Şehid Heval Gabar

The news of the death of Jamie Bright (Heval Gabar) was a shock to many. It was a shock to his comrades as this Australian was considered a veteran, a cheerful and humble man and a discreet professional who chose to join the YPG at a time most are settling into middle age and a quiet life and had managed to outlast many half his age by a mile. Jamie was a comrade, a brother and mate to the Kurds and to the community of International Volunteers in Rojava. Jamie’s death was also a shock to many in the Australian community as Jamie was an everyday Aussie bloke, a father, a tradie and a former soldier with years of service, what could drive such a fellow to do such a thing? To understand that you need to know Jamie and the common denominator that draws exceptional men and women to the YPG, humanity and compassion. I never met Jamie Bright or even knew him on Social Media, I only knew him as “Rojava’s best kept secret”. To me he seemed like a mythical figure and I doubted his existence at all, thinking the persona was made up as a joke to send the AFP and DFAT up the garden path chasing a phantom. However Heval Gabar was very real, Jamie had been in Rojava over a year and spoke fluent Kurdish, he had assimilated well into the YPG and was respected as a fighter, friend, humanitarian and of course a skilled Combat Engineer. Jamie Bright served 15 years in the Australian Army in the Royal Australian Engineers and had operational tours under his belt. After leaving the Army he was a painter in Perth. The war in Syria and the horror and barbarity of Daesh pushed Jamie, like so many others, to do something while his Government looked away, he dropped his life and travelled to Sulaymaniyah and joined the YPG offering his help. Like Reece Harding and Ashley Johnston, Jamie chose to volunteer and serve under the radar because while he knew what he was doing was morally correct and the right thing to do, legally it could land him in a world of hurt when he returned to Australia. I grieve for Jamie Bright and all the other International Volunteers who are vilified by their governments and treated like common criminals for doing something that shows outstanding valor, character and conviction but does not fit the political agenda of the Government in power. We laud our veterans constantly for their commitments and sacrifice; many feel that they were simply doing the job they were paid to do and some feel that society over valorizing their efforts is shallow while veterans face greater battles in civilian life with unemployment, homelessness, depression and substance abuse. Still they went to a war that right or wrong was sanctioned by our elected Government therefore they showed valor. Why does the Government treat still treat unpaid volunteers that are helping oppressed people against a common and existential threat as criminals to be investigated, watched, interrogated and possibly charged with an offense that carries a life sentence? The YPG is not a terrorist organization, they are our allies and probably host Australian SF operators embedded with the Americans. It makes no sense and it grieves me to hear our Prime Minister insist that Jamie Bright was a criminal for his actions, that even in making the ultimate sacrifice our country chooses to turn its back on such true and selfless valor. Şehid Namirin Heval – Rest in Peace.