Djene Bajalan

Djene Bajalan, a historian specializing in Kurdish politics, joins to discuss a surprising letter from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan calling for the organization's dissolution. The conversation highlights the PKK's transformative journey from Marxist-Leninism to democratic confederalism, its implications for Kurdish identity and self-determination, and the group's complex relationship with regional powers. Bajalan also explores how ongoing conflicts, particularly in Syria, shape the PKK's strategies and the quest for Kurdish representation in a turbulent political landscape.

Djene Bajalan, an assistant professor of history and co-host of This Is Revolution, dives deep into Syria's turbulent politics. He explores the rise of HTS and its stark contrasts with Iran's Islamic regime. The discussion reveals how geopolitical forces have shaped the fall of Assad and the Ba'ath Party. Bajalan also critiques the left's misconceptions about nationalism, emphasizing its dual nature—civic and ethnic. He contemplates the aftermath of the Arab Spring and the Kurdish struggle for autonomy, questioning the future of nationalism in a shifting Middle East.