Sehid Ciwan Firat (Jordan Mactaggart)

Sehid Ciwan Firat (Jordan Mactaggart)

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Nom de guerre: Ciwan Firat
Real name: Jordan Mactaggart
Name of mother: Malissa
Name of father: Robert
Birthplace: Colorado / USA
Place and date of martyrdom: Minbic, 3. August 2016

I met Heval Ciwan for the first time when were waiting to cross the border into Rojava in spring 2014. He was a shy young anarchist from the US who sat in the corner of our hut, not really enganging with the rest of us and constantly writing in his journal. Quite frankly, at the time most of us were concerned that he wasn`t cut out for war but within a couple of weeks he proved all of us wrong. Soon after finishing his training he joined tabur Soran, a unit notorious for being in every fight possible. In one of his first contacts with the enemy he got shot in the leg and due to some unfortunate circumstances he was left in the field when his unit withdrew. Heval Ciwan put on his tourniquite on and crawled back to friendly lines the entire night. Amongst the foreign fighters in Rojava this story became a legend, until today people talk about `the American kid that got shot in the leg and crawled out all night`. During his second trip to Rojava Heval Ciwan keenly participated in every single operation possible and when we weren`t fighting Daesh he would mange to get into the skirmishes with the regime.
I never actually spent time with Heval Ciwan in a tabur but we would run into each other on a regular basis. He was always cheerful and content when most of us would be bitching about the food, the climate, battle tactics etc. I always had the feeling that Heval Ciwan was where he belonged, that he found his second home in the YPG, while many other foreign volunteers were just passing through. I know that it is not politically correct to say, but Heval Ciwan grew up and became a man as soon as he joined YPG and saw battle. In no time he became the type of guy you want to have around when things got bad.
Heval Ciwan was also known as `Born Dead` after the tattoo on his wrists, a tattoo that expressed his rather complicated relationship with death and dying which, frankly speaking, I never really understood. Nonetheless, whatever this realationship entailed, as everyone else who had the honour of knowing him in Rojava would agree, Heval Ciwan was a great fighter and a good friend who was taken from us way to soon.
Sehid Namirin – My friend, I will never forget you,

Baz Andok

Official press release from YPG:

Destkeftiyên ku di Rojava de hatina bi dest xistin ne tenê ji bo welatiyên vê hêremê, heman demê de ji bo tevahî mirovahiyê ye nirxekî mezin e.
Lewma Şoreşa Rojava bûye Şoreşa mirovahiyê. Bi berxwedaniya bêhempa ya Yekîneyên Parastina Gel YPG/YPJ û Gelê Rojava ya li dijî çeteyên hov a DAIŞê bala hemû cihanê kişand li ser vê lehengiye. Li ser vê esasî di dema dawî gellek hemwelatiyên ji welatên çar aliye cihanê hatin û wekî dilxwazên biyanî cihê xwe di nava vê şoreşê de girtin. Yek ji wan tekoşeran jî Rêhevalê me Jordan yê bi eslê xwe Emerîkî ye.
Rêheval Ciwan Firat (Jordan Mactaggart) bi ruhê xwe yê giranbûha û rûyê xwe ya bi ken di nav refên me de cih girt. Di hemû çeperên şer yê li dijî Terorîstan de amade bû û çeke wî di nava destên wî de bi hawara gelên me de çû.
Heval Ciwan, ji bo tevlî hemleya ku Meclîsa Leşkerî ya Minbicê ya ku bi armanca rizgarkirina bajarê Minbicê dabû dest pê kirin be, gellek bi israr bû. Êşê gelên di bin DAIŞê de mabûn ji kûr ve dibihist û dixwast di nav vê hemleya dîrokî de rolek bileyize. Him hêrsa xwe ya li dijî erorîstên DAIŞê dixwast derbixe û him jî jin û zarokên di şer de wekî mertalên zindî dihatin bikaranîn rizgar bike. Armanca tekanê ya heval Ciwan ev bû.
Di 3’ê Tebaxê de hêzên rizgarkirina Minbicê ji bo xilaskirina sivîlên di nav destê çeteyan de operasyonek taybet lidarxistin. Heval Ciwan jî di vê operasyonê de cihê xwe girt. Di şer û pevçûnên dijwar de bi lehengî şer kir heta keliya ku ew şehîd ket.
Rê hevalê me Jordan di şoreşa Rojava de bi lehengî cih girt û bi vînekî mezin di çeperên şer de li ber xwe da.
Em dikarin bêjin ku Şehîd Jordan banê biratiya gelan xurtkir û ala azadiya gelê bin dest bilindkir. Tekoşîna rêheval Jordan û berxwedaniya wî ya li Rojava, şoreşa Rojava hin behtir dewlemend kir û navê xwe li dîroka biratiya gelan de neqişand.
Di dawiyê de em ser saxiyê ji malbata şehîd Jordan re û tevahî malbatên şehîdan re duxazin û soza şopdariya rêya şehîdan didin.