14 December marks the second anniversary of the death of the German guerrilla fighter Michael Panser (Nom de Guerre: Bager Nûjiyan / Xelîl Viyan), who fell as a martyr during a Turkish air raid on the Medya defensive areas in South Kurdistan.

The Internationalist Commune of Rojava has put together a moving video with excerpts from his life and commemorated him with a touching text.

Here is the full text:

"Our friend, son, brother and comrade Michael Panser or for most simply Micha was killed as a guerrilla in the free mountains of Kurdistan by the Turkish military on December 14, 2018.

Our hearts are full of fire and pain, our heads full of memories. Micha was a friend who we remember especially for his insatiable and euphoric search for truth. His search and curiosity for revolutionary liberation movements took him to many places around the world. His greatest passion was to share his experiences and ideas with other people, to discuss and find companions.

Anti-fascism and a fundamental critical attitude towards patriarchal power relations were cornerstones of his personality and so he started to become active in leftist structures like Antifa at the age of 14.

In 2011, Micha read for the first time one of Abdullah Öcalan’s defense writings. The linking of theory and practice of the Kurdish freedom movement and the practical overcoming of real-socialist dogmas fascinated Micha so much that he made his way to Kurdistan in 2012.

Being part of the revolution means not only talking, but really changing and being and becoming an active part of the change. Since 2015, he mainly participated in building internationalist structures in Rojava.

Also, in order to stand by the genocide of the Yezidis not only with words but also with actions, he participated in the self-organized defense of Şengal in the fighting units YBŞ. In the footsteps of Zarathustra in search of wisdom, true friendship, struggle and free life.

The journey to the Free Mountains of Kurdistan in the summer of 2017 and the decision to join the guerrillas meant for Micha first and foremost, an intense confrontation with himself. It was the decision to a deep friendship with all people. It was the decision to live a communal life.

He was ready for this journey to look behind the edges of the world and to look into the eyes that show the world of fire, not the world of light. And he was ready to go with in the fire, if it is the reality, instead of being further blinded by the light. Heval Bager left the robe of modernity behind forever as a matter of course, once he was aware of its deception. He walked henceforth with an ease that characterizes a free spirit and an openness that tells of a new society.

Unfortunately, you are not the first and you will not be the last to have your life taken away by this war of annihilation. But your friends and companions will make sure that the enemy of humanity will despair in his will to annihilate. He will realize sooner or later through our determination and devotion that the search for dignified life cannot be destroyed. There can be no world without connection, love, solidarity, dignity and justice and with this self-awareness we continue your search and struggle.

Remembering is an active process. It is the struggle against forgetting. Because remembering makes our friends stay alive in our hearts.

Şehîd namirin! The fallen are immortal!"

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