Her War: Women vs ISIS
ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, is the most brutally violent terrorist group in modern history. They now control large amounts of territory in Iraq and Syria. They have killed millions of people and it seems like the army is powerless to stop its advancement. When the Islamic State issued a decree stating that any man killed by a woman would go straight to hell. This prompted many Kurdish women to take up arms against the militants.
The town of Serekaniye is mostly inhabited by Kurds. This is the last major town bordering the Islamic State. The only force that is protecting this town from ISIS is the Kurdish People Protection Units or YPG.
When ISIS invades a town, they take the men and children and cut off their heads then rape the women and girls. Now the women are fighting back and joining the army. They want to drive ISIS out completely and return pride to their Kurdistan. This is the only way they will be able to have a decent future.
The YPG has an all-female wing called the YPJ. It’s a movement that seeks to protect the people’s rights. These women have been in active combat since 2012, fighting against ISIS. The group gives them strength, confidence and the opportunity to realize their full potential. The YPJ training camp is located about 3 km away from the frontline with ISIS, in an abandoned village. At the time this was filmed, there were 21 young ladies undergoing combat training. The camp is named after a young woman called Berivan who was martyred for her country.
The young women undergo one month of intense training at the camp. As soon as they leave to go to the front line, another group of new recruits comes in to be trained for combat. Most of the women come from very poor families. These women are well acquainted with hardship and that drives them to want to fight for a better future.
The Kurds are ready to create a new society in which women have the same rights as men. A society in which women don’t have to stay at home all day and getting married is not equated to going to prison. A new society in which men and women work, play, and fight alongside each other for the greater good.
The idea of including women in the fight to regain their freedom is already revolutionary. Watch this film now.
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