The President of the Sheikh Said Association, Mehmet Kasım Fırat, told ANF that all Kurds must unite in this critical period. He added that after centuries of resistance, exile and sufferance, the entire world has eventually accepted the reality and power of the Kurdish people in the region, and especially in Rojava. He said that this historic opportunity is too important to lose it.

Kasım Fırat said that in the last century, the Kurdish people, under the leadership of Sheikh Said and his friends, were the protagonists of a great struggle to protect their existence, and for this they suffered hugely. "The Turkish state, by making a new constitution in 1924, ignored the existence, language, culture, and the Kurdish people’s identity. The Kurdish people did not accept this. Sheikh Said and his friends fought against this. ‘We are Kurds, we are a separate nation. This is our land. We have to live on our own land, with our traditions. We have a unique and different culture. And we have the right to defende them.’ The resistance that started that day has continued for 100 years despite the suffering. Millions of Kurdish people were exiled from their lands, forced to live as nomads, and were subjected to massacres. Yet, the price paid was worth it, because they fought for a dignified life. Today, Kurds in Rojava are resisting for their existence."

All Kurds should support Rojava

Fırat underlined that the world has understood that at this point, it is not possible to take a step in the Middle East without the Kurdish people. He continued: "I would like to repeat Melayê Cizîrî’s words, which can be considered as a testament to all Kurdish people, ‘If a chance or opportunity comes your way once in a lifetime, you should take it. You should benefit from it. Because if you postpone taking it, it will be difficult for you to get this opportunity again.’ The Kurdish people, as Melayê Cizîrî pointed out, should not miss this opportunity. Kurds should unite. They should form an alliance around their own legitimate rights. All Kurds should form an alliance over Rojava. This alliance is not only necessary, but also imperative. Rojava is at a very sensitive point. We all need to fulfill our responsibilities. We all have a duty to give strength to Rojava."

Kurds are not enemy to anyone

Fırat said: "Of course, the reasonable thing to do would be to establish a peaceful life together with our differences in the same territory. This is what is being done in Rojava. Rojava shows that it is possible to co-exist: everyone with his own specificities. As long as the rights and laws of the Kurds are recognized in Rojava, it is certainly possible to live together with other peoples. The rights of the Kurds must be recognized and secured. The Kurds have no hostility towards other nations."

Rojava should be our primary concern

Firat said: "Rojava should be the primary concern of the Kurdish people. If we cannot achieve a status in Rojava in this century, it twill be difficult to solve the Kurdish question. We have a deep-rooted history dating back thousands of years. We did not occupy these lands. We should show our determination to the world."