The Press Center of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) has published the identity of a guerrilla who fell as a martyr. “Our comrade Ezîz Mûsil, a brave son of the Arab people and valuable apoist militant, was killed in an enemy attack in Metîna on 28 June 2024,” the HPG said in a statement, expressing their condolences to martyr’s family, the Arab people and the entire population of Kurdistan.
“Ezîz Mûsil believed in the brotherhood of peoples and saw the Kurdish liberation movement as the basis for a democratization of the Near and Middle East,” said the HPG, adding: “He internalized Rêber Apo’s [Abdullah Öcalan] project of democratic nation in every detail and fought for it tirelessly. With his sincere and natural personality, he became an apoist militant who could be taken as a role model by all Arab youth.”
The HPG gave the following information about the martyr:
Code name: Ezîz Mûsil
First and last name: Rakan Casim Xidir
Place of birth: Mûsil (Mosul)
Names of mother and father: Necah – Casim
Date and place of death: 28 June 2024 / Metîna
Ezîz Mûsil was born to Arab parents in Mosul in northern Iraq and became aware of the Kurdish freedom movement through the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). In 2014, ISIS took over large parts of Iraq and Syria and conquered Mosul, among other places. Ezîz heard about the resistance of the PKK movement and admired the guerrillas who courageously opposed the Islamists and defended the population. He found out about the movement’s goals and was particularly fascinated by the revolution in Rojava and the model of a democratic nation presented by Abdullah Öcalan. He actually wanted to join the freedom movement during the battle for Kobanê. He had to put this wish on hold for various reasons. In 2017, he went to the mountains and was trained as a guerrilla.
The collective life of the guerrillas in the mountains had a lasting impact on Ezîz. After his basic training, he took part in practical work in the Medya Defense Areas. In order to be able to actively participate in the resistance against the increasing attacks of the Turkish army, he completed specialized military training and immersed himself in modern guerrilla tactics. In preparation for deployment to the combat zone, he also received ideological training and studied the history and principles of the PKK movement. He developed into a self-confident militant and took on tasks in the resistance, which he carried out with great responsibility and a sense of duty.
The HPG said: “Hevalê Ezîz has gone down in the history of our struggle with his warm, humble and sincere attitude. He wanted to implement what he had learned in training at every moment of his life. With his youthful dynamism and enthusiastic participation, he won the hearts of his comrades. He fought selflessly against the Turkish state’s occupation operation in the Medya Defense Areas and joined the Caravan of the Immortals. He left an indelible mark on our history. We give our word to continue to pursue his dreams and bow with respect to the memory of him and all our fallen soldiers.”