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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish protesters gathered in Canada’s westernmost province of British Columbia to condemn the recent military offensive by Damascus forces and allied armed groups against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria (Rojava).
The rally opened on Saturday with a poem widely attributed to Qazi Mohammed, leader of the short-lived Kurdish state, the Republic of Mahabad (established in 1946), invoking Kurdish unity across borders.
Kurdish poet Nader Qazi recited verses emphasizing the unity of Greater Kurdistan, saying, “Even if they tear my body into a hundred pieces… the words of my heart will find their way to my tongue: Kurdistan is one nation, and it shall not be divided into four!”
The crowd echoed chants of “Woman, Life, Freedom,” a slogan that went viral during the 2022 protests in Iran, sparked by the death of young Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police over wearing a lax hijab.
Calls for unity were reinforced by Kurdish singer Navid Zardi, who told Rudaw, “My wish is for all of us to be united together, because it is one, one, one - the Kurdish nation is one.”
He added that recent pressures on Kurdish communities had strengthened their solidarity.
"We thank the enemies of the Kurds for uniting us like this; they reminded us of who we are, they reminded us of how to be united and how to find one another, and they reminded us that we are Kurds and we belong to Kurdistan," Zardi said.
Protesters further urged Ottawa to take a firmer stance on Syria. Shilan Zade, a Kurdish candidate for the Canadian Parliament, said, “We need the Canadian government and parliament to condemn [the actions of Syrian interim President Ahmed] al-Sharaa and to ensure that all [Islamic State] ISIS prisoners are returned to prison.”
Kurdish singer Shahryar Hassan said, “We ask Canada and its prime minister to support Kurdish rights,” while activist Juan Saadoun called for international action, stating, “We need the United Nations to act right now.”
The rally concluded with chants of “Free Rojava” and “Kurdistan is one,” reflecting growing calls for Kurdish unity amid pressure on the Kurds in Syria.
Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed militants carried out a major offensive against SDF positions early January which led to gradual withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from areas under their control including regions in Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and near the predominantly Kurdish province of Hasaka in eastern Rojava.
The bulk of the areas seized by Damascus and its allied forces were previously liberated by Kurdish-led fighters from ISIS following the group’s declaration of its so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
Following weeks of clashes that led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Kurds, the SDF announced on Friday they reached an agreement with the interim government in Damascus over the future of Rojava and the integration of its civilians and military institutions into state.
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