Green & Red Podcast: "Rojava Fights for Its Survival" w/ Arthur Pye (G&R 459)

Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Scott Parkin
Guest: Arthur Pye (Emergency Committee for Rojava, Institute of Social Ecology)

Episode Overview

This episode examines the urgent crisis facing Rojava (the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria) as it battles for survival against renewed military assaults from the Syrian central government, with the tacit support of Turkey and the United States. Host Scott Parkin speaks with Arthur Pye, an organizer and expert on Rojava, to break down the recent developments, the geopolitical machinations at play, the significance of Rojava’s revolutionary experiment, and how both local and diaspora Kurdish communities, as well as international allies, are responding.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What Is Rojava? (00:35–03:14)

• Arthur Pye describes Rojava as not only a region defending itself from ISIS and Turkish/Syrian military invasions, but as:
  • “…a project to build an alternative society, grounded in values of direct democracy, self-governance, cultural pluralism, women's autonomy, cooperative economics—what we like to call solidarity economy here.” (01:43)
• Popularity and Participation:
  • “A movement of hundreds of thousands, actually millions of people… trying to build revolutionary society, even in refugee camps…” (02:23)
• Global Significance:
  • Pye likens Rojava to the Zapatista movement in terms of inspiration and revolutionary potential.

2. Background: Civil War and Changing Syrian Regimes (03:14–08:00)

• Collapse of Assad and Rise of HTS
  • Bashar al-Assad overthrown by HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham), a rebranded offshoot of Al-Qaeda (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra).
  • “It has been a little bit of an out of the frying pan into the fire situation for Kurdish communities.” (04:55)
• Ethnic Cleansing and Mass Displacement
  • Sheba region example: Kurdish refugees forced out by Turkish-backed militias and HTS.
  • Even as refugees, people continued the communal, assembly-based structures of the Rojava revolution.

3. The March 10 Agreement and Broken Promises (08:01–10:45)

• The Short-Lived Peace:
  • March 10, 2025: SDF leader met with new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shara, to integrate Kurdish forces and region into Syrian state with autonomy.
  • Both sides wary, but tried to negotiate peace and avoid full conflict.
  • Ultimately, negotiations fell apart and Kurds were marginalized.

4. Geopolitics: International Players and Their Interests (13:00–17:00)

• US and the Rebranded Syrian State:

  • Ahmed al-Shara, former ‘international terrorist’, is welcomed by US president Trump.
  • “Ahmed al-Shara… visited the White House and was showered with cologne by the President of the United States. I’m not making this stuff up.” – Arthur Pye (13:09)
  • “People have understandably made kind of half-jokes… about Trump having this sort of man-crush. He likes strongmen.” – Pye (13:23)

• HTS Political Strategy:

  • By contrast to ISIS’s bombastic brutality, HTS (al-Shara) wins international legitimation by rebranding, coalition-building, and cooperation with Israel, the US, and Turkey.

• Turkey’s Role:

  • Not a direct military invasion, but extensive support (advisors, drones, air support) to make the assault seem “legitimately Syrian” (21:19).

5. The Syrian Attack on Kurdish Strongholds and Its Consequences (17:05–24:39)

• Aleppo: The Trigger

  • Kurds agreed to withdraw heavy arms; Syrian state forces broke agreements, attacked Kurdish neighborhoods, and committed documented war crimes.
  • “There were egregious war crimes that were filmed and bragged about by state-backed forces—executing prisoners, throwing women’s bodies off buildings and cheering…” (18:20)

• Rapid Loss of Territory

  • “Over the last week or two… northeast Syria lost the autonomous administration. And the SDF lost like 80% of its territory.” (20:40)

• Syrian State Advances

  • Takeover of historically symbolic cities (e.g., Raqqa, Kobani now besieged and cut off from water, power, internet).
  • “Fighting is ongoing. The city of Kobani… is completely besieged… It’s an extremely serious situation. The whole revolution is at stake.” (27:42)

