Revolution and war in Western Kurdistan’s Rojava

Abstract

ABSTRACT The two books under review describe the contemporary Syrian civil war and the related social revolution in the region of Western Kurdistan known as Rojava. The complex history of the modern Middle East, the Syrian state, and inter-Kurdish relations have influenced not only the civil war resulting from 2011’s Arab Spring, but also the founding of a popular revolution and commune in Rojava, led by radical principles of democratic autonomy. The feminist-influenced, federated structure of the commune was initiated by the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has ties to the Marxist-Leninist Kurdish Workers Party of Turkey. Both books adopt a sympathetic approach to the struggles of the Kurdish people in Rojava, but differ in their assessment of the PYD’s actual democratic nature and the substantive gains the commune has purportedly made. The commune has presented a challenge to both Kurdish and Arab communities, regarding how to transform Syrian society. As an ethnically-rich region, Rojavans have struggled to not only build the socio-organizational institutions relevant for Kurdish autonomy, but also to incorporate and empower other ethnic populations, too, so as to not also subjugate non-Kurds. Residents – whether aligned with the commune or not – have found themselves subject to attack on all sides, from the Syrian regime’s repression and Islamists like the Islamic State who slaughter any perceived heretics, to the invasion-prone Turkish army and unstable global partnerships (as with the US). The pressure-cooker of civil war has led to creative experiments such as the commune.