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June 29th, 2017 
Awake Goy 
Christof Lehmann (nsnbc) : The 22-year-old Swedish “Roza” has been fighting with the Syrian – Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) for over two years and wants to stay in the self-declared “Rojava” republic to work with young people, education, or in health care.
“Roza” who has participated in numerous military operations has earned herself the nickname the “Swedish flower of the fronts”, reports the YPG, the armed wing of the Syrian – Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).
The PYD has about 60,000 armed personnel, organized in the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the all female Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), and as part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance that also includes a number of other regional, ethnic and tribal militia.
Turkey, for its part, designates the PYD, as well as the YPG / YPJ as terrorist organizations, allied and on par with Turkey’s outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).
“Roza” came to northern Syria, almost fresh out of high school. She used to work in the dry cleaners her family owned, and led what one can describe as “an ordinary life”. She followed world and Middle East news from her television. In time, she started to feel as a natural part of the Rojava Revolution and the Kurds’ fight against ISIS barbarism.
Her story does not reflect much upon the well-documented fact that ISIS was initially supported by networks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the very United States of America that now is supporting the YPG/YPG with arms because they are “the most effective partners against ISIS”.
Like many other young, idealistic Kurds, she and her “story” would rather focus on “Rojava” and on “Kurdistan” – and many would say “who can blame them – or who can even blame the many Kurdish organizations to chose allies based on opportunity and utility”.
Like many others, “Roza” began to “do her research” and she tells that she always has had “a soft spot for solidarity and charity”. Commenting on her decision to leave her family in Sweden at the age of 20 and to join the YPJ, Roza said:
“I actually understood that one of the most important places a woman can do good for all the women in the world and contribute to the revolution was the YPJ, even before I personally joined the YPJ. Shortly before I joined, I was convinced”.
Roza arrived in northern Syria’s self-proclaimed “Rojava” during the final days of the resistance in Kobane. She participated in the Shaddadi and Manbij operations from the start. Especially in the Manbij operation, she was fighting until the end. She took part in efforts in almost all areas of Rojava, both in the fronts and in the liberated zones.
In Manjij, the YPG/YPG would not only be confronting ISIS, but Turkish military forces and a cohort of Turkish-backed insurgent groups under the banner of the Free Syrian Army – many of them with links to Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamist radicals. She reminisces about routine life in Europe and talks about how meaningful the YPJ is for her:
“The young women who join the YPJ learn of their freedom, break away from the dominant system and become individuals. They gain the women’s perspective and ideology. This continues in a beautiful cycle. The women’s struggle in the Middle East is exalted and women are emancipated. And, the women don’t stop there and they fight in the front lines against a barbaric element like ISIS. Being here in the Raqqa front was indispensable for me. I want to share the war, victory and the joy of freedom.”
Roza said she had no issues with her family. She says she convinced them. She says her family now knows more about the women’s struggle in Kurdistan and talk about it to their friends, and continues: “Of course they are very much afraid I will get wounded here or worse, but they are also very proud of me.” Roza’s future plans also involve Rojava. She wants to stay in Rojava, settle in and serve the people, especially children. She wants to work in child development and with young people and support their education. One of her biggest dreams is to work in hospitals.
CH/L – nsnbc 29.06.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/06/29/swedish-girl-fighting-with-ypj-in-syria-wants-to-stay-in-rojava/
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