• US Abandonment and Prisoner Release

  • US declares the partnership with SDF is over; will collaborate with Damascus, even as the latter releases ISIS prisoners.
  • “Tom Barrack… literally said the entire reason for the… partnership between the US and the Syrian Democratic Forces… has expired. We’re going to work with Damascus on fighting ISIS now… It would be funny, if it wasn’t so serious.” (22:39)

6. Repression of Minorities and Human Rights Catastrophe (10:36–13:01)

• Massacres:

  • Alawites and Druze targeted by state-backed forces; widespread fear among women and minorities about losing hard-won rights.
  • “All of these things are at stake right now, and not just for Kurds, but for other ethnic minorities, again, for women as well. People are extremely concerned.” (12:03)

• Women’s Gains at Risk:

  • Rojava’s gender equality (half of all leadership positions for women; autonomous women’s organizations) starkly threatened.

7. Response of Kurdish Diaspora and International Solidarity (29:01–34:39)

• Diaspora Mobilization:

  • Kurds from Turkey (Bakur), Iraq (Bashur), and beyond streaming toward the border; some break through to join defense effort.
  • “Kurds have been flooding to the border for protests and also crossing the border to join this call to join what they call the general mobilization… it also has unified the diaspora beyond the neighboring states.” (29:15)

• Global Actions:

  • Protests across Europe and US; calls to pressure own governments and international bodies to act and investigate war crimes.

• Grassroots Organizing:

  • Emergency Committee for Rojava, local Kurdish associations organizing solidarity demonstrations and lobbying.
  • “We encourage people to just get creative and take initiative as well. You can find resources on our website…” (32:10)

• Advocacy Tools:

  • Defendrojava.org provides scripts, call tools, and info for lobbying Congress (call-to-action at 33:47).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Arthur Pye on Rojava as a Revolution:

  • “It really has come to represent the possibility of a new world, very much on par with the ways that the Zapatista movement has been an inspiration…” (02:10)

• On Women’s Rights in Rojava:

  • “…Over the course of the last decade or more, women have gained the full political and social rights. Half of all leadership positions in governing structures and military structures are all women.” (10:46)

• On the ‘Rebranding’ of the Syrian Regime:

  • “Nobody was sad to see Bashar Al-Assad go … However, it has been a little bit of out of the frying pan into the fire…” (04:56)

• On U.S. Policy and Hypocrisy:

  • “Tom Barrack… literally said the entire reason for the original partnership… has expired. We're going to work with Damascus on fighting ISIS now—which is pretty… if it wasn't so serious it'd be funny.” (22:40)

• On Media and Activism:

  • “These are desperate times. Communities in Rojava and official political leadership, as well as Kurdish diaspora like organizations, are calling on their supporters… to raise hell… to keep this story alive… to get elected officials to speak out forcefully…” (31:09)

Important Timestamps

• Introduction and Arthur’s Bio: 00:00–01:36
• Rojava’s Social Experiment: 01:36–03:14
• Syrian Civil War & HTS Takeover: 03:14–05:33
• Fallout and Ethnic Cleansing: 05:33–08:00
• The March 10th Agreement: 08:01–10:45
• Massacres of Minorities: 10:45–12:35
• HTS, U.S., Israel, & Turkey’s Alliance: 13:00–17:05
• Attack on Aleppo and Blitzkrieg: 17:05–22:39
• US Betrayal & ISIS Prisoners Released: 22:39–27:42
• Current Humanitarian Catastrophe: 27:42–29:01
• Diaspora & International Mobilization: 29:01–34:39
• How to Help & Calls to Action: 32:10–34:39

Action Items and Resources

• Emergency Committee for Rojava: defendrojava.org offers resources, scripts, and connection to local organizing and congressional advocacy tools.
• Get Involved: Connect with local Kurdish associations, participate in solidarity demonstrations, contact representatives, and spread awareness.

Tone & Closing

The conversation is urgent, deeply informed, and solidarity-driven. Arthur Pye combines personal testimony, analytical depth, and a call to conscience. The tone is scrappy, radical, and motivated by the conviction that Rojava’s struggle represents a universal fight for justice and new forms of democracy.

Final message from Arthur Pye:
“…the situation really could not be more serious right now. The whole revolution is at stake.” (28:52)

[End of summary]