eaten again the next day in an ongoing cycle. According to several major versions of the myth, most notably that of Hesiod, Prometheus was eventually freed by the hero, Heracles. In yet more symbolism, the struggle of Prometheus is located by some at Mount Elbrus or at Mount Kazbek, two volcanic promontories in the Caucasus Mountains beyond which for the ancient Greeks lay the realm of the barbarians.

The play is to be performed in memory of Elefteria Hambi (Eva Maria Steiger), who fought in the ranks of the YPJ in the Rojava Revolution and later joined the ranks of the PKK and was killed in Garê on 25 November 2019.

The play was prepared in a very short time with actors starting rehearsals after a short training. The group, based on the principle of amateur spirit and professional work, will perform a few hours of work every day and general rehearsals after Newroz and will appear before the audience on 24 March. The same play will be performed in Qamishlo on 27 March, World Theater Day and the 20th anniversary of the martyrdom of the revolutionary theater artist Martyr Yekta Herekol (Erdoğan Kahraman).

Elefteria Hambi

German-born Elefteria Hambi (Eva Maria Steiger) went to Kurdistan "believing that thanks to the democratic, ecological and free women paradigm promoted by Abdullah Öcalan, she could realize her dreams. Our comrade Elefteria, who struggled with great sincerity, honesty and self-sacrifice, has always been a source of strength and morale for her comrades," said the HPG in a statement about the guerrilla.

As her comrades, we consider ourselves lucky to be carrying on the freedom struggle of our peoples together with such a valuable internationalist revolutionary and woman who liberated her soul. We express our condolences to all the democratic German people and the people of Kurdistan, whose hearts are in favor of the freedom of the Kurdistan people and all peoples, especially the precious family of our comrade Elefteria."

The HPG said that guerrilla Elefteria used to repeat: "This war is not just the war of the Kurds, it is the war of everyone oppressed by the system, especially women. For this reason, we must struggle at every moment of our lives to achieve what we believe in. No one can be free until everyone is free!"