In Qamishlo, women meet once a week to read and discuss books by Abdullah Öcalan. One of the women is Samiya Xelîl, who first heard about the ideas of the PKK founder and Kurdish thinker in 1998. The 47-year-old told ANF that her life has fundamentally changed after knowing the Kurdish people’s leader.

She said: "I was 21 years old when I learned about Rêber Apo's [Abdullah Öcalan] ideas. My husband was a patriot, and I heard about them through him. Before that, I was just the woman of the house and the mother of the children. My husband invited the hevals [comrades] to our house and was active with them. This created a close bond. The repression by the Baath regime increased, and my husband was imprisoned and tortured for a year and a half. The pressure on our family never stopped, but the oppression made me realize that I was on the right path. The old Samiya had to change and finally leave the house to be useful in society."

Since the revolution in Rojava, Samiya Xelîl has been active in the Şehîd Berxwedan commune, together with her daughter. "Rêber Apo's years of struggle have borne fruit," she said, adding: "The Rojava revolution is a women's revolution and its inspirer is Rêber Apo. Women were oppressed under the Baath regime. Now we have our rights. The revolution fought for women to return to their true nature. Thanks to Rêber Apo's philosophy, women have the strength to fight."

The women in Qamishlo are currently reading "Sociology of Freedom" from Abdullah Öcalan's five-volume "Manifesto of Democratic Civilization," said Samiya Xelîl, adding: "As a group of women, we meet once a week. We read a chapter together and discuss it. It's a good method. It makes us aware of the great developments we have already made. We deal with problems in society and family and feel how important  women's struggle is. The topics addressed in the books affect our lives."