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Our paths crossed with Rüstem Cudî for the first time in a statement released by the HPG. I remember power being drained from my body, my rib cages were trapping my heart, I couldn’t breathe.
I had heard a lot of stories about the legends which were birthed by those mountains, the heroes that blossomed, but this martyrdom was unlike any other. My heart crushed against those cliffs. After hearing Martyr Rüstem, a silence surrounded my heart.
A contradiction grasped my soul, I couldn’t bring myself to think about how many more Rüstems I would miss the opportunity to meet as I was drifting away. It was then that I realized how overwhelming the feeling of being late was. How could I answer why I chose to die so much, when freedom was inviting me so clearly.
I have heard before that for true warriors the war is as sacred as a govend. I was curious, I was reading, Sun Tzu said that “the right decision is like a dive that a hawk makes at the right time which allows him to destroy his enemy.” Martyr Rüstem did this. Despite his injury, he fought for days and when he ran out of ammunition, he flapped his wings and flew to freedom. My insides rose upright, I knew that the right decision was Martyr Rüstem.
Everything I valued faded in front of my eyes for a moment, the world as I knew it was empty. I might have even submitted to my lack of identity, to not seeing the light of day, but if there was death, there must have been life. I saw it in him. I want to live with Rüstem and his friends, and maybe someday I could flap my wings like a hawk and fly over the mountains of my country.
Code Name: Rustem Cûdî
Name Surname: Süleyman Mahmut Hasan
Place of Birth: Serêkaniyê
Mother’s-Father’s Name: Mahdiye – Mahmut
Date and Place of Martyrdom: 12 July 2020 / Heftanîn
