STRUGGLES

But as the villages' damaged structures and
bullet holes can testify, this was not always
the case. Until June 2015, these roads, these
fields, and the hundreds ofvillages dotted
around them were under the rule ofthe
modern age's self-declared Caliphate - the
Islamic State, known to many as ISIS, ISIL
or Daesh. Now they are governed as part of
the 'Democratic SelfAdministrations' of
Rojava. Rojava is the name ofWest (Syrian)
Kurdistan. Today it is also the name given to
northern Syria's mostly Kurdish
autonomous region, and to the revolution
that is taking place there. That revolution is
led by the PYD - the Democratic Union
Party, which is a part ofthe same movement
as the PKK - Kurdistan Workers' Party. The
People's Protection Units and The Women's
Protection Units (known by their Kurmanji
acronyms, YPG and YPJ) together with the
internal security militia, the Asayîş, are the
main military forces ofRojava and are the
vanguard ofits revolution.
By September 2014 the Islamic State
controlled the territories between two of
Rojava's selfdeclared autonomous cantons,
and were besieging and advancing upon
them. In Kobanê, IS forces had penetrated
deep into the heart ofthe city, causing a
mass exodus ofthe city's population to the
refugee camps. Kobanê was predicted to
become another conquest ofthe Islamic
State.
But the Islamic State was defeated in
Kobanê; from the air by the US Air Force,
and on the ground by the YPG and YPJ. The
Islamic State's rout at Kobanê in January
2015 marked the high watermark oftheir
lightning offensive which began with the
capture ofMosul almost six months before.
Despite advances elsewhere, the Islamic
189
State has been in retreat in the north of
Syria. They are fleeing the forces ofthe
YPG/J.
On June the 13th 2015, YPG/J and allied
forces liberated Tel Abyad, IS' stronghold
between Qamişlo and Kobanê, and since
then have cleared the area ofIslamic State
fighters, linking up two ofthe separated
cantons ofRojava and dramatically
expanding its territory. Now the Rojava
autonomous region is home to nearly 5
million people and covers an area larger
than Lebanon.
The Rojava revolution is a double
revolution. An armed group has
moved into a power vacuum and
established a provisional
government complete with new
flags, new military and police
forces and a new administration.
This is the most visible, yet least
profound, part ofthe revolution.
More importantly, there is a
fundamental change in culture that
is occurring in society that is
radically transforming peoples’
consciousness. It is this latter part
that is perhaps both the most
interesting and the most surprising
development to come out ofthe
Syrian civil war.
Looked at dispassionately, it could be said
that the Syrian civil war has produced not
one but two revolutionary states; the
Democratic Administrations ofRojava, and
the Islamic State. Many would disagree with
the struggle against daesh