The Daughters of Kobani: In Conversation with Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Lisa Hendey interviews the author of the bestselling new title The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Ashley’s War and The Dressmaker of Khair Khana and an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. She regularly appears on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, and NPR, and she has spoken on national security topics at the Aspen Security Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, and TED. A graduate of Harvard Business School, she serves on the board of Mercy Corps and is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee.

Based on years of on-the-ground reporting, The Daughters of Kobani is the unforgettable story of the women of the Kurdish militia that improbably became part of the world’s best hope for stopping ISIS in Syria. Drawing from hundreds of hours of interviews, bestselling author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon introduces us to the women fighting on the front lines, determined to not only extinguish the terror of ISIS but also prove that women could lead in war and must enjoy equal rights come the peace. In helping to cement the territorial defeat of ISIS, whose savagery toward women astounded the world, these women played a central role in neutralizing the threat the group posed worldwide. In the process they earned the respect—and significant military support—of U.S. Special Operations Forces.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, congratulations on the publication of The Daughters of Kobani, and thank you for the telling of their stories. You share in your introduction about your motivation for writing this book. Could you briefly share a thought or two on why you took on this project?

Every great story starts with a question you cannot answer. I wanted to know how it came to be that women had played a central role in stopping ISIS? Who were these women and how did they face down the men of ISIS every single day for the sake of the US, Europe, and the region? I knew the American servicemembers thought the world of them and had deep respect for these women as warriors. I wanted to know who they were as people, as daughters and sisters and friends.

Hear in @GayleLemmon's own words why the story she shares in new @PenguinRandom book 'The Daughters of Kobani' is so important #catholicmom

While you share accounts of members of the YPJ, the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units, with a war correspondent’s trained eye, you also personalize their stories as women. Why this more personal approach?

War is deeply personal, even if we don’t often speak of it that way. I wanted my family to know these women, who reminded me so much of women in all our communities: strong, driven to protect others, full of love but ready to do what is required to protect their neighborhood and those they love. In the end, it is about caring for those we love and protecting those we can, standing up for what we believe in.

You hint early in the book at the frustration of trying to educate Americans on ongoing wars a world away from home. Having traveled to Rwanda myself to study post-genocidal peace efforts, your perspective struck a chord with me! Why does it matter that we educate ourselves about the plight of others, especially women, so far removed from our own personal communities?

We are all in this together whether we choose to be or not! Suffocated opportunity is the enemy of global stability; that is the thread that has pushed me to write stories such as these. I was so inspired by these women who never gave up and I wanted everyone to know them.

Please briefly offer one personal encounter with a YPJ member that deeply impacted you and share why her story touched your life?

I met Azeema, who fought ISIS from the front line in Kobani. American service members told me in advance I had to meet her — and they were one hundred percent correct. ISIS grazed her, shot her and tried to blow her up. But still she persevered. She told me always that she had never lost faith even in her darkest hours that Kobani would not fall to ISIS; she had a belief and a faith that they would persevere because justice was on their side and they were willing to do what was required. I also spent time with Christian young women who risked everything to fight ISIS and to protect their communities.

What did you learn about yourself in the writing of The Daughters of Kobani?

I learned a lot about my father. He came from the region and lost his home because he was the wrong faith when he was only a boy. I think working on this story brought me closer to him, even though he is no longer with us. I also felt very connected to the area and determined to capture this story for those who would never have the privilege of meeting these women firsthand. I also learned about what it looks like to see women who lead unapologetically.

How can we learn more about and potentially support efforts toward religious freedom in this region of Syria?

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom closely follows the efforts of the women in this story to be part of a governance project that supports religious freedom and the peaceful coexistence of communities across ethnic and religious lines.

Are there any additional thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?

Faith and hope for the future inform all the work I have the privilege of undertaking. The women in The Daughters of Kobani are fighting for a world in which the enslavement of women is not a reality and in which girls can be students and pursue careers, not forced to be brides with dreams that go unnoticed. I hope you will be inspired by this story of courage, faith, love, friendship, and perseverance. And I hope you will share it with many others. These people fought ISIS not just for themselves or their region, but on behalf of the U.S. and the world.

Copyright 2021 Lisa M. Hendey
Images courtesy of The Daughters of Kobani, used with permission, all rights reserved.