Ela Qasim and Ubeyid Huseyin.
They did not knew each other before, but after they met, they wrote history in Serekaniye, where they took part in the resistance against the armed gangs organized and sent by Turkey.
Ela Qasim was originally from Serekaniye. He was born and raised there. He got married there and was a young politician with two children. He was in his thirties and a senior member of Progressive Democratic Kurdish Party in Syria that was founded in 1962.
In a divided Kurdistan, western and northern Kurdistan is commonly referred to as ”serxet” (above the border) and ”binxet” (under/below the border) by Kurds. Serekaniye ”binxet” is a town divided by the Syrian-Turkish border.*
Ela Qasim was one of the children of the Kurdish nation who every day looked north, over the border, and tried to understand the meaning of the division.
After the revolution began in western Kurdistan a majority of those with different political ideals tried to unite around common ground.
In Serekaniye YPG was leading the resistance against the attacks. Ela Qasim was not a member of YPG. Neither was he a member of PYD, he had a different political opinion.
When the gangs started to attack on 16th of January, Ela Qasim joined the resistance together with other youth. On the 20th of January Ela Qasim, standing among a group of friends, held a speech in front of a camera. He declared that they would join the resistance that was lead by YPG.
He made the speech just outside the doorstep of his home. The short speech, which was held with a poetic tone, was occasionally interrupted by gunfire in the background.
Ela said:
”We are the children of this land, we are members of different political organizations, this is our ancient land and it is a holy duty to defend it. We are not attacking anyone, we are defending our lands in a peaceful way, but we do not accept that anyone comes here and tries to suppress us, we will not bow for anyone, and this is why we are here.
Just as the Kurdish people have been a peaceful people through history, we have historically also been a people that doesn’t accept suppression. That is why we are here. All through history it have been like this.
There is a price for freedom and we are here to pay that price. We are here to put a stop to a history where bloody tyrants tries to write our history. ”
Right after Ela Qasim held his short speech he bade farewell from his wife and his two children, he strapped his weapon over his shoulder and joined the ongoing battle not far away.
It may even been the first time he touched a weapon. It may not even crossed his mind that he one day may be was forced to take such action.

***
Ubeyid Hüseyin was not from Serekaniye.
He was from Amude. He grew up watching the lights from of Mardin from ”Serxet”, on the other side of the Turkish-Syrian border. Ubeyid was 37 years old, he was married and he had children.
He joined YPG which was created to defend the people of western Kurdistan from attacks. He had family members that earlier had joined the guerillas and lost their lives in northern Kurdistan. A picture of Abdullah Ocalan hung by the wall in their living room.
The only military training Ubeyid Hüseyin had was what he learned at the front in Serekaniye.
***
On the 24th January 2013 Serekaniye was going through its fiercest clashes.
Ela Qasim and Ubeyid Hüseyin had just met and become ”Hevals” as they fought in same trenches. Apart from Ela and Ubeyid, there were young Kurdish, Assyrian and Arab YPG fighters who were fighting against the gangs.
Ela Qasım and Ubeyid Hüseyin got seriously wounded by the attacks from the Turkish backed gangs this day. Blood from their wounds got mixed in the same pool of blood.
As Ela Qasim was moved from the battle zone to a hospital in, Ubeyid was wounded and captured alive. His body was found a week later. The very same day Ela Qasim lost his life at the hospital.
On the 3rd of February the Kurdish fighters were buried. Ela Qasim in Qamışlo and Ubeyid Huseyin in Dirbesiye.
Apart from internal and external opportunists all Kurdish organizations were present at the funerals. They were all there as Ela and Ubeyid, was declared as a symbol of national unity and common values of Kurdistan.
Yes, Ela Qasim was right. There is a price for freedom. But why is the pricy of unity so bitter?

* On the Turkish side of the border Serekaniye is officially named ”Ceylanpinar”, whereas on the Syrian side of the border the town is officially named ”Ras al-Ayn”.