Australian musician Les Thomas: Rojava shines like a beacon of hope in the middle of war

2019-11-13 10:57:30


	 

	ANKARA - Australian musician Les Thomas who came up with the song 'Great Betrayal' he wrote following Trump's withdrawal decision from North and East Syria said: "I believe the rest of the world can learn a lot from their example."

	 

	 

	Les Thomas, a musician from Melbourne composed a song called 'Great Betrayal/ Rojava' regarding the attacks on North and East Syria. 

	 

	Thomas who was invited to the 'Rise up for Rojava' rally to perform after his song being intensively shared in social media, decided to record the song with the contributions of Ruth Hazleton and Lachlan Dorse. The song already have reached millions.

	 

	Thomas spoke to Mesopotamian Agency (MA). 

	 

	 

	'THE WORLD HAS A LOT TO LEARN FROM ROJAVA'

	 

	Stating that he is fully aware of how the Kurdish community have been persecuted in their homelands for so long and that his political sympathies have always been with the Kurdish people, Thomas said he will always be in solidarity with the Kurdish community. Thomas, stating that most Kurds arrive in Australia as refugees, said: "A lot of my music has focused on refugee rights. In the midst of the Syrian war, Rojava has been a beacon of hope, not only in repelling ISIS, but creating a grassroots democracy with strong feminist and environmental principles. I believe the rest of the world can learn a lot from their example."

	 

	'I AM OVERWHELMED BY THE RESPONSE FROM THE GLOBAL KURDISH COMMUNITY'

	 

	Thomas, stating that he wrote the song on October 10, when he heard that USA President Donald Trump announced their withdrawal from North and East Syria, said: "He was effectively placing Rojava’s Kurds, who had fought at a huge cost as allies against ISIS, in the hands of Turkey, a much bigger threat given the size of its army, complete with a massive arsenal of tanks and war planes. I posted the lyrics on my Facebook page that day and they were widely shared. Members of the Melbourne Kurdish community invited me to perform the song at the October 12 Save Rojava rally and from there we decided to record and release the song to the world with community support. I self-recorded the song with friends Ruth Hazleton on backing vocals and Lachlan Dorse on piano. It’s available as a free download on the Bandcamp website. It’s also up on Youtube as a video with images from Kurdishstruggle on Flickr. To date it’s reached more than 50,000 people on Facebook and I’ve been especially overwhelmed by the response from the global Kurdish community."

	 

	'TO LIVE IS TO RESIST'

	 

	Emphasizing that the Kurds are going through an especially hard time, said: "I understand that the Kurdish people have faced terrible odds at other times in history and lived to fight another day. Resistance is life, as the saying goes, but they have been betrayed terribly by the United States, the United Nations and many on the political left, who I believe should be giving their full support right now. I feel it’s critical that as much solidarity and support is mobilised as possible, to minimise the harm inflicted on the people of Rojava and protect the revolution they’ve worked so hard to for. I would like to see an immediate Turkish withdrawal and as much international political pressure applied to make that happen."

	 

	 

	'ERDOĞAN MANIPULATES HIS POWER' 

	 

	Thomas, pointing out that most of the politically engaged people were appalled by Donald Trump's actions, said: "He’s any easier target of scorn for most Westerners. Informed people know Erdogan’s Turkey is becoming increasingly dictatorial, authoritarian and militarily aggressive, targeting Kurds, journalists and opposition politicians. Erdogan’s threat to flood Europe with refugees showed how he manipulates his power. Astute observers see his invasion as an attempt to shore up his own domestic power. Actions like this would probably make a lot of people think twice about spending their money on Turkish products or holidays."

	 

	 

	Thomas, stating that he has a message to the Kurdish community, said: "You have my full support and the diaspora community is making many new friends in this hour of need. I hope my small musical contribution can go some way in share your situation and inspire further solidarity. Your example is an inspiration for the world. Biji Rojava!"