Al-Shami, Leila

Al-Shami, Leila

Leila Al-Shami

25 November 2014Feature

International attention has focused recently on Kobani/Kobane, a Syrian Kurdish town on the border with Turkey, besieged by the al-Qa’eda splinter group ISIS (known to opponents by its Arabic acronym ‘Daesh’). Here a well-informed non-pacifist anarchist explains some of the background to the conflict.


Kurdish protests against siege of Kobane by ISIS in Bologna, Italy on Global day for Kobane. November 1st 2014. Photo: Petar Miloševic

The heroic resistance of the people of Kobane in fighting the onslaught of the Daesh (ISIS) fascists since mid-September, has led to a surge of international solidarity. A multitude of articles and statements have been written and protests have been held in cities across the world. Kurds have flooded across the Turkish border to help their compatriots…